Insect, Scarab, Flame

 

Characteristics

CLIMATE/TERRAIN:

Any climate except Arctic / Sub-Arctic Deserts / Grasslands / Scrub Plains / Rough/Hills / Steppes / Tundras

FREQUENCY:

1%

ORGANIZATION:

Solitary

ACTIVITY CYCLE:

Any

DIET:

Herbivores

INTELLIGENCE:

0 Nonintelligent or not ratable

TREASURE:

 

ALIGNMENT:

True Neutral

 

Encounter Information

NO. APPEARING:

1

ARMOR CLASS:

-6

MOVEMENT:

3

HIT DICE:

7+7

THAC0:

13

NO. OF ATTACKS:

3

DAMAGE/ATTACK:

2-24 (x2 lasers)/1-10 (bite)

SPECIAL ATTACKS:

See below

SPECIAL DEFENSES:

Self-contained systems make it immune to just about everything.

MAGIC RESISTANCE:

Nil

SIZE:

Large

MORALE:

Fearless (20)

XP VALUE:

8000

 

Description

This gigantic insect appears to be a machine--it looks very much like a chrome plated spoon fishing lure with six legs. The turret is a low dome in the middle of the back. Flame scarabs are walking dreadnaughts, armoured above and below with mirror-bright, glass smooth armour. Normally placid scavengers that don't bother animate beings, they will aggressively destroy attackers. They have, though non intelligent, an extremely large brain case which is used to coordinate the insect's various senses. Obviously this creature is not native to this world, having been brought here by some mad wizard from a deadly world of formidable beasts (Gamma World perhaps?). They have 4 "guiding" eyes on the underside of their carapace front, spaced to give 180 degree vision. These have 300' ultravision, as well as triple normal human vision (treat as Eyes Of The Eagle).

 

Combat

The 2 "aiming" eyes are mounted on the laser turret atop the middle of the scarab's back. These have the same normal vision as the guiding eyes, and 150' infravision. Hearing is 500% human normal, with 6" sonar. Under the various guidence systems, the scarab has the following ranges and bonuses:

Tracks with

Range

Bonus

Aiming eyes (Normal-vision)

150"

+6

Aiming eyes (Infra-vision)15"

+4

 

Guiding eyes (Normal Vision)

150"

+2

Guiding eyes (Ultra-vision)

30"

0

Sonar

6"

-2

 

 

 


If the first beam hits the target, the second is computed at +2 to hit. Note invisiblity cuts damage by 50%, darkness by 25%/5' thickness, and fire resistance gives a -5 to AC and a save for half or no damage. Furthermore, AC is calculated as 10-defensive adjustment-magic bonuses.

Needless to say, a flame scarab is immune to heat, light, or fire based attacks. It is also immune to acid, cold, electricity, poison, blunt weapons of any kind, or edged weapons under +4, and surprise.
If aiming for a specific target use the following table:

Target

AC

Chance to hit

Body

-6

01-50

Turret

-6

51-90

Joints in legs

0

91-95

Guiding eyes

2

96-99

Aiming eyes

2

00

 

 

 


Eye hits will knock out 1 eye/hit. The turret has 1/4 of the total hit points. Half this amount will knock out 1 laser.

They can fire the turret 1/person/round as fast as once per second. If a creature gets too close for the scarab to use laser fire (within 1') it will bite for 1-10 points simultaneously with its laser fire.

Should a creature get under it, or if it is under attack from the air, or by more attackers than it can hit in a single round, it will collapse, crushing anything under it for 10d6 of damage, while still continuing laser fire.

 

Habitat/Society

Not much is known about flame scarabs except they are solitary, almost never found close together. It has been observed that when two scarabs come in proximity they ignore one another.

 

Ecology

The scarab has enough stored energy for 100 dual laser blasts (both lasers can fire 100 times or 1 laser can fire 200 times). Once the laser energy is exhausted the scarab will need to eat and rest, it recharges its lasers 10 dual shots per hour. Eye damage can be healed in a week, a destroyed laser can be regenerated in a month. Observers have noted that scarabs can regenerate lost legs, although it can take up to a year to do so. For this reason anyone attacking a scarab's legs will almost certainly cause the insect to collapse, shielding the vulnerable leg joints--and perhaps crushing the attacker under the massive weight of the scarab.

Generated by the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Core Rules 2.0 Expansion on 04/09/2000 03:40 PM