Hungry for war... (PEACH)

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Sloughworm

Small Magical Beast (extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 3d8+18 (31 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), burrow 20 ft.
Armor Class: 15 (+4 natural, +1 size), touch 11, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+2
Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d6-1 plus leprosy)
Full Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d6-1 plus leprosy)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Leprosy, putred presence
Special Qualities: Battle tuned, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to poison, disease and nausea, low-light vision, regeneration 1, resistance to acid and fire 5, scent, slippery, tremorsense 60 ft.
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +3, Will +2
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 10, Con 23, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 3
Skills: Escape Artist +7, Listen +10
Feats: Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment: Any lower plane
Organization: Solitary, Corruption (3-12), Blight (20+)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Small), 7-12 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: -

A sloughworm is a sight to sicken all but the most hardened fortitudes, appearing almost as the rotting zombie of a massive maggot. Its moist grey and brown flesh seems to be in tatters and spatters of mold and fungi dot it in revolting patches. Such is the case for with each meal a sloughworm gorges until its skin itself will no longer fit it, so it sheds it. It forms layer after layer, only occassionally sloughing away in horrible sheets of abandoned flesh. At one end the masses of flesh part to show a maw ringed with inwardly curving fangs and a second row of ridged, flat teeth for crushing and grinding bone and scale. A number of eyes on stalks rise from above the maw, retreating back into hidden sockets and then appearing again every few moments.

Sloughworms are great benefactorer to the horribly ravaged locales where the Blood War has passed through, though their motives are purely selfish. Continuously following the sounds of combat above, sloughworms only pause in their burrowing to arise amongst slaughter to feed and feed and feed. If few victims are claimed they are quite willing to kill anything nearby and pull its corpse under the ground to ripen. After feeding their skin is left to fertilize the lands. Thus they clear away the carnage of battle and leave life giving nutrients that aid the few plants that grow on these planes to survive.

Sometimes these worms escape to the material plane where they continue to follow battles, though many take up permanent residence in graveyards and catacombs where they burrow into the burial plot for their .

Sloughworms understand rudimentary abyssal and infernal but cannot speak it. A sloughworm weighs some 20-30 lbs. and are a tad over 4 feet in length. They live for only 2-4 years.

Combat
Sloughworms normally ignore any creatures that still stand, though if sufficiently hungered or angered they rush forward with jaws agape to feed on fresher meat. If alone most sloughworms will burrow to escape danger, but the greater their numbers the greater their courage.

Battletuned (Ex): A sloughworm has been bred so long to follow in the wake of battle that they can sense it by the merest vibration in the ground and taste of the air. As such they can detect the direction and rough distance of any mass conflict out to 5 miles.

Leprosy (Ex): The bite of the sloughworm inflicts a horrible malady onto the victim, whoes skin begins to rot and lose sensation. Incubation period is 1d6 days. The victim must succeed on a DC 17 fortitude save or take 1d8 dex and 1d6 charisma drain. Likewise, if a sloughworm is bitten the attacker risks being infected.

Putrid Presence (Ex): The smell about a sloughworm is so intense that those within 10 feet must make a DC 17 fortitude save or become nauseated while in range and 1d4 round afterwards. Creatures with the scent ability (aside from other sloughworms), are affected at three times the range. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Slippery (Ex): A sloughworm's grotesque outter covering makes it difficult, as well as undesirable, to hang onto. It gains a +4 racial bonus on any Escape Artist or grapple checks. This bonus is included in the statistics above.

Skills: A sloughworm gains a +6 racial bonus to listen checks.

-=-=-=-=-==-=-

Edit: What in the bloody...?

[The_Logic_Ninja]

Uh... Vorpal, you seem to have some kind of reality-warping disease.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Uh... Vorpal, you seem to have some kind of reality-warping disease.
Oh, I'm famous for it...

[The Demented One]

Congratulations! You sir, are a lucky temporal anomaly! The Time Lords of Gallifrey will be here shortly to see to you.

[DMgrinder]

Hey, what's with the "guest" entry for the title?

[Jarl]

A few topics down is "The Vorpal Tribble" and gives your email address as the poster. Weird.
http://home.comcast.net/~jarl_the_radical/vorpalerror.jpg
Clicking on it gives an error.

-Someone divided by zero.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Great. His creations are so twisted, they've finally warped the board. Good job, VT.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Great. His creations are so twisted, they've finally warped the board. Good job, VT.
Thanks ::)

*sigh*

I ought to stat out Murphy as a deity one of these days...

[Renloth]

Does anyone else get a deep feeling of panic at the fact that the board has finally merged with VT's many creations, and is now gaining sentience from them? *Shiver*

[NEO|Phyte]

VT, try deleting the OP, maybe that will fix it. Be sure to save the post first.

