Fire Beetle

This housecat-sized beetle is a dull brown color brightened by two glowing green-yellow spots on its carapace.

Fire Beetle (CR 1/3)

Small Vermin
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +0
Senses: Low-Light Vision; Perception +0

Speed: 30 feet, Fly 30 feet (poor)
Space: 5 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 12, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+1 natural, +1 size)
Hit Points: 4 (1d8)
Saving Throws: Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +0
Immunity: mind-affecting effects

Offense

Melee: bite +1 (1d4)
Reach: 5 feet

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
10 (+0)	11 (+0)	11 (+0)	-	10 (+0)	7 (-2)

Base Attack Bonus: +0
CMB -1
CMD 9 (17 vs. Trip)

Feats:

Skills: Fly -2

Languages:

Special Qualities: luminescence

Special Abilities

Luminescence (Ex)

A fire beetle's glowing glands provide light in a 10-foot radius. A dead fire beetle's luminescent glands continue to glow for 1d6 days after its death.

Ecology

Environment: Any
Organization: solitary, cluster (2-6) or colony (7-12)
Treasure: none


Although nocturnal, the fire beetle lacks darkvision- it relies on its own glowing glands for illumination. Caged fire beetles are a popular source of long-lasting illumination among eccentrics and miners.

Other variations on the common fire beetle exist. The two most common variants are detailed below.

Mining Beetle (CR 1/2): A mining beetle is an advanced fire beetle with the advanced simple template and a burrowing speed of 20 feet.

Flash Beetle (CR 1/2): A flash beetle is an advanced fire beetle that can create a bright flash of light once an hour. When a flash beetle does so, all creatures in a 10- foot burst must make a DC 12 Fortitude save or be dazzled for 1d3 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based.