5e Purple Worm Skeleton CR9

Agglomérante · Dec 7, 2014

I compared the Minotaur with the Minotaur Skeleton to get an idea of how to scale the stats for a Purple Worm Skeleton. The only things needing to change are:

88% of the hit points (217 hp)
an AC of 12 (natural armour)
half wisdom
half charisma
same damage, but it can't swallow or poison
challenge rating 8 (purple worm is 15)
all those undead abilities

The challenge rating changes dramatically compared to the Minotaur Skeleton (2) vs Minotaur (3). That's because the purple worm skeleton's swallow attack is now mostly funny with the worst consequence being a PC tumbling into a rib cage, plus the tail is no longer venomous.

Using the monster stats by challenge rating table on p. 274 of the DMG ...

The offensive challenge rating is 6: a bite for 22 and a tail sting for 19, for a total of 41 damage

The defensive challenge rating is 10: 217 hp

That would average out to 8, but the Purple Worm attack bonus is +9, which is 2 higher than a CR 8 monster, so the CR is supposed to go up one rank to 9.

So that's your Purple Worm Skeleton!

Cleon · Dec 9, 2014

Agglomérante said:
I compared the Minotaur with the Minotaur Skeleton to get an idea of how to scale the stats for a Purple Worm Skeleton. The only things needing to change are:

Mechanically that looks sound, but I'd be inclined to rename it.

Worms don't have bones or an exoskeleton (or a ribcage for that matter), so how can it become an undead skeleton? A simple change to "Undead Purple Worm" or something would seem appropriate.

Although basing it on a Zombie might work too.

Agglomérante · Dec 9, 2014

A zombie would swallow, which would increase the DC again, though I doubt the animated corpse would still be producing poison for the tail.

Screw reality, purple worms have rib cages

I'm too fond of this ridiculous encounter to dispense with it!

Piratecat · Dec 11, 2014

I'd have the tail do necrotic damage instead of poison, myself. Otherwise, fun!

I have to do this with undead treants. I should look and see if anyone has beaten me to it.

Grazzt · Dec 15, 2014

Agglomérante said:
That would average out to 8, but the Purple Worm attack bonus is +9, which is 2 higher than a CR 8 monster, so the CR is supposed to go up one rank to 9.

Unless I am misremembering the order of the steps, doesn't the bump to CR for a higher than average attack bonus get added to the offensive CR before you average Off/Def for final CR? Which means, it bumps to 7. Def CR stays 10. So, overall CR remains 8 (or I guess 9 if you round up).

arjomanes · Dec 15, 2014

Agglomérante said:
A zombie would swallow, which would increase the DC again, though I doubt the animated corpse would still be producing poison for the tail.

I'd love to have a PC get swallowed by a giant zombie worm. That would be so disgusting/awesome. Instead of a poison tail, it could be disease. Being swallowed by the giant zombie worm would also definitely require save vs disease. The thing could also have an overpowering stench ability.

Agglomérante · Dec 15, 2014

arjomanes said:
I'd love to have a PC get swallowed by a giant zombie worm. That would be so disgusting/awesome. Instead of a poison tail, it could be disease. Being swallowed by the giant zombie worm would also definitely require save vs disease. The thing could also have an overpowering stench ability.

Ew! Gross! Having to fight your way out of a slimy rotting undead creature is not something characters do every day. I love it! Disease seems too harsh to me, but maybe I'm just trying to keep the challenge level down.

The stench would cause nausea, at least, which in 5e is just poisoned.

I was looking for a challenge for some 5th-level PCs, and was going to adjust the skeleton hp down to make it more feasible. A zombie purple worm is too tough for my party right now -- and now I have a spot in the Lost Mines of Phandelver where an undead purple worm actually makes sense.

5e Purple Worm Skeleton CR9

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