Demon, Plaresh

Family: Demons

Medium swarm of Tiny fiends (demon), chaotic evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 30 (4d8 + 12)
Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft., swim 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
2 (-4) 17 (+3) 16 (+3) 6 (-2) 12 (+1) 3 (-4)

Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages understands Abyssal but can’t speak
Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Special Traits

  • Grinding Maws. The plaresh can burrow through harder substances such as wood, stone, or even metal. While doing so its burrow speed is reduced to half, and it creates a cluster of bore holes that leaves the material porous and weak. The material has -5 to its AC and half the usual hp.
  • Magic Resistance. The plaresh has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
  • Swarm. The plaresh can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the plaresh can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny worm. The plaresh can’t regain hp or gain temporary hp.

Actions

  • Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature in the swarm’s space. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing damage, or 7 (2d6) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer. The target must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the target is wearing nonmagical armor, the armor takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to the AC it offers. Armor reduced to an AC of 10 is destroyed.
  • Infest Corpse (Recharges after a Long Rest). The plaresh targets one dead humanoid in its space. The body is destroyed, and a new plaresh rises from the corpse. The newly created plaresh is free-willed but usually joins its creator.

About

A squelching mass of fleshy worms twists and writhes. Thousands of thin bodies twine together, smooth skin and barbed segments giving way to eyeless heads with screeching, hissing maws. Green ichor drools from the mouths where tiny, needle-like teeth gleam.

Plaresh demons arise from the slime and offal left behind in the wake of the Demon Lord of the Devouring Worm. Individually, these tiny worm demons are little more than a disgusting nuisance. When they band together into writhing masses hundreds or even thousands strong, the story changes drastically. The plaresh is an amalgamation of these demonic slivers, each linked into a cruel hive mind driven to common purpose in the service of the Writhing Prince.

Devoured Tribute. Plaresh demons are more intelligent than any mortal vermin, but their lord’s insatiable hunger overwhelms complex thought. Sometimes they act with a disturbing purpose which hints at a greater intelligence or plan, but mostly they exist to eat. When they devour a humanoid corpse, they send the unfortunate creature’s soul to Qorgeth’s tunnel-realm, and a new plaresh slips through in the wake of the soul’s passing.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Creature Codex. © 2018 Open Design LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Dan Dillon, Richard Green, James Haeck, Chris Harris, Jeremy Hochhalter, James Introcaso, Chris Lockey, Shawn Merwin, and Jon Sawatsky.

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