FREQUENCY: Very rare
FREQUENCY: Very rare ([Dungeon Level III])
 

NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 9"
HIT DICE: 2
% IN LAIR: 10%
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8 <1-8+paralysation>
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Paralysation (and see below)
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to poison (and see below)
MAGIC RESISTANCE: [SB]
INTELLIGENCE: Average
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: L
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: III | 118 + 2

This creature appears to be the {skeleton} of a giant snake with a fanged [human] skull as a head.
It is totally silent,
immune to sleep, charm and mind-affecting spells,
immune to poison and will never need to check morale.
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Its bite (1-8 HP of damage) causes paralysation unless the victim makes his saving throw (against magic -- this is not a venom).
The paralysation lasts 1-4 turns.

The necrophidius achieves surprise 50% of the time (1-3 on d6) and if it is not itself surprised it will execute the Dance of Death --
a hypnotic,
semi-magical swaying which rivets the attention of any victim observing the worm who fails to make his saving throw against magic.
Failure means inability to act;
treat as hypnotism. <technically not hypnotism: closer to the effect of a rainbow pattern>
This allows the worm to advance and attack without opposition.

A necrophidius is created for one specific purpose and is therefore generally met in the role of an assassin or guard --
never as a wandering monster.

Despite a number of characteristics to the contrary,
the necrophidius is not of the undead class and cannot,
e.g.,
be turned by a cleric.

CONSTRUCTION: There are three <3> ways of creating a necrophidius.
[1]. The first is by means of a special magical tome, similar to a Manual of Golems.
[2]. The second method is for a high-level magic-user to employ a [limited wish], a [geas] and a [charm person].
[3]. The third method is for a high-level cleric to employ [quest], [neutralize poison] <spell with a s, not z in the original>, [prayer], silence <link> and [snake charm].
The materials include the articulated skeleton of a giant snake (poisonous or constrictor) and the skull of a cold-blooded murderer killed within the previous 24 hours.
The cost is 500 g.p. per hit point of the creature and it requires 10 days construction time.
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    by Simon Tilbrook

"The necrophidius is neutral. Interestingly enough, the Fiend Folio describes it as a construct, rather than an undead. However, the original description of the monster from the White Dwarf adventure "Halls of Tizun Thane" says it is undead." - Marco, dragonsfoot.