From: Maelstroms Embrace
Lore: Within the realm of The Maelstrom’s Embrace, the Phantasmal Serpents are eerie and ethereal creatures brought forth from the depths of the chaos master’s twisted imagination. They embody the chaotic essence of serpents, with bodies composed of shimmering, semi-translucent energy. These spectral serpents possess an otherworldly beauty, their scales radiating iridescent colors that shift and change as they move through the air.
Legend has it that the chaos master, in their quest to manifest their chaotic desires, conjured these serpents as guardians to protect their domain. Through their connection to the chaotic energies of the dungeon, the Phantasmal Serpents materialize, acting as both an extension of the chaos master’s will and a reflection of their twisted psyche.
Use: The Phantasmal Serpents serve as elusive and agile adversaries within The Maelstrom’s Embrace. Their primary purpose is to engage and challenge adventurers who dare to trespass in the chaotic domain. These spectral creatures exhibit swift and unpredictable movements, making it difficult for opponents to land physical attacks upon them. Furthermore, their venomous bites carry a potent sting, capable of inflicting both physical and metaphysical harm upon their victims.
Attributes:
- Level: 1
Stats:
- Health: 20
- Strength: 6
- Dexterity: 14
- Intelligence: 8
- Wisdom: 4
Skills:
- Ethereal Movement: Possessing ethereal bodies, the Phantasmal Serpents exhibit swift and agile movements, making them challenging targets for physical attacks.
- Venomous Bite: Their bites deliver a venomous sting that not only inflicts physical damage but also induces a sense of disorientation and confusion in their victims.
- Iridescent Shroud: The serpents can temporarily envelop themselves in an iridescent shroud, enhancing their evasiveness and making it even more difficult for opponents to accurately strike them.
Preparation: Preparation for encountering Phantasmal Serpents involves understanding their spectral nature and adapting one’s tactics accordingly. Being incorporeal beings, they are impervious to most conventional physical attacks. Therefore, adventurers must rely on magical or elemental means to effectively engage them. Protective spells or enchantments to mitigate the effects of their venomous bites are also advisable.
Cost: The cost of facing Phantasmal Serpents lies in the challenges and dangers they present. Engaging them requires careful planning, adaptability, and the utilization of specific techniques or magical abilities. Defeating these spectral creatures may yield rewards such as experience points, remnants of their chaotic energy, or unique items related to their ethereal nature.
Process: When adventurers venture into The Maelstrom’s Embrace, the chaos master senses their presence and conjures Phantasmal Serpents from their twisted imagination. These serpents materialize, slithering through the air with unpredictable movements, ready to strike at any moment. The process of encountering and engaging the Phantasmal Serpents begins as adventurers explore deeper into the labyrinthine chambers of the dungeon.
Tags: Spectral Creatures, Ethereal, Swift Movements, Venomous, Elusive, Unpredictable
Facing the Phantasmal Serpents within The Maelstrom’s Embrace requires a combination of magical prowess, adaptability, and precise timing. Adventurers must harness their skills and abilities to counter the serpents’ elusive nature and venomous attacks. The challenge lies in finding the right balance between offense and defense while navigating the shifting chaos of the dungeon.
Location and Environment: The battle with the Phantasmal Serpents takes place within the winding corridors and chambers of The Maelstrom’s Embrace. The environment itself is a manifestation of chaotic energies, with twisting passages, floating platforms, and ethereal landscapes. The air is filled with an otherworldly shimmer as the serpent’s slither through space, their iridescent scales reflecting the ambient light.
The battleground may vary depending on the specific chamber or location within the dungeon. It could be a claustrophobic chamber with narrow walkways, forcing close-quarters combat, or an open area with floating platforms, requiring agile movements to engage the serpents effectively. The environment itself adds to the challenge of the encounter, with shifting terrain and the potential for hazardous traps or chaotic manifestations.
