Swarm of Venomous Snakes
Medium Swarm of Tiny Beasts · · CR 2
- Swarm of Tiny Beasts
- Medium
- Tier 1
CR 2 medium swarm of tiny beasts, unaligned — that's Swarm of Venomous Snakes. Native to coastal, desert, forest, grassland, hill, and swamp. Sourced from Monster Manual (5.5e 2024).
Stat Block
- Challenge Rating
- 2
- Type
- Swarm of Tiny Beasts
- Size
- Medium
- Alignment
- —
- Speed
- —
- Habitats
- Coastal, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Swamp
- Sources
- Monster Manual (5.5e 2024)
Ecology
Venomous snake swarms gather in arid and semi-arid biomes around water sources during dry seasons. They share burrows for thermoregulation and disperse to hunt individually at dawn and dusk. The swarm's collective venom output is enough to kill a horse in minutes. Mongoose populations are the primary natural check, and certain raptors specialize in snake-hunting. Swarms become problematic when human settlements expand into traditional snake territories without proper buffering.
Behaviour
Like other snake swarms, venomous variants act on shared scent and movement cues without true coordination. They are more aggressive than typical individual snakes, possibly because the swarm reduces individual risk perception. They strike at footfalls and breath, identifying prey by warmth. Cold mornings make them sluggish but not safe; envenomation occurs even in torpor. Captive swarms are nearly impossible to manage humanely.
Origin
Desert tribes credit the swarms to a sun-god's punishment for an ancient sin against hospitality. Yuan-ti consider every venomous snake a child of their patron, due reverence. Practical herbalists collect venom from swarm individuals for valuable antitoxin reagents, though the harvesting is dangerous work that few survive past middle age. The trade still pays well enough to draw constant new aspirants.
Related Monsters
Frequently Asked Questions about Swarm of Venomous Snakes
- What is the challenge rating of Swarm of Venomous Snakes?
- Listed CR for Swarm of Venomous Snakes: 2. Match it to a party that works against tier-1 parties.
- What type of creature is Swarm of Venomous Snakes?
- The bestiary type for Swarm of Venomous Snakes is swarm of tiny beasts, medium size.
- Where does Swarm of Venomous Snakes live?
- You'll find Swarm of Venomous Snakes in Coastal, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Swamp according to the bestiary entry.