5e Cards
Challenge 15: 15

Purple Worm

Gargantuan monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class
18 (natural armor)
Hit Points
247 (15d20+90)
Speed
50 ft., burrow 30 ft.
STR
28 (+9)
DEX
7 (−2)
CON
22 (+6)
INT
1 (−5)
WIS
8 (−1)
CHA
4 (−3)
Saving Throws
Con +11, Wis +4
Senses
blindsight 30 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages
—
Challenge
15 (13,000 XP)
Proficiency Bonus
+5

Tunneler. The worm can burrow through solid rock at half its burrow speed and leaves a 10-foot-diameter tunnel in its wake.

Actions

Multiattack. The worm makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its stinger.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d8 + 9) piercing damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed by the worm. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the worm, and it takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the worm's turns.

If the worm takes 30 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the worm must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the worm. If the worm dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone.

Tail Stinger. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 19 (3d6 + 9) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw, taking 42 (12d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

How many for your party

Copies of the purple worm (13,000 XP each) against a party of four characters of the same level. Build mixed fights in the encounter builder.

Number of Purple Worm for each difficulty, party of four
Party levelEasyMediumHardDeadly
Level 11——12–20
Level 12——12–20
Level 13—1—2–20
Level 14—1—2–20
Level 15—1—2–20
Level 16—1—2–20

In these lists

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Questions

What CR is the Purple Worm?

The Purple Worm is challenge 15, worth 13,000 XP, with a proficiency bonus of +5.

How many hit points does the Purple Worm have?

247 hit points (15d20+90), with AC 18 from natural armor.

How many should I use against four 11th-level characters?

Against four level 11 characters, 1 is hard by the encounter XP budget.