Gargantuan monstrosity, unaligned
Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 247 (15d20 + 90)
Speed 50 ft., burrow 30 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +5
Proficiency Bonus +6 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 (+9) | 7 (-2) | 22 (+6) | 1 (-5) | 8 (-1) | 4 (-3) |
Saving Throws Con +11, Wis +4
Saving Throws (suggested) Str +14, Con +11, Wis +4
Senses blindsight 30 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages –
Challenge 15 (13,000 XP)
Tunneler. The worm can burrow through solid rock at half its burrow speed and leaves a 10-foot-diameter tunnel in its wake.
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The worm makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its stinger.
- Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d8 + 9) piercing damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed by the worm. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the worm, and it takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the worm’s turns. If the worm takes 30 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the worm must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the worm. If the worm dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone.
- Tail Stinger. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 19 (3d6 + 9) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw, taking 42 (12d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
The purple worm is a fearsome beast that dwells in the depths of the earth, devouring anything in its path. It resembles a gigantic earthworm, with a dark purple hide covered in chitinous plates. It has a massive mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth at one end, and a venomous stinger at the other. A mature purple worm can grow up to 80 feet long and weigh 40,000 pounds , but some reports claim that even larger specimens exist, reaching up to 150 feet long and 9 feet in diameter.
COMBAT
The purple worm is a relentless predator that attacks anything that moves within its range. It can sense vibrations through the ground, and can burrow through solid rock at incredible speed. It can coil its body into a 20-foot-wide mass, and strike with its bite and stinger simultaneously. Its bite can swallow a large or smaller creature whole, trapping it inside its acidic stomach. Its stinger can inject a potent poison that can incapacitate or kill its prey . The worm is sensitive to minute vibrations in the earth, and can sense prey at a range of 60 feet.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
The purple worm is a solitary creature that roams the underground realms in search of food. It does not have any social structure or intelligence, and acts purely on instinct. It does not care about territorial boundaries or alliances, and will attack any creature that crosses its path, including other purple worms. It does not have any natural predators, except for some rare and powerful creatures that can challenge it . The purple worm is solitary and seeks a companion only to mate. The moment a new worm hatches, it burrows into the ground, never to be seen by its siblings again.
ECOLOGY
The purple worm is an important part of the subterranean ecosystem, as it creates tunnels and caverns that are used by other creatures. It also provides a source of food for scavengers and adventurers, who can harvest its meat, hide, teeth, and venom. The purple worm reproduces by laying eggs in clusters of six, which are suspended from the walls of its lair by sticky saliva. The eggs have hard shells that protect them from harm, and hatch into smaller versions of the adult worm . As the worm tunnels, it consumes vast amounts of material that are excreted when it returns to its lair. Among the discharged substances are precious metals and gems.