Clockwork Beetle Swarm

Family: Clockwork

Large swarm of Tiny constructs, unaligned

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 52 (8d10 + 8)
Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	16 (+3)	12 (+1)	1 (-5)	12 (+1)	7 (-2)

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
Damage Immunities poison, psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages —
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Construct Nature. The clockwork beetle doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
• Magic Resistance. The clockwork beetle has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
• Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and it can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny Construct. The swarm can’t regain hp or gain temporary hp.

ACTIONS

• Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the swarm’s space. Hit: 18 (4d8) piercing damage, or 9 (2d8) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hp or fewer, plus 3 (1d6) poison damage.

ABOUT

Gleaming metal and whirring gears make up the form of this elaborate mechanical insect the size of a housecat. Although normally created in the form of metal beetles, their appearance can vary greatly. Some resemble incandescent ladybugs while others have razor-sharp horns reminiscent of deadly stag beetles. Some are fashioned as darkling beetles with prehensile antennae, and even weevil-like designs have been spotted. In the southern deserts, scarab beetle patterns are particularly prized.

Bejeweled Familiars. Forged by talented jewelers and sold to gear-mages and aristocrats, clockwork beetles are highly prized as familiars.

Hidden Timers. The most talented gear-mages occasionally design a clockwork beetle with a hidden countdown clock that silently ticks down over years or even decades. When the counter expires, it triggers a mechanical metamorphosis, causing the beetle to rapidly transform into a completely different clockwork creature—a wondrous surprise known only to the original designer.

Freed But Foolish. Clockwork beetle swarms form when several of the creatures break free of their creators and bond together in a noisy mass of clattering, mechanical parts. Severed from the bonds of their creators, the swarm lacks the telepathy of singular clockwork beetles and has a reduced mental capacity.