Trait Name. Enter the description for your special trait.
Spellcasting. The [monster name] is a #-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is [ability score] (spell save DC #, +# to hit with spell attacks). The [monster name] has following [class name] spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): [spell name], [spell name]
1st level (# slots): [spell name], [spell name]
Magic Resistance. The Wurmling, Mature has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Spell Immunities. The wurmling is immune to charm, fear, sleep, and illusion spells or effects that manipulate perception or emotion.
Red Legacy Traits. The Wurmling, Mature possesses 6 supernatural Legacy abilities derived from the Red Curse. These function as innate powers and require no components.
• Anti-Poison. Advantage on saves vs. poison; resistance to poison damage.
• Crimson Fire. The wurmling releases burning red energy (see Actions).
• Digging. The wurmling has a burrow speed of 10 ft.
• Farsight. Advantage on Perception (sight); darkvision increased to 150 ft.
• Red Shield. The wurmling gains +2 AC for 1 minute. Recharge 5–6.
• Temperature. The wurmling is unaffected by extreme heat or cold.
Keen Memory. The wurmling has perfect recollection. It has advantage on Intelligence checks involving deduction, memory, analysis, or investigation.
Mastermind of Subterfuge. The wurmling has advantage on Deception, Insight, Investigation, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth checks.
Roll Over. If the wurmling moves at least 20 ft. in a straight line, it may roll over Medium or smaller creatures. Each creature must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or take 12d4 bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. Those pinned continue taking this damage automatically each round until escaping (action, DC 20 Strength).
Spellcasting.
The Wurmling, Mature is not a spellcaster.
Action Name. Enter the description for your action.
Action Melee Attack. Melee Weapon Attack: +# to hit, reach # ft., # target. Hit: # (#d# + #) [damage type] damage.
Action Ranged Attack. Ranged Weapon Attack: +# to hit, range #/# ft., # target. Hit: # (#d# + #) [damage type] damage.
Bite.
Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Hit: 22 ([roll]2d8+13[/roll]) piercing damage.
Tail Whip.
Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target.
Hit: 17 ([roll]1d8+13[/roll]) bludgeoning damage.
Crimson Fire (Legacy Ability).
Ranged Spell Attack: +11 to hit, range 60 ft., one target.
Hit: 35 ([roll]10d6[/roll]) fire damage. Recharge 5–6.
Roll Over.
The wurmling moves up to its speed in a straight line, attempting to trample creatures in its path. Each Medium or smaller creature must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or take [roll]12d4[/roll] bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.
Bonus Action Name. Enter the description for how bonus actions work for your monster here.
Prehensile Tongue.
The wurmling manipulates an object, retrieves an item, or interacts with the environment within 15 ft.
Reaction Name. Enter the description for your action.
Reflexive Coil.
When a creature misses the wurmling with a melee attack, the wurmling may move up to 15 ft. without provoking opportunity attacks.
Enter the description for how legendary actions work for your monster here.
Legendary Action Name (Costs # Actions). Enter the description for your legendary action.
The Wurmling, Mature can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn.
Detect. The wurmling makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Tail Lash. The wurmling makes one tail attack.
Crimson Pulse (Costs 2 Actions). A burst of red light strikes one creature within 60 ft., dealing 13 ([roll]3d8[/roll]) fire damage.
Roll Preparation (Costs 3 Actions). The wurmling coils and gains advantage on its next Roll Over action.
Mythic Action Name. Enter the description for how mythic actions work for your monster here.
Mythic Action Name (Costs # Actions). Enter the description for your mythic action.
Description
Enter a general description for your monster here.
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any hot climate
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Patron
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Omnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional (15–16)
TREASURE: A, D
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVEMENT: 24, Br 3
HIT DICE: 10–15
THAC0:
10 HD: 11
11–12 HD: 9
13–14 HD: 7
15 HD: 5
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 (bite/tail)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2d8/1d8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Roll over, Legacies
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Spell immunities
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 2% per HD
SIZE: Huge (30'–45' long)
MORALE: Fanatic (17–18)
XP VALUE: 5,000 + 1,000 per HD over 10
Wurmlings are large, intelligent worms, often found at the helm of evil brotherhoods (such as assassins’ guilds) and crime syndicates. They rule through a combination of physical presence, intellect, cunning, intimidation, and blackmail. Wurmlings are utterly greedy masters of subterfuge and blackmail, skillful at acquiring wealth and manipulating pawns. Wurmlings have an unparalleled ability to pay attention to details. They have phenomenal memories and never forget anything.
