Clockwork Beetle

Gleaming metal and whirring gears make up the form of this elaborate mechanical insect the size of a housecat.

Clockwork Beetle CR 2

XP 600
N Tiny construct
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +3

DEFENSE

AC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 16 (+3 Dex, +4 natural, +2 size)
hp 22 (4d10)
Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +2
DR 5/slashing; Immune construct traits

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (good)
Melee bite +6 (1d4?1 plus poison)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

STATISTICS

Str 8, Dex 16, Con —, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 7
Base Atk +4; CMB +5; CMD 14 (22 vs. trip)
Feats Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Fly +15, Perception +3, Stealth +12
Languages understands Common; telepathy 100 ft. (creator only)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Poison (Ex)

Bite—injury; save Fort DC 14; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect sleep 1 minute; cure 1 save.

ECOLOGY

Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or scuttle (3–12)
Treasure none

Forged and sold throughout the city, clockwork beetles are highly prized as familiars. Although normally created in the form of metal beetles, their appearance can vary greatly. Some resemble incandescent ladybugs while others have razored, horn-like protrusions reminiscent of deadly stag beetles. Some are fashioned with prehensile antennae and even weevil-like designs have been spotted. Anytime the creatures move they emit an audible rhythmic buzz, especially when taking to the air. Once in flight, they create a disturbing cacophony of clicks and whirs.

Occasionally clockwork beetles are designed with a hidden countdown clock that silently ticks down over years or even decades. When the tightly wound gear-counter expires, it suddenly triggers a mechanical metamorphosis within the beetle, causing it to rapidly transform and blossom into a completely different clockwork creature—a wondrous surprise known in advance only to the designer who created it so many years ago.

Construction

A clockwork beetle is a complicated bit of machinery infused with a base sentience. Craftsmen work tirelessly on these creatures and other clockwork constructs.

CL 7th; Price 4,000 gp

CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS

Feats Craft Construct, animate object, fox’s cunning, sleep; Skill Craft (clockwork) DC 15; Cost 2,000 gp.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Midgard Bestiary for Pathfinder RPG, (c) 2012 Open Design LLC; Author: Adam Daigle with Chris Harris, Michael Kortes, James MacKenzie, Rob Manning, Ben McFarland, Carlos Ovalle, Jan Rodewald, Adam Roy, Christina Stiles, James Thomas, and Mike Welham.

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