Giant bee

Giant bees, or monstrous bees, were extra-large varieties of their smaller cousins.

Description
Giant bees could reach lengths of about.

Like their tiny cousins, giant bees came in multiple varieties, including honeybees and bumblebees. Bumblebees were larger.

Abilities
Like normal-sized bees, a giant bee could inject a poison into another creature, but pulling away from the sting would result in the death of the giant bee. Giant bee venom weakened the general constitution of one stung, without harming the targets strength or agility. The venom of a giant bumblebee was stronger for giant soldier honeybees and giant bumblebees, and the poison from a queen was stronger still.

Giant bees were very skilled at orienting themselves in their environment.

Behavior
Giant bees were not ordinarily aggressive, unless they were acting in defense.

Ecology
Giant bees maintained small hives, numbering up to 20 individuals in typical situations, but some giant honeybees had much larger hives numbering up to ten times that amount in workers with up to a dozen soldiers, two to five drones, and a single queen. Giant bumblebees kept burrowed nests instead of hives, with up to a dozen individuals.

Uses
Like smaller bees, giant bees produced honey. A chunk of honey known as "bee bread" was capable of providing daily nourishment for a typical humanoid. In rare cases, a variety known as "royal jelly" was found, which was said to have mild healing and curative properties and even the ability to slow aging! Jars of this coveted unguent could cost between 3,000 and 8,000 gold pieces.

Celestial giant bees could be summoned from the Upper Planes for short periods of time by spellcasters. Such bees were more intelligent and served the good powers. They were particularly favored by the halfling goddess Sheela Peryroyl.

Magical amber amulets of vermin were sometimes crafted on Toril that contained a small bee that would grow into a giant bee when the amulet was broken.

Appearances

 * "The Raiders of Galath's Roost", Dungeon #87