Belostomatid

Six powerful legs, each ending in a hooked claw, jut from the shieldlike body of this massive insect.

Belostomatid (CR 3)

Large Vermin
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +1
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, Tremorsense 60 feet; Perception +0
Aura: stench (DC 15, 3 rounds)

Speed: 20 feet, Fly 20 feet (poor), Swim 40 feet
Space: 10 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 18, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (+1 Dex, +8 natural, -1 size)
Hit Points: 30 (4d8+12)
Saving Throws: Fort +7, Ref +2, Will +1
Immunity: mind-affecting effects

Offense

Melee: 2 claws +6 (1d4+3 plus Grab), bite +6 (1d8+4 plus digestive enzymes)
Reach: 10 feet

Special Attacks: digestive enzyme

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
19 (+4)	13 (+1)	16 (+3)	-	11 (+0)	2 (-4)

Base Attack Bonus: +3
CMB +8 (+12 Grapple)
CMD 19 (27 vs. Trip)

Feats:

Skills: Fly +1, Stealth +0 (+8 in water), Swim +14

• Racial Modifiers: +8 on Stealth in water

Languages:

Special Qualities: Hold Breath

Special Abilities

Digestive Enzymes (Ex)

A belostomatid injects a corrosive enzyme into its prey that both paralyzes and liquefies flesh. A creature struck by the belostomatid's piercing bite must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1d4 rounds. For every round the creature is paralyzed it takes 1d2 points of Constitution damage.

Hold Breath (Ex)

A belostomatid can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.

Ecology

Environment: Temperate Lakes, Rivers, or Marshes
Organization: solitary
Treasure: none


The belostomatid is the monstrous form of its diminutive counterpart, a 5-inch-long \"giant\" water bug commonly known as a \"toe-biter.\" A monstrous belostomatid has a flattened, oval-shaped body measuring 12 feet long, and four rear, oarlike legs, which it uses to thrust through the water. The belostomatid's front two legs are thick and end in sharp, single-tipped claws, which it uses to slay its prey.

Two large black eyes are mounted on each side of the creature's rostrum, and it uses its 2-foot-long, beaklike proboscis to inject its deadly acidic enzymes into its victims. Belostomatids are ambush predators. They hide amid floating snags and piles of debris in still and slow-moving waters, seamlessly blending in with their surroundings despite their size.

With a powerful surge forward, a belostomatid grabs its prey, thrusts its rostrum deep into the prey's body, and begins pumping a paralyzing digestive enzyme into its prey, dissolving it from the inside out.