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Giant fire beetle

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Giant fire beetles were nocturnal giant beetles.

Description[]

Giant fire beetles were the smallest of all the giant beetles known to scholars.[4][5] They grew to be about 2​ to ​2.5 feet (0.61​ to ​0.76 meters).[3][4]

Abilities[]

These creatures had luminous glands, situated above each eye[3][4][5] and near the abdomen,[4][5] that glowed a red color.[3][4][5] If removed, these glands would continue glowing for several days.[3][4][5] The luminosity of these glands extended outward in a radius of 10 feet (3 meters).[4][5]

Combat[]

Despite being small for giant beetles, these creatures had very powerful mandibles that could cause great injury to any human.[4][5]

History[]

In 1492 DR, a group of troglodytes within the level of Undermountain known as the Troglodyte Warrens had domesticated giant fire beetles and were raising them for food.[6] That same year the Harper agent Ulvira Snowveins was running a pet store in Skullport that offered, among other creatures, giant fire beetles for sale.[7]

Sub-Species[]

Ecology[]

Diet[]

Giant fire beetles were an omnivorous species of insect[4] and could survive feeding on carrion.[9]

Habitats[]

Arcturiadoom

In the Undermountain level of Arcturiadoom, the fire giant Hrossk lights his way with a lantern of fire beetles.

Giant fire beetles could be found in clusters or colonies in warmer flatlands.[3] They lived both above and below ground.[4][5] A colony of giant fire beetles was built around a giant fire beetle queen, a larger and more powerful variant of the insect.[9]

In the land of Faerûn they could be found in the King's Forest of Cormyr,[10] within Mount Hotenow,[11] and down in the Underdark.[12]

In the East they could be found in the Hordelands and Semphar.[13] In east Zakhara, they could be found in the Grey Jungle.[14] And in the Crowded Sea south of Zakhara, they could be found on the island chain of Nada al-Hazan.[15]

Beyond the Prime Material plane, some were known to inhabit the Elemental Plane of Fire.[16]

Relationships[]

Fire beetles were a favored animal of the deity Moradin and thus would serve him, sometime acting as messengers to his followers.[17]

Summoning[]

A celestial giant fire beetle could be summoned by the summon monster I spell, while three could be called with Summon monster II.[18]
Before Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR the best-known version of the summon monster I spell called a single ordinary giant fire beetle.[19]

Usages[]

The luminous glands of the giant fire beetle were prized by adventurers and miners alike.[4][5][3]

Some were known to use their glands as an alternative material component to the spell dancing lights.[20] Their blood was also a material component for the spell infra-invisible.[21]

The inhabitants of Skullport sometimes sought out the larvae of fire beetles to use as a source of illumination.[22]

Notable Fire Beetles[]

Appendix[]

Gallery[]

Appearances[]

Adventures

Desert of Desolation • Waterdeep • Dungeon #30, "... And a Dozen Eggs" • Doom of Daggerdale • Dungeon #47, "The Assassin Within" • The Secret of Spiderhaunt • Dungeon #144, "The Muster of Morach Tor" • Scepter Tower of Spellgard • Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle • Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage • Candlekeep Mysteries: "The Joy of Extradimensional Spaces"

Comics

The Forbidden Sands of Anauroch (#2)

Video Games

Ravenloft: Stone Prophet • Icewind Dale series (Icewind Dale • Icewind Dale II) • Neverwinter Nights series (Neverwinter Nights • Neverwinter Nights 2 • 2: Mask of the Betrayer) • Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms

Board Games

Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Begins

Miniatures

Icons of the Realms

Organized Play & Licensed Adventures

Caravan • Unfinished Business • Extermination • Death in the Skyfire Wastes • The Prospect • Beneath Haunted Halls • Undermountain: Halaster's Lost Apprentice

Reference[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins (2014-09-30). Monster Manual 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 325. ISBN 978-0786965614.
  2. ↑ Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert, James Wyatt (June 2008). Monster Manual 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 30. ISBN 978-0-7869-4852-9.
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 285. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 9. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
  6. ↑ Christopher Perkins (November 2018). Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 155. ISBN 978-0-7869-6626-4.
  7. ↑ Christopher Perkins (November 2018). Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 308. ISBN 978-0-7869-6626-4.
  8. ↑ Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 285. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Black Isle Studios (August 2002). Designed by J.E. Sawyer. Icewind Dale II. Interplay.
  10. ↑ Random encounters table included in Ed Greenwood (1989). Waterdeep (adventure). (TSR, Inc). ISBN 0-88038-757-2.
  11. ↑ Matt Sernett, Erik Scott de Bie, Ari Marmell (August 2011). Neverwinter Campaign Setting. Edited by Tanis O'Connor. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 135. ISBN 0-7869-5814-6.
  12. ↑ Jeremy Crawford, Mike Mearls (November 2017). Xanathar's Guide to Everything. Edited by Kim Mohan, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 26. ISBN 978-0-7869-6612-7.
  13. ↑ David Cook (August 1990). “Volume II”. In Steve Winter ed. The Horde (TSR, Inc.), pp. 114, 117. ISBN 0-88038-868-4.
  14. ↑ Steve Kurtz (1994). Al-Qadim: Cities of Bone: Campaign Guide. (TSR, Inc), p. 16. ISBN 1-56076-847.
  15. ↑ David Cook (October 1992). “Nada al-Hazan”. In Bill Slavicsek ed. Golden Voyages (TSR, Inc.), p. 2. ISBN 978-1560763314.
  16. ↑ Monte Cook and William W. Connors (December 7, 1998). The Inner Planes. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 44. ISBN 0-7869-0736-3.
  17. ↑ Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 78. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
  18. ↑ Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 285–287. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
  19. ↑ David "Zeb" Cook (August 1989). Player's Handbook (2nd edition). (TSR, Inc.), p. 151. ISBN 0-88038-716-5.
  20. ↑ Vince Garcia (July 1989). “Variety, the Spice of Magic”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #147 (TSR, Inc.), p. 24.
  21. ↑ Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 132. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
  22. ↑ Joseph C. Wolf (1999). Skullport. (TSR, Inc), p. 13. ISBN 0-7869-1348-7.
  23. ↑ Nicky Rea (July 1994). “The Living City: The Hand of Mercy and Marigold's Menagerie”. In Jean Rabe ed. Polyhedron #97 (TSR, Inc.), p. 12.
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