Gelid Beetle, Lesser

A stark white beetle with silvery-black legs the size of wolf, this creature has dull silver mandibles and two sets of dull silvery-black eyes.

Gelid Beetle, Lesser (CR 3)

Medium Magical Beast (Cold)
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +0
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet; Perception +8

Speed: 30 feet
Space: 5 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 17, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (+7 natural)
Hit Points: 30 (4d10+8)
Saving Throws: Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +1
Immunity: cold
Weaknesses: vulnerability to cold

Offense

Melee: bite +6 (1d4+2 plus 1d4 cold)
Reach: 5 feet

Special Attacks: cold, cold spray

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
15 (+2)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)	1 (-5)	10 (+0)	9 (-1)

Base Attack Bonus: +4
CMB +6
CMD 16

Feats: Skill Focus (Perception)

Skills: Perception +8, Stealth +5 (+9 natural surroundings

• Racial Modifiers: +4 Stealth in natural surroundings

Languages: -

Special Abilities

Cold (Ex)

A gelid beetle's body generates cold that deals an extra 1d4 points of cold damage every time it succeeds on a bite attack. Creatures attacking a gelid beetle unarmed or with natural weapons take this same cold damage each time one of their attacks hits.

Cold Spray (Ex)

Once per day a gelid beetle can release a spray in a 10-foot cone that deals 2d4 points of cold damage. Those within the cone who succeed a DC 13 Fortitude save take only half damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Ecology

Environment: Cold Forests
Organization: cluster (2-5) or colony (6-11)
Treasure: none


Gelid beetles inhabit icy forests and other such desolate places in arctic climates. They spend most of their time hunting, surfacing from their lairs at night to prey on giant or smaller insects. During the daylight hours, gelid beetles like to congregate with others of their kind in warm spots where the sunlight breaks through the trees.

Gelid beetles make their lairs in hollowed logs, dead trees, and other such hidden places. During the mating season, the female digs a small underground chamber in a well-secluded place and lays 1d4+1 silverywhite eggs. These eggs hatch in about 2 weeks producing olive-yellow larvae. The larvae spends its time feeding and growing (and occasionally molting) before passing into the pupa stage after nearly 3 weeks in its larval stage. The pupa sheds its skin for the last time after 8 to 10 days and emerges as an adult gelid beetle.

Most beetles are white with silvery-black legs and dull silver mandibles. Some specimens have a mottled silver or black carapace and an even rarer species has dull crimson wing covers. A lesser gelid beetle begins combat with its cold spray. It then charges into combat biting its opponents. Though not intelligent, these creatures often employ hit-and-run tactics, especially when attacking as a group.

Copyright Notice Author Scott Greene.