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Beetle, Giant Water

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.

GIANT WATER BEETLE CR 3

XP 800
N Medium vermin (aquatic)
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., watersense 60 ft.; Perception +0

DEFENSE

AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 11 (+0 Dex, +5 natural, +1 size)
hp 30 (4d8+12)
Fort +4; Ref +0; Will +0
Defensive Abilities ink cloud; Immune mind-affecting effects; Weaknesses water dependent

OFFENSE

Speed 10 ft., swim 60 ft.
Melee bite +5 (1d8+3)

STATISTICS

Str 15, Dex 13, Con 16, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 9
Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 16 (24 vs. trip)
Skills Perception +0 (+4 underwater); Stealth +1 (+5 underwater); Swim +10; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception and Stealth underwater

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.

Watersense (Ex)

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

ECOLOGY

Environment any freshwater aquatic
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.

Section 15: Copyright Notice - Tome of Horrors Complete

Giant Water Beetle from the Tome of Horrors Complete, Copyright 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author Scott Greene.