NEW MONSTER: GRAY WORMSPAWN

GRAY WORMSPAWN

FREQUENCY: Very rare

NO. APPEARING: See below

ARMOR CLASS: 7

MOVE: 9”, or movement rate of host

HIT DICE: 2+1

% IN LAIR: Nil

TREASURE TYPE: Nil

NO. OF ATTACKS: 1

DAMAGE/ ATTACK: 1-4

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Drain blood for 4 points per round, possible spell use

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

SAVE: Fighter 3

INTELLIGENCE: See below

ALIGNMENT: Neutral or Lawful Evil

SIZE: S

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

LEVEL/ X.P. VALUE: III/ 50 + 3/hp

Gray wormspawn are gray worms, sacred to the Gray Worm God, that spend part of their life cycle within a host. This is normally performed voluntarily by a cultist of the Worm God. Grayspawn eggs are slightly smaller than hen's eggs, but are gray, slimy, and rubbery. They are swallowed whole by the adoring host cultist.

The gray gift takes up residence within the gastrointestinal and nervous system of the host, where is slowly consumes the brain for nourishment. The practical effect of this relationship is that the host must make a saving throw against poison every week that the gray gift is present. Each time the saving throw is failed, the gray gift gains a point of intelligence and the host loses a point of intelligence. As the host becomes less capable, the worm takes over motor and speech functions. Worms with an intelligence of greater than 6 are lawful evil. Worms inhabiting the body of a spellcaster will gain the spells that were within the spellcaster's brain, although they cannot learn new spells.

While acting as a parasite, they raise the strength and constitution scores of their host to 18. They can not increase the ability score if it is already 18 or higher. They also are able to dull the sensation of pain, making them attractive to the critically ill and elderly.

Worms that are residing as hosts are shielded from attacks to some degree. Overwhelming attacks which completely or mostly destroy the host body or do critical damage to the nervous system (dragon breath, immersion in lava, beheading, etc.) will do damage to the gray gift's hit points once the host's hit points are reduced to zero.

When the host reaches an intelligence of zero or when the host's body is reduced to 0 hit points, the body is no longer able to support the worm. At this point the three foot long worm will leave the body, where it takes its place as a part of the congregation of the Worm God. At this point the worm is usually intelligent, and can choose to remain within the body of the host if it believes it will become vulnerable by exposing itself.

When outside the body of a host, the worms are not defenseless. They can bite an opponent for 1-4 points of damage. On a successful strike they have grabbed on and will do 4 points of blood loss damage per round until either they or their host is killed, much like a lamprey or leech.

Gray wormspawn are rarely found in nature. When they are they usually use large carnivores as hosts, who are more likely to swallow their eggs whole. Eggs might be laid by mature worms in rotting meat or dung. Wild wormspawn are usually less intelligent and of neutral alignment, having only 'eaten' the intelligence points of animals.