RMA: Giant Beetles

Giant? Well, they were bigger than Jesus.

Giant beetles. I won't say they're unheard of in BX games I've played and run, but what I find amusing is that, even within the compactness of the Basic rules alone, we're given three varieties of them.

Beetles, Giant (from Moldvay)

	Fire	Oil	Tiger
Armor Class:	4	4	3
Hit Dice:	1 + 2	2'	3+1
Move:	120' (40')	120' (40')	150' (50')
Attacks:	1 bite	1 bite + special	1 bite
Damage:	2-8	1-6 + special	2-12
No. Appearing:	1-8 (2-12)	1-8 (2-12)	1-6 (2-8)
Save As:	Fighter: 1	Fighter: 1	Fighter: 1
Morale:	7	8	9
Treasure Type:	Nil	Nil	U
Alignment:	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral

So right off the bat, we can see that they are basically a Small/Medium/Large progression. Fire beetles start off at about 2' long, finishing up with the Tigers at 4'. We also seen incremental increases in toughness and lethality. Also, they each appear in similar progression on the Basic (Levels 1-3) dungeon wandering monster tables. 

The two "lesser" beetles are interesting because of their namesakes. Fire beetles -despite the scariness of the title- do not emit flames. Rather, each has three "glowing glands" that continue to emit light for up to six days after dying. It seems this critter solely exists to give low level PCs a brisk encounter and a free light source for the dungeon. Granted, 2d4 damage from its bite is a bad time for a 1st level PC, but that's what crossbows are for. Plus their morale is low.

Oil beetles spit a caustic fluid that penalizes the victim with painful blisters. It's interesting that a Cure Light Wounds spell will heal the blisters or the damage, not both.

Tiger Beetles are big, carnivorous, and dangerous. They are faster, tougher, and deal more damage (2d6!). It's also interesting that they have treasure. Type U doesn't yield much, but there's a chance of magic items!

The other tidbit about tiger beetles is that it mentions they usually eat Robber Flies. Which, as we've discussed previously, usually feed on Giant Killer Bees. One can imagine an interesting little food chain-based encounter sprouting up around this dynamic.

RMA: Water Termites

I honestly don't think I've ever seen this monster used, in any of its three varieties. It's such a strange creature compared to things like orcs or dragons. Like the Cave Locust or the Robber Fly, it's got the whole "giant bug" thing going on. At 1' to 5' long, they certainly qualify. What's interesting is –as far as I can tell– their main use in a game is as an indirect threat to the PCs.

The stats: (from Cook)

Termites, Giant

Swamp/Fresh Water/Salt Water 

No. App:  0 (1-4)/0 (1-3)/ 0 (2-7)

AL: N

AC: 4/6/5

HD: 1+1/2+1/4

Move: 90' (30')/120' (40')/180' (60')

Attacks: special

Damage: 1-3/1-4/1-6

Save: F1/F2/F3

Morale: 10/8/11

The special attacks consists of a toxic spray if above water, which can stun a foe (possibly causing him to sink?), and an ink cloud underwater (like an octopus). They only bite if cornered, which makes me wonder at their relatively high morale. 

The fun from these guys comes from them latching onto a vessel underwater and dealing structural damage to the hull. If they chew it enough, it starts to sink! This could be a fun way to get the PCs into the water (and off the nice, safe boat) to deal with the threat. They'd have to move fairly quickly too (before the damage is done). Of course, looking at the damage they do and the Hull Point ratings, it's unlikely the termites would sink a larger vessel. Although a few leaks might make people nervous. Perhaps a swarm of salt water termites follow a ship like dolphins, feeding each night? The non-marine versions are quite scary in their own way, too. Imagine your canoe getting trashed when you're miles into a festering swamp. Personally, I'm a fan of anything that underscores the differences between an encounter on the water vs. one on land.

RMA: Robber Fly

The Robber Fly is an interesting critter. It's got a great "Gygaxian Naturalist" feel to it. It's got a camouflage adaptation. It's an effective predator. All good stuff.

Basically, it looks like a Giant Killer Bee. Which it hunts for food! While it's not super-tough individually, it has a few tidbits that can make it a fun low level encounter. But first, the stats:

Robber Fly (From Moldvay)

No. App: 1-6 (2-12)
HD: 2
AC: 6
Move: 90' (30')
   -Fly 180' (60')
AL: N
Att: 1 bite
Dmg: 1-8
Save: F1
Morale: 8



So it's a 3' long carnivorous fly imitating a 3' long bee. Like the Cave Locust, it's another nice "Mysterious Island" vibe monster. Up to a dozen appearing is pretty respectable, though at 2 HD each they are vulnerable to Sleep spells. It's fast, and can jump 30' for a nice surprise attack. Speaking of which, they are patient, stealthy and surprise on a 1-4! They are also immune to the killer bees' stings, but that's unlikely to impact the characters situation. The fact that they can be easily confused with the GKBs (Giant Killer Bees) might make for a fun time, too.