Fighting the Phantasmal Serpents — Engaging the Phantasmal Serpents requires a combination of strategic planning, adaptability, and utilization of magical or elemental means. Due to their spectral nature, physical attacks are largely ineffective, phasing through their incorporeal forms. However, adventurers can leverage the following tactics to overcome these elusive foes:
- Magical and Elemental Attacks: Spells or enchanted weapons imbued with magical or elemental properties are effective against the Phantasmal Serpents. By harnessing the chaotic nature of the dungeon, adventurers can disrupt their ethereal forms and inflict damage.
- Protective Measures: Given the venomous nature of their bites, adventurers should employ protective measures to mitigate their effects. Potions, spells, or enchanted items that grant resistance or immunity to toxins are invaluable in the battle against these spectral creatures.
- Strategic Maneuvering: The Phantasmal Serpents exhibit swift and unpredictable movements, making them challenging to hit. Adventurers must carefully time their attacks, employing evasive maneuvers and exploiting openings in the serpents’ defenses.
End Results and Usage — The conclusion of the battle against the Phantasmal Serpents within The Maelstrom’s Embrace can yield various results, each with its own potential uses:
- Experience and Progression: Overcoming the serpents grants adventurers experience points, contributing to their leveling and growth. This progress opens up new abilities, skills, and opportunities for future challenges.
- Chaotic Essence: Defeating the Phantasmal Serpents releases remnants of their chaotic energy. These chaotic essences can be harnessed by skilled enchanters or craftsmen to imbue items with spectral properties or create potent artifacts.
- Loot and Treasures: The serpents may guard hidden caches of valuable items or artifacts related to their ethereal nature. These treasures can be used by adventurers or sold to collectors and traders for profit.
- Lore and Insights: Engaging the Phantasmal Serpents may unveil fragments of knowledge or lore about The Maelstrom’s Embrace, the chaos master, or the nature of chaos itself. These insights can deepen understanding or guide adventurers on further quests or endeavors.
The end results obtained from the battle with the Phantasmal Serpents can be used to enhance adventurers’ capabilities, whether through leveling up, acquiring unique items, or harnessing chaotic energies. The gained experience, artifacts, or insights can shape future strategies, aid in subsequent encounters within the dungeon, or contribute to the adventurers’ overall progression and understanding of the world of Saṃsāra.
The successful conquest of these elusive spectral creatures may earn the respect and recognition of fellow adventurers, serving as a testament to one’s prowess and ability to navigate the chaotic depths of The Maelstrom’s Embrace.

Perception of Phantasmal Serpents from Maelstrom’s Embrace
- Sight
- Description: The Phantasmal Serpents are seen as shimmering, semi-translucent creatures with iridescent scales that constantly shift and change colors. They move through the air with a fluid, serpentine grace, creating an almost hypnotic effect.
- Positives: Their ethereal beauty is mesmerizing, providing a visually captivating spectacle. The shifting colors and fluid movements can be entrancing, almost magical.
- Negatives: The serpents’ elusive nature makes it difficult to track their movements, creating a visual disorientation. Their appearance can be a distraction, causing adventurers to lose focus on the battle.
- Sound
- Description: A soft, hissing sound accompanies their movement, interspersed with an occasional sharp, high-pitched whine that resembles the sound of metal scraping on glass.
- Positives: The subtle hissing serves as an early warning of their presence, allowing adventurers to prepare for an encounter. The sound can help in locating the serpents within the chaotic dungeon.
- Negatives: The high-pitched whines can be jarring and unsettling, causing discomfort and potentially affecting concentration during combat.
- Smell
- Description: The air around the Phantasmal Serpents carries a faint, metallic scent, mingled with a sharp, ozone-like aroma.
- Positives: The distinctive smell can alert adventurers to the serpents’ proximity, providing an additional sensory cue to their presence.
- Negatives: The metallic and ozone scent can be unpleasant and overpowering, potentially causing nausea or distraction.
- Touch
- Description: The air feels cooler and slightly tingly around the Phantasmal Serpents, as if charged with static electricity. If touched, their bodies are cold and insubstantial, causing a brief but intense chilling sensation.
- Positives: The change in air temperature and the tingling sensation can serve as a tactile warning of the serpents’ presence, helping adventurers stay alert.
