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<blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 6056018" data-attributes="member: 6696971"><p>I've done this plenty of times for all manner of mass combat (barbarian hordes, stampedes, packs of dogs, unruly mobs of peasants, etc). Its worked just fine. You just have to match the narrative appropriately. Swarm rules just let you meta-game/abstract fights with multiple creatures and post-hoc fictionalize the results. You can narrate it however you guys wish. You can have a troll swarm be 3, 5, 10 trolls. The mechanics don't dictate your fiction. One attack against a swarm can be a killing blow against a troll, while another doesn't. The only thing that truly matters is that once their HPs are gone, and there is no further regen possible, the last troll dies (hopefully horribly <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite7" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue :p" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":p" /> ). The mechanics of the monster aren't your 1:1 fiction...they're a roadmap that roughly represents your fiction for ease of mechanical resolution. The fiction is your fiction! Therefore, your fiction doesn't have to be a 1:1 mapping of the operational results of your mechanical resoltion. Basically just as you would treat a Skill Challenge. </p><p> </p><p>If you want, you can break out individual trolls (maybe with 25 % HPs...I would say minions but you don't want to do that) once a Swarm is Bloodied. </p><p> </p><p>Anyway, those things would help your overhead dramatically and allow for thematic, climactic and tactical play to be your main concern. Its always worked for me and my table swimmingly in the past but you guys may have considerable stronger Process Simulationist Agenda leanings than we have. Sounds like that might be the case so you may need another answer. S'mon might be a good person to ask as he plays 4e and his table appear to be more Sim Agenda oriented.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Manbearcat, post: 6056018, member: 6696971"] I've done this plenty of times for all manner of mass combat (barbarian hordes, stampedes, packs of dogs, unruly mobs of peasants, etc). Its worked just fine. You just have to match the narrative appropriately. Swarm rules just let you meta-game/abstract fights with multiple creatures and post-hoc fictionalize the results. You can narrate it however you guys wish. You can have a troll swarm be 3, 5, 10 trolls. The mechanics don't dictate your fiction. One attack against a swarm can be a killing blow against a troll, while another doesn't. The only thing that truly matters is that once their HPs are gone, and there is no further regen possible, the last troll dies (hopefully horribly :p ). The mechanics of the monster aren't your 1:1 fiction...they're a roadmap that roughly represents your fiction for ease of mechanical resolution. The fiction is your fiction! Therefore, your fiction doesn't have to be a 1:1 mapping of the operational results of your mechanical resoltion. Basically just as you would treat a Skill Challenge. If you want, you can break out individual trolls (maybe with 25 % HPs...I would say minions but you don't want to do that) once a Swarm is Bloodied. Anyway, those things would help your overhead dramatically and allow for thematic, climactic and tactical play to be your main concern. Its always worked for me and my table swimmingly in the past but you guys may have considerable stronger Process Simulationist Agenda leanings than we have. Sounds like that might be the case so you may need another answer. S'mon might be a good person to ask as he plays 4e and his table appear to be more Sim Agenda oriented. [/QUOTE]
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