| Hit Dice: | 12d10+12 (78 hp) |
| Initiative: | +2 |
| Speed: | 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 30 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 17 (+2 Dex, +5 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 15 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | |
| Attack: | Claw +12 melee (1d6/19–20) |
| Full Attack: | 4 claws +12 melee (1d6/19–20) and bite +10 melee (1d6) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Cold aura |
| Special Qualities: | Cold subtype, darkvision 60 ft., damage reduction 10/magic, low-light vision |
| Saves: | Fort +9, Ref +10, Will +5 |
| Abilities: | Str 11, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 7 |
| Skills: | Climb +8, Hide +12, Listen +3, Move Silently +11, Spot +3 |
| Feats: | Alertness, Blind-Fight, Improved Critical (claw), Multiattack, Stealthy |
| Environment: | Any cold and underground |
| Organization: | Solitary or pair |
| Challenge Rating: | 7 |
| Treasure: | Standard |
| Alignment: | Always chaotic evil |
| Advancement: | 13–18 HD (Large); 19–24 HD (Huge); 25–36 HD (Gargantuan) |
| Level Adjustment: | +3 |
Frost salamanders can be found in many extremely cold places on the Material Plane. Ice caves, glaciers, frozen lakes, and other places where the temperature seldom rises above freezing are their favorite haunts.
A frost salamander’s ice-blue, serpentine body has six legs, a long tail, and a reptilian head. Its claws are equipped with talons that resemble icicles. These claws not only make vicious weapons, they allow the creature to climb any ice-covered surface—even a vertical wall.
Frost salamanders are omnivorous, but they prefer their food frozen. If prey is plentiful, they may keep particularly delectable items, such as yetis and adventurers, frozen in their lair for years until the right craving strikes them.
In combat, a frost salamander rears up on its two hind legs and slashes with all four front legs while biting with its vicious teeth. It might also try bull rushing an enemy backward into a pool of freezing water.
Cold Aura (Ex): A frost salamander emanates such intense cold that each creature within 20 feet takes 1d8 points of cold damage per round (no saving throw). Magical effects that shield against cold work against this aura, but normal measures (such as heavy furs or insulation) do not.
Source: Monster Manual II, page 107. This creature’s statistics block has been updated to version 3.5 as given in the D&D® V.3.5 Accessory Update for Monster Manual II. The original creature was assigned a size of Medium but the Accessory Update gave it a space and reach of a Large (long) creature. In the end, it was simpler to reduce its space and reach to that of a Medium creature and leave the Large (or larger) sizes to the creature’s Advancement entry.