Swarm character

[GuJiaXian]

I want to build a 3.x character who can easily (and, preferably, at will) turn into a swarm (bats are most iconic, but any type works). So, to that end, I'm looking for methods on who to do this without using any house rules and such.

A few of the options I've noticed include the Swarm-Shifter template in Libris Mortis (only a +1 ECL, though you have to be undead) and the warlock's Dark Discorporation (though you need to be 16th level to take it).

The party is currently 9th level. Any ideas?

 

[Eldritch_Lord]

Necropolitan turns you undead at the cost of some XP and a ritual, so you could build a 7th level necropolitan swarmshifter fairly easily.

As far as I know, there are no other good/easy ways to become a swarm. All the spells that would allow it are high-level and obviously only a few times per day, and even the various shapeshifter PrCs don't generally allow at-will shapechanging.

 

[GuJiaXian]

What about dipping a single level (1st level) into one of the undead monster classes from LM (like the wight or ghoul) and then just going with a regular class? That way I'd only be down one level (from the Swarm-Shifter template) rather than two. Would that work?

[edit]

Nope, it wouldn't; as soon as I took a level of an undead monster class, I'd have to finish that entire progression before taking levels in another class. Looks like necropolitan is the only way to go.

 

[GuJiaXian]

All right, further question. Suppose I was a necropolitan with the Swarm-Shifter template. Once I took four levels of a class with a good BAB (such as fighter, even), I'd qualify for the Warshaper PrC (since I'd have the shapechanger subtype).

That said, how exactly would the Warshaper abilities interact with a swarm form? For example, perhaps Morphic Weapons would allow the swarm form to deal damage as if in the next HD bracket (basically +1d6 more damage). How would the Morphic Reach ability work? As per the Swarm-Shifter template, you turn into a 10' (large-sized) swarm. Would Morphic Reach effectively allow you to attack is if you were a 20' swarm (5-foot additional reach in all directions)?

Or is the Warshaper just a waste of time for an undead character (Morphic Immunities is useless for an undead, as is the Con bonus from Morphic Body) who turns into a swarm?

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

That said, how exactly would the Warshaper abilities interact with a swarm form? For example, perhaps Morphic Weapons would allow the swarm form to deal damage as if in the next HD bracket (basically +1d6 more damage).

Either this, or it'd be of no benefit at all. The strict RAW answer is probably no benefit at all, but I'd allow it.

How would the Morphic Reach ability work? As per the Swarm-Shifter template, you turn into a 10' (large-sized) swarm. Would Morphic Reach effectively allow you to attack is if you were a 20' swarm (5-foot additional reach in all directions)?

If you have no reach or ability to threaten/attack outside your squares, extra reach probably does nothing. A kind DM might allow you to hit adjacent squares...

Or is the Warshaper just a waste of time for an undead character (Morphic Immunities is useless for an undead, as is the Con bonus from Morphic Body) who turns into a swarm?

This, probably. You can't benefit from most of the class features, sadly.

 

[Eldritch_Lord]

That said, how exactly would the Warshaper abilities interact with a swarm form? For example, perhaps Morphic Weapons would allow the swarm form to deal damage as if in the next HD bracket (basically +1d6 more damage). How would the Morphic Reach ability work? As per the Swarm-Shifter template, you turn into a 10' (large-sized) swarm. Would Morphic Reach effectively allow you to attack is if you were a 20' swarm (5-foot additional reach in all directions)?

Absolutely no bleeping idea. The WotC developers don't tend to account for corner cases (like, say, PCs of any size and type other than Medium humanoid), so your guess is as good as mine as to how it should work. If you want to go with warshaper, I think your interpretations are most likely the best ones, but frankly, as you mentioned there are better options for a swarm shifter than a shapeshifting PrC that doesn't directly make your swarm stuff better.

 

[Samloyal23]

Try creating a swarm race, just start from scratch and develop it forward to the right level for the campaign. There are lots of possibilities. A sentient insect swarm is the obvious one, but you could do any type of creature from bats to energy motes. How about a cranium rat swarm with telekinetic powers to use weapons? Or a race of tiny faeries that work together as a swarm?

 

[Jhaelen]

I want to build a 3.x character who can easily (and, preferably, at will) turn into a swarm (bats are most iconic, but any type works). So, to that end, I'm looking for methods on who to do this without using any house rules and such.

I'm not aware of any method to achieve this without house-rules. Why don't you just ask your DM?

 

[SocratesOnFire]

Monster Manual two has a swarm shapeshifter, kinda, but you switch between a weird insect like creature into a swarm.
Also, you could just use polymorph