Xorn: Maw of the Earth

Keep a few gems in your pocket. A hungry xorn is a helpful xorn.
X the Mystic’s 6th Rule of Dungeon Survival

Lore: Delicious Diamonds

Native to the Elemental Plane of Earth, and sometimes residing within the Underdark on the Material Plane, xorns devour treasure and precious gemstones. A well-fed xorn is relatively docile, while a hungry one is aggressive. Should its food source be threatened, the former can quickly become the ladder.

Possessing the power of elemental earth, a xorn passes through stone as if it were the stone, leaving no hint of its coming or going. As the Earth Plane has an abundance of food, they’ll typically avoid leaving. Should one end up trapped on the Material Plane, they’ll scour the land for sustenance as well as a way to escape back to home.

Despite appearances, xorn are not evil or even hostile by nature. Should their food source be claimed by miners or an adventuring party, they’ll simply plead or even bargain. However, if it is ignored, it may take to bullying or even threatening. Even then, they’ll only truly become hostile if they’re truly angered, or worse, truly starving.

You can do quite a bit with this. Maybe the party wanders into a xorn and negotiate with it, forcing them to choose between their valuables or a potential battle. Or maybe a mining operation is being interrupted by a xorn and the players need to decide what to do with it. You’ve got options, and they’re all fairly interesting!

Design: The Cobbled Glutton

Aight. Another rock monster. These are generally pretty boring, so let’s just get it…

…over with?

I love this look. It’s so creepy and bizarre, giving it a genuinely alien look. Fitting for a creature from another plane of existence. Three legs, three arms, and none of it looks right.

Though I have to say, nothing about this look says “Peaceful,” to me. That eye looks menacing as the hells and don’t even get me started on that gaping maw. But I kinda like that. Poor thing must have a nightmare of a time trying to talk its way out of its problems.

Sort of like me rolling ones and twos every time I play D&D.

Oh god, this monster is just me!

Stats: Mud Glider

As expected from a denizen of the Earth Plane, a xorn is a highly durable opponent. Their AC isn’t particularly impressive, but its AC is nothing to sneeze at. Plus, it’s resistant to nonmagical piercing and slashing damage, so long as the weapons aren’t adamantine.

Earth Glide allows the xorn to burrow through stone and dirt, so long as its nonmagical and unworked, letting it move through without disturbing anything. Stone Camouflage gives it advantage on stealth checks made in rocky terrain. Treasure Sense allows it to pinpoint metals and gemstones by scent, be they coin or armor or diamond.

The rest, alas, is a simple ‘hit it until it dies’ fight. It can claw you and bite you, all for a pretty hefty chunk of damage for a low to mid level monster.

I can see why this monster doesn’t want to fight. It really isn’t that compelling a battle. Most of its cool abilities are about it trying to get away!

Placement

This is a mixed bag. The lore and design are great! But the stats are pretty lame. It makes for an interesting encounter, but not a very compelling battle.

With all that in mind, the Xorn is going to #55 on the Best of the Bestiary!

Beholder
Death Tyrant
Mind Flayer
Dragon Turtle
Tarrasque
Mummy/Mummy Lord
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Lich
Treant
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Remorhaz
Unicorn
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Magmin
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Kobold
Kenku
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Night Hag
Green Hag
Black Pudding
Xorn <———————————-
Ankheg
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Dretch
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