K everyone, I've decided to start a thread based on revisions of existing monsters. Essentially to take some of the strain off of DMs who want to implement Krusty's rules.
My revision is for the worm that walks. I call it a crawling one (not my own idea of course), which is really what the core template should be called anyways as not all creatures composed of buggies are worms. Some might be ants or scorpions, or spiders. Well...you get the idea.
I've contemplated making a female one composed of ladybugs.
For those who remember, both crawling ones and worms that walk are from COC, although not exclusively. I added the swarm subtype (more than appropriate) and vermin traits (though an aberration, it is composed of vermin).
Crawling One
A crawling one is the evil memory of an arcane spellcaster whose will and personality have survived the dissolution of his body and transferred themselves to the vermin that devoured the corpse.
Hideous to behold, a crawling one is composed of hundreds of vermin that constantly squirm and writhe while somehow holding a vaguely humanoid shape. It typically disguises itself when it leaves its lair, often with a cloak and hood, sometimes accompanied by a mask.
The process of becoming a crawling one is unpredictable, and occurs spontaneously when an evil arcane spellcaster with great force of personality perishes with a head full of prepared or uncast spells. His sentience passes into the vermin that gnaw the charnel clay, enabling him to walk again in a new guise.
A crawling one rarely speaks, although it retains knowledge of all languages it knew in life, as well as any it has learned since. All vermin of the type that compose its form obey its silent commands without question.
The most common form of crawling one, a worm that walks, is composed entirely of worms.
Creating a Crawling One
“Crawling One” is a template that can be added to any evil arcane spellcaster. It uses all the original character’s statistics, special abilities, and equipment, except as noted here.
Type: The character’s type changes to aberration (it is a creature composed of hundreds of discrete crawling vermin). The character also acquires the swarm subtype.
Hit Dice: Increase to d8.
Armor Class: The mass of vermin that make up this creature, each looking out for danger, in sum provide a +20 (or it's wisdom modifier, whichever is greater) insight bonus to armor class.
Special Attack: A crawling one retains any special abilities it had in life and gains those mentioned below.
- Engulf (Ex): A crawling one can choose to engulf an opponent who is no more than one size category larger than itself. The crawling one attempts to embrace its victim, and with a successful melee touch
attack, the victim is immediately swallowed up and surrounded by a mass of vermin, taking 100 points of Damage (or 5 points of Damage/Hit Dice, whichever is greater) as the biting vermin nibble away.
A victim who spends a full-round action can break free of the embrace and move up to half its speed away from the crawling one if desired, but can do nothing else. Otherwise, each round a victim remains
embraced, it takes another 100 points of Damage (or 5 points of Damage/Hit Dice, whichever is greater). Constructs are immune to this attack.
- Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day— animal growth (vermin), animal messenger (vermin), animal shapes (vermin), animal trance (vermin), colossal vermin (as giant vermin, but it can increase the creature’s size
from Large to Gargantuan and from Huge to Colossal), creeping doom, giant vermin, summon swarm (vermin), summon vermin (as summon nature’s ally, except it summons 10 HD of vermin per level),
and vermin plague (as insect plague). Caster level 20th (or character level, whichever is greater). The save DCs are Charisma-based.
- Spells: A crawling one can cast any spells it could cast as a living character.
Special Qualities: A crawling one retains any special abilities it had in life and gains those mentioned below.
- Blindsight (Ex): Crawling ones have blindsight 300 ft.
- Discorporate (Ex): If gravely threatened, a crawling one can discorporate as a free action, simply falling into a pile of individual vermin that crawl quickly away. So long as any of the component vermin
survive, they can breed and create a new body to house the wizard’s intelligence and personality. Discorporating is a dangerous tactic, because once separated, the vermin are treated no differently than
other vermin. Also, the worm that walks (or crawling one) stands a good chance of losing all its equipment. However, discorporation almost assures that at least one vermin, if not dozens, will manage to
crawl away, and so provide for the crawling one's continued existence.
