Gravewurm
Gargantuan • Dragon • Neutral
Armor Class 18
Hit Points 297 (18d20 + 108)
Speed 50 ft., burrow 40 ft.
Initiative +6 (16)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 (+7) | 10 (+0) | 23 (+6) | 9 (-1) | 18 (+4) | 16 (+3) |
Saving Throws Str +13, Con +12
Skills Perception +10
Damage Resistances acid, poison
Damage Immunities necrotic
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., tremorsense 300 ft., passive Perception 20
Languages Draconic
CR 18 (XP 20,000, PB +6)
Legendary Resistance (2/Day). If the gravewurm fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does, the damage of its Necrotic Aura is reduced by 5 until it finishes a long rest.
Necrotic Aura. Any creature that starts its turn in a 20-foot emanation originating from the gravewurm takes 10 necrotic damage. Undead and creatures with a damage resistance to necrotic damage are immune to this effect.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The gravewurm makes one Bite and one Tail attack.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13, reach 15 ft. Hit: 26 (3d12 + 7) piercing damage plus 21 (6d6) necrotic damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 21). While grappled this way, the target is restrained.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +13, reach 30 ft. Hit: 29 (4d10 + 7) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it is knocked prone and pushed back 10 feet.
Grave Earth Breath (Recharge 6). Strength Saving Throw: DC 20, each creature in a 60-foot-long, 10-foot-wide line. Failure: 49 (9d10) bludgeoning damage, and the target becomes buried beneath a 5-foot thick layer of earth. While buried this way, the target has full cover, is restrained and blinded, and is suffocating. It or a creature within 5 feet of it can take action to make free with a successful DC 15 Strength saving throw. Success: Half damage.
Disease Breath. Constitution Saving Throw: DC 20, each creature in a 30-foot cone. Failure: The target contracts the rigor vitae disease. While diseased, the target’s speed is reduced by 10 feet. Daily at dawn, an infected creature makes a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature’s speed is further reduced by 5 feet as its body stiffens. When its speed is reduced to 0, it becomes paralyzed, and the effect becomes permanent. On a successful save, the creature's speed increases by 5 feet. If the creature's speed increases to its normal value, the contagion ends on the creature. Success or Effect Ends: The target has advantage on saving throws against this effect for 1 hour.
BONUS ACTIONS
Swallow. Strength Saving Throw: DC 20, one Large or smaller creature grappled by the gravewurm (it can have up to three creatures swallowed at a time). Failure: The target is swallowed by the gravewurm, and the grapple ends. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the gravewurm, and takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the gravewurm’s turns. If the gravewurm takes 40 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the gravewurm must succeed on a DC 25 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, each of which falls in a space within 5 feet of the gravewurm and is prone. If the gravewurm dies, any swallowed creature is no longer restrained and can escape from the corpse using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone.
Gravewurm
Gargantuan • Dragon • Neutral
Armor Class 17
Hit Points 232 (15d20 + 75)
Speed 50 ft., burrow 40 ft.
Initiative +5 (15)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 (+6) | 10 (+0) | 21 (+5) | 9 (-1) | 16 (+3) | 14 (+2) |
Saving Throws Str +11, Con +10
Skills Perception +8
Damage Resistances acid, poison
Damage Immunities necrotic
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., tremorsense 300 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages Draconic
CR 15 (XP 13,000; PB +5)
Legendary Resistance (2/Day). If the gravewurm fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does, the damage of its Necrotic Aura is reduced by 5 until it finishes a long rest.
Necrotic Aura. Any creature that starts its turn in a 20-foot emanation originating from the gravewurm takes 5 necrotic damage. Undead and creatures with a damage resistance to necrotic damage are immune to this effect.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The gravewurm makes one Bite and one Tail attack.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11, reach 15 ft. Hit: 19 (2d12 + 6) piercing damage plus 21 (6d6) necrotic damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 19). While grappled this way, the target is restrained.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +11, reach 30 ft. Hit: 22 (3d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it is knocked prone and pushed back 10 feet.
Grave Earth Breath (Recharge 6). Strength Saving Throw: DC 18, each creature in a 60-foot-long, 10-foot-wide line. Failure: 38 (7d10) bludgeoning damage, and the target becomes buried beneath a 5-foot thick layer of earth. While buried this way, the target has full cover, is restrained and blinded, and is suffocating. It or a creature within 5 feet of it can take action to make free with a successful DC 15 Strength saving throw. Success: Half damage.
