Western Honey Bee

Apis mellifera · Insect

Honey bees nest in hollow trees and other cavities wherever flowers are plentiful, wild or in a keeper's hive, and in winter the colony packs into a ball and warms itself with its wing muscles. A worker stings only to defend the nest, but an angry colony is a real hazard. People have long taken honey and wax, and also pollen, propolis and royal jelly for medicines.

Danger: Dangerous if cornered
How it is met: In colonies, by day
Size: Tiny
In winter: Active in winter

Hear it

Bees Flying Around (Loop) (On Patreon, Guardian tier)

Where it lives

Temperate Forest, Savanna, Grassland

Gives

Western Honey Bee Propolis, Honey Comb, Beeswax Block, Crystallized Honey

Stat blocks (D&D 5e)

Swarm of Insects

Medium Swarm of Tiny Beasts, Unaligned

AC 11 · Initiative +1 (11)

HP 19 (3d8 + 6)

Speed 20 ft., Climb or Fly 20 ft. (GM’s choice)

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
3 (−4), save −4	13 (+1), save +1	14 (+2), save +2	1 (−5), save −5	7 (−2), save −2	1 (−5), save −5

Resistances Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing

Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Prone, Restrained, Stunned

Senses Blindsight 30 ft.; Passive Perception 8

Languages None

CR 1/2 (XP 100; PB +2)

Traits

Spider Climb. If the swarm has a Climb Speed, the swarm can climb difficult surfaces, including along ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny insect. The swarm can’t regain Hit Points or gain Temporary Hit Points.

Actions

Bites. Melee Attack Roll: +3, reach 5 ft. Hit: 6 (2d4 + 1) Poison damage, or 3 (1d4 + 1) Poison damage if the swarm is Bloodied.

This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 ("SRD 5.2.1") by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.

Sources

George Hammond, Madison Blankenship, Apis mellifera (honey bee). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, 2009.

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