Valgoss Working Draft
Valgoss
Diminutive Aberration (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 1d8+4 (8 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), swim 20 ft., burrow 5 ft.
Armor Class: 14 (+4 size), touch 14, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-16
Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d6-4)
Full Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d6-4)
Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Attach, burrow
Special Qualities: Blind, blindsight 10 ft., hive telepathy, scent
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +4
Abilities: Str 2, Dex 11, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 10, Ego 10
Skills: Climb +8, Escape Artist +8, Listen +6, Swim +8
Feats: Great Fortitude, Weapon Finesseᴮ, Toughnessᴮ
Environment: Temperate aquatic
Organization: Solitary or communion (5–100)
Challenge Rating: 1/4 or host +0
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: None
Level Adjustment: —
A thick-bodied fleshy-pink worm about as long as a human hand. It has a mouth surrounded by a frill of tentacles at each end of its body.
Valgoss are wormlike creatures that live in a demiplane called Maelost, a dismal realm of harsh rocky ridges and abundant swamps in which the aquatic valgoss thrive. They eat slime and algae.
Despite their modest appearance, valgoss are as intelligent as many humanoids. They communicate with each other using hive telepathy and lack any interest or ability to speak to other creatures. Like the mighty tentacled beings called slaiyith who also dwell in Maelost's swamps, valgoss consider humanoids as being unworthy of their attention. Slaiyith greatly respect valgoss for the vital role they play in sustaining the ecosystem of their world and consider creatures who have formed a symbiotic bond with a valgoss as being worthy of their gifts (see Valgoss Symbionts, below).
Valgoss can be acquired as familiars by means of the Improved Familiar feat (detailed in the
Dungeon Master's Guide) beginning at 3rd level. See
Maelost Worm Magic for expanded rules.
A valgoss is about 6 inches long and weighs a few ounces.
Combat
Valgoss ignore other creatures unless directly interfered with, which prompts them to try to swim away underwater. If a valgoss cannot escape an attacker it fights to the death, biting and burrowing into its opponent.
Attach (Ex): If a valgoss hits with a bite attack, it uses its teeth and mouth-tentacles to latch onto the opponent’s body. An attached valgoss is effectively grappling its prey. The valgoss loses its Dexterity bonus to AC and has an AC of 12, but holds on with great tenacity.
Once attached, a valgoss will Burrow into its victim (see below). It continues to make bite attacks against the attached opponent using its second mouth, and if that attack hits the valgoss will attach itself with both its mouths.
An attached valgoss can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached valgoss through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the valgoss. The valgoss uses its Escape Artist skill (typically a +7 check modifier) to oppose creatures attempting to pin them.
Blind (Ex): Valgoss are immune to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight.
Burrow (Ex): An attached valgoss can burrow into its opponent, dealing 1d2 points of damage in any round it begins its turn attached to a victim. If it is attached to its opponent with both its mouths it does this damage twice (total 2d2 damage).
Hive Telepathy (Ps): A valgoss is in constant telepathic communion with all other valgoss within 50 miles. If one is aware of a particular danger, they all are. If one in a group is not flat-footed, none of them are. No valgoss in a group is considered flanked unless all of them are.
Skills: A valgoss has a +4 racial modifier on Climb, Escape Artist and Listen checks.
A valgoss has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always 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. A valgoss uses its Dexterity modifier instead of its Strength modifier for Climb and Swim checks.
Valgoss Symbionts
The human natives of Maelost, the Hanim, as well as the strange beings called slaiyith, know a secret process that allows a living creature to form a symbiotic union with a valgoss, granting the creature the Valgoss Host template.
Valgoss that bond with hosts gain the Symbiont subtype which grants the following abilities:
Symbiont Traits: While bonded to a host, a valgoss acts on its host's turn each round, regardless of its own initiative modifier. It is not flat-footed unless its host is, and it is aware of any danger its host is aware of.
A bonded valgoss symbiont is treated as if it is part of its host for targeting purposes, so opponents cannot attack it separately from the host creature.
A symbiont never takes damage from attacks directed at the host. Like a worn magic item, a symbiont is usually unaffected by spells that damage the host, but if the host rolls a 1 on its saving throw, the symbiont is one of the "items" that can be affected by the spell. A symbiont uses its host's base saving throw bonuses if they are better than its own.