Disease Breath. Constitution Saving Throw: DC 18, each creature in a 30-foot cone. Failure: The target contracts the rigor vitae disease. While diseased, the target’s speed is reduced by 10 feet. Daily at dawn, an infected creature makes a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature’s speed is further reduced by 5 feet as its body stiffens. When its speed is reduced to 0, it becomes paralyzed, and the effect becomes permanent. On a successful save, the creature's speed increases by 5 feet. If the creature's speed increases to its normal value, the contagion ends on the creature. Success or Effect Ends: The target has advantage on saving throws against this effect for 1 hour.
BONUS ACTIONS
Swallow. Strength Saving Throw: DC 18, one Large or smaller creature grappled by the gravewurm (it can have up to three creatures swallowed at a time). Failure: The target is swallowed by the gravewurm, and the grapple ends. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the gravewurm, and takes 17 (5d6) acid damage at the start of each of the gravewurm’s turns. If the gravewurm takes 40 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the gravewurm must succeed on a DC 25 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, each of which falls in a space within 5 feet of the gravewurm and is prone. If the gravewurm dies, any swallowed creature is no longer restrained and can escape from the corpse using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone.
Gravewurm
Gargantuan • Dragon • Neutral
Armor Class 19
Hit Points 402 (23d20 + 161)
Speed 50 ft., burrow 40 ft.
Initiative +7 (17)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 (+8) | 10 (+0) | 25 (+7) | 9 (-1) | 20 (+5) | 18 (+4) |
Saving Throws Str +15, Con +14
Skills Perception +12
Damage Resistances acid, poison
Damage Immunities necrotic
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., tremorsense 300 ft., passive Perception 22
Languages Draconic
CR 21 (XP 33,000; PB +7)
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the gravewurm fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does, the damage of its Necrotic Aura is reduced by 5 until it finishes a long rest.
Necrotic Aura. Any creature that starts its turn in a 30-foot emanation originating from the gravewurm takes 10 necrotic damage. Undead and creatures with a damage resistance to necrotic damage are immune to this effect.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The gravewurm makes one Bite and one Tail attack.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +15, reach 15 ft. Hit: 34 (4d12 + 8) piercing damage plus 24 (7d6) necrotic damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 23). While grappled this way, the target is restrained.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +15, reach 30 ft. Hit: 35 (5d10 + 8) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it is knocked prone and pushed back 10 feet.
Grave Earth Breath (Recharge 6). Strength Saving Throw: DC 22, each creature in an 80-foot-long, 10-foot-wide line. Failure: 60 (11d10) bludgeoning damage, and the target becomes buried beneath a 5-foot thick layer of earth. While buried this way, the target has full cover, is restrained and blinded, and is suffocating. It or a creature within 5 feet of it can take action to make free with a successful DC 15 Strength saving throw. Success: Half damage.
Disease Breath. Constitution Saving Throw: DC 22, each creature in a 60-foot cone. Failure: The target contracts the rigor vitae disease. While diseased, the target’s speed is reduced by 10 feet. Daily at dawn, an infected creature makes a DC 22 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature’s speed is further reduced by 5 feet as its body stiffens. When its speed is reduced to 0, it becomes paralyzed, and the effect becomes permanent. On a successful save, the creature's speed increases by 5 feet. If the creature's speed increases to its normal value, the contagion ends on the creature. Success or Effect Ends: The target has advantage on saving throws against this effect for 1 hour.
BONUS ACTIONS
Swallow. Strength Saving Throw: DC 22, one Large or smaller creature grappled by the gravewurm (it can have up to three creatures swallowed at a time). Failure: The target is swallowed by the gravewurm, and the grapple ends. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the gravewurm, and takes 31 (7d8) acid damage at the start of each of the gravewurm’s turns. If the gravewurm takes 40 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the gravewurm must succeed on a DC 25 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, each of which falls in a space within 5 feet of the gravewurm and is prone. If the gravewurm dies, any swallowed creature is no longer restrained and can escape from the corpse using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone.
QUICK REFERENCE
USING MONSTER VARIANTS
Monster variants allow the GM to adjust encounters to better match the party’s strength, narrative needs, or world-building logic. A weaker variant may represent a juvenile, wounded, or lesser specimen, while a stronger variant can serve as a leader, champion, ancient creature, or apex predator.
Variants can be used to fine-tune difficulty without changing the core identity of the monster, making them ideal for scaling encounters, reinforcing hierarchy within a faction, or creating memorable boss-style enemies. You can even use the same stat block but different variants in the same encounter if you want.
Design Note. Each monster is primarily balanced around its normal version. Weaker and stronger variants are derived adjustments and may not always preserve every tactical nuance or “feel” of the original creature. GMs are encouraged to review variants carefully and adjust abilities or tactics as needed to best suit their table.