Kaa

My wife had Army Reserve Drill this past weekend.  In addition to exploring the area surrounding the base, I went to Wal-Mart, purchased and read Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book”.  I have seen the Disney cartoon probably a dozen or so times and while I expected some differences from film to novel, I was surprised by a few things, most notably the inclusion of several non-jungle stories (a white seal that leads his people to the safe nursery grounds and the struggle for an Inuit village to survive a particularly brutal winter). 

I also learned that Rikki-Tiki-Tavi is part of the book (I had seen a cartoon when I was little but did not realize this was its source material). 

The biggest change in my opinion is how much of a bad@$$ Kaa is.  Unlike his comic-relief cartoon counterpart, Kaa is a force to be reckoned with.  In his first appearance, Kaa is recruited by Baloo and Bagheera to help rescue Mowgli from a band of monkeys in a ruined human city.  The ancient serpent goes on to serve as something of a mentor and ally to Mowgli for the remainder of the story and provides tactical advise for a battle between Mowgli’s wolf pack and a large force of wild dogs.

It is this version of the character that I would like to present today…

Kaa

N male Gargantuan Giant Constrictor Snake
Init: +3; Senses: Listen +11, Spot +11
Languages: Speak Common

AC: 17 (-4 size, +3 Dex, +8 Natural); t: 9, ff: 14

Hp: 145 (20HD)
Immune: - -
Fort +12, Ref +12, Will +6
Spd: 50’ (10 squares), climb/swim 30’ (6 squares)

Melee +22 Bite: 2d6+16 plus Improved Grab

Base Atk: +15; Grap +48

Str 33, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 10

SA: Constrict, Improved Grab, Mesmerizing Dance

SQ: Scent

Feats: Ability Focus (Mesmerizing Dance), Alertness, Endurance, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Hide), Toughness

Skills: Balance +11, Climb +19, Hide +2, Knowledge (Local –Seoni Region of India) +13, Knowledge (History) +13, Listen +11, Spot +11, Survival +3 to avoid getting lost, Swim +19

Length: 30’     Weight: 483 lbs.

Appearance: Kaa is a huge and powerful snake, over 100 years old and still in his prime.  His body is thick and covered with brown, olive and chestnut-colored blotches, often joining up in a broad, irregular stripe with small and smooth scales.  His head is flat and roughly triangular in shape.

Climate/Terrain: Tropical Jungle

Organization: Solitary
Advancement: 21-33 HD (Gargantuan)
Challenge Rating: 9

• Mesmerizing Dance (Ex): By twisting his body in figure eights and other loops, Kaa can enthrall other animals if they fail a Will save (DC22).  This effects lasts 2d4 rounds or until Kaa dismisses it.  The save is Cha-based and includes the bonus from the Ability Focus feat.

• Skills: Snakes receive a +4 racial bonus to Hide, Listen, and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Balance and Climb checks, they use Str or Dex, whichever is better, for Climb checks.  They gain a +8 bonus on Swim checks to avoid hazards or perform special actions and can use the Run action while swimming if they move in a straight line.  They can always take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened and on Swim checks, even if distracted or endangered.

Alternate Versions of Kaa

“Kaa” is essentially a larger than normal constrictor snake.  Add HD and adjust saves as applicable but I would add some sort of hypnosis ability (save vs spell to negate) that only works on animals (like the Enthrall effect above) and maybe the equivalent of Bardic Knowledge to reflect the memories he has accumulated over the course of the last 100 years.