Any spell the host creature casts on itself automatically also affects the symbiont. Additionally, the host may cast a spell with a target of "You" on the symbiont instead of on itself. The symbiont may do likewise with any spell or spell-like ability it uses. The host and symbiont can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the host's or the symbiont's type. Spells targeted on the host by another spellcaster do not affect the symbiont, and vice versa.
Valgoss Host (Template)
The creature has a slimy pink band of flesh arcing across their body. The wormlike arc of flesh twitches and squirms occasionally as if it has a life of its own.
The human inhabitants of Maelost, who call themselves the Hanim, have learned a secret process from the slaiyith that allows a living creature to form a symbiotic bond with a valgoss. The candidate must perform an hour-long ceremony and then enter water populated by valgoss. The Hanim usually accompany this ceremony with incense and the music of hide drums, but this is not necessary for success.
The valgoss will only bond with healthy hosts – they reject candidates who are diseased, wounded, poisoned, or sickly (Con of 7 or less). If a candidate meets their approval, a valgoss will bite their host-to-be with the mouths at the opposite ends of its wormlike body and burrow into their flesh, inflicting 1d2 points of damage with each of its two mouths. The valgoss then fuses with the host, becoming a slimy pink arc of flesh that loops across the host's body.
Once bonded, the valgoss is sustained by the host's body and does not need to eat, drink or breath. The valgoss can voluntarily break the bond with its host, but will only do so its host is dying or suffering from a terminal disease (one that has reduced the host's Con to 5 or less).
Creating a Valgoss Host
"Valgoss host" is an acquired template that can be added to any living intelligent creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
A valgoss host uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
A valgoss host gains a supernatural power called a Slaiyith Gift (see Special Qualities for details). A creature can acquire the valgoss host template multiple times, gaining a different Slaiyith Gift for each valgoss they bond with.
Size and Type: Same as base creature.
Hit Dice: A valgoss host has the same hit dice as the base creature.
Becoming a valgoss host permanently inflicts 2 hit points of damage on the base creature (1 points of damage from each mouth attached to the host). This damage cannot be healed by any means as long as the valgoss remains bonded. Even if the host bond is broken and the valgoss removed, the injury can only be removed by a
heal,
miracle or
wish.
The damage from valgoss bonding is cumulative, so a valgoss host with two valgoss suffers 8 points of permanent damage from their symbionts' four mouths.
Speed: Same as base creature.
Armor Class: Same as base creature.
Attack: Same as base creature.
Full Attack: Same as base creature.
Damage: Same as base creature.
Special Attacks: A valgoss host retains all the special attacks of the base creature. The valgoss host may gain an additional special attack from its Slaiyith Gift as described below.
Special Qualities: A valgoss host retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below. The valgoss host may gain an additional special quality from its Slaiyith Gift (see below).
Protection from The Taker of Life (Ex): The evil entity known as the Taker of Life fears the power of the Slaiyith and will never attack or disturb a valgoss host, since the slaiyith revere the valgoss for their role in the ecosystem of Maelost.
Valgoss Telepathy (Su): A valgoss host gains the ability to communicate telepathically with slaiyith and other valgoss hosts. This telepathy has a range of 100 feet.
Slaiyith Gift (Su)
The oldest and most powerful of the slaiyiths, the master slaiyiths, can gift a valgoss symbiont with a supernatural power. The master slaiyiths can bestow 10 different gifts to a valgoss, although one gift is only available to valgoss with Hanim hosts. Each valgoss can only bear a single gift. A host can bond with multiple gifted valgoss, but the gifts must be dissimilar. Under no circumstances can a host bond with two or more valgoss bearing the same Slaiyith Gift. A bonded valgoss will lose its gift if it is killed or separated from its host.
Nine of the Slaiyith Gifts only function on the plane of Maelost. The Gift of Maximization is the exception and has a limited functionality on other planes.