- Frightful Presence (Su): When a crawling one engulfs a victim, witnesses must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the crawling one's Hit Dice + crawling one’s Charisma modifier). Those who make the save
are shaken. Those who fail by 5 or fewer points are frightened. Those who fail by 6 to 10 points are panicked. Those who fail by 11 or more points are cowering. All these conditions last for 1d4 rounds.
Those who have seen a crawling one use this attack before gain a +5 bonus on their saving throws. The victim of the crawling one's engulf attack has a –5 penalty on his or her saving throw.
- Spell Resistance (Su): A crawling one has spell resistance equal 10 + its Hit Dice.
- Swarm Traits: A swarm has no clear front or back and no discernable anatomy, so it is not subject to critical hits or flanking. A swarm made up of Tiny creatures takes half damage from slashing and
piercing weapons. Reducing a swarm to 0 hit points or fewer causes the swarm to break up, though damage taken until that point does not degrade its ability to attack or resist attack. Swarms are never
staggered or reduced to a dying state by damage. Also, they cannot be tripped, grappled, or bull rushed, and they cannot grapple another. A swarm is immune to any spell or effect that targets a specific
number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate), with the exception of mind-affecting effects if the swarm has an intelligence score and a hive mind. A swarm takes a –10 penalty
on saving throws against spells or effects that affect an area, such as many evocation spells or grenadelike weapons. If the area effect attack does not allow a saving throw, the swarm takes double damage
instead. A swarm rendered unconscious by means of subdual damage becomes disorganized and dispersed, and does not re-form until its hit points exceed its subdual damage.
- Vermin Traits: A crawling one is immune to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). It also has darkvision out to 60 feet.
Saves: Same as the character.
Abilities: Same as the character.
Skills: Same as the character, except that a crawling one receives a +20 (or it's wisdom modifier, whichever is greater) racial bonus on Hide, Intuit Direction, Listen, and Move Silently checks.
Feats: Same as the character.
Epic Feats: Same as the character.
Climate/Terrain: Any.
Organization: Solitary, occasionally with minions or master.
Challenge Rating: Same as the character + 3.
Treasure: Same as the character.
Alignment: Any evil.
Advancement: By character class.
Crawling One Characters
By making eldritch preparations on a burial plot, a powerful spellcaster can improve the likelihood of a crawling emerging from the ground. The body is buried in an elaborate ritual that, the spellcaster hopes, will attract a critical mass of vermin. The spellcaster performing the ritual must spend 10,000 gp in rare reagents for the ceremony. Furthermore, the ritual drains 2,000 XP from the spell-caster and requires the following spells: limited wish, polymorph any object, summon swarm (heightened to 7th level), and sympathy. Even if the ritual is performed correctly, there is only a chance that the deceased spellcaster will arise as a crawling one. For each prepared but uncast arcane spell the deceased had at the moment of death (or unused spell slots if a spontaneous caster), there’s a 1% chance that a crawling one will crawl from the grave soil in 1d4 days. Some crawling ones arise spontaneously from ordinary burial plots, but such an event is exceedingly rare. And an epic spell can create crawling ones every time without fail.
Gathering of Vermin
Conjuration (Healing)
Spellcraft DC: 49
Components: V, S , D F
Casting Time: 7 days
Target: Dead creature touched
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
To Develop: 441,000 gp; 9 days; 17,640 XP. Seeds: life (DC 27), transform (DC 21). Factors: change creature type to aberration (+5 DC); add crawling one’s spell-like, extraordinary, and supernatural abilities (+40 DC). Mitigating factors: increase casting time by 10 minutes (–20 DC); increase casting time by 7 days (–14 DC).
When this spell is cast, vermin of a specific variety, chosen by the caster at the time of casting, crawl their way inexorably toward the corpse touched. Over the course of the next week, they consume the flesh of the corpse, and when the last bit of the corpse is devoured, the creature is returned to a semblance of life as a crawling one.
