Star Wars Universe Roleplaying Game

Flame Beetle

Flame beetles are small, chitin-covered insects found in caves, lava tubes, industrial ruins, and geothermal regions across the galaxy. Their bodies contain a naturally heated bioluminescent core that glows faintly through cracks in their shell, giving them their name and making them easy to spot in the dark.

Despite their size, flame beetles are dangerous in confined spaces. They are drawn to heat, vibration, and artificial light, often swarming around generators, campfires, or exposed power conduits. While individually weak, their volatile biology makes killing them at close range risky, especially when multiple beetles are present.

Flame beetles are not aggressive hunters. They bite defensively when threatened or cornered, relying on numbers and their explosive demise to deter predators. Many frontier settlers consider them pests rather than true monsters—until a nest is disturbed and the tunnels start glowing.

Wildlife encounters in SWURPG hit different than firefights. Flame Beetle doesn’t “hold ground” or “follow orders” — it follows instinct: territory, hunger, fear, or protection of a nest. Run it like a living threat: ambush angles, terrain advantage, and a clear “what it wants” that drives its choices every round.

Recommended Level Range: 1  |  Difficulty Rating (DR): 0.25

Flame Beetle Stat Block (SWURPG)

Flame Beetle in Play

Flame beetles rely on ambush and numbers rather than strength. They cling to ceilings and walls, dropping onto targets when disturbed. In combat, they rush the nearest heat source or light-bearing creature.

They fight without fear, biting until destroyed. Use Volatile Death aggressively: beetles cluster together, making careless melee attacks dangerous. Flame beetles should rarely pursue fleeing enemies; instead, they defend nests, tunnels, or heat sources.

At higher levels, flame beetles work best as environmental pressure—forcing movement, breaking stealth, or punishing reckless close-quarters fighting while a more serious threat approaches.

Adventure Hooks Featuring Flame Beetle

• Glowing Tunnels: A mining tunnel is abandoned after workers report moving lights and sudden flashes. The real danger isn’t the beetles—it’s what the miners broke into while fleeing.
• Power Drain: A settlement’s generator keeps overheating. Flame beetles have nested inside the ventilation system, drawn by the constant heat.
• Fire in the Dark: While sneaking through a cave system, the party’s lights awaken a dormant flame beetle nest, turning stealth into chaos.

To explore more creatures, return to the Creatures & Wildlife index and expand your roster with additional predators, pests, pack hunters, and megafauna.