So, in the group that I'm DMing, they ran into a fire beetle a while ago and thanks to the fighters Handle Animal and some beef jerky they tamed it and made it the party mascot naming it Squish.
Two levels and one town burned down by a cult late, they were running around in an abandoned mine trying to find the cults headquarters. They found the ancient temple and were then attacked by the Octopus-like Abomination guardian, sadly, it only barely survived into the second round due to concentrated ranged attacks. They decided that they didn't want to risk Squish's death and left him behind happily eating the abominations corpse.
Going off of a passing comment one of them made I rolled on a table I made up and rolled in the 2% that Squish would be subject to a random spell that would permanently alter him. Rolled, got Awaken. So the Fire Beetle is going to end up with an Int of 15.
Rather than just making it a Magical Beast I think it'd be funny to give it class levels, I'm just having a hard time deciding what class to give it, though some type of caster is top of my list.
Party already has a Cleric, and since there's only 3 players I'm trying to avoid stepping on toes class wise
bloodrager, aberrant bloodline...
Bloodrager?
Bloodrager?
OOOH, nevermind I found them
Hmmmm, not quite what I'm looking for, I was debating between Sorc or Bard
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Well, he's a fire beetle. That just SCREAMS sorcerer with the Elemental (Fire) bloodline. Most beetles just get glowy butts. Squish shoots EXPLODING DEATH BALLS AND SCORCHING RAYS out of his.
The only problem is that Squish likely has terrible Charisma, which means that the Sage bloodline is probably the only one he could viably take. You could make him kind of a Light sorcerer: Taking spells that banish darkness, provide light for the party, etc. Maybe even a few illusion spells (I mean, Glitterdust is practically MADE for this guy. Yeah, it's Conjuration, but still).
Maybe Oracle?
Investigator! Instead of Alchemy, he makes magic chemicals in his luminescent glands.
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Now that I look at the stats, we have this:
STATISTICS
Str 10, Dex 11, Con 11, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 7(+1d3)
Straight conversion using Awaken, he is pretty average. Straight INt class that doesn't need things he can't do. I think a Witch would be great. No spellbook to lug around and the familiar would be as big as him
Hmmmm, everybody is making too many good ideas. The potential for sillyness, it's off the charts
everyone thinks he should be an ultra fire beatle, meanwhile I think he's a fire beatle who gained class levels from eating an abomination...
It's a high fantasy setting and I'm allowing sillyness as long as it doesn't get too ridiculous.
everyone thinks he should be an ultra fire beatle, meanwhile I think he's a fire beatle who gained class levels from eating an abomination...
Or maybe he's the abomination that ate the fire beetle and took it's form...
everyone thinks he should be an ultra fire beatle, meanwhile I think he's a fire beatle who gained class levels from eating an abomination...Or maybe he's the abomination that ate the fire beetle and took it's form...
oh god, plot twist
I'm also planning on giving him a really high pitched, squeaky voice. Might as well annoy them a little bit
Gunslinger, but rather than a gun, he shoots fireballs from his glands.
Gunslinger, but rather than a gun, he shoots fireballs from his glands.
So give him the Sorcerer Elemental Ray power but Gunslinger class?
Alchemist, make him shoot actual fire from his butt for the bombs class feature.
Alchemist, make him shoot actual fire from his butt for the bombs class feature.
This is what happens when a Bombadier beetle crossbreeds with a dung beetle
i still say the little bugger should tear people apart in melee.
Go wizard. If you're going to shoot the moon shoot it. The beetle has a book strapped to it's carapace that it manipulates with Mage Hand. I like the idea that it uses light and fire as it's weapons. Burning Hands, Scorching Ray, but also Dancing Lights, Flare, and Continual Flame. At higher levels Daylight, Fire Shield, and the various color spray/rainbow/prismatic spells.
Give him a familiar. Don't go hokey with it but really play it up. This thing would be an amazing cohort. You could give it all those crafting feats no one wanted to take, give it's familiar the Valet archetype so that the thing can aid Squish in it's crafting, and have the fire beetle making wands/potions for the party's use. If he occasionally has to actually be in combat he's got some offensive spells to contribute with. If you're worried about somatic materials have the beetle take a feat to get rid of them or give it a magic item that makes it anthropomorphic.
I don't know; with stats like the above array that's the way I'd go with him.