- Negatives: The chilling touch can be disorienting and discomforting, potentially numbing extremities and reducing dexterity.
- Taste
- Description: The atmosphere around the serpents leaves a metallic tang on the tongue, akin to the taste of blood or iron.
- Positives: The unusual taste can serve as an additional warning signal, heightening awareness of the serpents’ presence.
- Negatives: The persistent metallic taste can be unpleasant and distracting, potentially affecting focus and concentration during combat.
- Extra-Sensory Perceptions
- Sixth Sense (Intuition)
- Description: Adventurers may experience an eerie sense of foreboding and unease, an intuitive feeling that something is not right. This sense often manifests as a chill down the spine or a prickling sensation on the skin.
- Positives: Heightened intuition can provide an early warning, allowing for quicker reactions and preparation for combat.
- Negatives: The constant sense of foreboding can be mentally exhausting and may cause hesitation or panic in crucial moments.
- Magical Aura Perception
- Description: Those attuned to magic can perceive a swirling, chaotic aura emanating from the serpents. The aura is a mix of vibrant colors and crackling energy, indicative of their connection to the chaotic energies of the dungeon.
- Positives: The ability to sense their magical aura can help adventurers locate the serpents even through walls or barriers, giving a tactical advantage.
- Negatives: The overwhelming magical energy can drain the resolve and magical energy of those who sense it, weakening their spells and diminishing their effectiveness in combat.
- Emotional Resonance
- Description: The Phantasmal Serpents radiate an intense feeling of disorientation and confusion. Sensitive individuals may experience these emotions, creating a powerful empathic connection.
- Positives: Understanding the serpents’ emotional resonance can provide insights into their behavior and potential weaknesses, aiding in devising strategies to combat them.
- Negatives: The overwhelming emotional resonance can be debilitating, causing adventurers to experience intense confusion and disorientation, which can cloud judgment and impair decision-making.
- Sixth Sense (Intuition)
Encountering Phantasmal Serpents is a multi-sensory ordeal that tests the mental, physical, and magical resilience of adventurers. The combination of their mesmerizing appearance, unsettling sounds, chilling touch, and overwhelming magical aura creates a formidable challenge that requires careful preparation and strategic thinking to overcome.
Tale of the Phantasmal Serpents
In olden times, before the memory of men, there was a realm called The Maelstrom’s Embrace, where chaos ruled and twisted dreams came to life. From this place of shadows and shifting energies, the Phantasmal Serpents were born, creatures of eerie light and ghostly form. Hear now the tale of their creation, as told by the ancients.
Long ago, in the heart of the maelstrom, there lived a chaos master, a being of great power and darker purpose. This master, in their insatiable thirst for control and dominion, sought to create guardians for their twisted domain. Thus, from the depths of their chaotic mind, they conjured the Phantasmal Serpents, beings of shimmering light and ever-changing hues.
These serpents, born of madness and magic, were unlike any other. Their scales gleamed with colors that danced like the aurora, and their bodies moved with a grace that defied the laws of nature. They slithered through the air, unseen and untouched by the physical world, their forms as insubstantial as mist.
It is said that these serpents were bound to the chaos master’s will, serving as both protectors and enforcers of the master’s twisted edicts. Any who dared to enter the realm of The Maelstrom’s Embrace found themselves beset by these spectral creatures. The serpents’ venomous bites brought not only pain but confusion, leaving intruders disoriented and vulnerable.
Many were the tales of adventurers who braved the maelstrom, seeking fortune or glory, only to fall prey to the serpents’ deadly dance. Their shimmering forms would weave through the air, evading sword and spell alike, striking with a speed that left even the most seasoned warriors helpless.
In one such tale, a band of heroes entered the maelstrom, determined to end the chaos master’s reign. They fought bravely, wielding enchanted weapons and casting powerful spells, but the Phantasmal Serpents were relentless. One by one, the heroes succumbed to the serpents’ venom, their minds clouded with confusion and their bodies growing weak.
Only one hero, a mage of great wisdom and power, survived the encounter. This mage, using their knowledge of the arcane, managed to banish the serpents temporarily, but the cost was great. The mage’s mind was forever scarred by the experience, haunted by visions of the serpents’ iridescent scales and their relentless pursuit.
