Corpse Beetle Swarm

Medium swarm of Tiny beasts, unaligned

Where the dead lie unburied in Aethara, corpse beetles follow. These flat, black insects are drawn to necrotic energy the way moths are drawn to flame. They nest inside cadavers, feeding on the Void-saturated tissue, and their carapaces absorb trace amounts of necrotic energy over time. A disturbed swarm erupts from its host corpse in a clicking, chittering wave, and their mandibles carry a numbing venom that deadens flesh on contact. Veterans of the Blightlands learn to listen for the distinctive dry clicking sound that means a body is infested.

Armor Class:12 (natural armor)

Hit Points:36 (8d8)

Speed:20 ft, climb 20 ft, burrow 5 ft

Challenge:CR 1

STR

3 (-4)

DEX

14 (+2)

CON

10 (+0)

INT

1 (-5)

WIS

10 (+0)

CHA

1 (-5)

Damage Resistances:Bludgeoning, piercing, slashing

Damage Immunities:Necrotic

Condition Immunities:Charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned

Senses:Blindsight 10 ft, passive Perception 10

Traits

Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa. The swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny insect. The swarm can't regain HP or gain temporary HP.

Death Sense. The swarm can detect undead and corpses within 120 feet.

Necrotic Shell. When a creature hits the swarm with a melee attack while within 5 feet, it takes 2 (1d4) necrotic damage from the beetles' charged carapaces.

Actions

Bites. Melee: +4 to hit, reach 0 ft, one target in the swarm's space. Hit: 10 (4d4) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) necrotic damage, or 5 (2d4) piercing damage plus 1 necrotic damage if the swarm has half its HP or fewer. The target must succeed on a DC 11 CON save or have the damaged area go numb: disadvantage on ability checks using that limb (GM's discretion) until the end of the target's next turn.