Beetles have a hard carapace, two antennae, and two sets of wings. Giant beetles of all types cannot fly but have hairs, bristles, and hooks on their legs, allowing them to walk on floors, walls, and ceilings. They do not have good eyesight but can detect creatures via scent and vibrations up to 60 feet. They are rarely (10%) surprised.
Although ordinary beetles eat plants, leaves, and seeds, most giant beetles are omnivorous, attacking and devouring animals and humanoids.
Giant beetles have a variety of habitats. Female beetles have the same general characteristics as their male counterparts.
Beetle, Acid
Hit Points 10 +1d4
DV1 / DV2 3 / 1
Attack Value 3
# Attacks 1
Weapon Type Mandibles
Damage 1d3
Saving Throws 15+
Speed Walk (1) / Run (4)
Like ordinary beetles, acid beetles are long, flat creatures with a thick, darkish red carapace covering their bodies. The carapace is thicker in the front, increasing the creatures’ DV1 to 3, while the remainder of the carapace offers only minimal protection. Acid beetles reach a length of three feet. They are aggressive insects that attack without hesitation.
Acid beetles attack with their powerful mandibles. The initial attack, which requires a successful d20 attack roll, inflicts only 1d3 damage. Once they successfully strike a victim, they hold fast and release acid upon their victim, automatically inflicting 1d2 actual damage per turn. They only detach when they are dead.
These insects dwell in dark, underground places and venture out to hunt for prey at night. Acid beetles travel in small groups of two to ten.
Beetle, Assassin
Hit Points 30 +2d6
DV1 / DV2 4 / 4
Attack Value 5
# Attacks 1
Weapon Type Spittle
Damage 2d4 (actual)
Saving Throws 11+
Speed Walk (3) / Run (12)
Assassin beetles are long, thin beetles that reach a length of three feet. Their bodies have a thick, black carapace that protects the creature, reducing melee damage inflicted on the beetle by -1 point per damage die. Assassin beetles are aggressive, and they follow prey relentlessly.
In melee combat, an assassin beetle attacks by spitting digestive fluids at potential prey within 15 feet. The fluids require a d20 attack roll, but the monster need only strike the victim’s DV2. A successful hit inflicts 2d4 actual damage. The first attack each day is highly poisonous and forces the victim to make a saving throw vs. poison or die on the spot. Each successive attack only inflicts damage.
These beetles tend to live in dark, underground places, such as caverns and tunnels, but on occasion, they live in heavily forested areas beneath the remains of rotting tree trunks. Assassin beetles are generally carrion eaters, devouring the remains of dead creatures. When insufficient food is available, an assassin beetle will attack humanoids and animals. Assassin beetles are solitary creatures, but sometimes (10%) can be found in groups of one to three.
Beetle, Cave
Hit Points 15 +1d6
DV1 / DV2 5 / 5
Attack Value 3
# Attacks 1
Weapon Type Mandibles
Damage 2d4
Saving Throws 12+
Speed Walk (1) / Run (4) / Sprint (6)
Cave beetles have hard shells, spiny legs, and armor-like plating. They have an average length of four feet, are typically dark brown to black, and stand eighteen inches high. They possess a large pair of mandibles and attack prey relentlessly.
These creatures attack with their mandibles, inflicting 2d4 damage. When a cave beetle knocks its prey unconscious, it latches hold of the victim with its pincers and retreats to its lair with the corpse. A cave beetle can drag up to 200 pounds without hindrance. Once in its lair, a corpse will rot for days before being dissected and devoured.
Cave beetles lair in underground caverns and tunnels. They rarely travel above ground except to hunt at night. Their diet consists of fungi, small insects, decaying flesh, and the bodily fluids of warm-blooded animals. Cave beetles travel in small groups of two to six.
Beetle, Death
Hit Points 25 +1d6
DV1 / DV2 2 / 5
Attack Value 3
# Attacks 1 and 1
Weapon Type Mandibles and Odor
Damage 1d6
Saving Throws 10+
Speed Walk (2) / Run (8)
Death beetles are gigantic insects that reach a length of six feet and stand about three feet off the ground. Their bodies have a hard, black shell. The shell is thinner at its mouth but is thicker on its sides and back, resulting in a higher DV2.
