Help me fix my ice themed mistake

[Kelban Alenark]

So my party is going to go hunt down a Frost worm as part of a barbarian right called "the right of the beast" to earn honor and fame. Their supposed to go kill the creature and bring back its head as proof, they've been amped up and so have I but I kind of forget that frost worms explode on death, so how should I fix this. They don't know for sure it's a frost worm but it's what they assume, but placing in another creature is an option, or is there any good way "stop" it's death throw fro happening. Any ideas or tips are appreciated.

[Cavall]

Why can't it just explode and leave the head as a bloody chunk? Have the thing explode into large chunks not fine mist.

Surely the people giving the quest realize that's a result of death.

[Snowlilly]

Frost worm = Frost wyrm

Silly barbarians are using local slang to describe an old white dragon.

[SheepishEidolon]

Kelban Alenark wrote:

is there any good way "stop" it's death throw fro happening

Did the barbarians just suggest to kill it? Because if they want the head, the party could club the creature unconscious and bring it to the quest givers. The complete body would include the head, after all.

Personally as a GM I'd keep the damage on death but give the players a good chance to figure it out before.

[pocsaclypse]

Are you worried about the damage the party will take or there maybe not being enough of the frost worms head to bring back? Either way, the easiest answer to both is to just not have it explode.

[Dave Justus]

Options that I see.

1) The tribe know this, and it is a sort of joke as well as a test of knowledge. They will actually accept the teeth of the creature as proof (and will say that if questioned.) The teeth would probably be spread around, but not destroyed by the explosion.

2) As said above, while the worm will explode, enough of the head will remain intact to serve as proof.

3) As also said above, substitute a different creature like the mentioned dragon, an advanced frost drake could also work.

[Xayl]

It seems easy enough to just say that when they explode they aren't completely destroyed. As per the stat block they are immune to the majority of the damage from it and nothing specifically States the entire body disappears in explosion so you should be good without sacrificing the danger. The frost worms mid section erupts in in a flurry of ice the carcass is exploded but the head remains intact.