[Steward]

Guys. Something weird's going down. I don't know if you noticed yet, but the boards are really stretched. I called the Men in Black, Chuck Norris, and the Marines, but they all said that it was too scary for them.

[Yuki Akuma]

Guys. Something weird's going down. I don't know if you noticed yet, but the boards are really stretched. I called the Men in Black, Chuck Norris, and the Marines, but they all said that it was too scary for them.

That's because the image up there somewhere is wider than your screen.

[Steward]

That's because the image up there somewhere is wider than your screen.

What image? There is nothing there but the Sloughworm, and while that is creepy, it can't possibly extend its powers into the real world.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

VT, try deleting the OP, maybe that will fix it. Be sure to save the post first.
I can't do a thing with the first post :-/

[NEO|Phyte]

What image? There is nothing there but the Sloughworm, and while that is creepy, it can't possibly extend its powers into the real world.
Jarl's post.

[NEO|Phyte]

I can't do a thing with the first post :-/
the INTENDED OP, not the actual one.

[Renloth]

Assuming you didn't mean to post twice, something strange must be going on with the code.

[Steward]

Jarl's post.


Jarl, could you please delete your post? It's freaking me out.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Nope, deleting it didn't do flip. I just went and reposted it on my response to it on down.


This's been reported on the message board issues forums though, so hopefully someone'll be along soon to take a look.

[Nerd-o-rama]

What image? There is nothing there but the Sloughworm, and while that is creepy, it can't possibly extend its powers into the real world.
Or can it?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Or can it?
Their saying on the issue forums that I'm being stalked by a sorceress.

*huffs on his knuckles*

[Herbert_West]

Awsome, this is perfect for my campaign. Who needs an SRD when you have VT monsters?
Everybody loves undead maggot zombies.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Awsome, this is perfect for my campaign. Who needs an SRD when you have VT monsters?
Everybody loves undead maggot zombies.
Well... except they aren't zombies, they just slough off alot of dead skin and look, smell and appear as one. Gotta love messing with clerics ;D

[Vaynor]

Dude, you killed the forum. Monster! *runs off crying*

[Peregrine]

Dude, you killed the forum. Monster! *runs off crying*
Wow. Do you know how much XP that's worth? :o

This one doesn't actually seem so bad... compared to some other VT creations. Disgusting killer maggot: nothing altogether bizarre that would let it kill surprised PCs (although the acid and fire resistance might slow them down a little).

Except for that whole 'greater numbers' clause... now that'll give you nightmares...

[Were-Sandwich]

Hah. VT's being followed by temporal anomalies! We are teh win!

All your Bases Are Belong To US!!!!!

[Gyrfalcon]

Wow. Do you know how much XP that's worth? :o

This one doesn't actually seem so bad... compared to some other VT creations. Disgusting killer maggot: nothing altogether bizarre that would let it kill surprised PCs (although the acid and fire resistance might slow them down a little).

Except for that whole 'greater numbers' clause... now that'll give you nightmares...

Let's assume 1 HD per 50 threads... 328HD...

Um...

Vorpal? I think you just broke level 100 man. @_@

Look out, epic Vorpal Tribbles!

[Were-Sandwich]

Run for your lives!!!

[The Glyphstone]

Let's assume 1 HD per 50 threads... 328HD...

Um...

Vorpal? I think you just broke level 100 man. @_@

Look out, epic Vorpal Tribbles!

Sadly...he doesn't get any XP, since the entire forum is waaaaaaay above his Challenge Rating - it's the footnote at the end of the XP charts...says the award for freak accidents such as this are up to the DM.

[The Demented One]

Sadly...he doesn't get any XP, since the entire forum is waaaaaaay above his Challenge Rating - it's the footnote at the end of the XP charts...says the award for freak accidents such as this are up to the DM.

So? What's Rich saying?

[Azrael]

Double post
Click on the friendly litle delete button?

[The Demented One]

Click on the friendly litle delete button?

Oh yeah, forgot we had one of those.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Btw, added a bit more to make their bite more threatening and the creature mor worthy of its CR ;)

[Abd al-Azrad]

Btw, added a bit more to make their bite more threatening and the creature mor worthy of its CR ;)

Yeah, I noticed that it was threatening. Like having a totally unwarranted +6 Con modifier. ;)

Once again, this monster's danger lies entirely in its special attacks- specifically, one of the nastiest diseases I've encountered, short of Mummy Rot. Also, the regeneration and burrowing make for some amount of ridiculousness. Speaking of regeneration- what bypasses it?

Considering that fiends created this disease, I could imagine it having an even longer incubation period. Just as a way to be horrible to players.

