Vermaid (3.5e Monster)

Author: Eiji-kun (talk) Date Created: 5-7-18 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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	Vermaid
Size/Type:	Medium Magical Beast (Aquatic)
Hit Dice:	3d10+6 (22 hp)
Initiative:	+2
Speed:	5 ft, swim 50 ft
Armor Class:	15 (+2 dex, +3 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple:	+3/+9
Attack:	Bite +5 melee (1d6+2 plus disease, 20/x2)
Full Attack:	Bite +5 melee (1d6+2 plus disease, 20/x2)
Space/Reach:	5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks:	Disease, Kiss
Special Qualities:	Amphibious, Darkvision 60 ft, Low-Light Vision
Saves:	Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +0
Abilities:	Str 14, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 3, Wis 9, Cha 17
Skills:	Bluff +12, Disguise +23*
Feats:	Improved GrappleB, Skill Focus (bluff), Ability Focus (disease)
Environment:	Aquatic
Organization:	Solitary, Pair, or Entrapment (3-6)
Challenge Rating:	3
Treasure:	Half Standard
Alignment:	Often Evil
Advancement:	4-6 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment:	—

A beautiful mermaid beckons you over to say hello. It almost seems too good to be true as she winks at you.

A true example of nature seeming to be out for blood, some have speculated no natural being could have a lifecycle so complex and so cruel as the vermaid. For most of its life the vermaid is nothing more than a parasite, a worm which crawls into the mouths of fish and devours the tongue only for the worm to replace the tongue and serve the same function while feeding with the fish itself. These mindless maggots continue to grow with time, forming powerful bobbit worm-esque jaws and increasing in length until it forms a second bite attack for the unfortunate infected host. So to does the host become voracious and even if they started as prey, they become a predator and begin to grow until they are almost as large as a man.

But the growth does not stop, and the food will soon grow scarce. Though it can sometimes hunt larger prey at this point the vermaid enters its second life cycle. Around the now long bobbit worm tongue it begins to grow a false humanoid body with the worm as the spine. This fills up and blocks mouth of the fattened fish body until it forms the bottom half of a creature that looks disturbingly like a mermaid and not, in fact, a giant grub in a woman suit. With a long lasting but limited food supply left they perk near shorelines where sailors are known to roam, and begin their dark art of seduction. As barely sapient worm creatures they do not actually understand language, but they pick up and mimic sentence fragments that work while instinctually making flirtatious expressions to entice. Those who fall victim may end up kissing the creature, and its work is complete. Its saliva is rife with hungry spawn and mind-altering disease. The victim becomes diseased, cursed even, as their body becomes host to parasites, worms, and eventually perishes when the worms eat them alive. Perhaps most concerning of all is when these new spawn begin to take on the idealized feminine appearances of their past hosts.

And so the worms end up in new waters shortly after. They find new fish. And the cycle begins again.

Vermaids (specifically their final breeding stage) have the appearance and dimensions of mermaids. Close inspections reveal they are actually boneless, held up instead by cartilage. They speak, but their words are merely instinctual echoes from those before.

Combat

A vermaid is a trap, and if the trap does not work it can defend itself with its bobbit worm tongue. It seeks to infect, then flee as the infection does the work. If all goes well, their victim will return and then they can complete the process. They are not above spiriting away sailors and abandoning them on lost islands in order to deny them cures to the disease's progression.

Disease (Ex): The vermaid has a special disease which is subtle and in some ways fast acting. Immediately on contact they must make a DC 15 Fortitude save or become infected with Stage 1 of the disease Vermaid's Guile. They must then make a DC 15 Will save or be compelled to get uninfected individuals into the water or in friendly relations with any vermaids in the area. They will also prefer to be close to or in the water when possible. The vermaids are able to now detect any infected individuals as if by Scent out to a range of 1000 ft, and they go out of their way not to harm them. They must make the Will save every encounter with vermaids or with new bodies of water, but otherwise the disease has no ill effects. Every day, they must make a new Fortitude save against the disease with a new save not progressing the disease. Two consecutive Fortitude saves cures the disease.

If the Fortitude save is failed they progress to Stage 2. They will become constantly thirsty taking 1 point of Con damage for every hour they do not hydrate. The Will save to avoid entering water increases by +2. Three consecutive saves cures the disease outright, otherwise the next failed Fortitude save progresses to stage 3. Remove disease merely puts it back one Stage, or cures it if on Stage 1.

In Stage 3, they now face a Will save every day in addition to every time they encounter water or vermaids. The DC rises by another +2 for the Will save. They will be compelled to travel to large bodies of water and enter it sailing, swimming, or getting away from shore and going into the water. At this point they stay out there, typically drowning unless they have perched onto a nearby rock or raft. If they fail a Fortitude save their body erupts into millions of new worm spawn which dive into the water. This kills the host. Four consecutive saves cures the disease outright. Remove disease merely puts it back one Stage, or cures it if on Stage 1.

The DC is Constitution based and includes a +2 bonus from Ability Focus.

Kiss (Ex): A vermaid can attempt to kiss a willing, helpless, or grappled creature as an attack action. This is a touch attack at -4, and the creature is exposed to the disease and must also make a DC 14 Will save or be compelled to be willing to accept another kiss. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect, and the DC is Charisma based.

Skills: A vermaid has a +20 racial bonus on appearing to be a mermaid. A vermaid has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

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