Velvet Ant Swarm

A moving carpet of big, red ants with black heads sweeps towards you.

Velvet Ant Swarm CR 3

XP 800
N Diminutive vermin (swarm)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +0

DEFENSE

AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +4 size)
hp 27 (5d8+5)
Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +1
Immune mind-affecting effects, weapon damage, swarm traits, vermin traits
Weaknesses swarm traits

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee swarm (1d6 plus poison)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks distraction (DC 13)

TACTICS

Velvet ants are generally inoffensive. Most encounters are with a swarm moving from one location to another, and most attacks happen when a careless individual wanders into the swarm. Male velvet ants are completely harmless. Females compose any swarm encountered and they attack with a painful sting.

STATISTICS

Str 1, Dex 16, Con 13, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 4
Base Atk +3; CMB —; CMD
Skills Climb +11

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Poison (Ex)

Swarm—injury; save Fort DC 13; frequency 1/ round for 4 rounds; effect 1 Dexterity damage; cure 1 save.

The save DC is Constitution-based.

ECOLOGY

Environment warm forests and plains
Organization solitary, pack (2-4 swarms), or cluster (6-11 swarms)
Treasure none

Velvet ants are not really ants at all but a form of wasp. The females are wingless while the males have wings. Velvet ants have a bright red abdomen and thorax and a black head and black legs. Its thorax and abdomen are covered with short, coarse, red hairs. Typical adults reach a length of 1 inch.

Velvet ants feed on the nectar of flowers, though on some occasions, the adults have been known to feed on other wasps and bees, particularly bumblebees or honey bees. Other such insects are generally left alone.

Velvet ants typically make their lair in bee hives or nests they have taken over. Generally an assault is short and quick, with the velvet ants swarming the bees and quickly gaining the upper hand, slaying all bees in a single nest. Slain bees are kept as food for the velvet ant larvae.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Velvet Ant Swarm 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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