Swarms...

[Tarangil]

Hello All. I have a question about swarms, I plan on using one soon but all I can't quite figure out some things about it. First the SRD mentions:


Swarms are extremely difficult to fight with physical attacks. However, they have a few special vulnerabilities, as follows:

A lit torch swung as an improvised weapon deals 1d3 points of fire damage per hit.

A weapon with a special ability such as flaming or frost deals its full energy damage with each hit, even if the weapon’s normal damage can’t affect the swarm.

A lit lantern can be used as a thrown weapon, dealing 1d4 points of fire damage to all creatures in squares adjacent to where it breaks.

The problem is is How are they difficult with Physical attacks? My example is is that a swarm of rats would consist of 200-300 of the little peckers and the swarm stats has 18 hp's for it. Now with a vulnerability such as throwing a lamp on it does 1d4 hp's how would the fighter with the greatsword and 18 strength be a vulnerability when he does 16 hp's in one hit? Are physical attacks reduced to doing only 1 hit point per hit????


Anyways besides that I plan on changing things to a swarm of Moon Rats, so there's some other factors such as the damage in their area that has to be considered since a regular rat swarm with a strength of 2 does 1d6, My moon rats will be in the 9-10 range for strength.

Oh well, I'm thinking of just house-ruling it to where physical attacks are adjusted this way:

Strength damage doesn't count
small weapons -1hp
medium weapons 1d2hp
large 1d3 hp

 

[cmanos]

you need to read under swarm traits

A swarm has no clear front or back and no discernable anatomy, so it is not subject to critical hits or flanking.

A swarm made up of Tiny creatures takes half damage from slashing and piercing weapons.

A swarm composed of Fine or Diminutive creatures is immune to all weapon damage.

Reducing a swarm to 0 hit points or lower causes it to break up, though damage taken until that point does not degrade its ability to attack or resist attack.

Swarms are never staggered or reduced to a dying state by damage.

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

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.

A swarm takes half again as much damage (+50%) from spells or effects that affect an area, such as splash weapons and many evocation spells.

Swarms made up of Diminutive or Fine creatures are susceptible to high winds such as that created by a gust of wind spell. For purposes of determining the effects of wind on a swarm, treat the swarm as a creature of the same size as its constituent creatures.

A swarm rendered unconscious by means of nonlethal damage becomes disorganized and dispersed, and does not reform until its hit points exceed its nonlethal damage.

Creatures with the swarm subtype don’t make standard melee attacks. Instead, they deal automatic damage to any creature whose space they occupy at the end of their move, with no attack roll needed. Swarm attacks are not subject to a miss chance for concealment or cover. A swarm’s statistics block has “swarm” in the Attack and Full Attack entries, with no attack bonus given. The amount of damage a swarm deals is based on its Hit Dice, as shown below.


A swarm’s attacks are nonmagical, unless the swarm’s description states otherwise. Damage reduction sufficient to reduce a swarm attack’s damage to 0, being incorporeal, and other special abilities usually give a creature immunity (or at least resistance) to damage from a swarm. Some swarms also have acid, poison, blood drain, or other special attacks in addition to normal damage.

Swarms do not threaten creatures in their square, and do not make attacks of opportunity with their swarm attack. However, they distract foes whose squares they occupy, as described below.

Distraction (Ex): Any living creature vulnerable to a swarm’s damage that begins its turn with a swarm in its square is nauseated for 1 round; a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 swarm’s HD + swarm’s Con modifier; the exact DC is given in a swarm’s description) negates the effect. Spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a swarm requires a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a DC 20 Concentration check.

Perhaps you should read the entirity of the swarm entry. They are very very rude at low levels.

 

[Machiavelli]

Hm. The Swarmfighter feat in CW allows PCs to occupy the same square, as well as giving a nice little morale bonus shared by adjacent swarmfighters. Would that mean they could act as a swarm if they were Tiny creatures (say, under the effect of Reduce Person)?

Seaking of which, there was a rule mentioned here regarding Kobolds acting as Tiny creatures for purposes of Hide checks and fitting through small spaces, somewhat the opposite of Powerful Build. Would that optional rule also qualify a Kobold to be a member of a swarm?

Edit: Heh. I called the base area unit of D&D a "hex". My bad. Of course I've always thought they SHOULD be hexes, but then normal graph paper isn't any good for planning.

 

[Machiavelli]

*bump*

I'm realy quite curious about this, you see.

 

[MarkB]

Hm. The Swarmfighter feat in CW allows PCs to occupy the same square, as well as giving a nice little morale bonus shared by adjacent swarmfighters. Would that mean they could act as a swarm if they were Tiny creatures (say, under the effect of Reduce Person)?

Sure, if you had 300 of them. Most DMs consider that a slightly unmanageable number of players.