The tale of the Phantasmal Serpents has been passed down through the ages, a warning to all who would seek to challenge the chaos master’s domain. These spectral guardians remain a symbol of the unpredictable and dangerous nature of The Maelstrom’s Embrace, a reminder of the power and madness that dwells within.
Moral of the Story: Beware the allure of chaos and the creatures born of its depths, for they are as unpredictable as they are deadly, and even the bravest of souls may find themselves lost in the maelstrom’s embrace.
Suggested conversions to other systems:
Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)
Phantasmal Serpent
- Description: Eerie and ethereal creatures composed of shimmering, semi-translucent energy, summoned by the chaos master to guard their domain.
- Characteristics:
- STR: 6
- CON: 12
- SIZ: 8
- DEX: 14
- APP: 8
- INT: 8
- POW: 15
- Hit Points: 10
- Sanity Loss: 1/1D10
- Attacks:
- Venomous Bite: 40%, 1D6 + special
- Skills:
- Dodge: 70%
- Stealth: 80%
- Intimidate: 60%
- Special Abilities:
- Ethereal Movement: The serpent can pass through solid objects.
- Venomous Bite: Causes 1D6 damage plus induces disorientation (POW vs. POW roll; failure results in -20% to all actions for 1D6 rounds).
- Iridescent Shroud: The serpent can make an opposed POW roll to become harder to hit, imposing a -20% penalty to physical attacks for 1D6 rounds.
Blades in the Dark
Phantasmal Serpent
- Description: Spectral serpents, shifting colors and composed of semi-translucent energy, acting as guardians in a chaotic domain.
- Faction Status: 3
- Quality: 2
- Cohort:
- Type: Adepts (Spectral)
- Edge: Elusive
- Flaw: Unstable
- Harm:
- Venomous Bite: Tier (causes physical damage and disorientation)
- Ethereal Movement: Difficult to hit due to their spectral nature.
- Special Abilities:
- Venomous Bite: Inflicts Level 2 Harm (“Venomous Sting”) and induces disorientation (requires a Resistance roll to avoid).
- Ethereal Movement: Can move through solid objects, making them difficult to trap or pin down.
- Iridescent Shroud: When activated, provides a +1d to resist being hit.
Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)
Phantasmal Serpent
- Medium undead, chaotic neutral
- Armor Class: 15
- Hit Points: 45 (10d8)
- Speed: Fly 40 ft. (hover)
- STR: 6 (-2)
- DEX: 18 (+4)
- CON: 12 (+1)
- INT: 8 (-1)
- WIS: 8 (-1)
- CHA: 10 (+0)
- Saving Throws: DEX +7, WIS +2
- Damage Resistances: Acid, Fire, Lightning, Thunder; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
- Damage Immunities: Cold, Necrotic, Poison
- Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained
- Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 9
- Languages: Understands Common but does not speak
- Challenge: 4 (1,100 XP)
- Actions:
- Venomous Bite: Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, the target is also disoriented, suffering disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
- Iridescent Shroud (Recharge 5-6): The serpent becomes surrounded by a shimmering shroud for 1 minute. During this time, it has advantage on Dexterity saving throws and attackers have disadvantage on attack rolls against it.
- Ethereal Movement: The serpent can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
Knave
Phantasmal Serpent
- Description: Ethereal serpents with shifting colors, embodying the chaotic essence of their creator’s imagination.
- Health: 20
- Armor: 2
- Abilities:
- Strength: -1
- Dexterity: +3
- Constitution: +1
- Intelligence: -1
- Wisdom: -2
- Charisma: 0
- Special Abilities:
- Ethereal Movement: The serpent can phase through solid objects and is immune to non-magical attacks.
- Venomous Bite: The serpent’s bite deals 1d6 damage and requires a CON save. Failure results in being poisoned and disoriented for 1d6 turns, causing disadvantage on all rolls.
- Iridescent Shroud: Once per hour, the serpent can envelop itself in a shimmering shroud for 1d6 turns, granting it a +2 bonus to AC and saving throws.
