Lucent Worm

Those who encounter a lucent worm often do so before they know the creature is near. Although massive in size, a lucent worm is adept at hiding itself. This, combined with its versatile means of locomotion, ensures that the lucent worm rarely goes hungry.

An adult lucent worm measures 5 feet in diameter and almost 100 feet long, weighing in at 55,000 to 60,000 pounds. A worms skin is almost completely translucent⁠—​enabling observers to see its internal organs and whatever the creature had as a recent meal—and covered with millions of tiny hairlike cilia that provide the worm with a means of movement. Its mouth bristles with dozens of sharp teeth.

A lucent worm requires a massive amount of food to maintain its weight, so it is always onthe lookout for more sustenance. Its digestive system can assimilate only organic matter, however, so small objects often get trapped in its gizzard, while larger indigestible materials are left behind as waste.

Combat

When confronted with prey, which is any living creature, a lucent worm attacks with its bite. If confronted with multiple foes, it typically attempts a crush attack before engaging remaining opponents with its bite.

Crush (Ex): A lucent worm can move over opponents three or more size categories smaller than itself as a standard action, using its whole body to crush them. A crush attack affects as many creatures as can fit under the lucent worm’s body. Each creature in the affected area must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 33) or be pinned, automatically taking 4d6+13 points of bludgeoning damage. Thereafter, if the lucent worm chooses to maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attack (grapple bonus +46). While pinned, the opponent takes crush damage each round.

Improved Grab (Ex): If a lucent worm hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with a bite attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity (grapple bonus +46). If it gets a hold, it can swallow the opponent on its next successful grapple check. Thereafter, the lucent worm has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use its bite to hold the opponent (−20 penalty on grapple check, but the lucent worm is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals bite damage.

Paralysis (Ex): Any creature hit by a lucent worm’s bite or crush attack must make a Fortitude save (DC 28) or be paralyzed for 4 rounds.

Swallow Whole (Ex): A lucent worm can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of a smaller size than itself by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 2d8+12 points of crushing damage plus 8 points of acid damage per round from the lucent worm’s gizzard (AC 19, 30 hp). See Swallow Whole for methods by which a swallowed creature may escape. A Gargantuan lucent worm’s interior can hold 2 Large, 8 Medium, 32 Small or smaller opponents.

Skills: Lucent worms have a +15 racial bonus on Hide checks. Lucent worms have a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard and can always choose to take 10 on Swim checks, even if distracted or endangered.

Source: Fiend Folio, page 118. Changes applied as per the D&D^® v.3.5 Accessory Update. Added Serpentine special quality, even though a lucent worm will usually just smash or burrow through terrain rather than slither through it. Rewrote the Swallow Whole entry to adapt to updated Swallow Whole rules.