Scarab Swarm, Golden

A heap of golden coins shifts and moves before suddenly skittering forward on thousands of tiny legs.

Golden Scarab Swarm CR 6

XP 2,400
N Diminutive vermin (swarm)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +4
Aura dread (30 ft., DC 12, staggered for 1 round)

DEFENSE

AC 18, touch 17, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +1 natural, +4 size)
hp 67 (9d8+27)
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +3
Defensive Abilities swarm traits; Immune mind-affecting effects, weapon damage

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., climb 10 ft., fly 20 ft. (poor)
Melee swarm (2d6 plus distraction and tomb rot)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Attacks distraction (DC 17)

STATISTICS

Str 3, Dex 16, Con 16, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 7
Base Atk +6; CMB –; CMD
Skills Climb +4, Fly +5, Perception +4, Stealth +15; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception
SQ freeze

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Aura of Dread (Su)

When a golden scarab swarm takes flight, the buzzing hiss of their wings creates a sense of dread in all creatures within 30 feet.

Creatures in the aura must succeed at a DC 12 Will save or be staggered for 1 round. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Freeze (Ex)

A golden scarab swarm can hold itself so still that it appears to be a pile of gold coins. A golden scarab swarm that uses freeze can take 20 on its Stealth check to hide in plain sight as a pile of gold coins.

Scour Flesh (Ex)

A golden scarab swarm will begin to devour any creature that remains in its space for too long.

When a golden scarab swarm begins its turn in the same space as any living creature, that creature takes 1d3 Str drain as the swarm consumes its flesh.

Tomb Rot (Ex)

Disease—injury; save Fort DC 17; onset 1 hour; frequency 1/day; effect 1d4 Con damage and 1d4 Cha damage; cure 3 saves.

Tomb rot resists magical healing; anyone casting a conjuration (healing) spell on the afflicted creature must succeed at a DC 20 caster level check, or the spell is wasted and the healing has no effect. The save DC is Constitution-based.

ECOLOGY

Environment warm deserts
Organization solitary, pair, or infestation (3-6)
Treasure none

Golden scarab beetles inhabit dry desert regions. Massive swarms of the creatures shelter in caves, ancient underground crypts, and tombs. Golden scarab swarms hunt any living creatures they can find and can scour their prey down to bare skeletons in a matter of minutes. Feeding on the mummified corpses found in the many hidden desert burial sites has also made these vermin carriers of tomb rot, a lesser but still deadly version of the infamous mummy rot disease.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Wayfinder #17. © 2017, Paizo Fans United; Authors: Gabriel Almer, Beth Breitmaier, Dave Breitmaier, Charlie Brooks, Russ Brown, Ben Chason-Sokol, Jeremy Clements, Dixon Cohee, Matt Duval, Robert Feather, Benjamin Fields, Wojciech Grucha?a, Garrett Guillotte, Joe Kondrak, John Laffan, Isabelle Lee, Jeff Lee, Crystal Malarsky, Ben Martin, Jacob McKiernan, Jen McTeague, Jacob W. Michaels, Emily Parks, Rep Pickard, Matt Roth, André Roy, Elliot Smith, Joe Smith, ‘Piratey Steve’ Smith, Neil Spicer, Todd Stewart, John Paul Stoddard, Andrew P. Sturtevant, Margherita Tramontano, Nicholas Wasko, Kerney Williams, and Scott Young.

scroll to top