The available gifts are:
Hanim Gift
Gift of Personality Exchange: Because of an ancient pact the master slaiyith made with the Hanim they will only grant this gift to valgoss with a Hanim host. This ability allows two valgoss hosts who both possess a valgoss symbiont with the Personality Exchange gift to exchange their minds. Both hosts must be willing to exchange minds and be within 60 ft. of each other.
Personality Exchange brings about the same changes as the
mind switch psionic power: each mind gains the type and physical characteristics of the assumed body as well as that body's extraordinary abilities (but not its supernatural or spell-like abilities). They gain the possessions and equipment of the assumed body (which includes the valgoss the body's bonded with and its Slaiyith Gifts) while retaining their own hit points, base saves, class abilities such as spells and powers, supernatural and spell-like abilities, skill ranks, and feats. Feats or abilities whose requirements are not met by the assumed body become temporarily unavailable.
Personality Exchange relies on the valgoss's Hive Telepathy, so the exchange ends if the telepathy is suppressed (e.g. an antimagic field or a
mind blank spell). Personality Exchange also ends if a host dies, loses its Personality Exchange valgoss, or ceases being willing to continue the exchange. The host minds immediately return to their original bodies if the Personality Exchange is broken. If the death of a host forces the exchanged minds to return, only the original mind of the slain body is killed.
Physical Gifts
Gift of Strength: The host gains a +2 bonus to Strength.
Gift of Dexterity: The host gains a +2 bonus to Dexterity.
Gift of Constitution: The host gains a +2 bonus to Constitution.
Gift of Speed: The host gains a bonus to their land, swim and burrow speeds. Speeds from 5 ft. to 15 ft. gain a +5 ft. bonus; speeds from 20 ft. to 35 ft. gain a +10 ft. bonus; speeds from 40 ft. to 55 ft. gain a +20 ft. bonus; and speeds of 60 ft. or more gain a +30 ft. bonus. This gift only increases existing natural modes of movement; it does not increase movement granted by magic (such as a beholder's fly speed or the +30 ft. speed bonus of a
haste spell), nor does it grant the host any additional modes of movement (e.g. it will only increase a host's existing swim speed if they already have a swim speed).
Magical Gifts
Gift of Spell Resistance: The host gains a spell resistance equal to their Hit Dice plus 5 (maximum 25).
Gift of Empowerment: The host can cast up to three spells per day that are empowered as though using the Empower Spell feat.
Gift of Enlargement: The host can cast up to three spells per day that are enlarged as though using the Enlarge Spell feat.
Gift of Extension: The host can cast up to three spells per day that are extended as though using the Extend Spell feat.
Gift of Maximization: The host selects one spell with a spell level up to 2 lower than the maximum spell level they can cast (e.g. a 3rd level spell if they can cast spells of up to 5th level). Whenever the host casts the selected spell it is automatically maximized as though by the Maximize Spell feat. In addition, the host can prepare the spell without referring to a spellbook.
The Gift of Maximization is the only Slaiyith Gift that functions outside the plane of Maelost. If a host casts the selected spell when they are not on Maelost, the spell is not automatically maximized but instead is unaffected by the planar traits Impeded Magic, Limited Magic or Wild Magic.
Abilities: Same as base creature.
Skills: A valgoss host gain a +2 insight bonus on Listen, Spot and Survival checks while on Maelost.
A valgoss host has a –1 penalty to all Charisma-based skills except for Intimidate unless the target of the skill is also a valgoss host. This penalty is cumulative, so a host with three valgoss will have a –3 penalty to those Charisma-based skills as well as 6 hit points of permanent wounds.
Feats: Same as base creature.
Environment: Swamps of Maelost.
Organization: Same as base creature.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature for a host with one or two valgoss symbionts; as base creature +1 for a host with from three to five valgoss symbionts; or as base creature +2 for a host with six or more valgoss symbionts.
Treasure: Same as base creature.
Alignment: Same as base creature.
Advancement: Same as base creature.
Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +1 for a host with from one to five valgoss symbionts; or as base creature +2 for a host with six or more valgoss symbionts.
Sample Valgoss Hosts
The following sample creatures have gained the valgoss host template.
