Bestiary 6 has been let loose onto unsuspecting tables and with it comes one of my favorite new additions to the endless list of monsters: entothropes! I’ve always been a big fan of lycanthropes ever since Diablo 2’s druid enamored me with its werebear. There were no new lycanthropes this time, but I think we got something just as good with these werebugs. I was instantly excited for the possibility of more insects hybrids. I was so excited in fact, that I took it upon myself to create one! Without further ado, let’s look at the werebeetle.

This hulking man is covered in a hard chitinous shell. He sports an enormous pair of mandibles and thin, translucent wings beneath the hard plates.
Entothrope, Werebeetle (human form) CR 2
XP 800
Human natural werebeetle barbarian 2 (augmented humanoid)
CN Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +6
DEFENSE
AC 13, touch 9, flat-footed 12 (+4 armor, +1 Dex, –2 rage)
hp 24 (2d12+8)
Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +3
Defensive Abilities insect mind, uncanny dodge
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 claws +7 (1d6+5)
Special Attacks rage (14 rounds/day), rage powers (lesser beast totem^APG)
TACTICS
Base Statistics When not raging, the werebeetle’s statistics are AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14; hp 20; Fort +2, Will +1; Melee unarmed strike +5 (1d3+3); Str 17, Con 16; CMB +5; Skills Climb +7.
STATISTICS
Str 21, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +2; CMB +7; CMD 16
Feats Extra Rage, Power Attack
Skills Climb +9, Intimidate +4, Perception +6
Languages Common
SQ change shape (fire beetle, human, and hybrid; vermin shape II), entothropic empathy, fast movement
Combat Gear 3 potions of cure light wounds, potion of cure moderate wounds; Other Gear mwk chain shirt, 80 gp
ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or swarm (3–10)
Treasure NPC gear

Entothrope, Werebeetle (hybrid form)
CN Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +6
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +2 Dex, +2 natural, –2 rage)
hp 26 (2d12+10)
Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +3
Defensive Abilities insect mind, uncanny dodge; DR 10/silver
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +7 (1d6+5), 2 claws +7 (1d6+5)
Special Attacks curse of entothropy, rage (15 rounds/day), rage powers (lesser beast totem^APG)
TACTICS
Base Statistics When not raging, the werebeetle’s statistics are AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16; hp 22; Fort +3, Will +1; Melee bite +5 (1d6+3); Str 17, Con 16; CMB +5; Skills Climb +7.
STATISTICS
Str 21, Dex 15, Con 20, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +2; CMB +7; CMD 17
Feats Extra Rage, Power Attack
Skills Climb +9, Intimidate +4, Perception +6
Languages Common
SQ change shape (fire beetle, human, and hybrid; vermin shape II), entothropic empathy, fast movement, luminescence

In humanoid form, werebeetles are larger and bulkier than typical members of their race. Most werebeetles are generally bald or have thin hair. Their jaws are wide and chiseled and their eyes are generally blue or brown with an almost metallic glaze to the color. Werebeetles live in warrior societies with the control of power constantly shifting between members as they fight for dominance. Werebeetles that lose their positions of power or unable to take their place within their community tend to set out on their own to improve their own skill. Most return to challenge for power again, but a few do not return, instead preferring solitude or even creating their own new tribe or community. Werebeetle women have smaller mandibles than men, which leads to many women training more to claim their positions of powers. Once a woman takes leadership, few are able to outmatch her. As such, many werebeetle communities are matriarchal.

In Your Game

Combat Training
A werebeetle ally reaches out to the PCs. The werebeetle was recently defeated in combat from her tribe and she seeks training. She wishes to spar with the PCs and learn from their techniques so she can return to her tribe and reclaim her position.

The Entrothropic Event
A local tribe of werebeetles is organizing a tournament to test each other’s combat prowess. This tournament is solely for sport and outsiders are welcome to join. The PCs caught the attention of one of the werebeetles and are invited to prove themselves against the regions greatest fighters.

Restorative Nightshade
A man recently attacked by a werebeetle seeks help with his affliction. He was bitten a week ago and now needs the PC’s help to locate some rare belladonna. The plant is only found in the jungles south of the sea, so the PCs must find it before the full moon rises once more.

Monstrous Origins

While there are a number of different insects that would work great as entothropes, such as flies, grasshoppers, and ants, I settled on the beetle. Creating a lycanthrope, and by extension an entothrope, is relatively simple. The major aspect requires finding a suitable base animal or vermin. For the werebeetle, that was the fire beetle from Bestiary 1. It was a small creature and also not a major CR. It allowed for a simple calculation of CR on my end. After that, it was a matter of statting up a barbarian and adding the relevant bits from the beetle and the entothrope template. If you were interested in creating new entothrope, I recommend trying it out with the above examples. The artwork I used is that of Stun the Insect, one of the fighters from the Bloody Roar series. Anyone interested in a unique take on a fighting game, as well as lots of human/animal hybrids, would do well to check out the series!

That’s it for this week! Please let me know if you would like to see some more template creatures such as entothropes and lycanthropes. There are a lot if interesting combinations when adding templates to creatures! If you end up bringing the werebeetle into your game, or you have any request for a future Monstrous Physique, please drop me a line at KnowDirection@hotmail.com