Purple Worm Monster Card art by Jeff Reitz

Purple Worm Culture, Psychology, & Lore

by Vassar Oenbring

“Moradin forged the worlds, and hung them lifeless among the stars. He made the Olor-Rili, the great Worms, to churn the stone and let it breathe. He fashioned Dwarves in his own image, that we might craft order from the chaos. Somewhat later, he cast the lesser races from slag.”

– Oratus Gritbeard, Dwarven Patriarch.

Culture and Psychology

Much of what we know of Purple Worms descends from Dwarven folklore. Dwarves call them Olor-Rili, the “world-pillars,” and revere them as primal forces. Many Dwarven clans feature the Worm in some form on their heraldry, and epic tales suggest that Worm spoor provided the first metals forged by Dwarves.

According to the Dwarves, the lower reaches of the planet’s crust teem with Purple Worms. From their massive warrens in the heat-softened rock, they burrow upward in search of organic material upon which to feed. It matters little to a Purple Worm what it eats, and they will feast upon corpses, tree roots, and dung as readily as upon living beings. While ancient Worms dwell deep within the earth, their younger spawn nest closer to the surface.

Purple Worms seek out areas with geothermal activity in which to reproduce—their eggs require heat to properly gestate. Females lay hundreds of eggs in glistening sacks, which they spray with viscous scent to attract males. Once fertilized, the eggs develop into Large larva before hatching. Purple Wormlets scour the area around their hatch for sustenance, eating and being eaten by the various denizens of the Undermere. Wormlets that survive their first years rapidly grow Huge, then molt to become Gargantuan adults.

While rightfully feared for their indiscriminate feeding habits, Purple Worms bore tunnels that serve a number of critical functions. Underground rivers rush into the courses, and new volcanoes rise when magma finds holes that rise to the surface. Many creatures use Worm tunnels as passages and lairs—Dwarves famously repurpose them into magnificent halls. It is even suggested that Menzoberranzan, the dark heart of the Drow Elf civilization, was founded at the cavernous confluence of Worm tunnels.

Most important to the metal-working races is the fact that Worms pulverize huge quantities of stone, and excrete the metal and gems within it. Many Dwarven and Duergar mines were established by tracing Worm spoor back to a mother lode. Dwarves perform Olor-Rilikon, a Worm-summoning ceremony, to expand their underground cities and locate new pockets of valuable ore.

In the bowels of the earth, at the terminal ends of their deepest mines, Dwarves swing massive iron battering rams to vibrate the stone and lure Purple Worms up from the depths. Once the creatures have come and gone, teams explore the fresh tunnels in search of new real estate and valuable metals. While level Worm tunnels make outstanding habitats, the yawning vertical drops left behind give new meaning to the phrase ‘bottomless pit.’ Those cast into Worm wells are never seen again.

The diet of a Purple Worm changes as it ages, with younger Worms requiring more organic matter than older ones. Purple Worms encountered at the surface are generally young adults on hunting expeditions. Ancient Worms remain deeper in the earth, subsisting solely on minerals chewed from the pliant stone near the Earth’s mantle. According to the Dwarves, the greatest of the Purple Worms, the Domar Olor-Rili, are almost never been seen by mortal beings. These Gargantuan Royal Worms live miles deep, where they bask in the heat.

Special Tactics

Purple Worms are neither discriminating nor cautious, but they can be patient hunters. Once a hungry Worm senses the vibrations of a potential meal, it will persistently pursue its prey. Only significant injury or a compelling distraction will dissuade a Worm.

Purple Worms are adept at using the environment to their advantage. They lunge out of walls and ceilings, undermine passages by leaving only a thin layer of supporting stone, cause cave ins, and generally utilize their burrowing ability with finesse. They lurk near the rooves of caverns to crush their unwary prey beneath them, and will lie in wait, mouth agape, at the bottom of disguised pit traps.

Young Worms can leap up to 30 feet in any direction by coiling their bodies and snapping out straight. This has surprised many flying creatures who imagined themselves beyond a Worm’s reach, as well as many adventures who fled across underground crevasses to supposed safety.

Worms have been known to play dead, lying perfectly still for years, waiting for prey.

Qualities

Congenial. Purple Worms are surprisingly accepting of each other, to the point of sharing meals and living spaces when the situation arises. They will also protect Wormlets if they are present. It is therefore possible to encounter multiple Worms in the same space, and nearby Worms will rush to the aid of their embattled comrades.

Distractible. Often the best way to survive an encounter with a Purple Worm is to divert its attention and run away. Worms suffer Disadvantage to checks made to resist distraction by spells and effects that mimic desirable prey.

Heat-Loving. Purple Worms are attracted to sources of warmth, and have damage resistance against all sources of fire, including Dragon fire.

Hibernators. Every 100 years or so, Purple Worms enter a months-long dormant cycle. During this cycle, they curl tightly into a ball and slumber deeply, only awakening if they suffer more than 20 points of damage. A Hibernating Purple Worm gains damage resistance against all non-magical sources.

