Worm That Walks
Description
When a powerful spellcaster with a strong personality, a lust for life, and a remorselessly evil soul dies and is buried in a graveyard infused with eldritch magic, a strange phenomenon sometimes occurs. The flesh of the decaying body fats and instructs the very worms that gnaw, and these graveworms quicken not only on corruption but upon the spellcaster's memories and magical power. The spellcaster's very soul is consumed in this vile process, only to be split apart to inhabit each of the individual chewing worms in so many fragments. The result is a hideous hive mind of slithering life known as a worm that walks—a mass of worms that clings to the vague shape of the body that granted it this new existence, and can wield the powers and magic the spellcaster had in life. A worm that walks retains memories of its life as a spellcaster before its death, but is not undead—it is a hideous new form of undulant life.
“Worm that walks” is a template that can be added to any evil spellcasting creature. A worm that walks retains all the base creature's statistics and abilities except as noted here.
Combat Stats
- Melee
- slam +10 (1d4-1 plus grab)
- DR
- 15/-
- Defensive Abilities
- worm that walks traits
- Racial Modifiers
- +8 Perception, +8 Sense Motive, +8 Stealth
Ability Scores
Special Attacks
Special Qualities
arcane bond (staff)
summoner's charm (6 rounds)
Feats
Arcane Armor Training, Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, Diehard, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Armor Proficiency, Light, Scribe Scroll, Toughness, Weapon Finesse
Special Abilities
Universal Monster Rules
Special Abilities
Feats, Traits & Items
As a swift action, reduce the arcane spell failure chance due to the armor you are wearing by 10% for any spells you cast this round.
When you wear a type of armor with which you are proficient, the armor check penalty for that armor applies only to Dexterity- and Strength-based skill checks.
You get a +4 bonus on concentration checks made to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability when casting on the defensive or while grappled.
You may make a number of additional attacks of opportunity per round equal to your Dexterity bonus. With this feat, you may also make attacks of opportunity while flat-footed.
You can create magic weapons, armor, or shields. Enhancing a weapon, suit of armor, or shield takes 1 day for each 1,000 gp in the price of its magical features. To enhance a weapon, suit of armor, or shield, you must use up raw materials costing half of this total price. See the magic item creation rules in Magic Items for more information.
The weapon, armor, or shield to be enhanced must be a masterwork item that you provide. Its cost is not included in the above cost.
You can also mend a broken magic weapon, suit of armor, or shield if it is one that you could make. Doing so costs half the raw materials and half the time it would take to craft that item in the first place.
You can create a wide variety of magic wondrous items. Crafting a wondrous item takes 1 day for each 1,000 gp in its price. To create a wondrous item, you must use up raw materials costing half of its base price. See the magic item creation rules in Magic Items for more information.
You can also mend a broken wondrous item if it is one that you could make. Doing so costs half the raw materials and half the time it would take to craft that item.
When your hit point total is below 0, but you are not dead, you automatically stabilize. You do not need to make a Constitution check each round to avoid losing additional hit points. You may choose to act as if you were disabled, rather than dying. You must make this decision as soon as you are reduced to negative hit points (even if it isn't your turn). If you do not choose to act as if you were disabled, you immediately fall unconscious.
When using this feat, you are staggered. You can take a move action without further injuring yourself, but if you perform any standard action (or any other action deemed as strenuous, including some swift actions, such as casting a quickened spell) you take 1 point of damage after completing the act. If your negative hit points are equal to or greater than your Constitution score, you immediately die.
You gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC. A condition that makes you lose your Dex bonus to AC also makes you lose the benefits of this feat.
You can create a scroll of any spell that you know. Scribing a scroll takes 2 hours if its base price is 250 gp or less, otherwise scribing a scroll takes 1 day for each 1,000 gp in its base price. To scribe a scroll, you must use up raw materials costing half of this base price. See the magic item creation rules in Magic Items for more information.
You gain +3 hit points. For every Hit Die you possess beyond 3, you gain an additional +1 hit point. If you have more than 3 Hit Dice, you gain +1 hit points whenever you gain a Hit Die (such as when you gain a level).
With a light weapon, rapier, whip, or spiked chain made for a creature of your size category, you may use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on attack rolls. If you carry a shield, its armor check penalty applies to your attack rolls.
Skills
Craft (alchemy) +21, Fly +20, Intimidate +13, Knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering, planes) +21, Perception +22, Sense Motive +9, Spellcraft +21, Stealth +12
Spells
At will-dimensional steps (390 feet/day)
8/day-acid dart (1d6+6 acid)
- Type
- Vermin
- Alignment
- NE
- Size
- Medium
- Environment
- any
- Organization
- solitary
- Treasure
- NPC Gear (+4 leather armor, cloak of resistance +4, staff of charming)
- Senses
- blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +22
- Languages
- Abyssal, Aklo, Common, Infernal
- Source
- Bestiary 2