Explosive Death. When the Acid Ant is reduced to 0 hit points, it explodes in a burst of acid. Each creature within 5ft of the Acid Ant must succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or take 5(2d4) acid damage.
Keen Smell. The Acid Ant has advantage on Wisdom(Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Bite: Melee weapon attack, +3 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit 3(1d4+1) piercing damage plus 2(1d4) acid damage.
Acid Spit: Ranged weapon attack, +3 to hit, range 20/60ft, one target. Hit 5(2d4) acid damage and the target takes 1 acid damage at the start of each of its turns unless the target uses its action to wipe off the spit.
Description
"An ant the size of a house cat with a throbbing green abdomen gnaws everything in sight. Hissing liquid drips from its chittering mandibles."
Though a single ant is barely a problem, these colonial insects travel in acid-spewing hordes that can lay waste to an entire village in a matter of hours.
Endless Appetite. The arcane energy that swirls within the Acid Ant keeps them constantly hungry. Their acidic bite allows them to devour almost any matter, though Acid Ants prefer the taste of meat. The beasts stay in an area until they have consumed everything organic and then hunt for more food, carving a path of devastation wherever they go.
Potential Weapons. Many people of Rhymorra have thought to capture and unleash Acid Ants upon predators. Such a challenge often results in people losing their lives to the ants. First, the ants must be captured. Then, those ants must be held in acid-proof housing; otherwise, they're not contained for long. If these initial steps can be accomplished, the next challenge is releasing the ants in a way that they devour only enemies. Purple Dragonborn of Rhymorra, being partially immune to the acid of an Acid Ant, have mastered this technique and are considered the most dangerous people in all of Rhymorra.
Rhymorran Origins. No one knows how Acid Ants came to be, but elemental magic was involved. Perhaps they are the product of a deranged wizard's experiment or an elemental summoning ritual gone awry. Scholars and adventurers hunt for the origin of these ants, searching for knowledge to better understand and annihilate these beasts.
Ant Colony. Acid Ants are sometimes found with Vicious Ants and Vicious Ant Queens. In these cases, the Acid Ants are a specialized warrior caste within the hive that still answer to the queen.
Variant: Fungal Acid Ants.
Fungal spores are strangely attracted to the chitinous shell of Acid Ants. If the green, mossy fungus covers the shell of an ant, it is immune to the Poisoned condition and replaces the Explosive Death trait with the following:
Fungi Bloom. A creature that touches the ant or hits it with a melee attack while within 5ft of it must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be Poisoned until the end of its next turn.
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