ECOLOGY

Environment any
Organization solitary
Treasure NPC gear

Variants

Because of the odd and usually accidental circumstances through which worms that walk are born, the process of such birth is far from standardized. Thus, the worms themselves can take more shapes than simply the most common one. For purposes of clarity, all of the variants presented below are referred to as worms that walk, even if their main components are not actually worms. Usually the only changes in these variants are cosmetic in nature (though see locust variant, below).

Army Ants: Common in deserts and lush, tropical jungles, army ants swarm over the land like a living carpet, devouring everything they come across. A worm that walks composed of army ants likewise consumes everything in its path—including the body of the spellcaster it once was. Disturbingly, these worms that walk spend little of their time in humanoid-shaped form, preferring to crawl as a biting swarm of legs and pincers. This form of worms that walk is mostly likely to be encountered in underground locations.

Cockroaches: Cockroaches can be found in great numbers anywhere civilization stains the landscape with its refuse. Worms that walk composed of cockroaches are more likely to be found in urban areas, especially in large cities where they can go unnoticed by most, usually arising when both corpses and magical effluent are deposited in sewers and garbage dumps. A worm that walks composed of cockroaches is a creature of stealth and guile. Frequently keeping to the shadows and sewers of the city, these worms that walk broker information and engage in blackmail, augmenting their unnatural talents with strong illusion and enchantment magic.

Locusts: Found in any area that sports—or once sported—verdant plant life, this worm that walks variant has plague-like nuances and can be particularly hard to kill. Made up of ravenous locusts, these worms that walk make meals of any creatures weaker than they, and are particularly attuned to their animalistic instincts.

Wasps: Typically found in warm, moist regions, these worms that walk are made from hundreds of thousands of buzzing, swarming wasps.