Illustration Xan Drake

Purple Wereworm

Robinloft
Challenge 8
(3,900 XP)
Robinloft Estimated CR 8
Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger), lawful evil (allegedly)
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 150 (20d8+60)
Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft.
STR
19 (+4)
DEX
10 (+0)
CON
17 (+3)
INT
8 (-1)
WIS
10 (+0)
CHA
6 (-2)
Saving Throws Con +6, Wis +3
Skills Athletics +7, Perception +3
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons
Senses blindsight 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Common (can't speak in worm form)
Environments desert, mountain, underdark
Shapechanger.

The wereworm can use its action to polymorph into a Large purple-worm-humanoid hybrid or into a Large purple worm, or back into its true form, which is humanoid. Its statistics, other than its size, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Tunneler (Purple Worm or Hybrid Form Only).

The purple wereworm can burrow through solid rock at half its burrowing speed and leaves a 2.5-foot diameter tunnel in its wake.

Actions

Multiattack. In purple worm form, the purple wereworm makes two attacks, one with its bite and one with its stinger. In humanoid form, it makes two whip attacks. In hyrid form, it can attack like a purple worm or a humanoid.
Bite (Purple Worm or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage. If the target is a Small or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed by the wereworm. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the worm, and it takes 7 (2d6) acid damage at the start of each of the wereworm’s turns. If the worm takes 10 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the worm must succeed on a DC 18 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 10 feet of movement, exiting prone.
Tail Stinger (Purple Worm or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) poison damage, providing the target fails a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, or half as much on a success one.
Whip (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) slashing damage.

Purple Wereworm

Despite its common name, the purple wereworm is not a true lycanthrope. Rather, it is the partial success of a mage attempting to polymorph a person into a purple worm. It is not nearly as large as a true purple worm, but its hybrid form is lanky and disjointed, as many of the creatures limb bones have been disconnected in a half-hearted attempt to become an invertebrate.

It is said that the original mage who created these creatures ran out of test subjects, and attempted the process on himself. The results of this final experiment are unknown, but tales tell that these shapechangers follow the commands of an intelligent Purple Worm that seeks out sources of transformative magic. If this is true, it might explain why so many wizards have been commissioning flying towers recently.

Described by horatio.fairburn

Duplication and Templates

Purple Wereworm (Robinloft) has been modified from other monsters.

Wererat (SRD)
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Wereworm (Robinloft)
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Purple Wereworm (horatio.fairburn)
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Purple Wereworm (Robinloft)

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