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Perilous Gateways

By James Wyatt

The Red Worm: Male half-red dragon half-advanced remorhaz; CR 11; Gargantuan dragon; HD 14d12+112; hp 203; Init +5; Spd 30 ft., burrow 20 ft., fly 30 ft. (average); AC 26, touch 7, flat-footed 25; Atk +26 melee (4d6+16, bite), and +21 melee (2d6+8, 2 claws); Face/Reach 10 ft. x 20 ft./10 ft.; SA breath weapon (30-ft. cone of fire), improved grab, swallow whole; SQ darkvision 60 ft., heat, immunities, low-light vision, tremorsense; AL CE; SV Fort +17, Ref +10, Will +5; Str 42, Dex 13, Con 27, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 12.

Skills and Feats: Hide -11, Jump +23, Listen +21, Move Silently +8, Spot +17; Alertness, Improved Initiative, Power Attack.

Breath Weapon (Su): Once per day, the Red Worm can breath a 30-foot cone of fire that deals 6d10 points of fire damage to creatures within its area. A successful Reflex save (DC 19) reduces the damage by half.

Improved Grab (Ex): If the Red Worm hits a Huge or smaller opponent with its bite attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity (grapple bonus +42). If it gets a hold, it can swallow the opponent on its next successful grapple check. Alternatively, the Red Worm has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use its jaws to hold the opponent (-20 penalty on grapple check, but the Red Worm is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals bite damage.

Swallow Whole (Ex): The Red Worm can swallow a Huge or smaller creature by making a successful grapple check (grapple bonus +42), provided it already has that opponent in its maw (see Improved Grab, above). Once inside the Red Worm, the opponent takes 4d6+24 points of crushing damage and 10d10 points of fire damage per round from the creature's blazing gut. A swallowed creature can try to cut its way out with either claws or a light piercing or slashing weapon. Dealing a total of at least 25 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 20) in this way creates an opening large enough to permit escape. Once a single swallowed creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; thus, another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. The Red Worm's interior can hold 1 Huge, 4 Large, 16 Medium-size, or 64 Small or smaller opponents.

Heat (Ex): Anything touching the body of the Red Worm during combat takes 10d10 points of fire damage. This heat is usually enough to melt nonmagical weapons, but a magic weapon gets a Fortitude save (DC 25).

Immunities: The Red Worm is immune to sleep and paralysis effects, and to fire.

Low-Light Vision: The Red Worm can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar low-light conditions.

Tremorsense (Ex): The Red Worm can automatically sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in contact with the ground.

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