Centipedes
While it might seem obvious to say that "centipedes have a lot of legs", the truth of that statement goes much farther than the casual observer might expect.
Those antennae-like appendages on their heads? Centipedes don't have antennae, those are legs. The hooked, fang-like bits that inject their venom? Not fangs, also legs. Fiddly structures extending off the back end? Legs too.
Centipede Tactics
Centipedes cautiously (or obliviously) skitter about, moving to investigate loud noises. If attacked, or if any creature moves while within the range of their blindsight, they rush in to attack, latching on with their Toxicognaths and repeatedly injecting venom until they or the target is dead. Centipedes always fight to the death, and will attack even if wildly outmatched. If not already attached to or grappling a creature, centipedes use their Skittering Thrash whenever available, even if they must provoke opportunity attacks to do so.
Larger centipedes use their Caudal Grip whenever available if they do not have a grappled or attached creature to envenomate and doing so would allow them to reach a less well-armored foe, particularly a flying one. While it's active, they take advantage of the increased reach to surprise distant foes with opportunity attacks.
Centipede Lore
Animal Handling 15: Centipedes are just as ill-tempered and hostile as their appearance suggests, and will attack nearly anything that they can detect, particularly anything foolish enough to attempt to grapple them. As the old saying goes, "there's no safe place to touch a centipede."
Animal Handling 20: While they technically can be conditioned to the presence of a handler, this trust must be built anew each time they molt, and even the friendliest centipede is still likely to bite, though it may refrain from envenomating those it likes best.
Nature DC 5: Most centipedes are entirely blind, hunting down prey entirely through smell and touch. Impressive though this is, it does make dealing with foes that can strike with range quite difficult for them.
Nature DC 10: The hypodermic modified leg-spikes that sit beneath a centipede's head, known as toxicognaths or forcipules, can pierce through even heavy armor to embed themselves in the flesh of their prey, both immobilizing it and delivering repeated doses of deadly venom.
Nature DC 15: Centipedes lack the waxy layer that underlies the carapaces of most of their chitinous kin, making them prone to rapid desiccation as moisture is able to freely eke out of the pores they breathe through, particularly when exposed to high temperatures or necrotic energies.
Whipskitter Centipede
Tiny beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 13 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 2 (1d4)
- Speed 25 ft., burrow 5 ft., climb 25 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 2 (-4) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 1 (-5) 6 (-2) 3 (-4)
- Damage Resistances Poison
- Senses Blindsight 5 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 8
- Challenge 0 (10 XP)
Desiccation Weakness. Whenever the centipede takes any fire or necrotic damage, it gains a point of Exhaustion.
Hundred-Legged Writhe. The centipede ignores the effects of difficult terrain, and has advantage on attacks made against a creature that it is Attached to, grappling, or grappled by.
Actions
Fleshgripper Toxicognaths. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 1 piercing damage and the centipede becomes Attached to the target (remove DC 12) until it uses this attack again.
Excruciating Venom. One creature the centipede is Attached to must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or take 2 (1d4) poison damage, or half as much on a success.
A creature that fails this saving throw by 5 or more is Stunned until the beginning of its next turn.
Ruby-Headed Centipede
Small beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 13 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 9 (2d6 + 2)
- Speed 30 ft., burrow 5 ft., climb 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 5 (-3) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 1 (-5) 7 (-2) 3 (-4)
- Damage Resistances Poison
- Senses Blindsight 5 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 8
- Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Desiccation Weakness. Whenever the centipede takes any fire or necrotic damage, it gains a point of Exhaustion.
Hundred-Legged Writhe. The centipede ignores the effects of difficult terrain, and has advantage on attacks made against a creature that it is Attached to, grappling, or grappled by.
Actions
Fleshgripper Toxicognaths. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) piercing damage and the centipede becomes Attached to the target (remove DC 12) until it uses this attack again.
Spasmodic Venom. The centipede pumps venom into a creature it is grappling or Attached to, forcing it to succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or take 10 (3d6) poison damage, or half as much on a success.
A creature that fails this saving throw by 5 or more is Paralyzed until the beginning of its next turn.
Reactions
Skittering Thrash. When the centipede is hit with a ranged attack, it can move up to half its speed directly toward the attacker.
Opportunity attacks provoked by this movement have disadvantage.
Whipskitter Centipede Swarm
Medium swarm of tiny beasts, unaligned
- Armor Class 12 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 22 (5d8)
- Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 3 (-4) 13 (+1) 11 (+0) 1 (-5) 6 (-2) 1 (-5)
- Damage Vulnerabilities Fire, Necrotic
- Damage Resistances Poison; Damage from attacks
- Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Prone, Restrained, Stunned
- Senses Blindsight 5 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 8
- Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Horrid Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny centipede.
