New Monster - Snow Worm

**Mr. Friendly** · 2007-12-03, 10:39 AM (ISO 8601)

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SNOW WORM
Medium Elemental (Air, Cold, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 3d8+3 (16 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), burrow 20 ft.
Armor Class: 18 (+1 Dex, +7 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+4
Attack: Slam +4 melee (1d6+3 plus 2d6 cold)
Full Attack: Slam +4 melee (1d6+3 plus 2d6 cold)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Chill, freeze
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., elemental traits, immunity to cold, tremorsense 60 ft., vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +2
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Listen +5, Move Silently +3, Survival +3
Feats: Alertness, Track
Environment: Para-elemental Plane of Ice (Or Plane of Air)
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 4–9 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: —

A snow worm is about 1 foot in diameter and 4 to 5 feet long. It weighs about 200 pounds.

Snow worms on the Elemental Plane of Air are able to fly at their land speed (perfect maneuverability). They are only able to fly on the Plane of Air.

The snow worms burrow speed can only be used to burrow in snow and ice.

COMBAT
When a snow worm is disturbed, its first instinct is to attack. Its favored tactic is to spring directly at a foe, either by bursting out of snowbanks or by coiling up its body and launching itself like a spring. (Treat this as a charge, even though the snow worm does not need to move 10 feet before attacking.)

Chill (Ex): Merely touching or being touched by a snow worm automatically deals 2d6 cold damage.

Freeze (Ex): When a snow worm hits with its slam attack and deals at least 1 point of damage with it's Chill ability, the opponent must succeed on a DC 12 Fortitude save or be slowed for 2 rounds on a failed save or 1 round on a successful save. The save DC is Constitution-based. If the snow worm uses this ability on a creature that is already slowed, that creature is instead held for 2 rounds on a failed save and held for 1 round on a successful save.

Yeah, it's just a Thoqqua that's cold instead of hot. Using it for an upcoming cold campaign. Just looking for a critique, mostly on the Freeze ability. It seems pretty balanced; going for that sort of cold slow effect.

Edit: Replaced Water subtype with Cold subtype to bring in line with other Ice beasties. Removal of Water subtype necessitated change of good save from Fort to Ref. Removed Swim speed.

**GimliFett** · 2007-12-03, 10:49 AM (ISO 8601)

Seems balanced to me. I'm a big fan of thoqqua. I think they don't get enough love. So I really like this. My only thought is to base the durations for slow and held on hit dice. Somethin' like 1 round +1 per 2 HD. Just a thought. It's been a while since I looked at thoqqua, and I've no access at the moment. Anyway, looks good and I'll pro'lly borrow it when the opportunity arises.