Maelost Worm Magic
Even the lowliest of creatures can inspire magic. The humble worm's near-universal role in nature's cycle of growth and decay has led to the creation of spells based upon them.
One place such worm magic has arisen is the obscure swampy demiplane its human inhabitants, the
Hanim, have named Maelost. Wormlife creatures called
valgoss are vital to the survival of all life on that plane and are revered by native creatures known as the
slaiyith [
####fix link!####], powerful spellcasters who have developed worm-related magic to a high degree and introduced the Hanim to their wormy arts.
Valgoss Familiars
Valgoss can be acquired as familiars by means of the Improved Familiar feat (detailed in the
Dungeon Master's Guide) beginning at 3rd level.
A spellcaster can have a valgoss symbiont as a familiar, in which case the symbiont grant its Slaiyith Gift to its master whenever it is within arm’s reach. It does not need to attach itself parasitically like a normal valgoss symbiont (so no 2 hit points of permanent damage for that symbiont!). Valgoss symbiont familiars cannot grant the Hanim Gift.
Worm Domain
Hanim clerics gain access to the Worm Domain by contemplating the valgoss and their role in the entire ecosystem of Maelost, possibly with the guidance of the dark dweller or master slaiyiths.
Deities: Nature gods associated with soil and the simplest of creatures, including some agricultural deities, plus a few gods of decay. Clerics of the worm god Kyuss do not use this domain since it's for deities concerned with living vermin and natural decomposition, while Kyuss is a deity of undeath.
Granted Power: Rebuke or command worms as an evil cleric rebukes or commands undead (only affects vermin and magical beasts with Intelligence 0 or 1, what counts as a "worm" is at the DM's discretion).
Use this ability a total number of times per day equal to 3 + Charisma modifier.
Worm Domain Spells:
1.
Burrowᴹ
: You can burrow at a speed of 15 ft. through soil.
2.
Wormslickᴹᴰ
: Conjures a swarm of worms.
3.
Wormworkᴹ
: Softens or moves earth and can create quicksand-like ground.
4.
Wormtongue: Target's own tongue turns into a worm that attacks them.
5.
Curse of the Wormsᴹᴰ
: Kills living target by filling them with worms.
6.
Worm Tell: Worms tell you the ground's secrets.¹
7.
Squirming Doom: A venomous mass of flesh-eating worms attacks at your command.²
8.
Earthquake: Intense tremor shakes 80-ft.-radius.
9.
Summon Monster IXᴰ
: calls a purple earthworm to fight.³
ᴰ requires divine focus component.
ᴹ requires material component.
¹ Spell functions like stone tell, but affects earth or stone inhabited by living worms.
² Spell functions like creeping doom, the worms fight as centipede swarms with speed 20 ft., burrow 20 ft., swim 10 ft. instead of the centipede swarm's 20 ft., climb 20 ft. speed (see Deadly Worm Swarm).
³ A purple earthworm is a purple worm with the Earth and Extraplanar subtypes, damage reduction 10/magic and the Earth Mastery extraordinary ability of an earth elemental. If you have access to the Manual of the Planes, an earth element creature purple worm may be used instead.
New Spells
The following section presents the new spells of the Worm Domain plus additional worm-related spells for druids and arcane spellcasters (such as the
Hanim worm lord).
Burrow
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 1, Worm 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Targets: You
Duration: 1 round
The caster gains a burrow speed of 15 feet for the spell's duration, writhing through the ground like an earthworm. The burrowing can tunnel through dirt but not rock and does not leave a tunnel behind.
Material Component: A small spade.
Curse of the Worms
Conjuration (Summoning)(Calling)[Death]
Level: Worm 5
Components: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: One living creature
Duration: Special (4 rounds plus 1d8 rounds and/or instantaneous, see below for details)
Saving Throw: Will partial and Fortitude partial (see below)
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell causes live worms to appear within a living creature. The subject must attempt a Will save, if successful the spell ends and the subject immediately purges themselves of the worms, taking 2d8 points of damage +1 point per caster level as the worms pour out of every orifice.
