Snake cults are a classic part of D&D (and fantasy from the 70s and 80s), so here’s how you can build one in your own games.
Fighting cultists in D&D is a pretty meat and potatoes ordeal. They worship some malevolent entity in exchange for temporal power, and you take them out before they can achieve whatever sinister objective they set out to accomplish with their newfound power. And maybe along the way you get some cool magic items.
And of the various types, a snake cult – one either run by or in veneration of monsters like Nagas and D&D’s infamous Yuan-ti – is one of the more flexible ones to play with. You can go a lot of different ways when designing one. Here are some monsters to consider including.
Yuan-Ti Infiltrator
You might be thinking, “well isn’t a cultist an obvious choice?” And you’d be right. But here’s the thing about the cultist stat block – all they really do is hit people with sickles. That’s cool and all, but when I hear snake cult, I think there’s gotta be guys doing snake magic. And for that, there’s nothing better than the Yuan-ti infiltrator.
This is a surprisingly versatile stat block, with a decent magical melee and ranged attack, as well as the ability to cast a single spell, Suggestion. Put them in a group and you’ve got people doing snake magic – shooting people with sickly poison damage, or just slash at them with poison scimitars. It’s a great start for a particularly arcane cult.
Bone/Spirit Naga
Snake cult has gotta have a big snake, and a naga is a great way to have a big magical snake. There are two kinds – the bone naga, which is great if you want a lower level malevolent snake. Or a spirit naga if you want a slightly more powerful magic snake. In fact, you could even have one of the cult rituals be to turn the bone naga into a spirit naga through some sort of fell resurrection.
Spirit nagas are much more dangerous – they have necrotic magic, can cast spells like Lightning Bolt and Dimension Door, shoot death beams, and in general have a wicked poison bite. A snake cult having one of these on their side is a terrible thing indeed. Stopping one from being created (or slaying one newly formed) is a great showdown against a serpent cult.
Yuan-Ti Malison
There are three types of yuan-ti malisons in the Monster Manual, and they are all great options. One has human body but snake head. One has human body but snake arms. And one has snake body but human head/arms. They all can shapeshift into giant serpents and blast enemies with magical poison.
Nothing quite like ’em for making it clear that you’re fighting a snake cult.
Yuan-Ti Abomination
This is a perfect big snake monster. Because not only is it a big snake, it is also a guy. With multiattack. A Yuan-ti abomination can tear through lower level and unprepared parties, because it can constrict and isolate weaker characters, leaving them poisoned and unable to attack back effectively while still also being able to cast three powerful Suggestion spells to help make sure that the fight goes the way they want it to.
These are perfect to set up as being the leader of the cult and everyone thinks they’re the big bad boss until they’re defeated and it turns out there was a darker evil…
Cult Hierophant
Cultist hierophants round out the list. These NPCs are potent spellcasters who are also pretty tough in melee. Wielding a magical pact blade and power granted to them by the dark gods they serve, they are the perfect cap to an encounter with a snake cult.
Happy adventuring!
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