IRON COBRA – 5e stats

Medium construct (clockwork), unaligned

Armor Class 13
Hit Points 45 (7d8 + 14)
Speed 30 ft.

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

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	3 (-4)	10 (+0)	1 (-5)

Skills Stealth +7
Weaknesses (suggested) lightning (see below)
Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t adamantine
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages understands one language of its creator but can’t speak
Challenge 4 (1100 XP)

Magic Resistance. The iron cobra has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Stealth Attack (suggested). The Iron Cobra has advantage on Stealth checks and if it acts with surprise it gains advantage on the first attack roll with its bite.

Weakness against Electricity (suggested). Whenever an Iron Cobra receives lightning damage and fails a saving throw it will stop working for 1d4 rounds.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack (suggested). The Iron Cobra makes two attacks, one with its bite and one with its constricting tail.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or suffer one random poison effect:
  • Poison Damage: The target takes 13 (3d8) poison damage.
  • Confusion: On its next turn, the target must use its action to make one weapon attack against a random creature it can see within 30 feet of it, using whatever weapon it has in hand and moving beforehand if necessary to get in range. If it’s holding no weapon, it makes an unarmed strike. If no creature is visible within 30 feet, it takes the Dash action, moving toward the nearest creature.
  • Paralysis: The target is paralyzed until the end of its next turn.
• Constricting Tail (suggested). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 111). Until this grapple ends, the creature is restrained, and the snake can’t constrict another target. The giant constrictor snake automatically inflicts 5 (1d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage on a grappled target.

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DESCRIPTION

An iron cobra is a simple construct that resembles a hooded cobra made out of metal. It has a sleek and shiny body, with a pair of glowing eyes that can see in the dark. An iron cobra is typically about 5 feet long and weighs 100 pounds. It can be made from various metals, such as iron, bronze, or steel, depending on the preference and skill of its creator .

An iron cobra is not a living creature, but a magical device that follows the commands of its creator or master. It can understand one language of its creator, but cannot speak. It has no emotions or personality, and acts only to fulfill its assigned task. An iron cobra is immune to poison and many types of physical damage, and can resist spells and other magical effects.

An iron cobra is typically used as a bodyguard or guardian of treasure, though its magical ability to unerringly locate creatures means it is also used as an assassin. An iron cobra can be programmed to track down and attack a specific creature, or to patrol a certain area and attack any intruders. An iron cobra can also be set to self-destruct if it is captured or damaged beyond repair.

An iron cobra is an ancient creation of unknown origin, possibly made by a powerful wizard or a minor deity. Its body is divided into segments, with the largest one behind the head. The body color and features of an iron cobra are chosen by its creator, and often mimic those of a real poisonous snake, such as a rattle, a tongue, or a hood. Its eyes are made of two specially-enchanted emeralds, which are worth at least 500 gold pieces each. These gems often reveal the true nature of the construct to observant adventurers.

COMBAT

An iron cobra’s main weapon is its bite, which delivers a powerful dose of poison or alchemical concoction. The type and effect of the poison varies depending on the choice of its creator, but it can range from paralyzing, to blinding, to lethal. An iron cobra can also coil around its prey and squeeze them with its metal body, or lash out with its tail as a secondary attack.

An iron cobra is not very intelligent, but it is relentless and fearless in combat. It will not hesitate to attack any creature that poses a threat to its master or mission, regardless of size or strength. An iron cobra will pursue its target until it is destroyed or ordered to stop by its master. An iron cobra will not retreat or surrender, unless it is programmed to do so.

An iron cobra is immune to mind-affecting spells and webs, as it is a mindless machine. An iron cobra emits no body heat, and thus is invisible to infravision. Once per round, an iron cobra can move silently for one round, attempting to surprise its victim with a bite.

The fangs of an iron cobra deliver piercing damage, and inject a dose of whatever is in the iron cobra’s fluid reservoir. The reservoir holds enough liquid for a limited amount of injections, and can be recharged only by its creator. However, some rare iron cobras can regenerate their poison in 24 hours. The poison can have various effects, such as:

• Deadly poison: Requires a saving throw versus poison at -2 to avoid death.
• Paralyzing poison: Paralyzes the victim for 2-5 rounds.
• Sleep-inducing: Puts the victim to sleep for 1-4 rounds, regardless of their Hit Dice.
• Hypnotic: Hypnotizes the victim for 2-5 rounds, as per the wizard spell hypnotism.
• Other drugs: Have various effects depending on the drug, such as hallucinations, nausea, or pain.

The effect and duration of the poison depend on the size and mass of the victim, and may require adjustments by the Dungeon Master.

HABITAT / SOCIETY

An iron cobra has no natural habitat or society, as it is an artificial construct created by magic. An iron cobra can be found anywhere its creator or master places it, such as dungeons, vaults, temples, laboratories, or mansions. An iron cobra does not need food, water, air, or sleep to function, but it does require regular maintenance and repair by its creator or master.

An iron cobra has no social interactions with other creatures, except for its creator or master, whom it obeys without question. An iron cobra does not communicate with other constructs of its kind, unless they share the same master or mission. An iron cobra does not form bonds or alliances with other creatures, unless they are ordered to do so by its master.

An iron cobra may have been created to guard a special treasure, or simply to act as a bodyguard. Alternatively, these automatons could be programmed to track down and attack any creature whose true name is known, within a one mile range. The iron cobra relentlessly tracks its intended victim by homing in on its psychic vibrations, which are related to the victim’s true name. The victim can defend himself by blocking these emanations with a mind blank or similar magic effect or spell.

Programming an iron cobra consists of a few simple commands, such as guard, attack, hide, come home, track, etc. These commands are determined by the wizard when the creature is initially constructed, and can only be changed by deactivating and reprogramming the iron cobra. Deactivation can be done by dispel magic or similar effects. There is a small chance that electrical attacks, such as shocking grasp or lightning bolt, will scramble an iron cobra’s programming, and thus render it impotent.

ECOLOGY

An iron cobra has no impact on the natural ecology of its environment, as it is an unnatural construct that does not belong to any ecosystem. An iron cobra does not consume any resources or produce any waste that affects the flora or fauna around it. An iron cobra does not reproduce or create offspring of its own kind.

An iron cobra’s only role in the ecology is as a predator or prey for other creatures. An iron cobra can be hunted by adventurers who seek to loot its metal body or power source, which can be valuable materials for crafting or enchanting. An iron cobra can also be preyed upon by creatures who are immune to its poison or resistant to its damage, such as rust monsters, oozes, dragons, or golems.

An iron cobra does not eat, sleep, or breathe. The methods for the construction of these automatons have been lost many centuries ago. The study of ancient lore has revealed that only a few iron cobras were ever constructed, perhaps a few dozen total. Modern wizards value a deactivated but functional iron cobra at 2,000 gold pieces, if the command words are known. Iron cobras created by more powerful beings, such as minor deities, are more accurate reproductions of nature, and thus it may be difficult to ascertain the true nature of these creatures until it is too late.