One of the most insidious aspects of the yuan-ti is their human heritage, for this vile race of serpent folk is descended from humans who interbred with an ancient sauroid race. In their monstrous evil, the yuan-ti continue this mingling of serpentine and human blood, creating two type of agents and servitors who are not quite human—nor are they fully yuan-ti.
Yuan-ti cultists create both these servitors using essentially the same process. If the process is a success, the result is a tainted one. These creatures appear just as they did before their infection—generally able-bodied humans, usually of 3rd to 6th level. Though their bodies do not show signs of their tainted blood, their personalities and mannerisms do: They often develop habits such as frequently licking their lips, drawing out the sibilant sounds when they speak, or keeping large serpents as pets. Tainted ones serve the yuan-ti as agents who can pass unnoticed among other races and infiltrate where even a pureblood yuan-ti might risk discovery.
If the process goes awry, the result is a broodguard—a hairless, near-mindless abomination with an emaciated body. Its gray or yellow-green skin is tough and scaly, and it smells faintly of rotting meat. The creature has beady, bloodshot eyes, and its forked tongue continually darts in and out ofits mouth. Broodguards, as their name suggests, are most often found guarding yuan-ti brood chambers.
Tainted ones and broodguards speak the languages they knew before their transformation, and they usually learn Draconic within a few months of becoming infected.
“Tainted one” and “broodguard” are acquired templates that can be added to any human (referred to hereafter as the base creature). Creatures using these templates have all the base creature’s characteristics except as noted here.
Size and Type: Tainted ones remain humanoids. Broodguards become monstrous humanoids.
Armor Class: Broodguards do not wear armor.
Attacks and Damage: Tainted ones gain a poisonous bite (see Special Attacks).
Broodguards have sharp claws and vicious bites they can use in melee. They use the base attack values they had as humans, but their claws deal 1d2 points of damage and their bite deals 1d3 points of damage.
Special Attacks: Tainted ones gain the following two special attacks.
Psionics (Sp): The transformation activates latent psionic potential in human minds, granting tainted ones supernatura1 abilities similar to those of true yuan-ti. A tainted one can create the following effects through the power of its mind as а sorcerer of its character level: poison (Fortitude save against a DC of 13 + the tainted one’s Con modifier) and polymorph (self only, into snake or snakelike forms only).
Poison Bite (Ex): The saliva of a tainted one is poisonous when ingested or introduced into the blood. A tainted one can only inject its venom while grappling a foe with exposed skin. The Fortitude save to resist this poison has a DC of 10 + ½ the tainted ones Hit Dice + the tainted one’s Constiution modifier; this DC is typically listed in the tainted one’s Special Attack entry of its individual statistics block. Victims who fail this save take 1d4 points of Constitution damage. After 1 minute, they must make another save; failure means another 1d4 points of Constitution damage. A tainted one’s kiss is also poisonous, though in this сase the save DC is reduced by 2.
Broodguards do not gain psionics or a poison bite, but instead gain a rage ability.
Rage (Ex): Once per day, a broodguard can enter into a berserk state similar to a barbarian’s rage. In this state, the broodguard gains +4 to Strength, +4 to Constitution, and a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, but it takes a −2 penalty to Armor ass. The rage lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the broodguard’s (newly improved) Constitution modifier.
Special Qualities: Tainted ones gain poison immunity and spell resistance. Broodguards gain mental resistance and poison immunity.
Poison Immunity (Ex): Tainted ones and broodguards are immune to all forms of snake venom.
Spell Resistance (Ex): Tainted ones gain spell resistance of 12 +1 per three levels.
Mental Resistance (Ex): Broodguards are immune to hold and charm spells.
Abilities: Tainted ones, +2 Con. Broodguards, +2 Dex, +2 Con, −4 Int, −4 Cha.
Skills: Same as base creature. (Who wants to recalculate skill points for the Intelligence-sapped broodguard, who is just cannon fodder anyway?)
Feats: Tainted ones and broodguards gain Alertness as a bonus feat due to their heightened senses.
Environment: Any warm land.
Organization: Tainted one, solitary. Broodguard, clutch (2–8) or tribe (9–20).
Challenge Rating: Tainted one, base creature’s CR +1. Broodguard, base creature’s CR.
Treasure: Standard.
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil.
Advancement: Tainted one, by character class. Broodguard: —.
Level Adjustment: Tainted one, +1. Broodguard: +0.
Yuan-ti create most of their servitors from human prisoners. They also may transform hu. man worshipers who voluntarily agree to become tainted ones. Humans become tainted ones by drinking а distillation of yuan-ti venom mixed with certain herbs and roots.
Any human who drinks this mixture, whether by choice or by force, must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 16). If the saving throw fails (and volunteers may choose to fail it), the victim must make a Constitution check (DC 15). Success on this check means the character becomes a tainted one in a painful transformation that lasts 1d6 days. Failure means the character slowly becomes a broodguard in 1d6+6 days.
If the Fortitude save succeeds, the victim immediately lapses into a coma; death follows in 1 hour. A comatose victim can be revived with a delay poison or neutralize poison spell, if the spell is cast within 1 hour after the mixture has been swallowed. А human-headed yuan-ti has the ability to neutralize poison, and may save a comatose victim, though this act ofsalvation is not for the victims benefit. A human who makes his save may suddenly find himself conscious again, only to face another flask of the mixture when the yuan-ti attempts another transformation.
Only humans can become tainted ones. Nonhumans who drink the yuan-ti mixture must make the same Fortitude save (DC 16), however. If the save succeeds, the nonhuman is violently ill, unable to take any action for 1d4 rounds. If the save fails, the nonhuman becomes comatose and dies in 1d4+1 rounds.
If a human fails his saving throw after drinking the mixture, a few desperate measures may prevent his transformation into a tainted one. If neutralize poison, dispel magic, remove curse, and heal are cast on the victim, in that order, the transformation process reverses. However, the victim permanently loses 1 point of Intelligence. A wish, limited wish, or miracle spell reverses the transformation with no loss of Intelligence. Once the transformation is complete, only a wish or a miracle can restore the victim to his former self.
Most yuan-ti characters are tainted ones. Their preferred class is fighter. A few broodguards retain enough Intelligence to take class levels, and their preferred class is fighter. While tainted ones often multiclass as rogues and, eventually, assassins, those broodguards with class levels are usually fighters.
Source: Savage Species, page 140.