#cr21

Gaialar

CR 21 Giant

When the balance of the world teeters, gaialars awaken - colossal beings of stone, soil, and spirit. Forests bloom in its footsteps, mountains bow to its will, and even storms hush in reverence. It is the pulse of the earth made flesh.

💬 What would you do if you stand before such an ancient being?

Halloween Zero-to-Thirty Challenge Rating Challenge

October 21st Prompt: Insects

Leviathan Beetle (Challenge 21)

Lore

In remote desert worlds, some insects have evolved to monstrous heights, growing larger than seemingly possible in most worlds' climates and atmospheres. The leviathan beetle stands tall among them as the largest recorded insect of any world, resembling a rhinoceros beetle but at mind-boggling scales. They stand over 20 feet high at the apex of their carapaces, with horns as thick as tree trunks.

Despite their impressive size, leviathan beetles are not inherently dangerous creatures. They are herbivorous, seeking out occasional trees and patches of grass for nourishment in sparse climates. Their horns are primarily used to root up underground vegetation, but can also serve as formidable weapons when fighting other beetles over territory or mates. The carapace of a leviathan beetle can withstand the teeth of predators as well as most conventional weaponry.

Desert Survivor. The leviathan beetle is naturally adapted to hot climates and can go up to 30 days without drinking water before suffering exhaustion effects.

Thri-kreen Symbiosis

The insectoid thri-kreen people regularly employ leviathan beetles as transportation across long distances while they criss-cross the deserts looking for food and shelter. Occasionally a beetle can be seen with dozens of thri-kreen broodlings clinging to its carapace as it traverses the dunes. The beetles may seem like mere beasts of burdens in this dynamic, but in truth the relationship is mutually beneficial; the gigantic insects often seek out thri-kreen tribes when resources are scarce, as they are proven desert foragers who can lead the beetles to oases and new breeding grounds.

After many generations of coexistence, leviathan beetles have even developed the ability to understand the gestured Thri-kreen language, and thri-kreen in turn can readily pick up on the emotions of the beetles through a shared psionic telepathy. This empathic connection makes the two solid allies in the harsh desert environment, allowing them to stay in sync and coordinate attacks during thri-kreen hunts or when warding off predators.

Psionic Connection. When a thri-kreen is riding a leviathan beetle and is hit by a ranged weapon attack, once per short rest, the leviathan beetle can use its reaction to intercept the missile, making itself the target of the attack. The attack roll is contested by the beetle's armor class, potentially turning the attack from a hit into a miss.

Additionally, if a psionic thri-kreen is riding a leviathan beetle, its spells gain additional effects:

When the thri-kreen casts blur or invisibility on itself, the leviathan beetle also gains the effects of the spell for the duration.

The thri-kreen can cast magic weapon on the leviathan beetle to make all of its attacks deal magical damage and gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls.

When the thri-kreen makes a Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration on a spell, once per day, it can choose to use the leviathan beetle's Constitution saving throw bonus.

It’s time! Moderator applications are open until Monday, March 8th, 2021 11:59 pm CST. 

-> Mod applications here! <-

Please be sure to give yourself some time to fill out the application properly!

cross|roads is a zine focused on Avatar: the Last Airbender. This version of the zine will center around the theme of new beginnings. More information about the timeline and this project’s goals can be found in the links below.

FAQ

Schedule