When a death beetle enters melee combat, it uses its mandibles to inflict 1d6 damage. The monster also releases a strong, noxious odor that causes 1d6 actual damage to all creatures in melee range each turn. Save vs. death for half damage.
These creatures thrive in places where vegetation is abundant, such as forests, jungles, and swamps. They are aggressive and will chase fleeing prey. Death beetles typically eat carrion but attack anything that wanders too close.
Beetle, Dung
Hit Points 40 + 2d6
DV1 / DV2 4 / 7
Attack Value 5
# Attacks 1 and 1
Weapon Type Mandibles and Odor
Damage 2d6
Saving Throws 10+
Speed Walk (1) / Run (6)
Dung beetles are nine feet long and three feet wide. They have six thick legs that hold their immense frame. Their black carapace is weaker in the front but thicker on the sides and back.
When they are in combat, a dung beetle uses its powerful mandibles to inflict 2d6 damage. It also releases a strong odor that causes 1d6 actual damage to all creatures in melee range.
These creatures thrive in grasslands, forests, and swamps. They are carrion eaters that feast on the remains of the dead and dung. They also attack animals and humanoids that venture too close. Dung beetles are solitary creatures.
Beetle, Earth
Hit Points 10 +1d6
DV1 / DV2 2 / 2
Attack Value 2
# Attacks 1
Weapon Type Mandibles
Damage 1d4
Saving Throws 14+
Speed Walk (1) / Tunnel (3)
These insects have a diameter of nearly 2 feet and use large, crushing mandibles to tunnel through loose dirt. Their soft exoskeleton allows them to squeeze through small openings but still offers a natural form of protection.
In combat, earth beetles use their mandibles to cause damage. Each hit inflicts 1d4 damage. These beetles are cowardly and retreat if reduced to 5 or fewer hit points.
Earth beetles lair in small burrows in areas where loose soil is abundant. They rarely travel above ground. They are known to eat minerals found in the soil. Earth beetles travel in three to nine. They rarely attack humanoids unless the soil around their lairs is disturbed.
Beetle, Flesh
Hit Points 3 +1d2
DV1 / DV2 1 / 1
Attack Value 1
# Attacks 1 and 1
Weapon Type Pincers and Odor
Damage 1d2 and Special
Saving Throws 13+
Speed Walk (1) / Run (7)
A flesh beetle is a thin, flat beetle that is twelve inches long. It has eight pairs of legs, a set of hardened pincers, and an enlarged gland that protrudes beneath its dark gray covering. A flesh beetle is fast for its size.
In combat, a flesh beetle attacks with its pincers. Each successful hit inflicts 1d2 damage. In the same turn, it will also excrete an odor that causes creatures (humanoids and animals) with less than 20 hit points to suffer 1 point of actual damage per turn. The odor affects all creatures within a 20-foot radius. Also, if multiple flesh beetles are present, the damaging nature of the odor increases by +1 actual damage for every three beetles present.
Flesh beetles live in dense forests, swamps, and underground settings. They feed upon carrion, dung, and offal but attack living creatures whenever possible. Most encounters are with six to twelve beetles.
Beetle, Ripper
Hit Points 1
DV1 / DV2 0 / 0
Attack Value 1
# Attacks 1
Weapon Type Bite
Damage 1
Saving Throws 16+
Speed Walk (1) / Run (10)
Ripper beetles are ugly, six-inch-long beetles that have long, spiny legs. They walk semi-upright as their front legs are longer than their back pairs, and their heads have sharp mandibles. Ripper beetles emerge from their lairs to attack warm-blooded creatures. They are fast and vicious.
These creatures attack by grabbing and tearing with their mandibles. Its bite inflicts 1 point of damage, which is absorbed by armor first. Once the beetle hits, it immediately returns to its nest. Ripper beetles are afraid of fire and avoid open flames.
Ripper beetles tunnel their hives in loose soil or choose rocky crags in which to dwell. A lair of ripper beetles will contain five to fifty insects, and each beetle will emerge to attack. These insects feed on living creatures and carrion.