The hanim are a race of humans native to the plane of Maelost. Hanim culture is intimately dependent on the slaiyith gifts of their valgoss symbionts, without which they couldn't safely approach the deadly swamps covering the plane. What land there is on Maelost is mostly quicksand or razor sharp rock, so hanim have domesticated the
giant riding fly to avoid the dangers of navigating their homeland. Hanim have
Worm Magic of considerable power, but their nonmagical technology is limited to stone and earth or organic materials such as wood, leather and chitin. Warriors usually specialize in mounted combat, wielding torag poles and javelins from flyback.
Hanim Warrior
Human male or female 4th level fighter
Medium Humanoid (Human)
Hit Dice: 4d10+12–8 (26 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (+2 Dex, +2 leather, +2 heavy chitin shield [
equal to heavy wooden shield]), touch 12, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+7
Attack: Masterwork torag pole +9 melee (1d6+5) or javelin +6 ranged (1d6+3)
Full Attack: Masterwork torag pole +9 melee (1d6+5) or javelin +6 ranged (1d6+3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with extended torag pole)
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Fighter class features, human traits, protection from The Taker of Life, slaiyith gifts (hanim gift, constitution, speed, strength), valgoss telepathy
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +4
Abilities: Str 17, Con 16, Dex 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
Skills: Climb +8*
, Handle Animal +2 (+6 for valgoss hosts), Listen +1 (+3 on Maelost), Ride +9, Spot +1 (+3 on Maelost), Survival +1 (
+3 on Maelost)
** Includes –2 armor check penalty
Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (torag pole)ᴮ, Iron Willᴮ, Mounted Archery, Mounted Combat, Weapon Focus (torag pole)ᴮ, Weapon Specialization (torag pole)ᴮ
(includes human extra feat plus three fighter bonus feats)
Environment: Swamps of Maelost
Organization: As base creature
Challenge Rating: 5 (with 3-5 symbionts)
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +1
A sinewy human armed with a curiously segmented pole, a quiver of stone-tipped javelins and a shield that appears to be made from the shell of a giant beetle. Dressed in leather armor, the human's equipment shows no scrap of metal, not even a buckle or pin.
Hanim warriors normally ride into battle on
giant riding flies bonded to their own valgoss symbionts. This allows the warriors to use their Ride skill without the penalty applied when using a Charisma skill upon a creature that isn't a valgoss host. The giant fly mount is usually host to a single symbiont with the Gift of Constitution.
Apart from their
valgoss symbionts a hanim warrior is a normal human physically, including their height and weight.
The hanim warrior presented here is a 4th-level fighter with the following base ability scores: Str 15, Con 13, Dex 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.
Combat
Hanim warriors usually fight from their giant fly mounts. They try to stay out of their enemies' reach by throwing javelins or striking with extended torag poles.
Torag Pole: Exotic melee weapons unique to the hanim, torag poles have the following weapon description:
Exotic Weapon
One-Handed Melee Weapon
| Cost | Dmg | Critical | Range | Weight | Damage Type |
| Torag pole* | 20 gp | 1d6 | ×2 | — | 3 lb. | Bludgeoning |
Torag pole: A torag pole is made from bones wrapped in cured leather. A wielder with Exotic Weapon Proficiency in torag pole can change its length from its default of 5 feet to up to 10 feet long. When extended the torag pole becomes a Reach weapon. Extending or contracting a torag pole is equivalent to drawing a weapon. Wielders without proficiency in torag pole cannot alter its length.
Skills: *A hanim warrior valgoss host gains a +2 insight bonus on Listen, Spot and Survival checks while on Maelost.
This hanim warrior valgoss host has a –4 penalty to all Charisma-based skills except for Intimidate unless the target of the skill is also a valgoss host.
