| Hit Dice: | 12d10+48 (114 hp) |
| Initiative: | +2 |
| Speed: | 50 ft. (10 squares), burrow 20 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 21 (−2 size, +2 Dex, +11 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 19 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +12/+28 |
| Attack: | Bite +18 melee (2d8+12) |
| Full Attack: | Bite +18 melee (2d8+12) |
| Space/Reach: | 15 ft./10 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Breath weapon (60-ft. line of fire, 10d6, DC 20), death throes, improved grab, poison, shred |
| Special Qualities: | Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to dessication and fire, tremorsense 60 ft., vulnerability to cold |
| Saves: | Fort +12, Ref +10, Will +5 |
| Abilities: | Str 26, Dex 15, Con 19, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 12 |
| Skills: | Hide +2 (+18 in dust, +22 in sand), Listen +8, Spot +8, Survival +1; racial bonuses |
| Feats: | Alertness, Awesome Blow, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Snatch |
| Environment: | Warm deserts |
| Organization: | Solitary |
| Challenge Rating: | 10 |
| Treasure: | Standard |
| Alignment: | Usually neutral |
| Advancement: | 13–18 HD (Huge); 17–36 HD (Gargantuan) |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
An enormous, bristling worm flings itself across a dune, mouth gaping. Its skin is a mottled reddish-brown.
Dunewinders are a distant cousins of the remorhaz, native to waste climates instead of arctic zones. Their most distinctive characteristic is their sidewinding motion, which allows them to traverse loose sand with amazing speed.
A dunewinder's long, mottled body can reach 40 feet in length, and it is covered with stiff, sharp bristles that drip with a green venom. The bristles let the creature get a grip in the desert's shifting surface and provide a devastating attack against any prey the dunewinder seizes.
Dunewinders cannot speak.
Dunewinders do not have the wide maw of other serpentine creatures, so they “tenderize” a meal before consuming it. Generally a dunewinder lies in ambush, using its natural coloration to blend in with the sand. When it attacks, it rears up suddenly to blast prey with its breath weapon. It then wraps around the victim, shredding it with its poisonous bristles.
Breath Weapon (Ex): 60-ft. line, once per hour, 10d6 fire, Reflex DC 20 half. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Death Throes (Ex): When killed, a dunewinder explodes in a blast of spiked flesh that deals 12d4 points of piercing damage to everything within 60 feet (Reflex half DC 20). The save DC is Constitution-based. In addition, all creatures injured by this attack must make Fortitude saves or be poisoned (see Poison).
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a dunewinder must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it can shred its opponent.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 20, initial and secondary damage 1d8 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Shred (Ex): On a successful grapple check, a dunewinder crushes the creature it has grabbed, dealing 3d4+12 points of piercing damage. In addition, the bristles inject poison into the wounds.
Immunity to Dessication (Ex): A dunewinder has immunity to any spell or effect that deals magical dessication damage, as well as to any damage that results from failed Constitution checks to resist the effects of dehydration. A dunewinder cannot become dehydrated.
Skills: A dustform dunewinder has a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks made in a sandy or dusty environment. It retains its base +8 racial bonus on Hide checks, which increases by an additional +4 in sandy terrain.
Source: Sandstorm, page 159.