Ravenous. Too much food is never enough for a Purple Worm. Their digestive systems keep up with a constant consumption of earth and stone, and there is no limit to the amount of organic matter they will consume.

Sensitive. Purple Worms sense the tremors and vibrations in the earth around them. This gives them Advantage on Perception checks to locate moving creatures within 1000 feet, and causes Disadvantage on all saving throws against sonic and seismic attacks.

Weaponry

Melee 1. Crush (4d10+9 bludgeoning, 10′ by 20′ area attack). By forgoing its other attacks, a Purple Worm may rear up and smash down upon its foes. Creatures caught beneath it make DC 15 DEX saves, taking half damage on successful saves.

Melee 2. Tail Slap (3d6+9 bludgeoning). In place of making a Tail Stinger attack, a Purple Worm may elect to Tail Slap instead. An opponent of Huge size or smaller must make a DC 18 STR save to resist this attack, or be thrown 10 feet, landing prone.

Ranged 1. Spit Stone (2d8+9 bludgeoning, 30/60). Purple Worms may spit chunks of semi-digested stone at their enemies. This replaces their Bite attack.

Ranged 2. Squirt Poison (2d6+9 acid, 60/120). By flexing its poison glands, a Purple Worm may expel poison from its tail stinger to attack distant targets. The damage taken is from the corrosive nature of their poison. This replaces their Tail Stinger attack.

Special Units

Crimson Worm. These reddish Worms are found in the hottest subterranean regions and have even been spotted swimming in volcanic calderas. They are completely immune to non-magical heat and fire damage, and resistant to magical fire. Crimson Worms’ sweltering body temperatures cause creatures within 10 feet to suffer 1d10 fire damage at the start of each round.

Emerald Worm. These bright green Worms produce acid from their jaws and stinger. This acid increases their burrow speed to 50 feet and adds 2d8 acid damage to their Bite attack. Their Tail Stinger attack does acid damage rather than poison.

Royal Worm. The oldest, largest Purple Worms dwell deep in the earth and are rarely seen by mortal creatures. Almost double the size of regular Worms, these immense creatures have maximum hit points (390 hp).

Sapphire Worm. These strange-looking Worms have blue scales with fibrous copper hairs protruding from between them. They build up static electrical charges as they move. Upon being struck with a melee attack, an Sapphire Worm may use its reaction to discharge electricity into its attacker. The discharge does 5d10 electrical damage with a DC 15 DEX save for half damage. It takes 5 rounds for the Worm to build up another charge.

Wormlet. Rarely encountered alone, Wormlets tend to travel in clews. Smaller and weaker than adults, they are equally hungry and aggressive. Large sized, they tend to have around 100 hit points and their attacks do half the damage of adults.

Special Abilities

Constrict. When fighting opponents of Large size or greater, Purple Worms that hit with a Bite attack may forgo their Tail Stinger attack to make a Grapple attempt. If the Worm wins the Grapple check, it wraps itself around its opponent and squeezes, dealing 3d10+9 bludgeoning damage per round and restraining its opponent.

Digestive Healing. Purple Worms heal quickly when feeding. A Worm regains 10 hit points for every 100 hit points of flesh it consumes, and 10 hit points for every 10 minutes spent burrowing through earth or stone.

Roar. When a fight turns against it, a Purple Worm may use a full-round action to let loose a mighty roar. This sound shakes the ground for 100 feet in all directions, and any creature within that radius must make a DC 12 STR check or be knocked prone. Roar also summons any other Purple Worms within a mile to come to the aid of the stricken Worm. At the DM’s discretion, depending on environment, Roar may also cause cave-ins or other environmental effects.

Spring. Wormlets and young Purple Worms may use their move action to contract their bodies and snap themselves through the air up to 30 feet in any direction.

Thrash. If surrounded by smaller foes, a Purple Worm may use a full-round action to flail wildly about. Any creatures within 10 feet of the Worm’s body take 1d12+9 bludgeoning damage.

Movement

Run. Excellent. On the surface, Purple Worms are unpleasantly fast for their size.

Climb. Average. Worms are not great climbers in open terrain, but can burrow in all directions while underground.

Swim. Average. Purple Worms are buoyant and can traverse bodies of water by swimming in much the same way that snakes do.

Burrow. Excellent. Few creatures outside the elemental plane of Earth are as gifted at traveling through earth and stone as the Purple Worms.

Fly. n/a

Grudges

Mature Purple Worms keep well away from the subterranean cities of the Drow, Duergar, and Dwarves, knowing that they can be slain by these organized and numerous creatures. Most of the larger cities have specialized wards and magical sonic emitters set around them to dissuade the more adventurous Wormlets that might attempt to invade. Dwarves consider it a century of bad luck to slay a Purple Worm, and they will attempt to drive the creatures away before resorting to violence.

The Drow consider Purple Worm flesh a delicacy, and noble houses form large hunting parties to slay them. These hunting parties consist of slaves for bait, warriors with poisoned lances to fight in melee, and multiple magic users to stun and otherwise incapacitate the great beasts. Drow covet the poison glands found in Worms’ tails, and use them to grim effect in their alchemical pursuits.

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