If the subject fails the Will save, worms continually appear within their body for the duration of the spell. The subject must make a Fortitude save as soon as they are affected by
curse of the worms and must repeat the save each round the spell lasts. If the subject fails one of these Fort saves, the following round the victim drops to -1 hit points and is dying, and on the subsequent round they die from choking to death and fatal hemorrhages. Creatures that do not need to breathe and are immune to critical hits are immune to this lethal effect. However,the worms destroy some of the victim's vital organs in 4 rounds, causing death regardless of the subject's Fortitude saves or immunity to critical damage and suffocation. Living worms continue pouring out of the victim's corpse after death for the entire duration of the spell, or 1d8 rounds after the worms reach the subject's vital organs.
The worms are ordinary living creatures conjured by a calling effect, so remain in existence after the spell expires. They appear inside the victim's body cavities and the subject can act normally while affected by
curse of the worms provided they remain conscious. However, they must make Concentration checks (DC 10 plus caster level) to perform actions that require full attention such as spellcasting, due to the disquieting sensation of having living vermin squirming inside them.
A
remove curse or
dispel evil spell will end the spell's duration, as will a successful
dispel magic or
break enchantment spell. Prematurely ending the spell's duration causes the subject to purge the worms from their body, taking 2d8 points of damage +1 point per caster level but avoid the "drop to dying or death" effects of failing a Fortitude save.
Material Component: A pinch of powdered dried worm.
Summon Worms
Conjuration (Summoning)
Level: Brd 2, Drd 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: One swarm of worms
Duration: Concentration + 2 rounds
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This functions like a
summon swarm spell, except it summons a swarm of flesh-eating worms (see
Swarm, Carnivorous Worm entry).
Material Component: A handful of fresh soil.
Summon Worms, Greater
Conjuration (Summoning)
Level: Brd 4, Drd 4, Sor/Wiz 4
Effect: One or more swarms of worms, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart.
This spell functions like
summon worms, except that you can summon one deadly worm swarm or 1d4+1 carnivorous worm swarms.
Wormslick
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Worm 2
Components: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area: One 10-ft. square
Duration: 6 hours; see text
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
You cause a mass of slime-covered worms to squirm into being. The worms can swarm out of any nonliving material that worms could live in (earth, mud, wood, corpses, et cetera). The worms can be conjured in the area of other creatures. A
wormslick is made up of ordinary nonvenomous burrowing worms appropriate for the medium they are created from such as earthworms, woodworms or lugworms.
While harmless, the worms are extremely slippery. Any creature in the area when the spell is cast must make a successful Reflex save or fall. This save is repeated on your turn each round that the creature remains within the area. A creature can walk within or through the area of worms at half normal speed with a DC 12 Balance check. Failure means it can’t move that round (and must then make a Reflex save or fall), while failure by 5 or more means it falls (see the Balance skill for details).
The worms remain were they are summoned and will eventually die and rot away or disperse into the surrounding ground. They are subject to dehydration, starvation, aging and other natural phenomena like any other mundane worm. A
wormslick typically remains slippery for 6 hours before drying out and perishing, but can last up to 12 hours if kept moist (or underwater) or as little as 2 hours in severe heat under direct sunlight. Applying 4 points of damage to a 5-foot square of
wormslick with an area-of-effect or energy attack (acid, cold, fire, etc cetera) will destroy or scatter the worms.
The worms that this spell creates are edible, if rather chewy. The worms decay and become inedible within 24 hours, but can be kept fresh for another 24 hours by casting a
purify food and drink spell on them. One casting produces enough food to sustain two humans per caster level for 24 hours.
Material Component: A dried earthworm and a cup of water.
