Furnace Beetle
Beast · no Crown (Meridian)
T2d6Minor
Large-dog-sized beetles with dull-red carapaces that generate extreme heat, burning melee attackers and venting superheated air in devastating cones.
Tier 2 · Role Minor · Pool Vigor 2 (+2 overflow) · AC 14 · ATK +4 · Save DC 13 · Dmg 2 (flat)
| Stat | Score | Mod | Die |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body | 18 | - | - |
| Mind | 5 | - | - |
| Sense | 12 | - | - |
| Heart | 12 | - | - |
| Cunning | 8 | - | - |
| Fate | 12 | - | - |
A Minor has no attribute mechanics: the scores describe the creature, they do not roll.
Passives
Internal Furnace
Immune to fire damage; cold damage deals 1 extra damage to it. Any creature that strikes it in melee takes 1 Vigor damage from the radiated heat.
Maneuvers
Heat Blast
Vents superheated air in a 10 ft cone. Each creature in the cone makes a Body save (DC 13): on a failure it takes 2 damage, on a success 1 Vigor damage. Usable once per 3 rounds.
Tactics
GM tactics
Furnace beetles are straightforward. They close to melee and rely on their heat aura to punish attackers. They use Heat Blast when multiple enemies cluster. They are slow but heavily armored.
Running it
Rules
- Vigor equal to Tier, with an overflow of the same size behind it: 2, then 2 more. Neither half regenerates.
- A hit deals a flat 2, no roll. A crit (natural 20 only) rolls d6 and never lands below 2.
- Crits on a natural 20 only.
- Minor: no stat modifiers or dice in play; its scores describe the creature, they do not roll.
- At 0 Vigor it breaks and flees, out of the fight but alive; Fanatics fight on into the overflow instead.
- Total damage reaching 4 kills it outright, and a single blow of 4 or more kills it on the spot.
- Vigor damage is simply damage against a Minor: its whole pool is Vigor.
- Group morale: when its group loses half its number, fled or dead, the rest check morale.
- NPCs never take wounds.