BONE NAGA – 5e stats

Large undead (naga), lawful evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 58 (9d10 + 9)
Speed 30 ft.

Proficiency Bonus +2
Proficiency Bonus +4 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	16 (+3)	12 (+1)	15 (+2)	15 (+2)	16 (+3)

Saving Throws (suggested) Dex +5, Cha +5
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Common plus one other language, limited (60 feet range) telepathy to communicate with their creator (suggested)
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Spellcasting. The naga is a 5th-level spellcaster (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks) that needs only verbal components to cast its spells.

Spellcasting (suggested): The naga is a 5th-level spellcaster (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks) that requires no verbal, somatic or materials components to cast its spells.

• If the naga was a guardian naga in life, its spellcasting ability is Wisdom, and it has the following cleric spells prepared:
  • Cantrips (at will): mending, sacred flame, thaumaturgy
  • 1st level (4 slots): command, shield of faith
  • 2nd level (3 slots): calm emotions, hold person
  • 3rd level (2 slots): bestow curse
• If the naga was a spirit naga in life, its spellcasting ability is Intelligence, and it has the following wizard spells prepared:
  • Cantrips (at will): mage hand, minor illusion, ray of frost
  • 1st level (4 slots): charm person, sleep
  • 2nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, hold person
  • 3rd level (2 slots): lightning bolt

ACTIONS

• Multiattack (suggested). Bone nagas makes three attacks, one with its bite, one with its tail and one with its spells.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) poison damage.
• Bite (suggested). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage plus DC 13 Constitution save or the target suffers 1 points of Strength drain.
• Barbed Tail (suggested). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 15 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage plus 1d6 cold damage.

---

---

DESCRIPTION

A bone naga is an undead creature that was once a living naga, a serpentine being with a humanoid head and magical abilities. A bone naga is created by a necromantic ritual that prevents the naga from resurrecting, as most nagas do, and instead binds its spirit to its bones. A bone naga retains some of its former spells and intelligence, but becomes a loyal and hateful servant of its creator. A bone naga has a skeletal body that is about 12 feet long, with a large skull that has glowing eye sockets. Its fangs and tail are tipped with venomous barbs.

COMBAT

A bone naga is a cunning and deadly foe that can attack with its bite, tail, and spells. It can read the thoughts of its enemies and use this information to plan its strategy and taunt them telepathically. It prefers to target living creatures with its venomous attacks, which can drain their strength and inflict cold damage. It can also cast one spell per round as a sorcerer of moderate level, without needing any components. A bone naga’s spells are fixed when it is created and are renewed every 24 hours. A bone naga is immune to mind-reading and cannot be compelled to cast spells by anyone except its creator.

HABITAT / SOCIETY

A bone naga usually serves as a guardian for its creator, who is often a dark naga or an evil mage. It may protect the creator’s lair, treasure, or young nagas from intruders. A bone naga loathes its servitude, but is bound by the ritual that created it. If its creator is killed or abandons it, a bone naga becomes free to wander the world in search of a new lair. It may seek out dark, cold, and isolated places, such as ruins, caverns, or forests. It may also gather or create other undead creatures to serve as its minions or companions.

ECOLOGY

A bone naga does not need to eat or drink, as it is sustained by negative energy. It has no natural role in any ecosystem, except that it may kill large or hostile creatures for sport or practice. It may also hunt down psionic creatures, as it has a hatred for them. The bones of a bone naga have telepathic properties that can be used for magic involving mental communication or manipulation. Bone-naga powder can also be used as a substitute for certain materials when casting protection from good, a spell that shields the caster from attacks by good-aligned creatures.

Zardock’s Journal: The mysteries of the Naga animating process
Entry #48
Date: 21th of Ambyrmont, 1008 AC
Location: The Great School of Magic, Glantri City

I have made a fascinating discovery today. I have been studying the remains of a bone naga that I acquired from a Nagara lair. These undead serpents are created by a complex and costly ritual that involves the use of necromantic magic and telepathic components.

I have always wondered how such a ritual works, and what is the source of the bone naga’s sorcerous powers. I have found some clues in an ancient tome that I borrowed from the library of the Arcane Academy. The tome is titled “Necromantic Summons: A Guide to the Secrets of Life and Death”. It describes a spell that can summon a creature from a graveyard and grant it additional power if the caster has mastered other spells of the same school.

The spell is very similar to the ritual that creates a bone naga, except that it does not require any telepathic components. However, the tome also mentions that the spell has an extraplanar origin, and that it was discovered by a group of planar explorers who ventured into the Negative Energy Plane, a realm of pure death and decay.

This leads me to believe that the ritual that creates a bone naga is also extraplanar in origin, and that it somehow taps into the negative energy that permeates that plane. This would explain why the bone naga can cast spells without any components, and why it has a hatred for psionics. It would also explain why the ritual is so rare and valuable, as it requires a connection to a plane that is very dangerous and difficult to access.

I wonder if there are other spells or rituals that have an extraplanar origin, and what secrets they may hold. I will continue my research and see if I can find more evidence to support my theory. Perhaps I can even devise a way to create my own bone naga, or something even more powerful.