[MitP] Forcehunter Sandworm

[Fax Celestis]

Forcehunter Sandworm

Size/Type: Colossal Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 30d10+150 (300 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), burrow 60 ft.
Armor Class: 30 (-4 size, +24 natural), touch 6, flat-footed 30
Base Attack/Grapple: +16/+40
Attack: Bite +30 melee (2d8+12)
Full Attack: Bite +30 melee (2d8+12) and crush (3d10+24)
Space/Reach: 40 ft./25ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, swallow whole, crush
Special Qualities: Tremorsense 240 ft., Blindsense 60 ft., Resistance (Cold, Acid, Electricity) 20, Damage Reduction 20/adamantine, Spell Resistance 30, Force Absorption, Force Sensitivity
Saves: Fort +17, Ref +10, Will +4
Abilities: Str 45, Dex 10, Con 25, Int 3, Wis 8, Cha 12
Skills: Listen +20
Feats: Awesome Blow, Crush, Frightful Presence, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Mighty Rage (3/day), Power Attack, Spring Attack, Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment: Auleauk Desert (Island of Naudia Diva, subplane of the Beastlands)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 17
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 30-40 HD (Colossal); 40-50 HD (Colossal+)
Level Adjustment: —

You hear a rumbling sound and see a crease form in the sand in front of you, traveling towards you at an alarming rate. Diving out of its way, you see the earth behind you erupt upwards and a terrible brown-gray wormlike creature roars...

Forcehunter Sandworms (called "toveaxdirupetarak" in Horjinic) are vicious warriors of the desert, known for their rage and strength. They have no eyes, but they do have a keen sense of smell and an even keener sense of touch. They are gigantic monstrocities, feared for their ability to eat opponents whole.

Combat
Forcehunter Sandworms usually enter combat by attacking from below and immediately attempting to consume an opponent whole. Failing that, they will enter a rage and attempt to bite and crush opponents.

Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, a forcehunter sandworm must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can attempt to swallow the foe the following round.

Swallow Whole (Ex)
A forcehunter sandworm can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of a smaller size than itself by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 3d8+18 points of crushing damage plus 16 points of acid damage per round from the sandworm’s gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 50 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 20). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A Gargantuan sandworm’s interior can hold 2 Large, 8 Medium, 32 Small, 128 Tiny, or 512 Diminutive or smaller opponents.

Mighty Rage (Ex)
A forcehunter sandworm will immediately enter a rage if it fails to swallow an opponent. In a rage, a forcehunter sandworm temporarily gains a +8 bonus to Strength, a +8 bonus to Constitution, and a +4 morale bonus on Will saves, but takes a -2 penalty to Armor Class. The increase in Constitution increases the sandworm’s hit points by 4 points per Hit Die, but these hit points go away at the end of the rage when its Constitution score drops back to normal.

A fit of rage lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the sandworm’s improved Constitution modifier. A forcehunter sandworm may prematurely end its rage, though this is extremely rare.

Crush (Ex)
This special attack allows a forcehunter sandworm to land on opponents as a standard action, using its whole body to crush them. Crush attacks are effective only against opponents three or more size categories smaller than the sandworm (though it can attempt normal overrun or grapple attacks against larger opponents).

A crush attack affects as many creatures as can fit under the sandworm's body. Creatures in the affected area must succeed on a Reflex save (DC equal to that of the sandworm's hit dice plus it's strength modifier) or be pinned, automatically taking bludgeoning damage during the next round unless the sandworm moves off them. If the sandworm chooses to maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attack. Pinned opponents take damage from the crush each round if they don’t escape.

A crush attack deals the indicated damage plus 1-1/2 times the sandworm’s Strength bonus (round down).

Frightful Presence (Ex)
A forcehunter sandworm is an awesome sight and can unsettle foes with its mere presence. The ability takes effect automatically whenever the sandworm attacks or charges. Creatures within a radius of 90 feet are subject to the effect if they have fewer HD than the sandworm. A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a Will save (DC 25 + the sandworm's Charisma modifier) remains immune to that sandworm’s frightful presence for 24 hours. On a failure, creatures with 4 or less HD become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 4d6 rounds.

Force Sensitivity (Ex)
Whenever any force effect (such as a wall of force, mage armor, or magic missile spell) is used within 10 miles of a forcehunter sandworm, it becomes immediately aware of the source and is filled with a desire to destroy it. It beelines for the source of the force effect at double its full burrowing speed, to the exclusion of all other creatures, and will attack it immediately upon arrival.

Force Absorption (Ex)
If a forcehunter sandworm comes in contact with a spell with the (Force) descriptor, it immediately gains a number of hit points equal to twice the caster level of the spell. The spell is then dispelled without further affect, completely absorbed into the forcehunter sandworm. In the case of force spells that shield a creature (like a mage armor spell), attacking the creature protected by the spell counts as coming into contact with the spell, and it is dispelled before the attack is resolved.

A force spell that deals damage (like a magic missile) does not heal a forcehunter sandworm as normal; instead of healing twice the caster level of the spell, it instead heals an amount equal to damage it would have been dealt.

If a forcehunter sandworm gains more hit points than its maximum, it gains temporary hit points above and beyond its maximum. These temporary hit points, if not lost in combat, are lost at the rate of 10 points a day. Each day of this kind of expenditure gives the forcehunter sandworm sustenance as if it had eaten.

Items affected by this ability that create or manipulate force effects become nonmagical masterwork items for 1d4 rounds, plus one round per point of the sandworm's Charisma bonus.