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: +9 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: +9 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 purple worms fight
A purple worm is a Gargantuan, CR 15 burrower with 247 hit points and AC 18. Each turn it bites and stings. The bite deals 3d8 + 9 piercing, and a Large or smaller target must make a DC 19 Dexterity save or be swallowed: blinded, restrained, cut off from outside help and taking 6d6 acid damage at the start of each of the worm’s turns. The tail stinger deals 3d6 + 9 piercing plus 12d6 poison (42 on average), halved on a DC 19 Constitution save.
It doesn’t rely on sight: it senses through blindsight to 30 feet and tremorsense to 60 feet, so invisibility and darkness do little against it up close. It moves 50 feet on the surface and burrows 30 feet through earth, or 15 feet through solid rock, leaving a 10-foot tunnel behind it.
Running a purple worm at the table
Come from below. It burrows under the party and erupts among them. Tremorsense tells it where everyone standing on the ground is.
Swallow the fighter first. A swallowed character can’t help anyone outside, and it’s the party’s biggest damage source removed.
Use its Intelligence of 1. It’s an animal. It eats whatever is nearest and retreats underground if it takes too much damage, maybe with someone still inside.
Make the tunnels matter. Purple worm tunnels crisscross the Underdark. Finding one is a warning, and a quick route through the rock.
Common questions
How do you escape being swallowed by a purple worm?
Deal 30 damage to it from inside in a single turn. It then makes a DC 21 Constitution save and, on a failure, regurgitates everyone it has swallowed, who land prone within 10 feet. If it dies, a swallowed creature can climb out using 20 feet of movement.
Can you attack from inside a purple worm?
Yes. You’re restrained (so your attacks have disadvantage) and blinded, but you can attack the worm itself. You have total cover against everything outside, so your friends can’t help you and you can’t help them.
How much damage does the purple worm’s sting do?
3d6 + 9 piercing plus 12d6 poison: 19 + 42 = 61 on average on a failed DC 19 Constitution save, or 19 + 21 = 40 on a success. It’s the attack that kills characters who avoid being swallowed.
How hard is a purple worm fight?
CR 15, worth 13,000 XP. For four characters, the Dungeon Master’s Guide’s encounter math makes it Deadly at 10th level, Hard at 11th and 12th, and Medium from 13th to 16th.
Can a purple worm burrow through stone?
Yes, at half its burrow speed (15 feet), leaving a 10-foot-diameter tunnel.
CR 23. Another Gargantuan swallower, from the sea.
How many purple worms for a fight?
A purple worm is worth 13,000 XP. Using the 2024 encounter budgets (SRD 5.2), this is how many purple worms fit each difficulty for a party of four characters of the same level. A dash means even one would be over the budget.
Party level
Low
Moderate
High
11th
—
—
1
12th
—
1
1
13th
—
1
1
14th
—
1
1
15th
1
1
2
16th
1
1
3
17th
1
2
3
18th
1
2
4
19th
1
3
5
20th
1
4
6
Budgets add up every monster’s XP, so you can swap some for other creatures of the same total. Try other party sizes and mixes in the encounter calculator.
How the purple worm compares at CR 15
Against the 3 other challenge 15 monsters in the SRD 5.1, the purple worm has more hit points than 3 of them, which makes it one of the toughest at its CR. See every CR 15 monster.
Statistic
Purple Worm
CR 15 average
Armor Class
18
18.3
Hit points
247
172
Best attack bonus
+9
+11
Purple Worm 2024 stat block
The 2024 Monster Manual revised the purple worm, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new stat block. What changed:
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 one Bite attack and one Tail Stinger attack.
Bite. Melee Attack Roll: +14, reach 10 ft. Hit: 22 (3d8 + 9) Piercing damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it has the Grappled condition (escape DC 19), and it has the Restrained condition until the grapple ends.
Swallow. Strength Saving Throw: DC 19, one Large or smaller creature Grappled by the worm (it can have up to three creatures swallowed at a time). Failure: The target is swallowed by the worm, and the Grappled condition ends. A swallowed creature has the Blinded and Restrained conditions, has Total Cover against attacks and other effects outside the worm, and takes 17 (5d6) 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, each of which falls in a space within 5 feet of the worm and has the Prone condition. If the worm dies, any swallowed creature no longer has the Restrained condition and can escape from the corpse using 20 feet of movement, exiting Prone.