Hanim Worm Lord
Worm Lord
Human 3rd level wizard, 3rd level cleric, 6th level mystic theurge
Medium Humanoid (Human)
Hit Dice: 3d4+3d8+6d4+24–20+3 (43 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 14 (+2 Dex,
+2 ring of force shield), touch 12, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+6
Attack: Masterwork quarterstaff +7 melee (1d6)
Full Attack: Masterwork quarterstaff +7/+2 melee (1d6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Calm emotions, spells, spontaneous casting (
inflict spells), rebuke undead (4/day, 1d20+3), rebuke
worms (4/day, 1d20+3)
Special Qualities: Human traits, protection from The Taker of Life, slaiyith gifts (all 10), spell resistance 17, summon familiar, valgoss telepathy
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +15
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 13
Skills: Appraise +4 [
+6 for alchemy], Concentration +17, Craft (alchemy) +11, Decipher Script +11, Diplomacy +12, Heal +10, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Knowledge (religion) +13, Knowledge (the planes) +10, Sense Motive +11, Spellcraft +21, Survival +4 [
+6 on other planes]
Feats: Augment Summoning, Greater Spell Focus (Enchantment), Scribe Scrollᴮ, Spell Focus (Conjuration, Enchantment), Spell Penetrationᴮ
Environment: Swamps of Maelost
Organization: As base creature
Challenge Rating: 14 (10 symbionts)
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +2
Worm Lord in Fighter Host
Hit Dice: 3d4+3d8+6d4+48–10+3 (77 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (+4 Dex,
+2 ring of force shield), touch 14, flat-footed 12
—with warrior host's armor (10% arcane spell failure): AC 18 (+4 Dex, +2 leather,
+2 ring of force shield), touch 14, flat-footed 14
—with host's armor & shield (25% arcane spell failure): AC 18 (+4 Dex, +2 leather, +2 heavy chitin shield [
equal to heavy wooden shield]), touch 14, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+8
Attack: Masterwork quarterstaff +9 melee (1d6+3)
Full Attack: Masterwork quarterstaff +9/+4 melee (1d6+3)
Special Attacks: Calm emotions, spells, spontaneous casting (
inflict spells), rebuke undead (4/day, 1d20+3), rebuke
worms (4/day, 1d20+3)
Special Qualities: Human traits, protection from The Taker of Life, slaiyith gifts (hanim gift plus all 4 physical gifts), summon familiar, valgoss telepathy
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +15
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 13
Skills: Appraise +4 [
+6 for alchemy], Concentration +19, Craft (alchemy) +11, Decipher Script +11, Diplomacy +12, Heal +10, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Knowledge (religion) +13, Knowledge (the planes) +10, Sense Motive +11, Spellcraft +21, Survival +4 [
+6 on other planes]
Feats: Augment Summoning, Greater Spell Focus (Enchantment), Scribe Scrollᴮ, Spell Focus (Conjuration, Enchantment), Spell Penetrationᴮ
Challenge Rating: 13 (5 symbionts)
Hanim Fighter Host
Human 4th level fighter
Hit Dice: 4d10+16–10 (28 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 17 (+3 Dex, +2 leather, +2 heavy chitin shield [
equal to heavy wooden shield]), touch 13, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+6
Attack: Masterwork torag pole +8 melee (1d6+4) or javelin +7 ranged (1d6+2)
Full Attack: Masterwork torag pole +8 melee (1d6+4) or javelin +7 ranged (1d6+2)
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Fighter class features, human traits, protection from The Taker of Life, slaiyith gifts (hanim gift plus all 4 physical gifts), valgoss telepathy
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
Skills: Climb +10, Handle Animal +2 (
+6 for valgoss hosts), Listen +1 (
+3 on Maelost), Ride +9, Spot +1 (
+3 on Maelost), Survival +1* (
+3 on Maelost)
Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (torag pole)ᴮ, Iron Willᴮ, Mounted Archery, Mounted Combat, Weapon Focus (torag pole)ᴮ, Weapon Specialization (torag pole)ᴮ
(includes human extra feat plus three fighter bonus feats)
Challenge Rating: 5 (5 symbionts)
A tanned, scrawny human dressed in robes of soft embroidered leather and leaning on a staff. Almost a dozen straps of pink segmented flesh wind around their body and limbs.
The hanim worm lord presented here is 3rd-level wizard/3rd-level cleric/6th-level mystic theurge with ability scores Str 8, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 13 (base abilities Str 8, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 13 before level advancement). He sometimes uses the hanim gift of personality exchange to exchange bodies with a 4th-level fighter with five valgoss symbionts and the physical ability scores Str 13, Dex 14, Con 16 (base abilities Str 13, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8).
The worm lord has an extensive knowledge of
Maelost Worm Magic.