Wurmlings grow up to 45 feet long, gaining in length and bulk as they age. A mature wurmling (10 Hit Dice) weighs about eight tons and gains 1 ton per Hit Dice thereafter. They are brown in color, with a tough, leathery hide. The top of the wurmling is usually a darker shade than its underside. They have small spindly arms, a long whip-tail, and a prehensile tongue. They have large, yellow eyes and can see quite well in a wide variety of ambient lighting conditions, from bright sunlight to a single flickering candle.
The Red Curse:
Each wurmling gains Legacies as an Inheritor of level equal to its Hit Dice. Thus, a 10 Hit Die wurmling has five Legacies, just like a 10th-level Inheritor. A 12 Hit Die wurmling has six Legacies, and a 15 Hit Die wurmling has seven Legacies. A wurmling requires crimson essence to activate all Legacies after the first. However, like an Inheritor, the wurmling gains the Legacy permanently. Also, the wurmling requires cinnabryl to support its Legacies.
Typical wurmling Legacies include: Anti-Poison, Crimson Fire, Digging, Farsight, Red Shield, Shape Stone, and Temperature. Wurmlings often have Legacies appropriate to Eusdria.
Combat:
A wurmling rarely enters melee combat, but it does have a ferocious bite and a whip-tail that it can use in an emergency. While its arms are small and spindly in comparison to its massive body, its great weight and bulk give it an effective Strength of 20 for purposes of holding on or grabbing things.
In spite of their bulk, wurmlings are extremely quick. If they have enough room, they can roll over on up to three man-sized or smaller opponents. If the victim makes a successful saving throw vs. paralysis, he avoids the attack. If the saving throw fails, the victim takes 1d4 points of damage per Hit Die of the Wurmling. If the wurmling stays on top, the victim continues to take this damage each round. Additionally, if the victim fails the initial saving throw, all of his items must make a successful saving throw vs. crushing blow or be demolished.
Special Abilities
Wurmlings are immune to the
hallucinatory effects of scarlet pimpernel and will often
use this substance to augment their Legacies.
Wurmlings have the following thief abilities as a
thief of equivalent level: open locks, find/remove traps,
move silently, hear noise, and read languages.
Wurmlings are skilled with languages and are able to
fluently communicate in one language per 2 Hit Die.
They also have the equivalent of the legend lore ability
and the local history nonweapon proficiency. A
wurmling gains additional information-related
nonweapon proficiencies as a thief of equivalent level.
Wurmlings are immune to any mood-altering
abilities or proficiencies such as fast talk, intimidation,
or a bard’s charm ability. They also get a +3 bonus on
all saving throws against mind-altering spells such as
charm person, emotion, forget, and suggestion. The same
bonus applies to any mind-affecting Legacies used
against the wurmling.
Habitat/Society: Wurmlings, while evil, are
scrupulously fair in their business dealing. They do
not cheat, although sealing a bargain with them is a
tricky business. Wurmlings thrive on the seamy side
of business, and they drive extremely hard bargains.
Wurmlings do not tolerate competition, especially
from other wurmlings. Each wurmling establishes a
clearly defined territory. Conflict between wurmlings
is always fatal to at least one of the wurmlings involved.
Wurmlings always have bodyguards. They are never
found alone. There will always be at least 1d4 trusted
guardians around the huge, bloated creature. In
many cases, they have as many as 4d10 guardians. Typical
guardian creatures include orcs, trolls (if properly
trained), gnolls, evil humans, etc. Typically, a
wurmling also has 100 to 200 retainers, servants, and
assorted underlings.
A wurmling pays its people very good wages, which
helps to ensure loyalty. The paranoid wurmling does
not rely on that, however. Wurmlings seem
physiologically incapable of trust. Instead, it
supplements the wage-loyalty with magical
conditioning, drug addiction, and blackmail. It
typically knows 1d4 scandalous secrets about each of
its servants.