Beetle, Sand
Hit Points 5 + 1d4
DV1 / DV2 2 / 2
Attack Value 2
# Attacks 1
Weapon Type Mandibles
Damage 1d3
Saving Throws 10+
Speed Walk (2) / Run (8)
Sand beetles are beetles that are twelve inches long. They have hard carapaces that have a sandy brown to tan coloration. They have strong mandibles and six sets of thin, hairy legs. Their coloration provides a natural camouflage that allows them to surprise prey 60% of the time.
These beetles attack with their mandibles. Each successful hit inflicts 1d3 damage.
Sand beetles live in desert regions and travel in groups, ranging between two and twenty. They eat insects, reptiles and humanoids.
Beetle, Slasher
Hit Points 25 + 1d6
DV1 / DV2 4 (+1d4) / 4 (+1d4)
Attack Value 6
# Attacks 6 to 12
Weapon Type Tentacles
Damage 1d4
Saving Throws 10+
Speed Walk (1) / Run (4)
Slasher beetles are gigantic, eight-foot-long insects with dozens of spiny legs, a thick carapace, and a digestive system designed to eat rotting flesh. These insects secrete resin from their backs, which adheres to debris, allowing loose material to cling to them. This debris increases their defensive values and absorbs damage, like ordinary armor. A slasher beetle can gather up to 40 armor points using this defensive measure (every ten armor points increases their DV1 and DV2 by +1). They are aggressive hunters and use their sophisticated antennae to detect prey.
A slasher beetle has six to twelve tentacles. It can use all its tentacles in each combat turn and may strike multiple adversaries within a 10-foot range. These spiny appendages each inflict 1d4 damage.
Because these creatures have the equivalent to armor points, they sustain damage like a creature in armor. A portion of the damage is deducted from its hit points while its armor points absorb the remainder. As the armor points are depleted, the creature’s defensive values decrease. Slasher beetles can collect new debris over time by secreting additional resin. This process, however, is slow. The creature can only collect the equivalent of 1d8 armor points per day.
Slasher beetles lair in underground caverns and tunnels. They rarely travel above ground except to hunt at night. They eat fungi, insects, and carrion. Slasher beetles are solitary creatures. Adventurers have reported seeing specimens with more than twenty tentacles, though these reports have never been proven. Also, because loose items stick to the resin produced by these creatures, it is possible to find treasure (coins, rings, etc.) stuck to the carapace of a slasher beetle.
Beetle, Stag
Hit Points 30 + 2d6
DV1 / DV2 6 / 8
Attack Value 6
# Attacks 1
Weapon Type Mandibles
Damage 2d4 + 1d4 (actual)
Saving Throws 11+
Speed Walk (1) / Run (5)
A stag beetle reaches a six-foot length and is about three feet wide. It has eight stout legs to carry its bulky weight, and its shell has a dark coloration, varying between gray, brown, and black. Its mandibles have serrated edges.
When a stag beetle enters into melee combat with its prey, the creature uses its mandibles to inflict damage. These mandibles are heavy and possess serrated edges. When the stag beetle successfully hits, it inflicts 2d4, and the serrated edges inflict an additional 1d4 actual damage as it tears away.
Stag beetles are aggressive creatures that live in wilderness areas, hills, or mountains. They feed upon either living creatures or carrion. They are solitary creatures, but sometimes (10%) can be found in two to three.
Beetle, Titan
Hit Points 50 + 3d4
DV1 / DV2 5 / 7
Attack Value 7
# Attacks 1
Weapon Type Mandibles
Damage 3d4
Saving Throws 9+
Speed Walk (2) / Run (8)
Titan beetles are gargantuan beetles that reach a length of nine feet. Their bodies have a thick shell that provides natural protection and defense against weapons. These creatures have thick, stocky legs and large mandibles, which they use to grab, hold, and injure prey.
These immense beetles attack by using their mandibles. A successful hit inflicts 3d4 damage and latches hold of the victim. Each turn after, the beetle slams its prey into the ground, automatically causing 1d2 actual damage and forcing the victim to make a saving throw vs. fear or be stunned for that particular turn. Stunned victims cannot react. Those not stunned can attack the beetle but suffer a -3 AV penalty and lose all positive strength modifiers to damage. A titan beetle can only use its slam attack on man-sized or smaller humanoids. It can only hold and crush for damage against larger creatures.
Titan beetles are aggressive and are always on the hunt for prey. These creatures feed on warm-blooded animals and humanoids. They thrive in dense forests and swamps.