Epic Level Handbook

CHAPTER 5:MONSTERSCold Aura (Su): A 10-foot-radius spread cold aurasurrounds a winterwight. All creatures of the cold subtypein the field (including the winterwight) are treatedas if having turn resistance +6 (if undead) and fast healing10. Creatures subject to cold damage take 2d10points of cold damage each round they remain withinthe cold aura.Icy Hardness (Ex): The winterwight’s icy skin providesit with damage reduction 10/–. The winterwight’sstandard damage reduction of 20/+6 does not stack, butoverlaps with, this icy hardness damage reduction. However,even when its standard damage reduction does notapply, this 10/– does.WORM THAT WALKSMedium-Size AberrationHit Dice: HD 23d8 + 46 + 10 (159 hp)Initiative: +8 (+4 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)Speed: 30 ft.AC: 47 (+4 Dex, +8 bracers, +3 ring, +2 amulet, +20 insight)Attacks: +4 staff +15/+10 meleeDamage: +4 staff 1d6+4Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, engulf, frightfulpresenceSpecial Qualities: Blindsight 300 ft., SR 36, discorporate,bonus hit points, immunitiesSaves: Fort +11, Ref +14, Will +17Abilities: Str 10, Dex 14 (18 with gloves), Con 13 (15with Ioun stone), Int 20 (26 with headband), Wis 12,Cha 8Skills: Alchemy +34, Concentration +27, Hide +24,Intuit Direction +21, Knowledge (any two) +34,Knowledge (any other four) +11, Listen +21, MoveSilently +24, Scry +23, Spellcraft +34Feats: Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Craft Staff, CraftWondrous Item, Heighten Spell, Improved Initiative,Lightning Reflexes, Maximize Spell, Quicken Spell,Scribe Scroll, Spell Penetration, ToughnessEpic Feats: Improved Spell Capacity (10th), ImprovedSpell Capacity (11th)Climate/Terrain: AnyOrganization: SolitaryChallenge Rating: 26Treasure: As characterAlignment: Any evilAdvancement: As characterA worm that walks is the evil memory of an arcane spellcasterwhose will and personality have survived the dissolutionof his body and transferred themselves to theworms or maggots that devoured the corpse.Hideous to behold, a worm that walks is composed ofhundreds of worms or maggots that constantly squirmand writhe while somehow holding a vaguely humanoidshape. It typically disguises itself when it leaves its lair,often with a cloak and hood, sometimes accompanied bya mask. Those who have encountered one previouslyinvariably recognize the claylike, earthy smell thataccompanies it.The process of becoming a worm that walks isunpredictable, and occurs spontaneously when an evilarcane spellcaster with great force of personality perisheswith a head full of prepared or uncast spells. Hissentience passes into the blind, mindless worms thatgnaw the charnel clay, enabling him to walk again in anew guise.A worm that walks rarely speaks, although it retainsknowledge of all languages it knew in life, as well as anyit has learned since. All vermin of the type that composeits form obey its silent commands without question.COMBATA worm that walks generally enters combat with haste,mirror image, displacement, globe of invulnerability, and shieldin effect. It prefers to fight opponents with its offensivespells, but if forced into melee, it proceeds to use itsengulf ability as potent dissuasion.Spells: A worm that walks can cast any spells it couldcast as a character. This sample worm was a 23rd-levelwizard (spells per day: 4/12/6/6/6/5/5/5/5/4/1/1). Thelast spell slots are 10th-level and 11th-level slots,respectively, and are available for 0–9th level metamagicspells.Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—animal friendship(vermin), animal growth (vermin), animal messenger(vermin), animal shapes (vermin), animal trance(vermin), colossal vermin (as giant vermin, but it anincrease the creature’s size from Large to Gargantuanand from Huge to Colossal), creeping doom, giant vermin,summon swarm (vermin), summon vermin (as summonnature’s ally, except it summons 10 HD of vermin perlevel), and vermin plague (as insect plague). Caster level20th; save DC 9 + spell level.Engulf (Ex): A worm that walks can choose toengulf an opponent who is no more than one size categorylarger than itself. The worm attempts to embraceits victim, and with a successful melee touch attack, thevictim is immediately swallowed up and surroundedby a mass of vermin, taking 100 points of damage as thebiting vermin nibble away at their latest meal. A victimwho spends a full-round action can break free of theembrace and move up to half its speed away from theworm if desired, but can do nothing else. Otherwise,each round a victim remains embraced, it takesanother 100 points of damage. Constructs are immuneto this attack.Spells: The worm that walks can cast any spells itcould cast when a living character. It also gains severalrelated abilities.Frightful Presence (Su): When a worm that walksengulfs a victim, witnesses must make a Will save (DC10 + 1/2 the worm’s HD + the worm’s Cha modifier).Those who make the save are shaken. Those who fail by5 or fewer points are frightened. Those who fail by 6 to228