Rot Grub (/rɒt ɡrʌb/)

The Tunnelers of Rot

Rot grubs are finger-sized maggots that eat living and dead creatures, although they can survive on vegetation. They infest corpses and piles of decaying matter and attack anyone that disturbs them. After burrowing into a creature, rot grubs instinctively chew their way toward vital parts.
Rot grubs recoil from flames, and fire is the main weapon against rot grubs once they're inside a body. Magic that neutralizes poison can also stop them before they kill their host.
Single Rot Grub. Rot grubs pose a threat both singly and as a swarm. See the stat block for the mechanics of a swarm of rot grubs. A single rot grub has no stat block.
Any creature that comes into contact with a single rot grub must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned, as the rot grub burrows into the creature. The poisoned creature takes 3 (1d6) poison damage at the end of each of its turns. Whenever the poisoned creature takes fire damage, the creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. If the poisoned creature ends its turn with 0 hit points, it dies, as the rot grub kills it.

The Menagerie found some in Vedergrime the Troll King's cave and got them for Eldertwig.

— Session 20: An Errand for a Tree Report

Basic Information

Anatomy

Rot grubs, or tenebrio puterus, were a species of parasitic grubs.

Ecology and Habitats

Ecology

A single swarm of rot grubs was capable of laying over ten thousand eggs on a decaying body before they perished. If these bodies were not burned, then their eggs would hatch after a period of one month.

Habitats

In the forests, rot grubs were often found in the bark of treants, where they helped combat tube wilt by eating the rotten wood and the fungal infection that caused it.
They were most often found in piles of offal or dung, attracted by movement, they would burrow into the nearest moving object and eat whatever they could.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Diet

Rot grubs were known to feed upon both dead and living flesh.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Usages

Some gnolls were known to capture rot grubs and use them to torture their captives in rites to Yeenoghu. Some kobolds would capture them and place them in small, ceramic containers to be thrown at their enemies. And some bugbears were known to use them as additions to their traps or pits to dispose of bodies in.

Usages

If properly treated their proboscis could be used as a stabbing instrument. Goblins were often known to utilize them in this way.
The muscle at the base of a stirge's wings could be safely eaten, although it had to be carved and cleaned very carefully and had to be prepared within a day of the creature's death. The flavor was similar to pork or sausage, and it was sometimes served baked with toast. The Librarium on the first level of Undermountain contained a recipe book that described dishes that could be made with freshly killed stirges.

Harvesting

Instructions

Instructions: Because this creature is an Beast, the player should roll a Nature Check using the DCs in the table below. On a success, the player is able to harvest the item. On a failure, the item cannot be harvested (either because the character is not skilled enough, or because the item is ruined). The DM should note that many of the items have an expiration, and can not be sold or used after the expiration has passed.

Type: Beast
Skill: Nature

DC	Item	Description	Value	Weight	Expiration	Crafting
10	Rot Grubs (x2d10)	If the rot grubs aren't completely destroyed, dead rot grubs can be can sold to alchemists and healers, and may have uses in potions, salves and ointments.	5 cp	2 lb.	2 days	-

Most Crafting Items have an acronym associated with it, such as "DMG". These acronyms refer to specific guide Books. For example, "DMG" refers to the "Dungeon Master's Guide". The acronyms for HHH and HHH2 refer to Hamund's Harvesting Handbook, a homebrew harvesting guide that offers a variety of homebrew (not official) magic items.

This kind of creature does not normally carry treasure. This kind of creature does not normally have or collect treasure. However, the creature may have a lair full of bodies, or reside somewhere that treasure already exists.
This creature produces 2-12 piece of Harvested Meat, weighing 4 lbs. each DC: 5, Expire: 1 day, Value: 2 sp each
The meat of insectiods and arachnids can be nourishing, but are often gamey and tasteless. Some communities frown on eating insect meat (and will only pay half price), while others rely on it. Dungeon Master's discretion.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Abilities

If their victims were quick, they could be treated with fire or by cutting them out with a blade. If not, a remove disease spell would be needed to eliminate them before they reached a victim's heart.

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Sources

Source(s):

• Mike Mearls, et al. (November 2016). Volo's Guide to Monsters. Edited by Jeremy Crawford, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 208. ISBN 978-0786966011.
• Mike Mearls, Greg Bilsland and Robert J. Schwalb (June 15, 2010). Monster Manual 3 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 166. ISBN 0786954902.
• Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 364. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
• Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 83. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
• Jon Mattson (May 1981). “Monster Mixing”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #49 (TSR, Inc.), p. 40.
• Ed Greenwood (June 1987). “The Ecology of the Rot Grub”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #122 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 16–17.
• Ed Greenwood (1987). Waterdeep and the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 27. ISBN 0-88038-490-5.
• James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “Cormanthor”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 27. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
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Lifespan

typically living for only a few weeks.

Average Weight

a few ounces

Average Length

1"

Related Historical Events

• 2020 KC
  Session 21: The Yawning Portal Events

5E Statistics
Stirge

(Subawa Te, "Soul Drum Water Eater")

Size	Tiny (Swarm is Medium)
Type	Beast
Alignment	Unaligned
Challenge Rating	Swarm 1/2

General Information

Vision

Darkvision, Blindsight

Appearance

Average length

1"

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Session Reports

• Session 20: An Errand for a Tree Report

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See Also: Rot_grub on Forgotten Realms Wiki