Couatl

Armor Class: 4 [15]
Hit Dice: 9
Attacks: Bite (1d3 plus poison) or spell
Special: poison, constriction (1d6+1/round), Magic-User/Cleric spellcasting, at-will detection/mind-reading, invisibility/incorporeality, teleportation, polymorph, darkvision
Move: 6 Fly 18
HDE/XP: 11/1,700

Description

The powerful and legendary Couatl is a large serpent with a pair of feathered wings; since it is a shape- changer, one rarely sees this form. It can speak Common, communicate freely with reptiles and avians, or may use telepathic communication with intelligent creatures. A couatl has keen senses, including paranormal, which gives it the equivalent of Darkvision with a 90-foot range. A couatl is a benevolent force of goodness, and is rarely aggressive unless first attacked.

When pressed into direct physical combat, a couatl will bite for 1d3 points of damage plus a deadly poison (saving throw against poison or die instantly). In addition, the couatl wraps about its foe, causing 1d6+1 points of damage from constriction each round. However, a couatl prefers to attack from the air, using spells or other powers. A couatl casts spells as either a Magic-user (40%), Cleric (40%), or sometimes as both (20%), equivalent to its hit dice (9th level). In addition, any couatl can, at will, cast Detect Chaos (Law) (Chaos only), Detect Invisibility, Detect Magic, Detect Thoughts (ESP), and Read Languages. A couatl can also become invisible and insubstantial (incorporeal). In this form, it moves at half speed in any direction, and can move through solid objects freely. A couatl can teleport twice per day.

A couatl can polymorph itself freely, and will not hesitate to change into another, more effective form in combat.

Source note: This creature is converted from The Basic Fantasy Field Guide of Creatures Malevolent and Benign – Omnibus Edition, 1st Edition Release 4, © 2010–2025 Chris Gonnerman, R. Kevin Smoot, James Lemon, Matt Sluis, and Contributors. The Basic Fantasy Field Guide textual material is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International; this page adapts that creature to White Box.