Okay, how to handle...

[Hassassin]

Wait, so ray of stupidity/idiocy (2nd level arcane) will drop the entire swarm in one shot, sans save? What?

Is it like Ray of Enfeeblement, except for Int? Does it have the limit of not dropping Int below 1? If it's a mind-affecting spell it'll work on the swarm, but I don't know what its effects are.

 

[Crothian]

Rays only target one target and per the original post

"Spells that target a single creature, a specific/limited number of creatures, will have no effect on it"

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'd say a couple good fighters with casters healing/enhancing them could take it. I suspect that a fighter of this level, even after all those drawbacks, could deal more than the average of 5d6 damage in a round and that a whole party with a healer would have an effective reserve of much greater than 170 hp. Make sure to stay far enough apart that it can't hit multiple characters at once!

In our current 3.5Ed campaign, one thing that would be going on would be my Geomancer burning Turn Undead every once in a while to grant party members Fast Heal3, courtesy of Sacred Healing.

Since its an AoE thing, though, I'd have to be careful with my targeting...

 

[Hassassin]

Rays only target one target and per the original post

"Spells that target a single creature, a specific/limited number of creatures, will have no effect on it"

But that's only a part of the rules.

A swarm is immune to any spell or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate), with the exception of mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects) if the swarm has an Intelligence score and a hive mind.

 

[kitcik]

But that's only a part of the rules.

Good point, but I would not classify a Ray of Stupidity as mind-affecting (even though it seemingly is). It has a direct impact on an attribute rather than causing you to change your perception. Causing a change in perception is basically D&D's definition of mind-affecting.

 

[Greenfield]

Wait, so ray of stupidity/idiocy (2nd level arcane) will drop the entire swarm in one shot, sans save? What?

Do you mean Touch of Idiocy?

Single target, and won't drop anything to an Int below 1.

And while mind affecting spells can work on a swarm, they only work if there's a hive mind. These critters don't have that.

To be specific, by the way, we faced several of these at once, and our "victory" was to escape with our lives.

This swarm seems to be designed to reverse conventional wisdom for dealing with swarms: Area effect spells are more or less a no-go. Brute force melee damage is the answer.

Either that, or running like hell.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Sounds like this scinareo should be on the list 101 uses for the Mount Spell. It kinda is #15.

 

[Jackinthegreen]

Cast Haste on the horses! Quickly now!

 

[krupintupple]

Is it like Ray of Enfeeblement, except for Int? Does it have the limit of not dropping Int below 1? If it's a mind-affecting spell it'll work on the swarm, but I don't know what its effects are.

I've read a lot of griping and groaning from DM's who've claimed that it can drop things below 1, meaning that it's an insta-kill for most regular animal types that you'd encounter, because even a rampaging dire bear will just flop over if it takes 2 damage. Might need to check into this one a little more...

 

[Jackinthegreen]

I've read a lot of griping and groaning from DM's who've claimed that it can drop things below 1, meaning that it's an insta-kill for most regular animal types that you'd encounter, because even a rampaging dire bear will just flop over if it takes 2 damage. Might need to check into this one a little more...

Touch of Idiocy :: d20srd.org

Note the line where it says "This penalty can’t reduce any of these scores below 1." The DM's you've mentioned are either referring to a different spell, or are complete morons for not reading the actual description in full.