Forest Linnorm

Huge Dragon (Linnorm), Chaotic Evil

An ancient predator twisted by the primal fury of the deep woods, the Forest Linnorm is the living wrath of untamed nature. Cloaked in moss and rot, it does not guard the forest—it devours trespassers to feed the soil.

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Armor Class 19 (natural armor)

Hit Points 352 (25d12 + 175)
Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft., burrow 20 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
25 (+7)	14 (+2)	24 (+7)	16 (+3)	17 (+3)	19 (+4)

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Saving Throws

Dex +8, Con +13, Wis +9, Cha +10
Skills Perception +15, Stealth +8, Nature +9, Survival +9
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities acid, poison
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, frightened, poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 25
Languages Draconic, Sylvan, Common
Challenge 20 (25,000 XP) | Proficiency Bonus +6

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Innate Spellcasting (Forest’s Wrath)

The linnorm’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

• At will: Druidcraft, Entangle, Detect Magic, Speak with Animals
• 3/day each: Plant Growth, Insect Plague, Wall of Thorns
• 1/day each: Blight, Awaken, Wrath of Nature (Xanathar’s Guide)

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Legendary Resistance (3/Day)

If the linnorm fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

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Magic Resistance

The linnorm has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

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Forest Stride

Difficult terrain caused by plants doesn’t cost the linnorm extra movement. Magical plant-based terrain doesn’t hinder it.

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Death Curse – Blinding Rot

When the Forest Linnorm dies, it unleashes a wave of spores and bile in a 60-foot radius. Each creature of its choice in that area must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or become permanently blinded and take 14 (4d6) necrotic damage at the start of each of their turns for 1 minute.
A greater restoration, heal, or wish spell ends both effects.

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Actions

Multiattack

The linnorm makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.

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Bite

Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Hit: 21 (3d10 + 5) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) acid damage.

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Claw

Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 17 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage.

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Tail Swipe

Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target.
Hit: 19 (2d10 + 5) bludgeoning damage. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone and pushed 10 feet.

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Breath Weapon – Acid Rot (Recharge 5–6)

The linnorm exhales a cone of corrosive rot in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 21 Constitution saving throw, taking:

• 63 (14d8) acid damage
• 27 (6d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.

On a failed save, the creature also becomes vulnerable to acid damage until the end of its next turn.

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Vine Lash (Recharge 6)

The linnorm summons grasping vines in a 30-foot radius. Up to four creatures must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or become restrained for 1 minute. Restrained targets take 7 (2d6) piercing damage at the start of their turn and can repeat the save at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on a success.

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Legendary Actions

The Forest Linnorm can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time, and only at the end of another creature’s turn. It regains all spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

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Detect

The linnorm makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.

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Tail Attack

The linnorm makes one tail attack.

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Acidic Pulse (Costs 2 Actions)

The linnorm emits a burst of corrosive bile in a 10-foot radius. Creatures in that area take 13 (3d8) acid damage and must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or suffer equipment corrosion (e.g., weapon attacks at disadvantage or AC reduced by 1, at DM’s discretion).

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Corrupted Roots (Costs 3 Actions)

The ground in a 20-foot radius becomes cursed terrain for 1 minute. It becomes difficult terrain, and creatures starting their turn there must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of their next turn.

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Roleplaying the Forest Linnorm

• Lair: Hollowed-out treeforts, cursed groves, sunken ruins choked by ivy and rot.
• Tactics: Begins encounters from hiding, isolates foes with Wall of Thorns, then breathes acid and restrains key targets.
• Death Curse Strategy: May intentionally fight to the death to ensure its curse cripples or finishes survivors.
• Motivation: Corrupts nature into tools of vengeance. Wages war on civilization not for conquest, but as an act of ancient, feral justice.

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Forest Linnorm

CR 20
XP 307,200
CE Huge dragon (cold, evil)
Init +9; Senses darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision, scent, true seeing; Perception +35

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Defense

AC 38, touch 13, flat-footed 33 (+5 Dex, +25 natural, –2 size)
hp 390 (20d12+260)
Fort +25, Ref +17, Will +20
Defensive Abilities freedom of movement, regeneration 15 (suppressed by good-aligned weapons or spells), true seeing
DR 15/good; Immune acid, cold, fear, paralysis, sleep; SR 31

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Offense

Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft., burrow 20 ft., fly 100 ft. (poor)
Melee bite +32 (3d6+13 plus grab), 2 claws +31 (2d6+9), tail slap +29 (2d8+13), 2 wings +29 (1d8+4)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (20 ft. with bite)
Special Attacks breath weapon, constrict (2d6+13), death curse, grab, swallow whole (2d6+13 plus 8d6 acid)

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Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th; concentration +24)

• Constant—freedom of movement, true seeing
• At will—entangle (DC 16), plant growth, speak with animals, speak with plants
• 3/day—wall of thorns (DC 21), insect plague (DC 20), blight (DC 20)
• 1/day—awaken (plants only), creeping doom (DC 23)

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Breath Weapon (Su)

The forest linnorm breathes a 60-foot cone of rotting acid and necrotic miasma, dealing 14d8 acid and 14d8 negative energy damage (Reflex DC 33 half). Creatures that fail the save also take 1d4 Constitution damage.
Recharge 1d4 rounds.

