Coin beetle

[thisdude9001]

Coin beetle
Tiny monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class 13
Hit Points 1(1d1)
Speed 10ft., Burrow 5ft., climb 10ft., fly 30ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
1 (-5) 5 (-3) 6 (-2) 1 (-5) 7 (-2) 1 (-5)
Senses Blindsight 30 Ft., passive Perception 8
Damage Resistance Cold
Challenge 0 (10 XP)
False appearance. While the coin beetle remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal coin.
Surprise attack. The coin beetle gains advantage on attacks against surprised creatures.
Death stink. When a coin beetle dies it emits a foul odor. Creatures within 5ft. of a coin beetle that has died the last round must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of the creature’s next turn. On a successful saving throw, the creature is immune to the stench of all coin beetles for 1 hour.
Deep Slumber Coin beetles will sleep for months after a large meals. Only damage or getting wet will wake them up. When woken they attack any nearby creatures other then other coin beetles. While in slumber the coin beetle has immunity to slashing and piercing.

Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 1 (1d1) piercing damage



Coin Beetle Swarm
Swarm of tiny monstrosities, unaligned

Armor Class 13
Hit Points 22 (5d8)
Speed 10ft., Burrow 5ft., climb 10ft., fly 30ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
1 (-5) 5 (-3) 6 (-2) 1 (-5) 7 (-2) 1 (-5)
Damage Resistance Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing
Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Prone, Restrained, Stunned, Cold
Senses Blindsight 30 Ft., passive Perception 8
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
False appearance. While the coin beetle swarm remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a pile of coins.
Surprise attack The coin beetle swarm gains advantage on attacks against surprised creatures.
Death stink. (swarm has more than half HP)When the coin beetle swarm takes damage it emits a foul odor. Creatures within 5ft. of a coin beetle swarm that has taken damage the last round must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of the creature’s next turn. On a successful saving throw, the creature is immune to the stench of all coin beetles for 1 hour. When the swarm has less then half health any damage done forces all nearby creatures to make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of the creature's next turn, ignore save if already passed one in the past hour.
Deep Slumber Coin beetles will sleep for months after a large meals. Only damage or getting wet will wake them up. When woken they attack any nearby creatures other then other coin beetles.

Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny insect. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.

Bites (swarm has more than half HP). Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the swarm's space. Hit: (4d4) piercing damage.

Bites (swarm has half HP or less). Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the swarm's space. Hit: (2d4) piercing damage.

[Man_Over_Game]

Hmm...

Resistance to Cold damage and has Advantage to attack a Surprised creature.

[thisdude9001]

Sounds good to me, will add.

[John Out West]

My first thought when i saw this was not "This is a trap monster that attacks adventurers when they try to pick it up," but rather "These beetles can be used as fake currency to get me some sweet new boots."

With that vein of thought in mind:

Death Stink: Although these beetles can be used as currency while they are alive, they produce a putrid smell upon death which puts their legitimacy into question.

Deep Slumber: These Beetles will sleep for years at a time after digesting a large meal. The swarm will wake up if they smell the Death Stink of another beetle or if they get wet, but otherwise do not react to shaking, movement or noise. Beetles that awaken before their time are extremely ornery, attacking all creatures in the immediate area.

As for their creation myth, I find that Wizards create most problems in a fantasy universe. Most likely a single wizard enchanted mundane beetles to look like coins so they could buy something, but the coins later escaped, multiplied, and spread. Innate magical energy over years caused mutations which make them more dangerous than other beetles, but the advantageous nature of seeming like a mundane coin made them evolve to stay as uniform and golden as possible.

[thisdude9001]

Some great ideas! The lore bit you laid out was pretty much what I planned it out to be but, with some variety in the types of coins they could be (gold through copper). The slumber and death stink also sound pretty neat. I'm thinking of raising their natural armor to make them a bit harder to crush on accident, or maybe that should happen?

[Man_Over_Game]

Some great ideas! The lore bit you laid out was pretty much what I planned it out to be but, with some variety in the types of coins they could be (gold through copper). The slumber and death stink also sound pretty neat. I'm thinking of raising their natural armor to make them a bit harder to crush on accident, or maybe that should happen?

I'd just make it that they are Immune to Bludgeoning, Slashing or Piercing damage while they're asleep in their carapaces.

Thematically, I like the idea of boiling your coins to get these buggers out.

[thisdude9001]

So I don't think the immunity would work. How would the players even get in a fight with them in the first place if they can't really wake them up? Unless they got wet somehow or took elemental damage?

[Vogie]

So I don't think the immunity would work. How would the players even get in a fight with them in the first place if they can't really wake them up? Unless they got wet somehow or took elemental damage?

Immunity only to piercing and slashing damage. That way they can be squashed (like a bug), will start to trigger when you step on or drop one, but it'll still be hard to fight them

[thisdude9001]

Yeah, alright sounds good to me. How do you guys feel about a queen coin beetle? Mostly there for reproducing but more capable of defending herself?

P.S. I love your stuff Vogie

[Vogie]

Yeah, alright sounds good to me. How do you guys feel about a queen coin beetle? Mostly there for reproducing but more capable of defending herself?

P.S. I love your stuff Vogie

Thanks!

For the queen coin beetle, make it look a bit scarab-esque? Like an amulet? Maybe it creates an egg sac that looks like a coin pouch?

The execution of this will be a mind-bend of mimic proportions.