Giant Polychaete Worm (Aquatic)
Large Vermin
Hit Dice: 4d8+8 (26 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), Burrow 20 ft., Swim 10 ft.
Armor Class: 13 (-1 Dex, +4 Natural), touch 9, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+9
Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d10+4, 19-20, x4)
Full Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d10+4, 19-20, x4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Bristles, Ambush, Deadly Jaws, Photoreceptive Reflexes
Special Qualities: Blind, Vermin traits, Mindless, Amphibious, Tremor Sense 60 ft., Blindsense 20 ft.
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +2
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 10, Con 14, Int -, Wis 12, Cha 1
Skills: Hide +4 (+12 buried)
Feats: -
Environment: Any Aquatic
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: 5-8 HD (Large), 9-16 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: ---

"Okay we won't have many chances to get these things. Bob will detonate the flash grenades when we're at a safe distance. Have your spearguns ready before he sets them off, we won't get a second chance. Once you fire, get the hell out of there whether you hit or not. We'll finish off the rest tomorrow"

Polychaete worms (or at least this giant version) are ambush predators armed with poison bristles along their body that can cause permanent numbness. Some cryptids are suspected to be enormous Polychaetes.

Bristles (Ex): Contact, DC 14 Fortitude Save, Initial and Secondary Damage is 1d8 Dex. If the victim rolls a natural 1 on the Saving Throw, the Dexterity loss is permanent instead of temporary (though it can still be healed by any spell curing ability damage). Any being attacking the Polychaete Worm with an Unarmed Strike, Grapple, or natural weapon must make a Save. Attacking with a melee weapon that doesn't have Reach gives the opponent a 20% chance each round he attacks of having to make a Save.

Ambush (Ex): The Polychaete Worm can burrow in the bottom until virtually none of it is exposed, gaining Total Concealment. It waits until prey moves overhead and lunges, potentially doing mass damage. The Worm gains +3d6 Sneak Attack for that round, and if it successfully critically hits it automatically does maximum damage.

Deadly Jaws (Ex): The Polychaete Worms bite attack does x4 damage on a successful critical hit. It threatens a critical hit on a Natural 19-20

Photoreceptive Reflexes (Ex): The Polychaete Worm is attracted to light moving past it, which is it's signal to attack. Due to reflexive action the Worm gains an Attack of Opportunity against anything passing within 5 ft. of it with a light source.

Blind (Ex): The Polychaete Worm is technically blind, and therefore immune to attacks/abilities that require sight to work.

Skills: Polychaete Worms have a +8 Racial Bonus to Hide Checks. When fully buried within the bottom this increases to +16.

Combat: Polychaete Worms are ambush predators that burrow in the ocean bed, and ambush prey traveling above them. They rarely stand and fight unless the initial strike was successful, retreating into the burrow.



Giant Polychaete Worm
"Good evening, and welcome to Mutual of Gnomeahaw's Wild Kingdom! As always, I'm your host Harlan Jergens! Today on Wild Kingdom the abominations just keep coming!"

Attracted By Light
"And I thought the last one was terrifying."

"Yes, these are definitely one of our more terrifying choices."

"That's rather frightening coming from you, sir."


Assassins of the Sea

"Yes, you're usually more nonchalant about this sort of thing."

"True, but these things keep getting loose unexpectedly."