Wormtongue
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 5, Worm 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One living creature
Duration: 1 round per level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
The tongue of the subject extends into a razor-jawed worm that begins to attack the subject. This "tongueworm" bites for 2d4 points of slashing damage +1 point per caster level (maximum +20) with an attack bonus equal to your base attack bonus plus your Intelligence modifier (arcane version) or Wisdom modifier (divine version) plus a +4 bonus.
The tongueworm has the same vulnerabilities and resistances to damage as the subject and can be attacked using the subject's Armor Class plus a +4 bonus. Damage to the tongueworm also damages the subject. Inflicting 12 hit points of damage to the tongueworm destroys the worm's head and stops it attacking. The tongueworm is considered a separate creature from the subject for the purposes of spell targeting, so the tongueworm can be petrified, slowed, paralyzed et cetera separately from the subject (it uses your Saving Throws not the subject's). Damaging effects that target the tongueworm such as ability drain, energy drain and the like will harm the subject as well as the worm. Even if the subject is killed or petrified, the tongueworm will continue ravaging their corpse for the remaining spell duration.
The subject or another creature can attempt to grapple the tongue to prevent it biting, but the tongueworm is extremely slippery and its grapple modifier to escape holds equals your base attack bonus plus ability modifier (Intelligence or Wisdom) plus a +10 bonus.
The subject cannot speak while the
wormtongue spell is in effect unless they happen to be a creature with multiple tongues capable of speaking independently such as an ettin (multiple
wormtongue spells do not stack, the spell can only ever transform one tongue of a multi-tongued creature). A subject unable to speak clearly cannot cast spells with a Verbal component. The subject's tongue returns to normal once the
wormtongue is dispelled or its duration expires. If the tongueworm was destroyed by violence such as weapon blows or energy attacks the subject's tongue is injured and they will be unable to speak for 3d4 days, but may mumble unintelligibly. The injured tongue can be cured with a
heal,
regenerate or
greater restoration. If the tongueworm was destroyed by unerring magical attacks that only cause hit points of damage such as
magic missile the subject's normal tongue will be uninjured. If the tongueworm was incapacitated by being petrified, paralyzed or similar effects the subject's tongue returns to normal when the
wormtongue spell ends.
Wormwork
Conjuration (Summoning)
Level: Sor/Wiz 3, Worm 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: One 10-ft. cube per three levels
Duration: Special (Concentration, plus see below)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Every round the
wormwork spell can work on one 10-foot square of earth or soil for every three caster levels, producing one of the following effects.
- break up hard ground (i.e. heavy clay, dense rocky earth) into normal earth.
- soften normal earth into loose soil (see below). If the normal earth is already loose soil the worms will soften it regardless.
- move soil to create a bank or mound of earth no more than 5 feet high, with a ditch or hole of the same depth appearing in an adjacent 10-foot square where the soil came from.
- move soil so an existing bank, mound, ditch or hole no more than 5 feet high or deep is shifted up to 10 feet. The feature can be changed in shape while being shifted (i.e. a 10 ft. by 10 ft. pit could be lengthened into a 5 ft. by 20 ft. pit).
During casting, the spellcaster can instruct the worms to work to a particular plan (i.e. "dig a ditch along this path", "soften this area") and the worms will follow this directive until the spell's duration runs out, they are ordered to stop (a free action) or ordered to follow a new plan (a standard action).
If a creature is standing on a square which is being softened by
wormwork, they risk being sucked into the churning ground as if it were thick mud. The creature must succeed on a Reflex save or be caught for 1d2 rounds and unable to move, attack, or cast spells. A creature that succeeds on its save can move through the softening ground at half speed, and it can’t run or charge.
Loose soil is not as troublesome if it is not being actively softened by
wormwork, but all creatures in the area can move at only half their normal speed and can’t run or charge over the surface.
Special Duration: The effects of a
wormwork spell (i.e. loosened soil, excavated earth) are Instantaneous and will remain after the spell duration concludes. The duration ends when the spell performs 1 round of "wormworking" per caster level or the caster's concentration ends.
Material Component: A living earthworm.