My revision is for the worm that walks. I call it a crawling one (not my own idea of course), which is really what the core template should be called anyways as not all creatures composed of buggies are worms. Some might be ants or scorpions, or spiders. Well...you get the idea.
I've contemplated making a female one composed of ladybugs.
For those who remember, both crawling ones and worms that walk are from COC, although not exclusively. I added the swarm subtype (more than appropriate) and vermin traits (though an aberration, it is composed of vermin).
Crawling One
A crawling one is the evil memory of an arcane spellcaster whose will and personality have survived the dissolution of his body and transferred themselves to the vermin that devoured the corpse.
Hideous to behold, a crawling one is composed of hundreds of vermin that constantly squirm and writhe while somehow holding a vaguely humanoid shape. It typically disguises itself when it leaves its lair, often with a cloak and hood, sometimes accompanied by a mask.
The process of becoming a crawling one is unpredictable, and occurs spontaneously when an evil arcane spellcaster with great force of personality perishes with a head full of prepared or uncast spells. His sentience passes into the vermin that gnaw the charnel clay, enabling him to walk again in a new guise.
A crawling one rarely speaks, although it retains knowledge of all languages it knew in life, as well as any it has learned since. All vermin of the type that compose its form obey its silent commands without question.
The most common form of crawling one, a worm that walks, is composed entirely of worms.
Creating a Crawling One
“Crawling One” is a template that can be added to any evil arcane spellcaster. It uses all the original character’s statistics, special abilities, and equipment, except as noted here.
Type: The character’s type changes to aberration (it is a creature composed of hundreds of discrete crawling vermin). The character also acquires the swarm subtype.
Hit Dice: Increase to d8.
Armor Class: The mass of vermin that make up this creature, each looking out for danger, in sum provide a +20 (or it's wisdom modifier, whichever is greater) insight bonus to armor class.
Special Attack: A crawling one retains any special abilities it had in life and gains those mentioned below.
- Engulf (Ex): A crawling one can choose to engulf an opponent who is no more than one size category larger than itself. The crawling one attempts to embrace its victim, and with a successful melee touch
attack, the victim is immediately swallowed up and surrounded by a mass of vermin, taking 100 points of Damage (or 5 points of Damage/Hit Dice, whichever is greater) as the biting vermin nibble away.
A victim who spends a full-round action can break free of the embrace and move up to half its speed away from the crawling one if desired, but can do nothing else. Otherwise, each round a victim remains
embraced, it takes another 100 points of Damage (or 5 points of Damage/Hit Dice, whichever is greater). Constructs are immune to this attack.
- Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day— animal growth (vermin), animal messenger (vermin), animal shapes (vermin), animal trance (vermin), colossal vermin (as giant vermin, but it can increase the creature’s size
from Large to Gargantuan and from Huge to Colossal), creeping doom, giant vermin, summon swarm (vermin), summon vermin (as summon nature’s ally, except it summons 10 HD of vermin per level),
and vermin plague (as insect plague). Caster level 20th (or character level, whichever is greater). The save DCs are Charisma-based.
- Spells: A crawling one can cast any spells it could cast as a living character.
Special Qualities: A crawling one retains any special abilities it had in life and gains those mentioned below.
- Blindsight (Ex): Crawling ones have blindsight 300 ft.
- Discorporate (Ex): If gravely threatened, a crawling one can discorporate as a free action, simply falling into a pile of individual vermin that crawl quickly away. So long as any of the component vermin
survive, they can breed and create a new body to house the wizard’s intelligence and personality. Discorporating is a dangerous tactic, because once separated, the vermin are treated no differently than
other vermin. Also, the worm that walks (or crawling one) stands a good chance of losing all its equipment. However, discorporation almost assures that at least one vermin, if not dozens, will manage to
crawl away, and so provide for the crawling one's continued existence.
