Thursday, January 12, 2012

Worm Week Day 4: Sarcophagal Worm (New Monster)


DESCRIPTION
Sarcophagal worms are undead, worm-like creatures created by evil clerics from the intestinal remains of someone that has been mummified, intended to bring that person eternal torment in the afterlife. Two conditions must be met to create sarcophagal worms—first, the intestines must not have been removed during the mummification process, and second, the cleric must be of sufficient level (10th or above) and read the required spell from the proper spell book. Once the mummified corpse's sarcophagus has been closed, the worms will grow from the intestinal remains of the deceased, writhing inside the body.

Because sarcophagal worms are created from the remains of the mummified corpse, like the mummy they are undead and exist in both the normal and the positive material plane. They are, therefore, immune to poison, sleep, charm, hold and cold, and are only susceptible to (other) spells, fire and magic weapons, all of which do only half the normal damage. Any sarcophagal worm splashed with a vial of holy water will die automatically.

Sarcophagal worms have a bite that does 1-4 points of damage and inflicts the same rotting disease as the mummies from which they grow (reduces healing rate to 1/10, immune to magical healing, must be cured magically) and any creature killed by a sarcophagal worm is subject to the same conditions as being killed by a mummy (cure disease and raise dead spells must be cast within 6 turns of death to be effective.) Sarcophagal worms do not have the same effect of paralyzing fear as a mummy. However, every bite inflicted by a sarcophagal worm reduces by one point the affected character's saving throws versus that mummy.

Any mummy cursed with sarcophagal worms is immune to the spell raise dead and, therefore, may never again become human.
Oe/1E STATS
FREQUENCY: Very Rare
NO. APPEARING: 6-15
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 3"
HIT DICE: 1
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4 + disease
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Non-
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: S (9-12" long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil


BX STATS
ARMOR CLASS: 6
HIT DICE: 1*
MOVE: 30'
ATTACKS: 1 bite + disease
DAMAGE: 1-4 + disease
NO. APPEARING: 6-15
SAVE AS: Fighter: 1
MORALE: 7
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral

1 comment:

  1. Wicked little things. Very creepy concept, well executed. Can the worms be removed and he curse lifted in any way?

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