Combat
The worm lord is normally accompanied by a band of Hanim Warriors (see above) who screen them from harm while the lord directs strategy and works their magic. A worm lord is a cautious, experienced and highly intelligent combatant so uses spells very effectively.
Calm Emotions (Sp): A hanim worm lord's Community domain allows them to use
calm emotions as a spell-like ability once per day.
Spells: A hanim worm lord casts spells as a 9th level wizard and a 9th level cleric. The Cleric Spells Prepared assume the worm lord spontaneously casts
inflict spells; if it spontaneously casts
cure spells substitute the prepared
cure wounds spells for the corresponding
inflict wounds spells.
Wizard Spells Prepared (4/5/5/4/2/1), save DC 13 + spell level.
0—
ghost sound,
light,
mage hand,
read magic;
1st—
burrowᴺ,
cause fear (DC 14),
charm person (DC 14),
sleep,
mage armor;
2nd—
blindness/deafness (DC 15),
blur,
glitterdust (DC 15),
pyrotechnics,
summon wormsᴺ;
3rd—
flame arrow,
fly,
stinking cloud,
wormworkᴺ;
4th—
ice storm (DC 17),
stoneskin;
5th—
baleful polymorph;
ᴺ
New spell.
Cleric Spells Prepared (6/5+1/5+1/4+1/2+1/1+1), save DC 13 + spell level.
0—
create water,
detect magic,
detect poison,
guidance,
purify food and drink,
resistance;
1st—
bane (DC 14),
blessᴰ,
cure light wounds,
divine favor,
entropic shield,
sanctuary (DC 14);
2nd—
augury,
enthrall (DC 15),
hold person (DC 15),
resist energy,
sound burst (DC 15),
wormslickᴰᴺ;
3rd—
continual flame,
cure serious wounds,
dispel magic,
prayerᴰ,
wind wall;
4th—
neutralize poison,
wormtongueᴰᴺ (DC 17),
summon monster IV;
5th—
curse of the wormsᴰᴺ (DC 18),
wall of stone;
ᴰ Domain Spell. Domains: Community (calm emotions 1/day, +2 competence bonus on Diplomacy checks), Worm (Rebuke or command worms).
ᴺ New spell.
Rebuke Worms (Su): Up to 4 times per day, a hanim worm lord can rebuke or command worms as an evil cleric rebukes or commands undead. This granted power of the
Worm Domain can only affect vermin and magical beasts with Intelligence 0 or 1 (what counts as a "worm" is at the DM's discretion).
This ability can be used a total number of times per day equal to 3 + Charisma modifier.
Summon Familiar: The hanim worm lord has a toad familiar.
Toad Familiar: CR —; Diminutive Magical Beast; HD 1; hp 1/2 master's (); Init +1; Spd 5 ft.; AC 16, touch 15, flat-footed 15; Base Atk +0; Grp -17; Atk —; Full Atk —; Space/Reach 1 ft./0 ft.; SA —; SQ improved evasion, low-light vision, granted abilities (Alertness, deliver touch spells, empathic link, improved evasion, share spells); AL any; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +2; Str 1, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 4.
Skills and Feats: Hide +21, Listen +4, Spot +4; Alertness.
Special Ability: Master gains +3 hit points.
Skills: *A hanim worm lord host gains a +2 insight bonus on Listen, Spot and Survival checks while on Maelost.
This hanim worm lord valgoss host has a –10 penalty to all Charisma-based skills except for Intimidate unless the target of the skill is also a valgoss host.
Equipment: folding boat,
gloves of dexterity (+2),
headband of intellect (+2),
periapt of wisdom (+2),
restorative ointment,
ring of force shield,
scroll of restoration (7th),
scroll of slay living (9th),
scroll of true seeing (9th), masterwork quarterstaff,
wand of cure light wounds (1st),
wand of dispel magic (9th, 21 charges), spell component pouch; plus one 100-gp gem and four 10-gp gems.
Note: To match its Challenge Rating of 14, the hanim worm lord has the 45,000 gp equipment budget of a 14th-level NPC not the 27,000 gp budget of a 12th-level NPC.
Originally appeared in Tales From the Infinite Staircase (1998) in Tale 3: Lord of the Worms