A creature whose space the swarm enters for the first time on a turn must succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. On a successful saving throw, the creature can use its reaction to move up to half its speed.
Actions
Thrash of Mandibles. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the swarm's space. Hit: 11 (4d4 + 1) piercing damage, or 6 (2d4 + 1 ) piercing damage if the swarm has half its hit points or fewer.
Mass Envenomation. One creature in the swarm's space must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or take 10 (3d6) Poison damage, or half as much if the swarm has half its hit points or fewer.
A creature that fails this saving throw by 5 or more is Stunned until the beginning of its next turn.
Reactions
Skittering Clutch. When a Medium or larger creature leaves the swarm's space, the swarm can force it to succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or have the swarm become Attached to it (remove DC 11) until the beginning of the swarm's next turn.
Skyfisher Centipede
Large beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 65 (10d10 + 10)
- Speed 40 ft., burrow 5 ft., climb 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 1 (-5) 7 (-2) 3 (-4)
- Skills Stealth +5
- Damage Resistances Poison
- Senses Blindsight 20 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 8
- Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Desiccation Weakness. Whenever the centipede takes any fire or necrotic damage, it gains a point of Exhaustion.
Hundred-Legged Writhe. The centipede ignores the effects of difficult terrain, and has advantage on attacks made against a creature that it is Attached to, grappling, or grappled by.
Actions
Mandible Slice. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (3d6 + 3) slashing damage.
Fleshgripper Toxicognaths. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) piercing damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 13).
If the target is Large or larger, the centipede can become Attached to the target (remove DC 13) instead of grappling it.
Bonus Actions
Spasmodic Venom. The centipede pumps venom into a creature it is grappling or Attached to, forcing it to succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or take 17 (5d6) poison damage, or half as much on a success.
A creature that fails this saving throw by 5 or more is Paralyzed until the beginning of its next turn.
Caudal Grip. The centipede anchors itself with its pincer-like rear legs and coils up, gaining the following effects until the end of its next turn:
- The centipede's speed is reduced to 0.
- The centipede has advantage on ability checks and saving throws that use Strength.
- The centipede's melee attacks have a reach of 20 feet and advantage.
Heartstopper Gigapede
Huge beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 16 (14 while reduced)
- Hit Points 114 (12d12 + 36)
- Speed 50 ft., burrow 10 ft., climb 50 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 18 (+4) 19 (+4) 16 (+3) 1 (-5) 7 (-2) 3 (-4)
- Skills Stealth +5
- Damage Resistances Poison
- Senses Blindsight 20 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 8
- Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
Desiccation Weakness. Whenever the gigapede takes any fire or necrotic damage, it gains a point of Exhaustion.
Hundred-Legged Writhe. The gigapede ignores the effects of difficult terrain, and has advantage on attacks made against a creature that it is Attached to, grappling, or grappled by.
Reflexive Molt (1/Day). When the gigapede fails a saving throw against an effect that does not deal damage, it can choose to succeed by rapidly shedding its exoskeleton, disgorging its soft inner body through its mouth into the nearest unoccupied space.
The exoskeleton can be attacked and destroyed (AC 16; 30 HP; vulnerability to fire damage)
Until it completes a Long Rest or uses its Devour Chitin, the gigapede gains vulnerability to all damage and its AC is reduced to 14.
Actions
Mandible Slice. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d6 + 4) slashing damage.
Fleshgripper Toxicognaths. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 16).
If the target is Huge or larger, the gigapede can become Attached to the target (remove DC 16) instead of grappling it.
Devour Chitin. The gigapede gorges itself upon its shed exoskeleton, consuming it and regaining a use of its Reflexive Molt.
It cannot take this action while it is grappling or attached to a creature.
Bonus Actions
Heartstopper Venom. The gigapede pumps venom into a creature it is grappling or Attached to, forcing it to succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take 21 (6d6) poison damage, or half as much on a success.
Then, if the creature has 20 or fewer hit points, it drops to 0 hit points.
Caudal Grip. The gigapede anchors itself with its pincer-like rear legs and coils up, gaining the following effects until the end of its next turn:
- The gigapede's speed is reduced to 0.
- The gigapede has advantage on ability checks and saving throws that use Strength.
- The gigapede's melee attacks have a reach of 30 feet and advantage.
Reactions
Skittering Thrash. When the gigapede is hit with a ranged attack, it can move up to half its speed directly toward the attacker.
Opportunity attacks provoked by this movement have disadvantage.
Art Credits
- Skittering Heartstopper by Aaron Miller
- Vorapede by Slawomir Maniak
- Bisk, Goblin King by Rae Elderidge
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