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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Faolyn" data-source="post: 8764689" data-attributes="member: 6915329">The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out… This article is on giant bristle worms, written and with photographs by Kent Colbath, who is very passionately pro-worm and disapproves of everyone's anti-worm bias. He put enormous amounts of detail into this article into the eight different species of bristle worm he statted up. He’s so pro-worm, in fact, that I looked him up. I discovered a scientist and former professor of geology by that name who has worked and taught all over the place, including several prestigious universities and organizations, and who co-wrote a novel called Nereis, Nereis, which is the name of the first bristle worm covered by this article. If this is the same guy, then good for him! He’s come a long way since sending this handful of monster worms to Dragon Magazine back in 1988. So I really hope he doesn’t hate me because I’m going to combine elements into a single giant bristle worm. It’s magic, OK? A wizard did it.Real bristle worms are actually pretty cool. They’re marine worms (mostly; a few live in freshwater). One species can live in water that is 140° F, another can live without oxygen for 96 hours—and it lives in what’s basically methane ice on the ocean floor. There’s a few species of “zombie worms” that produce acid on their skin to eat bones—whale bones at the bottom of the sea, so don’t worry about them coming after you. Some of them have bioluminescence. The largest is 10 feet long. If I wrote these things up without context, you’d think they should be monstrosities created by magic, not real-world animals. Ain’t nature awesome?The article amusingly notes that giant bristle worms are rare, in part because titans and demigods use them as bait when they go fishing. I think that’s a cute idea![ATTACH=full]260824[/ATTACH]Photography by Kent ColbathGiant Bristle WormThe Dragon’s Bestiary, Dragon Magazine #133Created by Kent ColbathBristle worms are marine invertebrates, common to oceans the world over. Giant bristle worms, however, were magically altered to become truly gigantic—they range from 15 to 20 feet long and 2 to 3 feet in diameter. They have four complex jaws equipped with powerful pincers and four long palps that serve as both sensory organs and prehensile tentacles. They are all but blind but have excellent senses of smell and touch. They are also significantly more intelligent than their tinier cousins. Bristle worms come in a variety of colors, most commonly reds and browns, with bristles that are white or golden in color.The bristle worm’s bristles are filled with an irritating toxin. Regularly-sized bristle worms are scavengers, and their bristles are a defense mechanism. Giant bristle worms supplement their diets with freshly-hunted meat, however.Ocean Dwellers. Bristle worms build tube-like homes out of hardened sand and shell, to which they retreat when sleeping or wounded. They decorate these tubes with interesting objects they come across, some of which may by chance be quite valuable.Legends and LoreWith an Nature check, the characters can learn the following:DC 10. Giant bristle worms are tremendous versions of normal worms.DC 15. As their name suggests, these worms are covered in bristles. Not only are these bristles sharp, but they are covered with a very painful toxin.DC 20. Due to having adapted to live in extreme temperatures, giant bristle worms are resistant to both heat and cold. They also have long, tentacle-like sensory palps that they can use to grab prey from long distances away, and a nasty, venomous bite.Bristle Worm EncountersCR 5-10 1-2 giant bristle worms.Giant Bristle WormLarge beastChallenge 5 (1,800 XP)AC 14 (natural armor)HP 76 (8d10+32; bloodied 42)Speed 20 ft., swim 40 ft.STR 18 (+4) DEX 14 (+2) CON 19 (+4)INT 2 (-4) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 3 (-4) Proficiency +3Maneuver DC 15Damage Resistances cold, fireCondition Immunities blinded, deafenedSenses blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 10Languages —Bristles. A creature that grapples the worm takes 3 (1d6) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) acid damage at the start of the worm’s turn, and must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it is overwhelmed with pain and is slowed until the end of its next turn.Keen Smell. When in water, the worm has advantage in Perception checks that rely on smell.Limited Amphibiousness. The worm can breathe air and water, but it needs to be submerged in water at least once a day for 1 hour to avoid suffocating.Tunneler. The worm can tunnel through earth and loose stone, leaving behind a 5-foot-diameter tunnel.ActionsBite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (3d6+4) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one. If the poison damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target is stable but poisoned for 1 hour, even if it regains hit points, and is paralyzed while poisoned in this way.Swallow. The worm makes a bite attack against a Medium or creature it is grappling. If the attack hits and the worm has not swallowed another creature, the target is swallowed and the grapple ends. A swallowed creature has total cover from attacks from outside the worm, it is blinded and restrained, and it takes 7 (2d6) acid damage at the beginning of each of the worm’s turns. If the worm dies, the target is no longer swallowed.Bonus ActionsTentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: The target is grappled (escape DC 15) and pulled up to 20 feet straight towards the worm.CombatThe bristle worm is an ambush predators. It lashes out with its tentacles and draws creatures to it to bite and swallow.Bristle Worm TubesA bristle worm’s tube is a Large or Huge object with AC 17 and 20 hit points, and is immune to psychic and poison damage. A bristle worm hiding in its tube has total cover, and can use its tentacles to attack.</blockquote>

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