Grivid

Large aberration, neutral

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 180 (19d10 + 76)
Speed 50 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
21 (+5)	16 (+3)	18 (+4)	2 (–4)	15 (+2)	5 (–3)

Saving Throws Dex +7, Wis +6
Skills Perception +6
Senses tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages —
Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +4

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Cheek Worm Regrowth. The grivid has twenty worms stored in its cheeks. Used worms regrow when the grivid finishes a long rest.
• Keen Sight. The grivid has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
• Parasitic Cheek Worm. The grivid produces parasitic worms in its cheeks, and it expels these worms into other creatures when it attacks. The worm burrows into the flesh of the target, and that creature is poisoned while infested with at least one worm. At the start of each of the infested creature’s turns, it takes 5 (2d4) poison damage. Any creature can take an action to remove one worm with a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check. An effect that cures disease removes and kills one worm infesting the creature. When a grivid dies, all worms currently infesting other creatures die with it, ending the infestation in all infested creatures.
• Worm Regeneration. If it has at least 1 hp, the grivid regains 5 hp for each worm infesting another creature at the start of its turn.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The grivid makes one Bite attack and two Kicks attacks, or it makes three Spit Worm attacks.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be infested with a parasitic cheek worm (see the Parasitic Cheek Worm trait), if the grivid has at least 1 cheek worm.
• Kick. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be forced prone.
• Spit Worm. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one creature. Hit: 13 (3d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be infested with a parasitic cheek worm (see the Parasitic Cheek Worm trait), if the grivid has at least 1 cheek worm.

BONUS ACTIONS

• Consume Worms. The grivid consumes up to 3 cheek worms, regaining 5 (2d4) hit points for each worm consumed.

ABOUT

An orange-skinned ostrich races forward. Something writhes beneath the skin of its bulbous cheeks, and a fluorescent orange worm dangles from its beak.

Grivid are dangerous, ostrich-like predators that roam the savanna, searching for prey to supplement their diet of parasitic worms.

Far-Sighted. A grivid can spot objects and creatures up to 3 miles away from its position. This, combined with its ability to travel quickly over long distances, makes it a feared predator in the savanna.

Guileless. A grivid is incredibly dangerous, but it’s not incredibly cunning. If it loses sight of predators or prey for more than minute or two, it’s likely to forget they were ever there. A careful or clever foe can easily outwit the grivid.

Worm Food. A grivid’s cheeks bulge with plump, orange, parasitic worms. These worms are only encountered near grivid, leading scholars to conclude the worms are part of their life cycle. Some believe the worms are the grivid’s larvae. They theorize that despite the grivid’s resemblance to an ostrich, it does not lay eggs, instead implanting its larva in the ground for them to mature. The few that survive the grivid’s appetite grow into new grivid.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Tome of Beasts 3 © 2022 Open Design LLC; Authors: Eytan Bernstein, Celeste Conowitch, Benjamin L. Eastman, Robert Fairbanks, Scott Gable, Basheer Ghouse, Richard Green, Jeremy Hochhalter, Jeff Lee, Christopher Lockey, Sarah Madsen, Ben Mcfarland, Jonathan Miley, Kelly Pawlik, Sebastian Rombach, Chelsea Steverson, Brian Suskind, Mike Welham

This is not the complete license attribution - see the full license for this page