Reanimation Protocol. When the swarms hit points are reduced to zero it makes a DC 15 constitution saving throw, on a success it reassembles itself and regains 11 (2d10) hit points. Each time the swarm uses this feature after the first, the DC increases by 5. When it finish a short or long rest, the DC resets to 15.
Living Metal. The swam regains 3 hit points at the start of its turn. If the swarm takes acid damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of the swarm's next turn. The swarm dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate.
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny scarab.
Matter Breakdown. If the swarm starts its turn in the same space as a dead creature that is Large or smaller, the corpse is destroyed, leaving behind only equipment as the body is consumed and turned into raw energy.
Spider Climb. The swarm can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Ravenous Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the swarm’s space. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing damage, or 7 (2d6) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer. If the target is a creature, scarabs burrow into its body, and the creature takes 3 (1d6) piercing damage at the start of each of its turns. Any creature can use an action to kill or remove the scarabs with fire or a weapon that deals piercing damage, causing 1 damage of the appropriate type to the target. A creature reduced to 0 hit points by the swarm’s piercing damage dies.
Canoptek Servator. The swarm converges on a construct or structure within 5 feet of it. The target is repaired through the swarms collected energy, the swarm can spend any number of hit die causing the target to regain hit points equal to the rolled amount.
Sacrificial Scarab. When an attack hits a allied creature within 5 ft. of the swarm, as a reaction the swarm can take the hit instead.
Description
Variant Canoptek Traits. Roll a d6 to determine variant trait.
1-2: Guardian Construct. While the creature is within 30 feet of a friendly Cryptek and rolls a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack it can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2.
3-4: Optimised Aggressors. As a bonus action, the creature can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see.
5-6: Self-replicator Nodes. The creature has advantage on Constitution saving throws made to determine reanimation protocols.
Base creatures are among the first to respond to sinister forces at work in a land. As nefarious powers grip an area, populations of maggots, scarabs, and similar scavenging insects explode and become aggressive predators. Roll on the Swarm Behavior table to see how such swarms might manifest.
A Canoptek Scarab is a small, silver, beetle-like Necron construct. These robotic scarabs are the most numerous and diverse of the Necrons' Canoptek machine servants. They are designed to break down organic and non-organic matter into raw energy, which can then be woven into fresh construct forms at the direction of the scarabs' controller.
Essentially mindless feeding and replication machines of various sizes and functions, their swift, darting movements and their high-pitched chittering mimic in form and behaviour organic invertebrates of a similar role but, directed by the will of a Cryptek or slaved to the more complex artificial intelligence of a Canoptek Spyder, they are capable of staggering feats of construction and destruction.
It is for this latter function they are used by the Necron Lords as weapons of war -- an all-devouring tide of skittering metal launched ahead of a Necron phalanx that can break down tanks and fortifications and force an enemy to expend its firepower in frantic efforts to halt the onslaughts.
However, Canoptek Scarabs lack a true hive mind. A swarm of scarabs has no more true intelligence than one scarab alone -- which is to say none at all. All they are driven by are simple instructions and even simpler instincts.
Nevertheless, their highly sophisticated auto-routines and construct-patterns allow them to build Necron weapons and vehicles of immense power in a surprisingly brief time. Canoptek Scarabs are fearsome enemies in swarms due to their horrifying nature as mindless feeding machines.
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