Guardian serpent

Version 0.17: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

For a list of all snakes, see list of snakes.

guardian serpent S
HP	28-61
HD	8
XP	457
Speed	15
AC	6
EV	14
Will	60
Attack1	26 (hit: plain)
Resistances	rPois+
Vulnerabilities	None
Habitat	Land
Intelligence	Normal
Uses	Uses nothing
Holiness	Natural
Size	Large
Type	guardian serpent, guardian serpent
Flags	See invisible Speaks Warm-blooded

Serpents are distinct and rare members of scaly society. They are light and swift like snakes, yet also intelligent like nagas. Their lack of hands, together with an extreme sense of duty, makes them renowned guardians. It is said that a guardian serpent would rather die in battle than leave anything to an intruder. “The latter lived in the country, and before his house there was an oak, in which there was a lair of snakes. His servants killed the snakes, but Melampus gathered wood and burnt the reptiles, and reared the young ones. And when the young were full grown, they stood beside him at each of his shoulders as he slept, and they purged his ears with their tongues. He started up in a great fright, but understood the voices of the birds flying overhead, and from what he learned from them he foretold to men what should come to pass.” -Pseudo-Apollodorus , _Library and Epitome_, 1.9.11. circa 150 BC. trans. Sir James George Frazer, 1913. “A snake, with mottles rare, Surveyed my chamber floor, In feature as the worm before, But ringed with power.” -Emily Dickinson, “In Winter In My Room”. circa 1860.

Useful Info

Guardian serpents are dangerous support units which aid their naga and salamander allies. Although capable of dealing moderate poison damage on their own, their real danger lies in their ability to blink multiple nearby enemies into the spaces adjacent to you, immediately surrounding you. They are fairly common in the lower portions of the Snake Pit, and make rare appearances in the Vaults and the Depths.

Spells

Spell set
Slot1	Venom Bolt (3d13)	Wizard flag
Slot2	Slow	Wizard flag
Slot3	Blink Allies Encircling	Wizard flag

Tips & Tricks

• Standing in narrow hallways or up against corners will limit the number of spaces around you, limiting the number of foes a guardian serpent can surround you with at once. Ideally, however, you can kill the serpent before it has a chance to do so. Of course, axe-specialists may welcome the opportunity to buff themselves and then cleave through 7 enemies at a time.
• Characters with low magic resistance may wish to don an amulet of stasis to avoid being slowed right before a particularly vicious battle.

History

Prior to 0.14, they knew Teleport Other and Minor Healing in place of Blink Allies Encircling.