Assassin Bug, Giant (3pp)

This large insect has a narrow head ending in a segmented beak or proboscis. The creature’s carapace is dull brownish-black and its front jackknife legs are covered in thousands of small hairs. Two long segmented antennae jut from its head.

Giant Assassin Bug
CR 5

XP 1,600
N Medium vermin
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +1

DEFENSE

AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 67 (9d8+27)
Fort +9; Ref +6; Will +4
Immune mind-affecting effects, vermin traits

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft., fly 50 ft. (good)
Melee 2 claws +8 (1d6+2), bite +8 (1d8+2 plus liquefy organs)
Special Attacks liquefy organs

TACTICS

During Combat Depending on the disposition of the assassin bug, it is either an opportunistic ambush hunter that lies in wait for its prey to come close, or it actively seeks out its food. Regardless, when a victim is within range, the assassin bug leaps to the attack, attempting to grapple and pins its prey so it can inject it with its organ-dissolving saliva. A victim that dies is kept in the assassin bug’s lair for several weeks and feasted upon by it and any others in the nest, each taking a turn drinking the liquefied internals of the victim.

STATISTICS

Str 14, Dex 17, Con 16, Int —, Wis 12, Cha 9
Base Atk +6; CMB +8 (+12 grapple); CMD 21 (29 vs. trip)
Skills Climb +14, Fly +7; Racial Modifiers +4 Climb
SQ sticky pads

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Liquefy Organs (Ex)

An assassin bug that has pinned a foe can inject it with a corrosive poison that liquefies the prey’s insides, dealing 1d6 points of Constitution damage each round the hold is maintained. At Constitution 0, a creature dies as its bones and internal organs are liquefied. Creatures without internal organs or Constitution scores are immune to the ability damaging effects of the assassin bug’s liquefy organs attack.

Sticky Pads (Ex)

An assassin bug’s forelegs are covered in thousands of tiny hairs that secrete a sticky residue aiding the creature in climbing as well as securing its prey. An assassin bug has a +4 racial bonus on Climb checks and on grapple checks (already figured into its statistics block).

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate forests
Organization solitary, cluster (2-5), colony (6-11)
Treasure none

Assassin bugs are predatory insects that feed on the blood and tissue of living creatures. Actively hunting or passively waiting for its prey, an assassin bug is a formidable killing machine that has few enemies.

Assassin bugs are communal creatures and nests of up to 20 or so are not unheard of. Most nests contain at least one female of mating age and during mating season the female deposits a sticky clutch of eggs (2d4) in cracks or crevices in the forest floor. The eggs hatch within two weeks and newborn assassin bugs look exactly like their adult counterparts (other than being smaller). An assassin bug goes through several growth stages before finally reaching adult stage within one year.

An assassin bug stands 5 feet tall. Its body is segmented and almost always dull brownish black (though red and black or even yellowish-brown assassin bugs have been reported). Its front curved legs (called jackknife legs) are black and covered in tiny hairs that aid it in climbing as well as capturing its prey. An assassin bug has two pairs of wings that it keeps folded against its back when not using them to fly.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

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

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