Beetle Stag...!

 BEETLE STAG

FREQUENCY: Uncommon
 
NO. APPEARING: 4-16
 
ARMOR CLASS: 4

MOVE: 18"

HIT DICE: 2

% IN LAIR: 0%

TREASURE TYPE: Nil

NO. OF ATTACKS: 4

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10, 1-6, 1-6, 1-3

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil

SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

INTELLIGENCE: Non-

ALIGNMENT: Neutral

SIZE: M  (4' tall, excluding antlers)

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

       Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

Beetle Stags are insectoid creatures somewhat similar in outline to small stags, with both male, female and young sharing this resemblance. They prefer to live in woodland but will sometimes stray into cultivated areas, especially orchards and groves, and thus are considered to be pests. The fact that they are generally not fearful and aggressively defend themselves means that they can prove to be a quite capable opponent. Although their eyesight is not particularly acute, their feet and antlers are very capable of detecting movement at a distance. They are greatly fearful of large fires and will immediately flee from any they encounter.

 

Despite their diet of wood, bark, plants, fruits and nuts they are not averse to consuming flesh if the situation presents itself. Usually this means that they will eat carrion but they will also readily attack dwarves, gnomes or halflings if they outnumber their quarry. In combat, they can strike out with their forelimbs or their antlers for 1-6 points of damage. Their large pincers inflict 1-10 points of damage and if the creature inflicts more than 5 damage in a single attack when using them, its victim will be trapped in their grip unless they make a successful roll below their Strength in order to break free. Otherwise, the creatures extendable mouth parts will inflict 1-3 points of damage per round (no attack roll required) until its target dies or escapes. The long thin spines that cover the front of the Beetle Stag can cause irritation to any exposed skin that comes into contact with them. This will cause painful sores that inflict 1 point of damage per day unless a successful saving throw vs poison is made. A Cure Light Wounds spell will also negate their effect.

 

Should more than 12 Beetle Stags be met in a single encounter, one individual creature will be larger than the others (6' tall, excluding antlers) and have 3 hit dice.  Aside from its normal attacks it also possesses the ability to fire an electrical charge from its antlers, striking as a Lightning Bolt cast by a 3rd level Magic User. However, this can only be used every other round.

If 14 or more creatures are encountered, there is a 20% chance that one individual is a Golden Beetle Stag. Its antlers are highly prized in the construction of magical composite bows and each branch is worth 2000 gold pieces.

 

Beetle Stags do not have a larval form but are born as eggs from which small fully-formed young emerge when hatched, although in this state they possess only one hit point.

Description: Beetle Stags are usually iridescent shades of dark blue, green or purple. Their antlers, pincers and feet are amber red whilst their hair-like spines are orange-brown. Golden Beetle Stags are a rich pearlescent golden yellow in colour, although their antlers are pale blue.