Water Beetle, Giant

This giant beetle has a cylindrical and hydrodynamic body that tapers into a pointed tail section. Its wing covers and carapace are brownish-black and its legs are dull yellow. A silver stripe runs along its dorsal side.

Water Beetle, Giant (CR 3)

Medium Vermin (Aquatic)
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +0
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, watersense 60 feet; Perception +0

Speed: 10 feet, Swim 60 feet
Space: 5 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 16, touch 16, flat-footed 11 (+0 Dex, +5 natural, +1 size)
Hit Points: 30 (4d8+12)
Saving Throws: Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +0
ink cloud
Immunity: mind-affecting effects
Weaknesses: water dependency

Offense

Melee: bite +5 (1d8+3)
Reach: 5 feet

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
15 (+2)	13 (+1)	16 (+3)	-	10 (+0)	9 (-1)

Base Attack Bonus: +3
CMB +5
CMD 16 (24 vs. Trip)

Feats:

Skills: Perception +0 (+4 underwater) Stealth +1 (+5 underwater) Swim +10

• Racial Modifiers: +4 Perception and Stealth underwater

Languages:

Special Abilities

Ink Cloud (Ex)

Once per minute as a swift action, a giant water beetle can emit a cloud of jet-black ink that fills a 10-foot cube. The cloud provides total concealment, which the giant water beetle normally uses to escape. All vision within the cloud is obscured.

Water Dependent (Ex)

Giant water beetles can survive out of the water for 1 hour per 2 points of Constitution. After that, they begin to suffocate.

Water sense (Ex)

A giant water beetle's watersense ability functions exactly like blindsense, except it only functions underwater.

Ecology

Environment: Any Lakes or Rivers
Organization: cluster (2-5) or colony (6-11)
Treasure: none


These highly aggressive beetles make their home in deep fresh water, such as rivers, lakes, pools, and seas and can be found in any climate, stretching from the warmest to the coldest. Giant water beetles are predators and sustain themselves on fish and other aquatic animals. They spend most of their lives in the water, rarely coming on land. If encountered on land, a giant water beetle will never be more than 30 feet from any source of water.

They are diurnal creatures and hunt during the day, diving with blinding speed when they spot a potential meal in the water. When not actively hunting, they simply drift along with the current. Giant water beetles lair on the bottoms of lakes, pools, and seas. If a colony is found, there will be at least 1 female giant water beetle and 2d4 eggs. Giant water beetle eggs are brownish with flecks of green. Eggs hatch within three weeks after the female deposits them.

Giant water beetles reach full maturity in six to eight weeks. When hunting, these creatures prefer to attack by ambushing their prey from above. They drift along and then dive at the target with blinding speed (treat this as a charge). Prey is bitten by the giant water beetle's oversized mandibles.

Copyright Notice Author Scott Greene.