Homebrew Coleopterans Species Details

Deep underground in the dense forests, Coleopterans dig away, constantly maintaining and expanding their homes. Their almost alien look is disturbing to many, leading to often fearful encounters.

The few that leave their homes find work in mines, excavation, and even construction.

Chittering Voices, Chitin Body 

The smooth chitin bodies of the Coleopterans are punctuated by their twitching antennae, and protruding claws and mandibles. The chittering echoes throughout their caves, a foreign yet simple dialect.

Gentle Giant?

Despite their imposing figures, Coleopterans are mostly harmless. Their underground life makes agoraphobia common in their race, contributing to their reluctance to exit their hives.

Coleopterans take special care of their antennae, working as hearing and smell organs. Additionally, they work as 'sensory insulation'. If their antennae are damaged, Coleopterans are highly like to suffer from overstimulation.

In this state, their hearing and smell senses can be amplified up to 100x their normal capacity. The pain from this causes a berserk state in which the Coleopteran has little control over their own body and safety, making them a danger to themselves as much as anyone nearby.

Culture and Work Ethics of the Beetle

Opportunities to work are alluring to a Coleopteran, eager to put themselves to use. Prolonged periods of inactivity can make them jittery and restless, described by many as 'minotaur in a jewelry shop' mentality.

A Coleopteran will gladly work everyday of their life until death, only ever resting when injured or otherwise urgent event occurs. Coleopteran hives rarely allow visitors, only seen as work disturbances.

Despite being a relatively simple-minded race, Coleopterans have their share of cultural events and celebrations. All Coleopterans within a hive are birthed from one Queen. Due to this, Coleopterans refer to each other as siblings. Although there can be male and female workers, there is only one Queen within a single hive.

A War of Matriarchs

Once a month, hives within roughly 5 miles of each other will send out their Queen along with a group of worker guards. These packs will meet at the exact middle distance between the hives, and proceed to perform what observers have dubbed 'Le - Op Kwang'.

The worker guards will form a ring around the Queens, and begin a loud rhythmic chirp. The Queens will then extend their horns and ram into each other, forming a horn lock. Twisting and turning, the Queens will wrestle to destroy the others horns. Some encounters can take up to an hour before the a single horn snaps.

After a horn is broken, the workers will plant their heads to the ground and emit a deafening call. Audible from a mile away, the vibrations caused by this chirp travel to the Queen's hives to inform of the winner. After receiving a responding chirp from their hives, the Queens and workers will travel back, the winner claiming the broken horn as a trophy.

Coleopterans Traits

As a Coleopteran, your bulk allows you to rival even the strongest of other races. Your burrowing ability gives you a unique advantage over other races, but it should be used with caution.

Tremorsense

You have 10 feet of tremorsense.

Natural Armor

The tough chitin hide grants them decent defense, even when unarmored. Your base armor class is 10.

Ability Score Increase

An ability score of your choice increases by 3.

Age

Coleopterans reach maturity around 3 months. Their life cycles are extremely short compared to other humanoids, rarely living longer than 5 years.

Alignment

Coleopterans have strict regimens and disciplines, rarely drifting from lawful alignments. Due to their selfless work ethic, it is uncommon to find an evil Coleopteran.

Size

Coleopterans stand tall around 6 or 7 feet tall. Their hulky figures weigh around 200 - 300 pounds. Your size is medium, but for carrying capacity is treated as large.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Burrowing

You have a burrowing speed of 10 feet. To use this, you must be on earthen ground such as dirt. Harder materials such as stone cannot be burrowed.

Languages

You can speak, read and write in Common and Coleop.