Wurmlings sometimes obtain krolli bodyguards. The
two races are compatible enough that the wurmling rarely
has to blackmail or coerce its krolli bodyguards.
Wurmlings are typically involved with a host of illegal
and reprehensible activities, including blackmail, black
marketing, bootlegging, bribery, copyright infringement,
drug-trafficking, extortion (exorbitant charges for services
rendered), gambling, money-laundering, assassination,
prostitution, “protection” schemes, racketeering, and
smuggling. Wurmlings are unlikely to kill or maim a
defaulter. Dead people do not repay loans. They are,
however, relentless in pursuit of a jumper. Wurmlings
typically have considerable influence in the local police
force, military, trade and merchant’s guilds, and political
offices.
Ecology
Wurmlings are hermaphroditic; they have
both male and female reproductive organs, although
they are not self-fertile. Mating between wurmlings
occurs only after long and arduous negotiations
(carried out through intermediaries), followed by the
signing and witnessing of elaborate, intensely detailed
contracts and agreements. Wurmlings will mate only
after they are absolutely certain that they are not
currently (and will never be) competing. The mating
always occurs in neutral territory.
Since wurmlings weigh several tons and their mating
tremendously energetic (coupled with the spontaneous and
unpredictable firing of their Legacies), it can be very
dangerous to be anywhere near a pair of mating
wurmlings. After mating, both wurmlings become
pregnant and have one offspring after a gestation
period of about two years. The immature wurmling
stays with its parent until it reaches 10 Hit Dice (about
100 years), learning the business before it strikes out
on its own. A wurmling can live to be over 1,500
years old. After its death, a wurmling’s decayed remains
turn into steel seed.
The only widely known wurmling resides in Eusdria.
This may seem like a strange place for a wurmling,
but it works: Eusdria gave up contact with the Heldann
freeholds years ago, so the wurmling supplies a steady
and illicit trirckle of red steel. The wurmling poses as a
legitimate business owner, but its legitimate businesses
are only the tip of the iceberg. The wurmling’s
organization is also bound by a rigid code of business
conduct, similar to the Honorbound code. Eusdrian
officials have tried for years to pin a criminal conviction
on the wurmling, but have so far been unsuccessful.
Lair and Lair Actions
Enter a description of your monster's lair here.
Lair Actions
On initiative count # (losing initiative ties), the [monster name] takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the [monster name] can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- Enter a description for a lair action.
- Enter a description for a lair action.
Regional Effects
The region containing a legendary [monster name]’s lair is [enter the effect description], which creates one or more of the following effects:
- Enter a regional effect description.
- Enter a regional effect description.
If the [monster name] dies, these effects fade over the course of #d# days.
A typical wurmling lair is underground, in a city or other center of commerce. A wurmling lair will always be well-defended, with lots of open space, traps, guards, and detection points. Trick floors, pressure plates, false doors, and trip-wires are also common. The lair usually includes one or more special holding cells for use by the wurmling’s information retrieval technicians. The lair will also include quarters and accommodations for the wurmling’s servants and guards. Anyone looking for written records will be sorely disappointed. Wurmlings never write anything down, relying on their flawless memory to keep books, juggle accounts, etc. Wurmlings can burrow, albeit slowly. They take advantage of their long life span and burrowing ability to carve intricate networks of secret tunnels beneath their lairs.
The wurmling’s lair may be an underground den, volcanic cavern system, or a sprawling criminal sanctuary adapted to its massive form.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the wurmling takes a lair action to cause one of the following:
• Shifting Walls. Stone or earth reshapes in a 40-ft. radius. Creatures must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity save or take 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage and be restrained until the end of their next turn.
• Crimson Surge. Red energy infuses the lair. One of the wurmling’s Legacy abilities recharges.
Regional Effects
• Red Taint. Earth and stone within 1 mile take on a faint crimson tint.
• Mental Distortion. Intelligent creatures within 1 mile have disadvantage on checks relying on memory or logical deduction (the wurmling’s psychic presence interferes).
If the wurmling dies, these effects fade over 2d6 days.
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