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Rot Grubs

nd tier (
Challenge
DC
Area
(less than 1 hour)

The corpse of a slain adventurer or monster lay upon the ground and when closely observed it explodes with disgusting flesh-eating parasites! 

Spell Solve. A casting of detect poison and disease reveals the presence of rot grubs inside of a corpse.

Trap. This trap can be detected by a passive Perception of 20 to notice the skin of the corpse moves unnaturally. If the trap is not detected, it automatically triggers a critical failure.

Possible Solutions
  • Dealing at least 10 fire damage kills the rot grubs, triggering a critical success, while covering and pulverizing the corpse with at least 50 bludgeoning damage kills the rot grubs, triggering a success.
  • If the party hesitates or does nothing, a failure is triggered, and if they interfere with the corpse a critical failure occurs.

Potential Outcomes

Critical Failure: Each adventurer within 20 feet of the corpse makes a Dexterity saving throw . On a failure, the adventurer is hit by 1d4 rot grubs that burrow into their skin, dealing 3 (1d6) ongoing damage until removed. Removing the rot grubs requires taking fire damage (as above), having each dug out with a weapon that deals piercing or slashing damage (1d6 per rot grub), or an effect that removes disease. The corpse and all of its belongings are ruined.

Failure: As a critical failure, but only one rot grub hits each adventurer within 10 feet of the corpse.

Success: The rot grubs perish inside the corpse and the adventurers salvage 5d20 gold worth of equipment.

Critical Success: As a success, and roll on the Boons and Discoveries table.