The Putrid Presence nausea should probably last for one round after they leave the range, otherwise someone could take the start of their action as a move away, then get to act. Unless that's a misunderstanding of the rules on my part, or your intention.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Like having a totally unwarranted +6 Con modifier.
Unwarranted? A creature who tunnels through the worst layers of the abyss and eats things a rat would run away from?


Considering that fiends created this disease, I could imagine it having an even longer incubation period. Just as a way to be horrible to players.
Hrmmm, maybe.


The Putrid Presence nausea should probably last for one round after they leave the range, otherwise someone could take the start of their action as a move away, then get to act.
Good point. Adjusted.

[Abd al-Azrad]

Unwarranted? A creature who tunnels through the worst layers of the abyss and eats things a rat would run away from?

Note the winky face, indicating a joke. Like this one --> ;)

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Note the winky face, indicating a joke. Like this one --> ;)
Ah, didn't know of it was a winky 'joke' smiley, or a winky 'giving criticism pleasantly' smiley.

Oh, and forgot:


Speaking of regeneration- what bypasses it?
Nothing besides hunger and suffocation. Its got a killer metabolism though so has to eat lots, resulting in probably quite a few dying. They also have a very limited lifespan which restricts them.

[bingo_bob]

Well, yes, that's all well and good, but I rather think that the party would like to... I don't know... KILL one?

[Abd al-Azrad]

Well, yes, that's all well and good, but I rather think that the party would like to... I don't know... KILL one?

I guess they could kill one by drowning it... but yes, the unbypassable regeneration speaks Tarrasque to me.

[Fax Celestis]

There's a thread somewhere on these boards detailing a spell called "Mordenkainen's Thermonuclear Detonation" or somesuch.

Perhaps that would slay one?

One could also theoretically make it vulnerable to some esoteric and hard to acquire form of damage, like radiation.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Well, yes, that's all well and good, but I rather think that the party would like to... I don't know... KILL one?
Lower it to unconsciousness and then stick its nasty little head in some water.


I guess they could kill one by drowning it... but yes, the unbypassable regeneration speaks Tarrasque to me.
Well, except it has a low AC, no spell resistance and can still be zapped by most kinds of energy fully. Its not that difficult to be put in a position to permanently kill it.

Look at a ghost for instance. It has a very likely chance to come back over and over again and it might only be a CR 2 creature if its the ghost of a goblin or commoner or the like.

[Abd al-Azrad]

Lower it to unconsciousness and then stick its nasty little head in some water.

...it has a low AC, no spell resistance and can still be zapped by most kinds of energy fully. Its not that difficult to be put in a position to permanently kill it.

Look at a ghost for instance. It has a very likely chance to come back over and over again and it might only be a CR 2 creature if its the ghost of a goblin or commoner or the like.

I'm not saying it's indestructable. But not every party drowns every defeated enemy they leave for dead, and without some obscure Knowledge check, the party's not going to know how to defeat this thing. I mean, they can't even metagame knowing how to kill it, because it's a VT original, and not everyone reads D&D forums.

And ghosts have a reason beyond unbeatable regeneration to come back- a reason that automatically forces DMs to write a story about what will lay the ghost to rest. It's pretty much the only consistent aspect of ghost mythology, that they exist until their purpose is fulfilled.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

and without some obscure Knowledge check, the party's not going to know how to defeat this thing.
A simple knowledge arcana skill check should be able to find out some things, especially as it only has 3 hd.

As for metagamers... well, players who cheat to defeat a monster don't have my pity ;)

I guess maybe I could allow electricity to zap it to death.

There is also plenty of non-specific damages, though most of them seem to be psionic in nature.

[martyboy74]

A simple knowledge arcana skill check should be able to find out some things, especially as it only has 3 hd.

As for metagamers... well, players who cheat to defeat a monster don't have my pity ;)

I guess maybe I could allow electricity to zap it to death.

There is also plenty of non-specific damages, though most of them seem to be psionic in nature.
Wow...this thing seems like the perfect thing to unleash a Metapower maximized mind thrust on. Can anyone say DC 16 will save or take 30 points of damage?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Wow...this thing seems like the perfect thing to unleash a Metapower maximized mind thrust on. Can anyone say DC 16 will save or take 30 points of damage?
Actually, that'd be 50 points of damage ;)

Whats 'metapower' btw?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Edit: Gah, this thread is still buggy, have to post twice or the first post disapears.

[martyboy74]

Actually, that'd be 50 points of damage ;)

Whats 'metapower' btw?
It's a feat on page 63 of CPsi. It lets you permanently augument a power, and it costs 2 fewer pp to do so.