Okay, how to handle...

[kitcik]

It is not useless, since according to the rules I quoted earlier as a mind affecting spell ray of stupidity does affect it.

Errrrrrrrrrr, huh?
- The Swarm

 

[Visigani]

What about an aoe with a fort save ala Horrid Wilting?

 

[Ahnehnois]

It is not useless, since according to the rules I quoted earlier as a mind affecting spell ray of stupidity does affect it

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.

Same quote, new emphasis mine. The broodkeeper swarm, while it has an intelligence score, does not have a hive mind; therefore the exception that allows mind-affecting effects to work does not apply.

Not that you haven't raised an interesting issue (it's news to me that a ray could ever affect a swarm-I thought it was just targeted spells but the text seems to suggest otherwise), but in this particular case the spell does not work.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

While I still like the Insect Plague for pure poetry, what about EBT? It does do bludgeoning damage, after all.

 

[frankthedm]

While I still like the Insect Plague for pure poetry, what about EBT? It does do bludgeoning damage, after all.

Also, they cannot be tripped, grappled, or bull rushed, and they cannot grapple an opponent.

Once the tentacles grapple an opponent, they may make a grapple check each round on your turn to deal 1d6+4 points of bludgeoning damage.

So no, that spell won't touch the buggers.

 

[Hassassin]

Same quote, new emphasis mine. The broodkeeper swarm, while it has an intelligence score, does not have a hive mind; therefore the exception that allows mind-affecting effects to work does not apply.

Not that you haven't raised an interesting issue (it's news to me that a ray could ever affect a swarm-I thought it was just targeted spells but the text seems to suggest otherwise), but in this particular case the spell does not work.

I thought having an intelligence score implied having a hive mind, but looking at the wasp swarm I see I was wrong. So no mind affecting magic against this one.

 

[Visigani]

Is it susceptible to nonlethal damage? If so there are a few nonlethal aoes with will saves in phb2

 

[krupintupple]

Well, you don't need to be offensive - I wasn't speaking about touch of idiocy, but rather, ray of stupidity, which subsequent research has indicated can drop things below 1, effectively one-shotting them.

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.

 

[Empirate]

I'd recommend Necrotic Skull Bomb. That's an AoE version of Enervation, with a Fort save attached unfortunately. Should make for a METRIC TON of wights to run from a few rounds later, though...

 

[Jackinthegreen]

Well, you don't need to be offensive - I wasn't speaking about touch of idiocy, but rather, ray of stupidity, which subsequent research has indicated can drop things below 1, effectively one-shotting them.

After rereading the post I guess I was a bit offensive, and I apologize.

However, DMs should know the big hitters in the sources they allow, and plan for it accordingly.

If a caster regularly uses Ray of Stupidity, then CRs for most everything with an int of 3 or less should probably drop to reflect the lowered experience from trivializing the encounter. Entirely getting rid of things your party will 1-shot can lessen the game.