Wormhearted Suffragan

Medium undead, chaotic evil

Armor Class 13
Hit Points 120 (16d8 + 48)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	17 (+3)	16 (+3)	11 (+0)	16 (+3)	8 (-1)

Skills Medicine +6, Religion +3
Damage Vulnerabilities radiant
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages the languages it knew in life
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Magic Resistance. The wormhearted suffragan has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
• Master of Undeath. A Humanoid killed by the wormhearted suffragan’s disease rises 1d4 hours later as a skeleton or zombie (the suffragan’s choice), unless the Humanoid is restored to life or its body is destroyed. Between its disease and its Animating Worms, the suffragan can have no more than fifteen total skeletons and zombies under its control at one time.
• Undead Nature. The wormhearted suffragan doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The wormhearted suffragan makes two Worm-Coated Fist or Paralyzing Bolt attacks.
• Worm-Coated Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or contract a disease. Until the disease is cured, the target can’t regain hp, and its hp maximum decreases by 7 (2d6) every 24 hours. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest after the disease is cured. The target dies if this effect reduces its hp maximum to 0.
• Paralyzing Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (4d6 + 3) necrotic damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed until the end of its next turn.
• Animating Worms (3/Day). The wormhearted suffragan touches the body of a dead Humanoid, passing on some of the suffragan’s worms. The worms fill the target, animating it as a skeleton or zombie (the suffragan’s choice) under the suffragan’s control.

ABOUT

Robes cover the rotting flesh and lifeless gray hair of this humanoid. Fine, arm-length worms wriggle through abscesses in its flesh and its empty eye-sockets, and it moves with a stooped, shuffling gait.

Wormhearted suffragans are devoted followers of Qorgeth, Demon Lord of Worms, who they believe is the servant and forerunner of a dark goddess of worms and decay.

Dark Worm Hearts. Formerly, the suffragans were priests or holy officers of other faiths, but their hearts were corrupted by their fear and loathing. Once pledged to the service of the devouring worm, Qorgeth replaced their hearts with a bulbous, writhing conglomeration of worms, which permits them to carry on with an undead mockery of life.

Prey on the Wounded. Suffragans frequently follow armies, visiting battlefields shortly after the fighting is over. In the guise of gravediggers, nurses, or chirurgeons, they select their targets from among the dead and dying for as long as they can remain undetected, spreading their worms to create new servants for their demon lord.

Fear Light and Radiance. Wormhearted suffragans are especially susceptible to the flesh-searing power of light. For this reason, they avoid priests of the sun god or gods of light. At night, however, they are a walking contagion, infesting enemies with parasitic worms that devour victims from within.