Mummy Beetle Swarm

Thousands of eerily silent beetles surge forth in a terrifying wave of dark bodies.

Mummy Beetle Swarm (CR 9) XP 6,400 N Fine undead (swarm) Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +0 Aura despair (30 ft., paralyzed for 1d4 rounds, Will DC 21 negates) --- AC 23, touch 20, flat-footed 21 (+2 Dex, +3 natural, +8 size) hp 120 (16d8+48) Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +10 Defensive Abilities swarm traits; Immune undead traits, weapon damage Weaknesses vulnerable to fire --- Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. Melee swarm (4d6 plus distraction and mummy rot) Special Attacks cling, distraction (DC 21) --- Str 1, Dex 14, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 16 Base Atk +12; CMB —; CMD — Feats Toughness (B) Skills Climb +10; Racial Modifiers uses Dex on Climb checks --- Environment any Organization solitary, pair, or colony (3–6) Treasure none --- Cling (Ex) If a creature leaves a mummy beetle swarm's square, the swarm takes 1d6 points of damage to reflect the loss of its numbers as several mummy beetles cling to the victim. A creature with mummy beetles clinging to it takes swarm damage at the end of its turn each round. As a full round action, the creature can remove the mummy beetles with a DC 20 Reflex save. At least 10 points of damage from any area effect destroys all clinging mummy beetles. The save DC is Dexterity-based. Despair (Su) All creatures within a 30-foot radius that see a mummy beetle swarm must make a DC 18 Will save or be paralyzed by fear for 1d4 rounds. Whether or not the save is successful, that creature cannot be affected again by the same mummy beetle swarm's despair ability for 24 hours. This is a paralysis and a mind-affecting fear affect. The save DC is Charisma-based. Mummy Rot (Su) Curse and disease—slam; save Fort DC 21; onset 1 minute; frequency 1/day; effect 1d6 Con and 1d6 Cha; cure —. Mummy rot is both a curse and disease and can only be cured if the curse is first removed, at which point the disease can be magically removed. Even after the curse element of mummy rot is lifted, a creature suffering from it cannot recover naturally over time. Anyone casting a conjuration (healing) spell on the afflicted creature must succeed on a DC 20 caster level check, or the spell is wasted and the healing has no effect. Anyone who dies from mummy rot turns to dust and cannot be raised without a resurrectionspell or greater magic. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Mummy beetle swarms—whose constituents are usually, but not always, the remnants of scarabs—are swarms of desiccated beetle shells, each of which has animated as an undead monstrosity. Often found in the same tombs as mummies, mummy beetles carry the same rotting curse as their larger counterparts, and are cloaked in the same dreadful aura of horrific despair.

Though the undead vermin that make up a mummy beetle swarm are difficult to visually distinguish from living beetles while skittering about, the palpable aura of fear that surrounds their swarm marks them as unnatural creatures, and affords those familiar with dread rumors of their existence to guess the truth of their identity when encountered.