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Death Curse — Blinding Rot (Su)

When the forest linnorm is slain, its killer (or the creature that struck the final blow) must succeed at a DC 30 Will save or suffer its death curse.

• Effect: The victim is permanently blinded and afflicted with a supernatural rot that causes 1 point of Constitution drain per day.
• Curse: curse of blinding rot—CL 20th; Will DC 30 negates; only miracle, wish, or divine intervention can remove this curse.

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Swallow Whole (Ex)

The linnorm can swallow a grabbed Medium or smaller creature.

• Damage: 2d6+13 bludgeoning plus 8d6 acid per round
• AC 20, hp 40; Escape DC 33 (Str or Escape Artist)

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Regeneration (Ex)

The forest linnorm regenerates 15 hit points per round. Its regeneration is suppressed for 1 round when it takes damage from a good-aligned weapon or a good spell.

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Statistics

Str 36, Dex 21, Con 29, Int 18, Wis 20, Cha 19
Base Atk +20; CMB +35 (+39 grapple); CMD 50 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Cleave, Critical Focus, Improved Initiative, Improved Vital Strike, Iron Will, Power Attack, Staggering Critical, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (bite), Multiattack
Skills Fly +17, Knowledge (arcana, nature) +27, Perception +35, Sense Motive +28, Stealth +20, Survival +28
Languages Common, Draconic, Sylvan; telepathy 100 ft.

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Ecology

Environment temperate or cold forests
Organization solitary
Treasure triple (including overgrown artifacts, corrupted druidic relics, and acidic trophies)

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Special Abilities

Forest Mastery (Ex): The forest linnorm moves through natural difficult terrain without penalty and can treat any plant growth, wall of thorns, or entangle effect as if it were under its control.

Terrifying Presence (Ex): As a free action, the linnorm can activate its frightful presence. Creatures within 300 feet must succeed at a DC 28 Will save or become shaken for 4d6 rounds (or frightened if already shaken). A successful save renders a creature immune to this effect for 24 hours.

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Description

The forest linnorm is a titanic, serpentine horror draped in bark-scaled flesh and weeping with rot. A manifestation of corrupted nature, it slithers through ancient woods and devours intruders with acidic breath and venomous hatred. Unlike most linnorms, the forest linnorm does not hoard gold or relics—it hoards decay. Fungus-ridden antlers jut from its skull-like head, and its breath smells of mulch and acid.

Its mere presence twists the land into a nightmare: rivers turn black with rot, trees wither into screaming shapes, and fey either flee or fall under its corruption.

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Lore (Knowledge [Arcana or Nature] DC 35)

Forest linnorms are among the rarest and most feared of their kind, appearing only in the oldest, most secluded groves. Some druids see them as divine punishments sent by vengeful nature spirits; others view them as abominations to be purged. Regardless, those who slay one are rarely hailed as heroes—most die shortly after from its blinding rot curse, their eyes rotted out and their bodies hollowed by unseen decay.

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Forest Linnorm

These resemble a huge, grotesque snake more than a dragon. Their bodies are mottled green and brown. They possess a great ego, a natural cunning, and an unending taste for cruelty. It considers all creatures beneath it and passionately hates beautiful things.

This great serpent’s scales is mottled green and brown. Its wide head is clearly draconic, and caustic liquid drips from its maw.

Originally Posted by Shade of the En World forums.

On this Thread

More bestial than most linnorms, the forest linnorm is nevertheless as egotistic and cruel as its more intelligent brethren. Forest linnorms are cunning tricksters, using illusions and their ability to mimic animal’s voices to lure prey to their ambushes.

Forest linnorms are highly territorial, claiming an overgrown area of forest of 100 square miles as its own, only allowing another forest linnorm within it to mate. A male always enters a female’s territory, leaving as soon as mating is complete. A forest linnorm hatchling resembles a large green lizard, bearing four weak legs which atrophy as it ages until they are gone. The female allows the hatchlings to remain only until their legs begin to disappear.

Although they prefer temperate climes, forest linnorms can survive in extremely warm or cold forests as well. They spend their time wrapped around the bases of trees and undergrowth, their camouflaged bodies nearly indistiguishable from roots and trunks. Their greatest natural enemies are forest-dwelling giants who hunt them for their hides.

Forest linnorms hate beauty and enjoy destroying it. Their hoards consist of the broken remains of jewelery, art objects, and fine items strewn about large piles of coins. Although ominvorous, linnorms prefer to hunt creatures they view as beautiful, such as great stags and giant eagles. Humans are the favored prey of forest linnorms, as the linnorms view them as the epitome of beauty, and therefore things that must be defiled and destroyed.

