Looking at classic Dungeons & Dragons monsters, I was inspired to port one of the more benign yet deadly creatures into the Shadowrun setting. The rust monster’s cyber-fantasy counterpart? The bio-engineered rust beetle. This week’s article includes both a write-up of the creature as well as an adventure seed.
Rust Beetle
Core Stats
B 2
A 6
R 8
S 1
W 2
L 2
I 6
C 1
E 2
ESS 3
M 0
Supplementary Stats
Initiative 10 + 1D6
Movement x2/x8/+3
Condition Monitor 8/10
Limits Physical 6, Mental 4, Social 2
Armor 3
Skills Climbing 4, Perception 6, Running 7, Sneaking 8
Powers Corrosive Spit, Immunity (Acid), Immunity (Fire)
Weaknesses Vulnerability (Wood)
Ecology
Environment urban
Organization swarm
Treasure none
Summary
A genetic experiment gone awry, the rust beetle was bio-engineered to aid in a rapid demolition of buildings. The scientists responsible for the creation of a handful of the beetles, however, neglected to take into account breeding and control. The rust beetles corrode and eat any metal they can find, indiscriminate of where they find it. This includes vehicles, weapons, circuitry, and cyberware. Having eaten, female beetles each lay 20-100 eggs, quickly turning a small problem into a dangerous infestation.
Females gestate eggs monthly. The lifespan of a rust beetle is, on average, 3-5 years, in which a single female beetle lays approximately 3,840 eggs. While a single rust beetle can be crushed under foot, they are not only numerous, but are fast and react quickly. Due to their design as de-construction aids, they are immune to acid and fire.
Like most of their polyphaga counterparts, the rust beetle is not aggressive towards other animals. They simply feed on the closest meal they can find. This often includes hapless Shadowrunners who wander near a nest. The beetles have lost some of their senses during the bio-engineering. On wooden surfaces, their reaction and speed decreases rapidly as if they are confused by the substance. Wood, however, is a rarer commodity in the current neon and steel dystopia.
Adventure Seed: Even Chrome Rusts
The PCs are approached by either their primary lead source or a new Johnson. Eldar Forces Demolition’s R&D team has created something they can’t control, but need to contain: insects that corrode and eat any and all forms of metal. This experimentation wasn’t exactly done “above board,” so the company needs to keep the solution on the down-low. In this case, shadowrunners. The characters are warned about the beetles speed, resistance to acid and fire, and breeding rate. They’re also informed of the beetles issues with wood. It’s not been long enough for too many eggs to have been laid so there should only be a few hundred beetles in the facility at most. The runners are expected to find and kill the majority of the beetles, with minimal damage to the overall research facility. A bonus will be provided if a few of the beetles can be contained alive.
EFD’s research facility is outside the city, and is an elegant-looking three-story building of rounded corners and circular windows. The building itself appears to be constructed from a mix of plastic and concrete, protecting it from the ravages of its new creations. Inside, however, the effects of the beetles can be seen. Light fixtures, computers, laboratory equipment… all have suffered damage from the unnatural insects. Lighting and electricity in the building is almost completely non-functional, though the beetles have yet to make their way to the generator.
How difficult it will be to handle the beetles is up to the wits of the players and machinations of the GM. There’s still plenty of metal left in the facility, so the beetles shouldn’t immediately be seen by the player characters, nor will they swarm the PCs upon entrance into the building. Once their nest is breached, however, any metal weaponry or cyberware on the PCs is in danger.
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