Conniption Bug

Small beast, unaligned

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 55 (10d6 + 20)
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
13 (+1)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)	1 (–5)	10 (+0)	3 (–4)

Skills Stealth +4
Senses tremorsense 30 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages —
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Death Trap. When the conniption bug dies, its mandibles remain locked in place, continuing to grapple beyond its death. Until the grapple ends, the creature takes 4 (1d8) piercing damage at the start of each of its turns as if the bug was still alive. Any creature can take an action to remove the mandibles with a successful DC 11 Strength (Athletics) or Wisdom (Medicine) check.
• Limited Amphibiousness. The conniption bug can breathe air and water, but it needs to be submerged at least once every 4 hours to avoid suffocating.
• Pack Tactics. The conniption bug has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the bug’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
• Standing Leap. The conniption bug’s long jump is up to 20 feet and its high jump is up to 10 feet, with or without a running start.
• Vicious Wound. The conniption bug’s melee attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

ACTIONS

• Barbed Mandibles. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage. The target is grappled (escape DC 13) if it is a Medium or smaller creature and the conniption bug doesn’t have another creature grappled. Until this grapple ends, the target takes 4 (1d8) piercing damage at the start of each of its turns, and the conniption bug can’t make Barbed Mandible attacks against other targets.
• Barbed Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) piercing damage.

ABOUT

Several giant insects with massive mandibles emerge from the water’s edge. One rears back on its elongated abdomen and propels itself through the air.

Conniption bugs are devastating, predatory giant insects that inhabit bodies of fresh water and the surrounding lowlands.

Casual Menace. These bugs are ferocious, and they try to consume anything within reach. Worse, these predators tend to gather in packs, making travel through their territory particularly dangerous for lone explorers. Their mandibles are viciously barbed and designed to catch and hold prey. Some eccentrics like to keep conniption bugs as pets or disposal systems, and collectors and torturers often find creative uses for the barbed mandibles.

Ecological Warning. Conniption bugs are very sensitive to ecological change, including that of magic pollution. The unnatural effect that unrestrained magic can have on the land, whether due to cataclysm or to long-term magic, can cause conniption bugs to mutate rapidly, creating new specimens (see the Scourge Bug sidebar).

Variant

Those conniption bugs that mature in magically inundated regions develop a little differently. They are known as “scourge bugs” and have an affinity for elemental magic, which seeps from their saliva and coats their mandibles. A scourge bug has a challenge rating of 2 (450 XP), has resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, and poison damage, and has the following action option in place of Barbed Mandibles:

• Elemental Mandibles. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage. The target is grappled (escape DC 13) if it is a Medium or smaller creature and the scourge bug doesn’t have another creature grappled. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and takes 7 (2d6) acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison damage (the scourge bug’s choice) at the start of each of its turns, and the scourge bug can’t make Elemental Mandible attacks against other targets.