D&D 5E Rot grubs

[FormerlyHemlock]

I picked up Volo's Guide to monsters yesterday. (Really enjoying it so far.)

Rot grubs are a type of Tiny beast that have no stat blocks unless in 22-HP swarms. Instead, any creature who comes into contact with one must make a DC 10 Dexterity save or be infested, which is a sure death sentence barring either (1) fire damage applied to the wound on the round right after infestation, or (2) effects that cure disease. Otherwise, the host creature takes d3 points of damage per turn until it dies.

The thought occurs: a druid can now kill the Tarrasque at 2nd level simply by wildshaping into a rot grub!

(Also applies to pretty much any other big dumb monster with rubbish Dex saves.)

Conjure Animal (rot grubs) is also an interesting application. Ditto Animal Shapes (into rot grubs) and even maybe Polymorph: now you can use one enemy to kill another by polymorphing one into a rot grub.

A full swarm of rot grubs is only CR 1/8 but it should terrify any PCs without access to disease-curing magic (Lesser Restoration, Lay On Hands). Paladins of Devotion just got a major boost.

 

[LordEntrails]

I love rot grubs, always have

I'm sure some germ-a-phobe thought them up originally. They are one of my favorite horror elements. I mean come on, burn yourself or die *EG*

 

[MonsterEnvy]

The Terrasque is immune to Non Magical Damage. Rot Grubs can't hurt it.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

The Terrasque is immune to Non Magical Damage. Rot Grubs can't hurt it.

Technically, it's immune to non-magical slashing/piercing/bludgeoning weapon attacks. It's not immune to falling damage for example (according to JeremyCrawford at least; I would rule differently), and the rot grub isn't using a weapon attack.

But none of that matters, because now you've got me thinking about the awesomeness of a Tarrasque which is killed by the players... and then the corpse splits open to reveal that it's infested with millions of rot grubs.

 

[Jester David]

Unless there's a specialized swarm druid subclass, I don't believe druids can wild shape into swarms.

Even if the DM rules differently, that seems like an instance where the tarrasque would use its legendary resistance.

Even if it chooses not to, it's going to mess up the rest of the party (or surrounding villages/terrain) in the 338 combat rounds it will take the swarm to slowly kill the tarrasque.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Thats been errata'd. It's immune to non magical attacks. But the Rot Grub is using a weapon attack by the rules of the book. (The weapon is their teeth.)

Still won't deny that Rot Grubs are dangerous.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Technically, it's immune to non-magical slashing/piercing/bludgeoning weapon attacks. It's not immune to falling damage for example (according to JeremyCrawford at least; I would rule differently), and the rot grub isn't using a weapon attack.

But none of that matters, because now you've got me thinking about the awesomeness of a Tarrasque which is killed by the players... and then the corpse splits open to reveal that it's infested with millions of rot grubs.

Tarrasque-ized rot grubs, which, having consumed the tarrasque, have gained its resistances...

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Thats been errata'd. It's immune to non magical attacks. But the Rot Grub is using a weapon attack by the rules of the book. (The weapon is their teeth.)

No attack roll = not an attack, in 5E terminology. I can only assume that this is why the Tarrasque is vulnerable to falling damage.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

But it is an attack roll Rotgrup Swam Melee weapon attack +0 to hit.

Also from what I read tweets about it. The terrasque was stated as being immune to falling damage.

 

[jgsugden]

D&D is a role playing game. We play a role in a story. Killing the Tarrasque with a rot grub is not a good story.