Boulder beetle

boulder beetle B
HP	33 - 64
HD	9
XP	62
Speed	3
AC	20
EV	2
Will	36
Attack1	45 (bite: plain)
Resistances	None
Vulnerabilities	Poison
Habitat	land
Intelligence	Insect
Uses	Uses nothing
Holiness	Natural
Size	Big
Type	giant beetle, boulder beetle
Flags	No skeleton

A huge grey beetle with an almost impenetrable rocky carapace.

Useful Info

Boulder beetles are the most massive beetles in the game, using their brutal melee attacks and decent AC whenever a player lets them get into melee. When encountered at range, they occasionally roll into a ball and rush you; this raises their speed from 6 to 14, makes them unable to change direction until they strike something, and deals 3d20 physical damage if they ram into you. They also use this ability to escape from combat when heavily wounded. This attack cannot be dodged with evasion, but you can block it with a shield (and send it going the other way with a shield of reflection!). Boulder beetles can be found in the mid-to-late Dungeon, as well as in the deeper parts of the Lair.

Tips & Tricks

• A rolling boulder beetle is subject to inertia, and will continue to roll even if put to sleep, confused, or petrified.
• Fast characters will have a much easier time with boulder beetles; you can easily kite them before or after they start rolling. Other characters should be cautious when facing them, particularly in long hallways where stepping aside just isn't an option.
• They've got vulnerability to poison, making it easy to bypass their AC and take them out if you have access to Poison Magic or other poison sources. They've also got weak magic resistance and wimpy HD, so Hexes or even disabling wands can stop them fairly easily.
• If you manage to get two boulder beetles to roll into each other, they will both take damage and be confused afterwards, giving you a window of opportunity to beat up on them or run away. Just be sure to step clear in time to avoid getting crushed between them.

History

Prior to 0.11, boulder beetles could not roll at you.