- Equipment:
- None (Spectral)
- Encounter:
- Typically found in the chaotic, shifting corridors of The Maelstrom’s Embrace, guarding the domain of the chaos master. They are elusive and challenging foes, requiring magical means to effectively engage.
Fate Core
Phantasmal Serpent
- Description: Spectral serpents created by the chaos master, embodying chaotic energy with shifting, iridescent scales.
- Aspects:
- High Concept: Ethereal Guardian Serpent
- Trouble: Chaotic and Unpredictable
- Aspect: Venomous Bite
- Aspect: Iridescent Shroud
- Aspect: Ethereal Movement
- Skills:
- Great (+4): Stealth
- Good (+3): Athletics, Notice
- Fair (+2): Fight, Intimidation
- Average (+1): Will, Lore
- Stunts:
- Venomous Bite: Once per encounter, can attack with +2 to Fight. If successful, inflicts a Mild Consequence “Poisoned” which imposes a -2 penalty to all rolls.
- Iridescent Shroud: Gain a +2 bonus to Defense rolls for one scene by activating the shroud.
- Ethereal Movement: Move through solid objects and gain +2 to overcome obstacles using Athletics.
- Stress Tracks:
- Physical: 2 boxes
- Mental: 3 boxes
- Consequences:
- Mild: Confused
- Moderate: Disoriented
- Severe: Severely Poisoned
Numenera & Cypher System
Phantasmal Serpent
- Level: 4 (12)
- Motive: Guard the chaos master’s domain
- Health: 12
- Damage Inflicted: 4 (venomous bite)
- Armor: 2
- Movement: Long
- Modifications: Stealth as level 6, Speed defense as level 5
- Combat:
- Venomous Bite: Inflicts 4 points of damage plus causes the target to make a Might defense roll (difficulty 4) or become poisoned and disoriented, suffering a -1 penalty to all actions for 1 hour.
- Iridescent Shroud: Once per hour, the serpent can envelop itself in a shimmering shroud, granting it +2 Armor and making it harder to hit (all attacks against it are modified by +1 difficulty for 1 minute).
- Ethereal Movement: The serpent can move through solid objects and is immune to non-magical physical attacks.
- Interaction: The Phantasmal Serpent is primarily a guardian and attacks intruders on sight. It does not communicate and is driven solely by its connection to the chaos master.
- Use: These serpents serve as both a physical and psychological challenge for adventurers, requiring careful planning and magical means to defeat.
Pathfinder (2nd Edition)
Phantasmal Serpent
- Ethereal Undead, Chaotic Neutral
- Perception: +10; darkvision
- Languages: Understands Common but does not speak
- Skills:
- Stealth: +14
- Acrobatics: +12
- AC: 22
- HP: 40
- Fort: +8
- Ref: +12
- Will: +10
- Speed: Fly 40 ft. (perfect)
- Melee: Venomous Bite +12 (1d6+3 piercing damage plus 1d6 poison damage, and the target must succeed at a DC 18 Fortitude save or be disoriented for 1 minute)
- Special Abilities:
- Ethereal Movement: The serpent can pass through solid objects and is immune to non-magical physical attacks.
- Iridescent Shroud (3/day): The serpent can surround itself with a shimmering shroud for 1 minute, granting it +2 AC and resistance 5 to all damage except force and radiant.
Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)
Phantasmal Serpent
- Attributes:
- Agility: d10
- Smarts: d6
- Spirit: d8
- Strength: d6
- Vigor: d8
- Skills:
- Fighting: d8
- Intimidation: d6
- Notice: d8
- Stealth: d10
- Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6 (2)
- Special Abilities:
- Venomous Bite: The bite deals Str+d6 damage and forces the victim to make a Vigor roll (at -2) or be poisoned and suffer a level of Fatigue.
- Iridescent Shroud: The serpent can activate a shimmering shroud for 3 rounds, granting +2 to Toughness and making it harder to hit (attacks are made at -2).
- Ethereal Movement: The serpent can move through solid objects and has the Incorporeal trait, making it immune to all non-magical attacks.
