FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-2
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 13"
HIT DICE: 7-9
% IN LAIR: 60%
TREASURE TYPE: I, Q, T, X
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 bite and 1 sting
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4/2-8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Spell use; poisonous sting
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: High
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil
SIZE: L (12' long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
    Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: 7 HD, VI/700 + 8/hp
    8 HD, VII/1100 + 10/hp
    9 HD, VII/1700 + 12/hp

    Dark nagas, fey creatures who further the
ends of evil on the Prime Material Plane,
dwell in caverns and ruins. They usually
work with other creatures for mutual gain
and/or defense. They have the natural
power of ESP (8" range), and can cast spells
as a fifth-level magic-user (four 1st-level
spells, two 2nd-level spells, and two 3rd-level
spells per day). Dark nagas only employ
spoken magic and are always eager to
acquire new spells from any source. Note
that a naga must experiment with and
modify spells involving somatic andmaterial
components to an entirely verbal form
(player characters cannot do this, however).
The process takes some time; a naga cannot
cast a spell by reading from a spell book.
However, spell books and spell scrolls
may well be hidden in a dark naga's lair,
gained from trades, magic-using victims, or
the discovery of earlier hoards.

    In battle, a dark naga may use a spell and
in the same round strike at an opponent
with the poisonous barbed sting in its tail.
Its sting does 2-8 hp damage plus poison
(save or take 1-2 hp additional damage and
fall into a drugged sleep for 1-6 rounds). A
dark naga can bite for 1-4 hp if it does not
cast a spell; the naga can use its tail sting
against the same target as its bite only when
space permits, but in narrow passages it can
fight targets both in front of and behind it,
using its spells (or bite) and its sting separately
against multiple opponents.
 

    by Ed Greenwood