Forest linnorms speak Draconic and Abyssal.

Forest linnorm
Huge Dragon
Hit Dice	11d12+66 (137 hp)
Initiative	+0
Speed	60 ft. (12 squares), Fly 60 ft. (good), Swim 30 ft.
Armor Class	25 (-2 size, +17 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 25
Base Attack/Grapple	+11/+28
Attack	Bite +18 melee (2d6+13)
Full Attack	Bite +18 melee (2d6+13)
Space/Reach	15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks	Breath weapon, crush 2d8+13, ferocity, sound imitation, spell-like abilities, spells, sticks to snakes
Special Qualities	Blindsense 60 ft., damage reduction 10/magic, immunity to disease, Paralysis, and sleep, keen senses, Spell Resistance 24, water breathing
Saves	Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +11
Abilities	Strength 28, Dexterity 10, Constitution 23, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 18, Charisma 18
Skills	Bluff +18, Concentration +20, Diplomacy +8, Disguise +4 (+6 acting), Hide -8*, Intimidate +20, Listen +18, Sense Motive +18, Spot +18
Feats	Cleave, Flyby Attack, Power Attack, Snatch
Environment	Temperate or warm forests
Organization	Solitary
Challenge Rating	13
Treasure	Double coins, 50% goods, 50% items
Alignment	Usually chaotic evil
Advancement	12-22 HD (Huge); 23-33 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment	–

COMBAT

A forest linnorm uses its illusions and natural stealth to set ambushes and draw prey near. It opens with its breath weapon, attempting to weaken powerful opponents, then enters melee. Forest linnorms fight with a primal ferocity, considering no adversary dangerous enough to force its retreat.

Breath Weapon (Su): 90-foot line of caustic liquid, once every 1d4 rounds; damage 12d4 acid, Reflex DC 21 half. Additionally, a creature damaged by the breath weapon must succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save or a random limb is withered. Withered legs force a subject to fall prone while at the same time reducing the subject’s land speed to 5 feet. Withered arms make it impossible for the subject to use objects or cast spells with somatic components. A withered limb can be restored to normal by a successful dispel magic or similar effect, with a dispe check DC equal to the linnorm’s breath weapon DC. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Crush (Ex): A flying linnorm can land on opponents three or more sizes smaller than itself as a standard action, using its whole body to crush them. A crush attack affects as many creatures as can fit under the linnorm’s body. Each creature in the affected area must succeed on a DC 24 Reflex save or be pinned, automatically taking 2d8+13 points of bludgeoning damage. The save DC is Constitution-based. Thereafter, if the linnorm chooses to maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attack. While pinned, the opponent takes crush damage each round. The save DC is Strength-based.

Ferocity (Ex): A forest linnorm is such a tenacious combatant that it continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying.

Sound Imitation (Ex): A forest linnorm can mimic the sound of injured animals, anytime it likes. Listeners must succeed on a DC 19 Will save to detect the ruse. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Spells: A forest linnorm can cast arcane spells as a 12th-level sorcerer, preferring spells of the illusion school.

Typical sorcerer Spells Known:

• 0 (6/day) — acid splash (+9 ranged touch), detect magic, dancing lights, flare (DC 14), ghost sound (DC 14), open/close, read magic, touch of fatigue (+18 melee touch, DC 14), ventriloquism
• 1st (7/day) — animate rope, color spray (DC 15), disguise self, silent image (DC 15), ventriloquism (DC 15)
• 2nd (7/day) — blur, invisibility, mirror image, misdirection (DC 16), see invisibility
• 3rd (7/day) — deep slumber (DC 17), displacement, major image (DC 17), wind wall
• 4th (7/day) — greater invisibility, phantasmal killer (DC 18), rainbow pattern (DC 18)
• 5th (5/day) — mirage arcana (DC 19), persistent image (DC 19)
• 6th (3/day) — permanent image (DC 20)
• Spell-Like Abilities: At will — fly, hide from animals (DC 15);
• 3/day — plant growth, spike growth (DC 17), tree stride, warp wood (DC 16).

Caster level 12th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Sticks to Snakes (Sp): A forest linnorm can turn up to two dead branches or other long slender pieces of wood (arrow shafts, sticks, staffs, and so on) into Huge vipers. The object is entitled to a DC 17 Will save to avoid transformation. Any snakes created by this spell do not attempt to harm the linnorm, and the linnorm can control their actions telepathically as a free action. Left to their own devices, the snakes attack whomever or whatever is near them, but while the linnorm controls them they can perform any stunt or action they are physically capable of doing. When reduced to 0 hit points or less, the snakes revert to their original, undamaged form.

Water breathing (Ex): A forest linnorm can breathe underwater indefinitely and can freely use its breath weapon, spells, and other abilities while submerged.

Skills: A forest linnorm has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action when swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. *They have a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks when in forest environments. This bonus on Hide checks increases to +8 when the linnorm is immobile.

Originally appeared in Dragon #182 (1992) and MCA1.