Legend in the flesh, an adult purple worm measures over 65 feet and is able to burrow through the toughest of rocks. Its name comes from the color of its rough skin when it reflects light at certain angles.

The Sower of Life

Maelossas aren't the only reason life is possible in the Netherworld, it's also thanks to the work of purple worms. They're sowers of life, but extremely dangerous all the same. They could be compared to volcanoes: their presence is both destructive and fruitful. Through their wandering, they're even able to link continents together. Many adventurers have traveled down freshly dug tunnels, hoping to discover new lands. Duergar abyssal cities could never have been built without the tunnels dug under the ocean.

Deep-dwellers try to get close to them, but not too close… They set up many glyphs at the borders of their territories to keep purple worms away. The passing of these creatures, especially adults, can generate earthquakes and cave-ins. Purple worms gather in large sand deserts to lay their eggs. This way, their offspring begin life in a soft ground, before tackling harder and harder terrain.

Controlling Purple Worms

Some duergar study the use of purple worms in order to excavate the Netherworld at their leisure. While a long shot, this method seems very promising to them. Purple worms could also be of interest to the duergar militarily, if they could be lured toward their enemies. For this, they primarily use thumpers to attract purple worms. By using multiple thumpers working together, it could be possible to direct them on a desired path.

The massive burrowing monster known as the purple worm terrorizes the creatures of the Underdark as it chews through solid rock in pursuit of prey. A dimwitted, ravenous force of nature, this creature regards anything it encounters as food.

Ravenous Hunters

Loud noise attracts purple worms, which have been known to interrupt underground battles and tear through subterranean cities seeking prey. The underground civilizations of the drow, the duergar, and the mind flayers maintain special wards around their settlements to deter these monsters.

Though most common in the Underdark, purple worms are frequently seen on the surface world in rocky and mountainous lands. The maw of a purple worm is large enough to swallow a horse whole, and no creature is safe from its hunger. It lunges forward by rhythmically compressing and expanding its body, catching other Underdark dwellers by surprise with the speed of its advance.

Boons of the Worm

When a purple worm burrows through the ground, it consumes earth and rock, which it breaks down and constantly excretes. Precious metals and gems can thus be found within the bodies of purple worms, which are targeted by particularly brave and foolhardy treasure hunters.

A burrowing purple worm constantly creates new tunnels throughout the Underdark, which are quickly made use of by other creatures as corridors and highways. Because a purple worm rarely returns to its own tunnels, such passageways are a good place to avoid these monsters. Areas rich in prey quickly become interlaced with complex tunnel systems resulting from several worms hunting together.

Purple Worm

What Gnaws the Roots of the World

Titanic purple worms burrow through the earth and sand. Ever ravenous, they devour smaller creatures and ravage entire communities in their aimless burrowing.

Purple worms alone are bad enough, but the blasted monsters have a knack for unearthing things that are even worse!

Gigantic subterranean monsters with poisonous stingers

Purple worms are gigantic subterranean monsters; they are rarely found above ground. The body of a mature purple worm is 5-8 feet in diameter and 60-100 feet long, weighing about 40,000 pounds. The creature has a poisonous stinger in its tail; those injured by it must save vs. Poison or die. Note that the purple worm's movement is less than the monster's length, so that, if attacking from out of a tunnel, it might not be able to use the stinger for several rounds. Any time a purple worm successfully bites a man-sized or smaller opponent with a natural roll of 19 or 20, the opponent has been swallowed, and will suffer 3d6 damage per round afterward due to being digested. A character who has been swallowed can only effectively attack with small cutting or stabbing weapons such as dagger or shortsword.

Gigantic, slimy worms with bodies 100' long and 8-10' thick. Bore tunnels through the earth and come to the surface to eat other creatures.

Gigantic subterranean monsters with poisonous stingers

Purple worms are huge, almost 10-ft around and 40-ft to 50-ft long. They live deep underground where they are constantly on the search for food. They are attracted to vibrations up to 60-ft away. These creatures always return to their lair to rest. During this time they will pass their waste consisting of metals and gems they could not digest.