Bomb Beetles

Bomb Beetles are insects with a thick exoskeletal shell and a distinctive brightly colored rounded belly and body. On their backs they have a pair of specialized antennae that they use when their hives are threatened. Twisted together, they form a chemical wick that first heats up and then begins burning down to their bodies. Once the burning wick reaches their outer carapace a rapid contained combustion occurs inside the beetle’s hard outer body creating a small but forceful explosion.

Bomb beetles are hive insects. Their hives consist of a single queen and her many serfs who dutifully serve and protect the hive. Each serf Bomb Beetle is capable of working and performing tasks as well as self-detonating in order to protect the hive. The sound and ensuing chemical dispersion caused by their explosive demise summons more serfs who can and will self-detonate until the threat is eliminated. While it is rare, Bomb Beetles that have lost one or more of their wick antennae are typically absorbed by the hive as they can no longer self detonate and are worth more to the hive in base nutrients. Many bomb beetles will, as a warning, light their wicks and begin advancing towards the invader. Should the intruder back off, the bomb beetles are capable of dousing their wicks and ending their countdown to mutual annihilation.

The Queen Bomb Beetle is much larger and does not possess the ability to self detonate but rather focuses on the ability to rapidly lay eggs and possesses the powerful intellect to command her serfs in an organized and eerily sentient way.

Bomb Beetles have been reported taking over small towns due to their ability to dig through most materials and individual lethality when confronted. What’s more it has been observed that when more defenses are present Bomb Beetles will not attack towns or settlements, seemingly scouting and calculating the risk of raiding. This can sometimes be used to a settlements advantage as the long range vision of Bomb Beetles is quite poor, so even fake defenses such as stick walls and scarecrows have been reported to be enough to deter the scouts of a Bomb Beetle hive.

The Creature Possesses an Exoskeleton that acts like Flexible Armor, protecting them from harm.

Effect: +4 AC and + 10 Armor Points

Effect: The creature adds a destiny die to all Athletics Skill Rolls made to Grapple Creatures.

Effect: The Creature gains Advantage on Athletics Skill Rolls to Jump and adds +1 Meters to All Vertical Jump Distances.

The Creature possesses a Weak Bite Attack.

Action: Melee Attack Action

Range: Adjacent

Damage: 1d4 + 5 Slash or Puncture Damage

The Creature Explodes powerfully as a defense mechanism.

Action: Action / Reaction

Range: 3 Meter Radius

Damage: 3d10 + 2 Kinetic Damage

The Creature Possesses an Exoskeleton that acts like Flexible Armor, protecting them from harm.

Effect: +12 AC and + 35 Armor Points

Effect: The creature adds a destiny die to all Athletics Skill Rolls made to Grapple Creatures.

The creature produces spawn of its own kind and can do so at an increased rate when threatened. 

Action: Action, Motion or Movement

Cost: 1 Stamina or 3 HP

The creature produces a Level 1 Bomb Beetle in an adjacent empty space. Any spawn generated this way enters initiative immediately after their brood mother.

The Creature possesses a devastating Bite Attack.

Action: Melee Attack Action

Range: Adjacent

Damage: 1d12 + 6 Slash Damage

The creature can attack multiple times in rapid succession.

Effect: The creature is considered to possess a total of 3 Melee Attack Actions per turn.