- Frightful Presence (Su): When a crawling one engulfs a victim, witnesses must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the crawling one's Hit Dice + crawling one’s Charisma modifier). Those who make the save
are shaken. Those who fail by 5 or fewer points are frightened. Those who fail by 6 to 10 points are panicked. Those who fail by 11 or more points are cowering. All these conditions last for 1d4 rounds.
Those who have seen a crawling one use this attack before gain a +5 bonus on their saving throws. The victim of the crawling one's engulf attack has a –5 penalty on his or her saving throw.
- Spell Resistance (Su): A crawling one has spell resistance equal 10 + its Hit Dice.
- Swarm Traits: A swarm has no clear front or back and no discernable anatomy, so it is not subject to critical hits or flanking. A swarm made up of Tiny creatures takes half damage from slashing and
piercing weapons. Reducing a swarm to 0 hit points or fewer causes the swarm to break up, though damage taken until that point does not degrade its ability to attack or resist attack. Swarms are never
staggered or reduced to a dying state by damage. Also, they cannot be tripped, grappled, or bull rushed, and they cannot grapple another. A swarm is immune to any spell or effect that targets a specific
number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate), with the exception of mind-affecting effects if the swarm has an intelligence score and a hive mind. A swarm takes a –10 penalty
on saving throws against spells or effects that affect an area, such as many evocation spells or grenadelike weapons. If the area effect attack does not allow a saving throw, the swarm takes double damage
instead. A swarm rendered unconscious by means of subdual damage becomes disorganized and dispersed, and does not re-form until its hit points exceed its subdual damage.
- Vermin Traits: A crawling one is immune to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). It also has darkvision out to 60 feet.
Saves: Same as the character.
Abilities: Same as the character.
Skills: Same as the character, except that a crawling one receives a +20 (or it's wisdom modifier, whichever is greater) racial bonus on Hide, Intuit Direction, Listen, and Move Silently checks.
Feats: Same as the character.
Epic Feats: Same as the character.
Climate/Terrain: Any.
Organization: Solitary, occasionally with minions or master.
Challenge Rating: Same as the character + 3.
Treasure: Same as the character.
Alignment: Any evil.
Advancement: By character class.
Crawling One Characters
By making eldritch preparations on a burial plot, a powerful spellcaster can improve the likelihood of a crawling emerging from the ground. The body is buried in an elaborate ritual that, the spellcaster hopes, will attract a critical mass of vermin. The spellcaster performing the ritual must spend 10,000 gp in rare reagents for the ceremony. Furthermore, the ritual drains 2,000 XP from the spell-caster and requires the following spells: limited wish, polymorph any object, summon swarm (heightened to 7th level), and sympathy. Even if the ritual is performed correctly, there is only a chance that the deceased spellcaster will arise as a crawling one. For each prepared but uncast arcane spell the deceased had at the moment of death (or unused spell slots if a spontaneous caster), there’s a 1% chance that a crawling one will crawl from the grave soil in 1d4 days. Some crawling ones arise spontaneously from ordinary burial plots, but such an event is exceedingly rare. And an epic spell can create crawling ones every time without fail.
Gathering of Vermin
Conjuration (Healing)
Spellcraft DC: 49
Components: V, S , D F
Casting Time: 7 days
Target: Dead creature touched
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
To Develop: 441,000 gp; 9 days; 17,640 XP. Seeds: life (DC 27), transform (DC 21). Factors: change creature type to aberration (+5 DC); add crawling one’s spell-like, extraordinary, and supernatural abilities (+40 DC). Mitigating factors: increase casting time by 10 minutes (–20 DC); increase casting time by 7 days (–14 DC).
When this spell is cast, vermin of a specific variety, chosen by the caster at the time of casting, crawl their way inexorably toward the corpse touched. Over the course of the next week, they consume the flesh of the corpse, and when the last bit of the corpse is devoured, the creature is returned to a semblance of life as a crawling one.
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