Sunder Beetle (Greater)
Beast · no Crown (Meridian)
T3d8Minor
Pony-sized beetles with matte-black carapaces that passively absorb ambient light, capable of discharging a pulse that creates total darkness across a wide area.
Tier 3 · Role Minor · Pool Vigor 3 (+3 overflow) · AC 14 · ATK +5 · Save DC 15 · Dmg 3 (flat)
| Stat | Score | Mod | Die |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body | 20 | - | - |
| Mind | 6 | - | - |
| Sense | 12 | - | - |
| Heart | 12 | - | - |
| Cunning | 12 | - | - |
| Fate | 14 | - | - |
A Minor has no attribute mechanics: the scores describe the creature, they do not roll.
Passives
Light-Eating Carapace
Light within 20 ft dims by two steps. Torches gutter and magical lights flicker while near the beetle.
Tremorsense
Senses vibrations through the ground and fights normally in total darkness.
Maneuvers
Blackout Pulse
Once per fight, discharges its stored light: all light within 40 ft is snuffed out until the end of the next round, and sighted creatures inside are blinded while the darkness lasts. The beetle hunts on through tremorsense.
Reactions
Light Drain
When hit by a radiant or light-based attack, the carapace drinks it in: the beetle takes only 1 Vigor damage from that attack.
Tactics
GM tactics
Greater sunder beetles surface to feed, dimming the area around them. Once enough light is absorbed, they use Blackout Pulse to create total darkness and hunt via tremorsense. They target light sources and magical items first.
Running it
Rules
- Vigor equal to Tier, with an overflow of the same size behind it: 3, then 3 more. Neither half regenerates.
- A hit deals a flat 3, no roll. A crit (natural 20 only) rolls d8 and never lands below 3.
- 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 6 kills it outright, and a single blow of 6 or more kills it on the spot.
- Vigor damage is simply damage against a Minor: its whole pool is Vigor.
- Two attacks in a normal turn: Tier 3+ Minors get a second.
- Group morale: when its group loses half its number, fled or dead, the rest check morale.
- NPCs never take wounds.