Movie Monster Mondays: The Burrower, A Subterranean Horror Inspired by Tremors

Lights. Camera. Initiative!

Every Monday, Giants of the North unleashes a new monster inspired by iconic film creatures and reimagined for Dungeons & Dragons 5e. From relentless hunters to alien nightmares, Movie Monster Mondays transforms cinematic terror into playable encounters complete with lore, tactics, and DM-ready hooks.

This week’s monster is The Burrower, a massive subterranean predator inspired by the legendary Graboids from Tremors (1990). If you want an encounter that turns the ground itself into a weapon and forces players to rethink movement, noise, and terrain, this creature is ready to erupt into your campaign.

What Movie Inspired the Burrower?

The Burrower is inspired by the Graboids from Tremors, the 1990 cult-classic monster film starring Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward. Set in a remote desert town, the movie introduced audiences to colossal underground predators that hunt by sensing vibrations through the earth.

The Graboids’ blend of horror, tension, and dark humor, combined with their unique movement and ambush tactics, makes them an ideal foundation for a D&D monster that controls the battlefield from below.

Why Bring a Tremors-Inspired Monster Into D&D?

Because terrain-based monsters create memorable encounters. The Burrower forces players to think differently:

• Movement becomes dangerous
• Heavy armor becomes a liability
• Noise attracts death
• Standing still can be the only safe option
  

It’s a monster that punishes routine tactics and rewards creativity.

Huge aberration, unaligned

Armor Class 15 (natural armour)
Hit Points 168 (16d12 + 64)
Speed 30 ft., burrow 40 ft.

STR 21 (+5)     DEX 9 (-1)     CON 19 (+4)     INT 2 (-4)     WIS 14 (+2)     CHA 5 (-3)

Saving Throws Con +8
Skills Perception +6
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities blinded
Senses tremorsense 120 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages —
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3

Tremor Hunter. The Burrower automatically detects any creature that moves more than 5 feet while in contact with the ground within its tremorsense range.

Subterranean Ambusher. If the Burrower moves at least 20 feet underground before attacking a creature above ground, it has advantage on its first attack.

Multiattack (Actions). The Burrower makes two attacks: one with its Bite and one with its Grappling Tendrils.

Bite (Actions). Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d10 + 5) piercing damage. If the target is Large or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 16).

Grappling Tendrils (Actions). Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage, and the target is restrained. While restrained, the target is dragged 10 feet underground at the start of each of the Burrower’s turns.

Submerge (Bonus Action). The Burrower burrows up to half its burrow speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

Monster Details

What is the Burrower?

The Burrower is a colossal subterranean aberration that spends most of its life beneath the earth, rock, or sand. Blind but extraordinarily sensitive to vibration, it detects prey through movement rather than sight.

When it strikes, it erupts from below with shocking speed, dragging victims underground to be crushed, swallowed, or torn apart by powerful internal mandibles.

Where Are Burrowers Found?

Burrowers are most commonly encountered in:

• Deserts and badlands
• Loose soil and sand dunes
• Collapsed caverns and mines
• Underdark-adjacent regions
• Magically scarred wastelands
  

Anywhere the ground can shift, the Burrower can hunt.

Tactics and Behaviour

The Burrower is an ambush predator that relies on fear and control:

• It attacks from below without warning
• It targets the fastest or loudest creatures first
• It attempts to pull prey underground
• It avoids solid stone whenever possible
• It retreats if prey becomes unreachable

The creature is relentless, but not mindless.

Using the Burrower in Your Campaign

How Can You Add the Burrower to Your D&D 5e Game?

Here are several adventure hooks:

• A desert trade route has gone silent, with wagons vanishing overnight
• A mining town reports tremors and disappearing workers
• An ancient ward holding something beneath the sands is breaking
• The party must cross open ground where stopping is the only safety
• A Burrower has learned to follow mounted caravans for days

This monster excels in survival adventures, wilderness travel, and set-piece encounters where the environment itself becomes hostile.

Looking for More Movie Monster Mondays?

Every week, Giants of the North brings another cinematic monster to life for your tabletop. Be sure to check out previous entries like:

Movie Monster Monday: The Entity - A Shape-Shifting Horror Inspired by The Thing (1982)

Movie Monster Monday: The Silence - A Sound-Hunting Sci-Fi Creature Inspired by A Quiet Place (2018)

Check back weekly for more cinematic creatures reimagined for D&D 5e! Sign up for our newsletter to get notified!