- Edges:
- Quick: The serpent acts on the best of two cards in combat.
- Hindrances:
- Unstable: The serpent’s connection to the material world is tenuous, and it must succeed in a Spirit roll each hour to maintain its presence, otherwise it dissipates for 1d6 hours.
Shadowrun (6th Edition)
Phantasmal Serpent
- Description: Ethereal serpents created by the chaos master, with shimmering, semi-translucent scales and a venomous bite.
- Attributes:
- Body: 4
- Agility: 7
- Reaction: 6
- Strength: 3
- Willpower: 5
- Logic: 2
- Intuition: 5
- Charisma: 3
- Edge: 4
- Essence: 6
- Initiative: 11 + 2D6
- Movement: 6/12 (Hover)
- Condition Monitor (P/S): 10/10
- Armor: 4 (Ethereal Resistance)
- Skills:
- Stealth: 12
- Unarmed Combat: 10
- Perception: 9
- Intimidation: 8
- Powers:
- Ethereal Movement: Can pass through solid objects and is immune to non-magical attacks.
- Venomous Bite: Melee attack dealing 6P damage plus a toxin effect. Target must make a Body + Willpower (4) test or suffer -2 to all actions for 1D6 turns due to disorientation.
- Iridescent Shroud: Once per encounter, the serpent can activate a shimmering shroud, granting +2 to Defense and Stealth rolls for 1 minute.
- Weaknesses:
- Astral Beacon: The serpent’s connection to the astral plane makes it more visible to astral perception.
Starfinder
Phantasmal Serpent
- CR: 5
- XP: 1,600
- Ethereal Undead
- Initiative: +7
- Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +12
- Defense:
- EAC: 18
- KAC: 19
- Fort: +6
- Ref: +9
- Will: +8
- HP: 45
- Immunities: Cold, necrotic, poison
- Offense:
- Speed: Fly 40 ft. (perfect)
- Melee: Venomous Bite +13 (1d6+5 P + 1d6 poison, DC 15 Fort save or disoriented for 1d4 rounds)
- Statistics:
- STR: +1
- DEX: +4
- CON: —
- INT: +1
- WIS: +2
- CHA: +0
- Skills: Stealth +17, Acrobatics +15
- Feats: Improved Initiative
- Languages: Common, Elvish
- Special Abilities:
- Ethereal Movement: Can move through solid objects and is immune to non-magical physical attacks.
- Iridescent Shroud (3/day): Grants +2 AC and +4 Stealth for 1 minute.
Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)
Phantasmal Serpent
- Attributes:
- Strength: 5
- Dexterity: 10
- Endurance: 6
- Intelligence: 6
- Education: 5
- Social Standing: 4
- Skills:
- Athletics (Dexterity): 2
- Stealth: 3
- Recon: 2
- Melee (Natural): 3
- Traits:
- Ethereal Movement: Can phase through solid objects, immune to non-magical attacks.
- Venomous Bite: Melee attack dealing 2D6 damage plus a toxin effect; target must make an Endurance check (8+) or suffer -2 to all actions for 1D6 turns.
- Iridescent Shroud: Once per hour, the serpent can activate a shroud that grants +2 DM to Dodge and Stealth rolls for 10 minutes.
- Equipment: None (spectral)
Warhammer (Age of Sigmar/Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay)
Phantasmal Serpent
- M: 8
- WS: 4
- BS: —
- S: 3
- T: 3
- W: 2
- I: 5
- A: 2
- Ld: 8
- Skills:
- Intimidate: +20
- Stealth: +30
- Special Rules:
- Venomous Bite: The serpent’s bite inflicts 1D6+1 damage plus a toxin effect. Target must make a Toughness test or be disoriented, suffering -1 to all actions for 1D6 turns.
- Iridescent Shroud: Can activate a shimmering shroud for 1D6 turns, granting +1 to Toughness and making all attacks against the serpent suffer -1 to hit.
- Ethereal Movement: Can move through solid objects and is immune to non-magical attacks.
- Equipment: None (spectral)
