Forgotten Realms Wiki
Advertisement
Forgotten Realms Wiki

Goldbugs were a parasitic species of beetles found in Zakhara, the Land of Fate.[1]

Description[]

The body of a goldbug was circular and flat. As their name implied, their outer carapace was golden in color. Their bodies usually measured between 1​ to ​3 inches (0.025​ to ​0.076 meters) in diameter, making them easily mistaken for a gold coin. The eyes, legs, and antennae of the goldbug lay hidden beneath its shell, lending to its appearance as a regular gold coin. When folded together, these body parts made the underside of the "coin" appear like an intentional design. The ruse was so convincing that even a thorough visual examination of the goldbug failed to reveal its true nature half of the time. However, using arcane methods or actually biting the goldbug to determine its purity would reveal its falsehood.[1]

Abilities[]

Goldbugs carried a deadly poison that caused nausea, dizziness, and in some cases death. They would attempt to bite and inject this venom in those who disturbed them while feeding or whenever they felt threatened in general.[1]

Ecology[]

Goldbugs often nested with others of their kind, usually on a pile of genuine gold coins. Goldbugs waited patiently for an unsuspecting victim to pick them up. A goldbug would wait until the victim fell asleep before emerging to feed off their blood. Their bites were small and rarely woke the victim. Goldbugs fed until they consumed their own body weight in blood. They could survive for a long time without feeding, but preferred to feed daily.[1]

Appendix[]

Appearances[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Monstrous Compendium included in Tim Beach, Tom Prusa and Steve Kurtz (1993). City of Delights. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 1-56076-589-5.
  2. Don Turnbull (1981). Fiend Folio. (TSR Hobbies), p. 46. ISBN 0-9356-9621-0.
Advertisement