Monster Geographica - Marsh & Aquatic.pdf - The Secrets of the ...

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Bloodworms
Large Animal (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 6d8+39 (66 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: Swim 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 14 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +4 natural),
touch 10, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+12
Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d8+6)
Full Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d8+6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft/l5 ft.
Special Attacks: Increased reach
Special Qualities: Blind, blindsight 30 ft, low-
This eel-like creature’s skin appears to be
made of blood. Its eyeless head is fishlike, with a
few needlelike teeth.
Bloodworms are found only on the deeper
sections of the ocean floor in regions with
hydrothermal vents. They are not actual worms but
eel-like fish with long, thin bodies and very small
fins. They are bright red in color; the large number
of capillaries close to their skin surface makes them
appear as if their skin is made of blood. Bloodworms
have fish-like, predatory heads with a small number
of sharp teeth and no eyes. They spend their entire
lives near the bottom of the sea, unable to survive at
lesser depths due to the difference in pressure.
Despite their ability to move, bloodworms
are mostly stationary creatures. They cluster around
hydrothermal vents and build rocky tubes for shelter
out of the minerals deposited there. Tube walls are
several inches thick and very hard; most bloodworms
live in tubes 4 to 6 feet tall, but some have built their
homes in chemical mounds 30 feet high.
Bloodworm clusters can grow very large in
number, sometimes forming small forests of tubes.
They live in these tubes until they are outgrown
or the creature is forced to flee, swimming freely
until they find a place to build their next home. A
bloodworm goes through about half a dozen tubes in
its lifetime.
Most aquatic races avoid these creatures,
thinking them dangerous carnivores that will attack
humanoids if hungry enough. Bloodworms are of
little interest to most predators, and their meat is
universally reviled as a food. Their colonies are
considered a very risky place to visit, despite the
mineral wealth they often rest upon. Some sea
dwellers eke out a living stealing from the richest
of these areas, which often hide chemically formed
gems of great beauty.
The bloodworm is a predator and scavenger
that feeds on the many creatures attracted to
hydrothermal vents on the sea floor. When attacking
108
light vision, pressure dependence, resistance to
fire 20, rock tube
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +6, Will +3
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 12, Con 22, Int 1, Wis
12, Cha 5
Skills: Listen +9, Spot +8, Swim +12
Feats: Alertness, Great Fortitude, Toughness
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary or colonies (3-40)
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Large); 13-18 HD
(Huge)
Level Adjustment: –
live prey, it prefers creatures smaller than itself, only
attacking larger creatures if it is very hungry. The
remains of the bloodworm are a prime component
in creating potions of water breathing, reducing the
cost of creating such an item by 500 gp. A single
bloodworm produces enough material to reduce
the cost of four such items. A bloodworm can be
summoned using a summon nature’s ally V spell.
Combat
Bloodworms only attack when hungry or to
defend the colony. If one worm is attacked, others
rally to its defense, but they do not leave their tubes
to do so. Bloodworms only flee their tubes if it will
aid them in escaping an enemy. Otherwise they
remain in place and fight back with their bite as best
they can.
Increased Reach (Ex): Due to the long neck of
the bloodworm it is able to reach a great distance to
attack a foe. The worm has a reach of 15 feet with its
bite attack. Because of the flexibility of its neck, the
bloodworm can attack adjacent foes with no penalty.
Blind (Ex): Bloodworms are blind (but have
the blindsight special quality). They have immunity
to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other
attack forms that rely on sight.
Pressure Dependence (Ex): Bloodworms
are immune to the effects of pressure at the ocean
depths. They take 1d6 points of damage each round
they are at a depth of less than 1,000 feet, slowly
exploding due to pressure loss.
Rock Tube (Ex): While in its rock tube, a
bloodworm gains a +4 armor bonus to Armor Class,
but its swim speed is reduced to 0 feet. It can eject
from the tock tube as a full round action.
Skills: A bloodworm has a +8 racial bonus on
any Swim check to perform some special action or
avoid a hazard. It can always can choose to take 10
on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered.
It can use the run action while swimming, provided
it swims in a straight line.