TUNNEL CENTIPEDE – 5e stats

Gargantuan beast (giant animal), unaligned

Armor Class 18 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 139 (9d20 + 45)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

Proficiency Bonus +2
Proficiency Bonus +4 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
22 (+6)	8 (-1)	20 (+5)	2 (-4)	7 (-2)	3 (-4)

Senses Blindsight 30 ft., passive Perception 8
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Lunging. The tunnel worm attack by lunging out of its hidden burrow to gain a surprise attack. When doing so, the tunnel worm gains advantage on the first attack.

ACTIONS

• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 20 ft., one creature. Hit: 28 (4d10 + 6) piercing damage. The target is grappled (escape DC 16). Until the grapple ends the target automatically takes 28 (4d10 + 6) piercing damage.

DESCRIPTION

The tunnel centipede is a monstrous arthropod that dwells in the dark depths of the Underdark. It resembles a giant centipede, but with a thicker and more armored body, a pair of large mandibles, and a venomous stinger at the end of its tail. Its body is segmented and covered with chitinous plates, ranging in color from dark brown to black. Its many legs are equipped with sharp claws that allow it to burrow through solid rock and create tunnels in its wake. Its eyes are small and beady, but it relies more on its keen sense of smell and vibration to locate prey. A tunnel centipede can grow up to 30 feet long and weigh up to 2,000 pounds.

COMBAT

A tunnel centipede is a ferocious and relentless predator that will attack anything that moves or makes noise in its territory. It can sense the presence of living creatures within 60 feet of it, and will pursue them with great speed and agility. It can also surprise its prey by bursting out of the ground or walls, using its powerful jaws and stinger to inflict devastating wounds. A tunnel centipede will often drag its prey back to its lair to feed, or leave it for later if it is not hungry.

HABITAT / SOCIETY

A tunnel centipede is a solitary and territorial creature that prefers to live in dark and damp areas of the Underdark, such as caves, caverns, mines, and ruins. It will carve out a network of tunnels that serve as its home, hunting ground, and trap for unwary intruders. A tunnel centipede will mark its territory with pheromones and signs of its presence, such as discarded exoskeletons, bones, and acid scars. A tunnel centipede will rarely encounter others of its kind, except during mating season, when it will seek out a suitable partner to reproduce. A female tunnel centipede will lay dozens of eggs in a hidden chamber, and guard them until they hatch. The young tunnel centipedes will then disperse to find their own territories.

ECOLOGY

A tunnel centipede is an apex predator that feeds on any living creature it can catch, such as rodents, insects, fungi, plants, and even larger prey like drow, duergar, svirfneblin, orcs, goblins, and other Underdark denizens. A tunnel centipede can consume up to half its body weight in a single meal, and can go for weeks without eating if necessary. A tunnel centipede has few natural enemies, except for other predators like purple worms, umber hulks, or roper, or adventurers who seek to slay it for its valuable parts. A tunnel centipede’s venom and acid can be used to make potent poisons or alchemical substances, while its chitin can be used to make armor or weapons. A tunnel centipede is also considered a delicacy by some Underdark races, who prize its meat for its flavor and nutritional value.

Tunnel Centipedi can be used as mounts or pulling animals for vehicles.