Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[Cleon]

My persuasion skills have improved!

Damn Diplomancers, I forgot to put on my "Immunity to Mind-Affecting Effects" hat that morning.

I think you can remove the red question marks. Those fields all look good.

A pink, fat wormlike creature, a foot-and-a-half in diameter, erupts from a hole in the wall. A serrated maw caps each end of its body, while thick chitin covers the segments between.

Devil wyrms are predatory, subterranean annelids that hunt anything they can catch. Whether their origin was actually influenced by denizens of the Nine Hells, as some sages speculate, has never been proven. The creatures demonstrate a diabolical cruelty that would seem to lend credence to such thoughts.

A typical devil wyrm is 20 feet long, 1-1/2 feet in diameter, and weighs x pounds.

COMBAT

Devil wyrms like in wait in their lairs, until prey is detected from scent or tremorsense. The creatures then strike swiftly from ambush, biting with their serrated maws. Devil wyrms spit a caustic, paralytic fluid at heavily armored opponents, or those out of reach of their mouths.

I'd rework the description a bit. The "hunt anything they can catch" seems a bit superfluous, so I'd cut it. I'd add a bit of information on their lair.

Can we work anything in about them eating sacrifices, or liking the taste of humans?

For the weight, we can just downscale a Purple Worm (625 lbs) or Frost Worm (1000 lb). They're a bit thicker than a downscaled Purple Worm (18" vs 15") and having a head on each end suggests they don't taper away, so I'd go for 1000 pounds...

A pink, fat wormlike creature, a foot-and-a-half in diameter, erupts from a hole in the wall. A serrated maw caps each end of its body, while thick chitin covers the segments between.

Devil wyrms are predatory, subterranean annelids with a taste for humanoid flesh. Whether their origin was actually influenced by denizens of the Nine Hells, as some sages speculate, has never been proven. The creatures demonstrate a diabolical cruelty that would seem to lend credence to such thoughts.

A devil wyrm lairs in a hole in a wall or floor that they dig out with their teeth and corrosive saliva. This dark den contains uneaten remains of the wyrm's prey, which often includes treasure.

A typical devil wyrm is 20 feet long, 1-1/2 feet in diameter, and weighs 1000 pounds.

COMBAT

Devil wyrms like in wait in their lairs, until prey is detected from scent or tremorsense. The creatures then strike swiftly from ambush, biting with their serrated maws. Devil wyrms spit a caustic, paralytic fluid at heavily armored opponents, or those out of reach of their mouths.​

 

[Shade]

Looks good! I combined it with the contents of your working draft and added to Homebrews.

 

[Cleon]

Looks good! I combined it with the contents of your working draft and added to Homebrews.

That looks pretty much it for them, unless we can think of any bennies to add.

Hmm...

If they've got heads (with teeth & sense organs) at each end, wouldn't that make them immune to Flanking? Maybe give them All-Around Vision.

Shouldn't they have that "Multiple Head" SQ which gives them the ability to survive decapitation (well, once at least)?

 

[Shade]

If they've got heads (with teeth & sense organs) at each end, wouldn't that make them immune to Flanking? Maybe give them All-Around Vision.

Setting aside the fact that they lack eyes and shouldn't have vision in the first place...I suppose all-around vision makes some sense.

Shouldn't they have that "Multiple Head" SQ which gives them the ability to survive decapitation (well, once at least)?

Probably not. The ettin lacks it, and the vorpal property is pretty clear that creatures with multiple heads aren't instantly killed. If the additional head provided other benefits (individual spellcasting, etc.) it would be worthwhile.

 

[Cleon]

Setting aside the fact that they lack eyes and shouldn't have vision in the first place...I suppose all-around vision makes some sense.

Probably not. The ettin lacks it, and the vorpal property is pretty clear that creatures with multiple heads aren't instantly killed. If the additional head provided other benefits (individual spellcasting, etc.) it would be worthwhile.

So shall we tag on All-Around Vision and call it a day?

Don't forget the bonuses to Spot and Search.

 

[freyar]

Hmm, I guess I can go with all-around vision, but I confess I'd probably prefer blind (and dropping darkvision), just leaving them with tremorsense.

Squirm is ok.

 

[Shade]

Hmm, I guess I can go with all-around vision, but I confess I'd probably prefer blind (and dropping darkvision), just leaving them with tremorsense.

That is still my preference. Since I've got support, Cleon, you'll have to sway us back to vision (and all-around vision).

 

[Cleon]

Hmm, I guess I can go with all-around vision, but I confess I'd probably prefer blind (and dropping darkvision), just leaving them with tremorsense.

I don't mind either, shall we leave it to Shade to pick one?

 

[freyar]

Blind, then? Leave only tremorsense?

 

[Shade]

I don't mind either, shall we leave it to Shade to pick one?

Blind, then? Leave only tremorsense?

Should we give them the blind SQ since they have no true head?

Setting aside the fact that they lack eyes and shouldn't have vision in the first place...I suppose all-around vision makes some sense.

That is still my preference. Since I've got support, Cleon, you'll have to sway us back to vision (and all-around vision).

Does that answer your question?

Updated.

Finished?