Zinba
CREATURE 10Commonly known as ghost serpents, zinbas are rare, amphibious snakes with healing abilities. They're of similar size to other large snakes, such as pythons, but have a distinct bright blue coloring with red-and-black patterned stripes along their backs. This distinct coloration is easy to spot, but zinbas can swim through the wet mud and soft earth of their homes to avoid being tracked by all but the most skilled pursuers. This elusiveness inspires their "ghost serpent" moniker.
A zinba can metabolize a unique additive for its venom that converts it from a deadly poison to a healing agent, which makes zinbas particularly valuable in the eyes of healers and poachers. There is a high demand for zinbas in many markets; live serpents fetch a hefty sum, but zinba eggs are especially valuable, as zinbas reared in captivity are less willful and more likely to eat in confinement. Their elusiveness, however, leads many to search for their dens instead, which are large pools of water among remote wetlands or underground hollows near bodies of water. The water of a zinba's pool also has minor but valuable healing qualities, but removing water from a den causes it to lose its healing properties after a few hours, so most who find a den attempt to immediately make use of it.
Even finding dens is a difficult prospect, since zinbas are particularly intelligent for animals and can recognize signs of travelers near their favored hiding places. When there are signs of danger, a zinba collapses its lair and flees to create another den elsewhere.
2d10+6 bludgeoning, DC 29 basic Fortitude
The monster deals the listed amount of damage to any number of creatures Grabbed or Restrained by it. Each of those creatures can attempt a basic Fortitude save with the listed DC. A creature that fails this save falls Unconscious, and a creature that succeeds is then temporarily immune to falling unconscious from Greater Constrict for 1 minute.
Medium, 2d10+6 bludgeoning damage, Rupture 23
The monster attempts to swallow a creature of the listed size or smaller that it has grabbed or restrained in its jaws or mouth. If a swallowed creature is of the maximum size listed, the monster can't use Swallow Whole again. If the creature is smaller than the maximum, the monster can usually swallow more creatures; the GM determines the maximum. The monster attempts an Athletics check opposed by the grabbed creature's Reflex DC. If it succeeds, it swallows the creature. The monster's mouth or jaws no longer grab a creature it has swallowed, so the monster is free to use them to Strike or Grab once again. The monster can't attack creatures it has swallowed.
A swallowed creature is Grabbed, is Slowed 1, and has to hold its breath or start suffocating. The swallowed creature takes the listed amount of damage when first swallowed and at the end of each of its turns while it's swallowed. If the victim Escapes this ability's grabbed condition, it exits through the monster's mouth. This frees any other creature grabbed in the monster's mouth or jaws. A swallowed creature can attack the monster that has swallowed it, but only with unarmed attacks or with weapons of light Bulk or less. The swallowing creature is Off-Guard against the attack. If the monster takes piercing or slashing damage equaling or exceeding the listed Rupture value from a single attack or spell, the swallowed creature cuts itself free. A creature that gets free by either Escaping or cutting itself free can immediately breathe and exits the swallowing monster's space.
Effect: Engulf and Swallow Whole
If the monster dies, a swallowed creature can be freed by creatures adjacent to the corpse if they spend a combined total of 3 actions cutting the monster open with a weapon or unarmed attack that deals piercing or slashing damage.
The zinba bites a creature within reach and delivers a restorative healing remedy instead of its venom. The creature takes 1 piercing damage, but then gains fast healing 5 for 1 minute.
In addition, the restorative attempts a counteract check against any poison or disease affecting the creature with a counteract modifier of +22.
A creature that receives the restorative is temporarily immune to the zinba's restorative for 24 hours.
Effect: Zinba Restoration
The monster can instead use Grab and choose one creature it's grabbing or restraining with an appendage that has Grab to automatically extend that condition to the end of the monster's next turn.