Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
I have an issue with swarms
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="MNblockhead" data-source="post: 7600087" data-attributes="member: 6796661"><p>The reason most real-world animals that swarm do so is for defensive reasons. It makes it much harder for predators to attack in the confusion of a swarm.</p><p></p><p>The first thing I would do with most swarms is give disadvantage to all attacks against a swarm unless it is an AOE spell/ability. </p><p></p><p>Next, it depends on what the swarm is. If controlled by an intelligent being (e.g. bats controlled by a vampire) or if the swarm has its own intelligence (e.g. cranium rats) I may give some tactical combat advantages. Generally that would simply be multiattack and increased to-hit bonuses. </p><p></p><p>Keep in mind that some swarms should make obscure site and in some cases give the blinded condition. </p><p></p><p>The area of the swarm should be treated as difficult terrain. We had "frog crossing" signs in central Wisconsin, not for the frogs sake, but because hitting hundreds of frogs while driving down a highway could be deadly to the driver as much as the poor amphibians. I would imagine that trying to walk among hundreds of biting rats would be difficult. </p><p></p><p>For ground swarms, treat it as slippery, make a dex save at the start of each round or fall prone. </p><p></p><p>Make a fear check when first encountered. I'm not scared of insects, but I've been chased by bees and have sat on anthills. Neither were true swarms, but it ruined my day. You survival reactions kick in and it would take experience, training, or high mental fortitude to keep your calm in a true swarm. </p><p></p><p>For insect swarms, you could have them cause breathing problems. Locust swarms are horrible to be caught in and they will eat almost everything but the only instances of locust swarms killing people are from breathing problems. Perhaps impose a level of exhaustion for every round in a swarm. With stinging insects you can requires con saves or get the poisoned condition. </p><p></p><p>So, going to your bat example. First, we'll assume that this is a natural swarm of a species of bat that evolved to be aggressive. </p><p></p><p>1. Frightful. Any creature in the swarm must make a DC 12 Wisdom safe or become afraid. They can make a new save at the start of each round. Once a save is made, that creature is immune to fright from this kind of swarm for the next 24 hours.</p><p></p><p>2. Heavily Obscured. Anyone within the swarm has the blinded condition. This affects normal vision, dark vision, truesight, and blind sight (unless through echolocation)</p><p></p><p>3. Hard to move safely. Anyone in the swarm moves as if in difficult terrain. This includes flying creatures. </p><p></p><p>4. Deafening. Anyone in the swarm is deafened by screeching of hundreds/thousands of bats flying around them.</p><p></p><p>5. Hard to hit. All attacks against the swarm are made at disadvantage, whether from inside or outside the swarm, unless they are AOE attacks. </p><p></p><p>6. Chance of rabies. For every successful attack by the swarm there is a 10% that the hit creature will be subjected to a rabid bite. The creature must make a DC 15 saving throw or contact Rabies. After 24 hours the creature will lose one point of Wisdom and one point of Constitution and will continue to lose a point of Wisdom and point of Constitution every 24 hours until either reaches zero, at which point the creature dies. Lessor restoration will cure the disease. </p><p></p><p></p><p>This makes a bat swarm a memorable encounter without simply giving it more attacks or easier to hit attacks.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="MNblockhead, post: 7600087, member: 6796661"] The reason most real-world animals that swarm do so is for defensive reasons. It makes it much harder for predators to attack in the confusion of a swarm. The first thing I would do with most swarms is give disadvantage to all attacks against a swarm unless it is an AOE spell/ability. Next, it depends on what the swarm is. If controlled by an intelligent being (e.g. bats controlled by a vampire) or if the swarm has its own intelligence (e.g. cranium rats) I may give some tactical combat advantages. Generally that would simply be multiattack and increased to-hit bonuses. Keep in mind that some swarms should make obscure site and in some cases give the blinded condition. The area of the swarm should be treated as difficult terrain. We had "frog crossing" signs in central Wisconsin, not for the frogs sake, but because hitting hundreds of frogs while driving down a highway could be deadly to the driver as much as the poor amphibians. I would imagine that trying to walk among hundreds of biting rats would be difficult. For ground swarms, treat it as slippery, make a dex save at the start of each round or fall prone. Make a fear check when first encountered. I'm not scared of insects, but I've been chased by bees and have sat on anthills. Neither were true swarms, but it ruined my day. You survival reactions kick in and it would take experience, training, or high mental fortitude to keep your calm in a true swarm. For insect swarms, you could have them cause breathing problems. Locust swarms are horrible to be caught in and they will eat almost everything but the only instances of locust swarms killing people are from breathing problems. Perhaps impose a level of exhaustion for every round in a swarm. With stinging insects you can requires con saves or get the poisoned condition. So, going to your bat example. First, we'll assume that this is a natural swarm of a species of bat that evolved to be aggressive. 1. Frightful. Any creature in the swarm must make a DC 12 Wisdom safe or become afraid. They can make a new save at the start of each round. Once a save is made, that creature is immune to fright from this kind of swarm for the next 24 hours. 2. Heavily Obscured. Anyone within the swarm has the blinded condition. This affects normal vision, dark vision, truesight, and blind sight (unless through echolocation) 3. Hard to move safely. Anyone in the swarm moves as if in difficult terrain. This includes flying creatures. 4. Deafening. Anyone in the swarm is deafened by screeching of hundreds/thousands of bats flying around them. 5. Hard to hit. All attacks against the swarm are made at disadvantage, whether from inside or outside the swarm, unless they are AOE attacks. 6. Chance of rabies. For every successful attack by the swarm there is a 10% that the hit creature will be subjected to a rabid bite. The creature must make a DC 15 saving throw or contact Rabies. After 24 hours the creature will lose one point of Wisdom and one point of Constitution and will continue to lose a point of Wisdom and point of Constitution every 24 hours until either reaches zero, at which point the creature dies. Lessor restoration will cure the disease. This makes a bat swarm a memorable encounter without simply giving it more attacks or easier to hit attacks. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
I have an issue with swarms
Top