Building Better Swarms - murder of crows, swarm of bats, stampedes, pirahna!

[Daniel D. Fox]

The crows are naturally modeled after Hitchcock's The Birds, and the swarm of bats after the African vampire bat, that uses it's saliva to debilitate its foes. Building these foes up to higher levels is easy with the DMG, so natural animals can still pose a threat to players (particularly if you're using bats or crows as ominous predators or set pieces to inspire fear).​

Enjoy!​

Cheers~​

Murder of Crows Level 2 Skirmisher
Large natural beast (swarm) XP 125
Initiative +6 Senses Perception +6
Dark Wings aura 1; creatures in the aura at the start of their
turns suffer a -2 to attack rolls
HP 36; Bloodied 18
AC 15; Fortitude 12; Reflex 14; Will 11
Resist half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable 5
against close and area attacks
Speed 2 (clumsy), fly 8
Pecking Death(standard; at-will)
+6 vs. AC; 1d6 + 3 damage
Hitchcock's Gambit (immediate interrupt; when adjacent foe shifts or moves) ✦Fear
+5 vs Will; the target stops moving as if struck by Combat Superiority (PHB, pg. 76)
Alignment Unaligned Languages —
Str 12 (+2) Dex 17 (+4) Wis10 (+1)
Con 12 (+2) Int 17 (+4) Cha 9 (+0)


Swarm of Bats Level 2 Skirmisher
Large natural beast (swarm) XP 125
Initiative +9 Senses Perception +7; darkvision
Dark Kiss aura 1; creatures in the aura at the start of their
turns take 2 damage
HP 38; Bloodied 19
AC 17; Fortitude 14, Reflex 17, Will 12
Resist half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable 5
against close and area attacks
Speed2 (clumsy), fly 8
Venomous Bite(standard; at-will)
+6 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 ongoing damage (save ends).
Feeding Frenzy (immediate reaction; when foe is bloodied) against bloodied foes, a
swarm of bats gains +1 bonus to the attack roll and deals
an extra 5 damage.
Alignment Unaligned Languages —
Skills Stealth +10
Str 13 (+2) Dex 18 (+5) Wis13 (+2)
Con 14 (+3) Int 2 (–3) Cha 11 (+1)
Con 14 (+3) Int 2 (–3) Cha 11 (+1)

 

[Sporemine]

From a quick glance everything seems to be in order exept:

1) The murder of crows has no attack aura for being in the enemy space.

2) The aura for the bats seems similar to a swarm attack but is a bit weak.

Good job

-Sporemine

 

[CapnZapp]

Regarding the topic title, how are these "better" than (presumably) the official ones?

 

[JasonZZ]

The crows are naturally modeled after Hitchcock's The Birds, and the swarm of bats after the African vampire bat, that uses it's saliva to debilitate its foes. Building these foes up to higher levels is easy with the DMG, so natural animals can still pose a threat to players (particularly if you're using bats or crows as ominous predators or set pieces to inspire fear).​

Well, let's see what we have.

Murder of Crows Level 2 Skirmisher
Large natural beast (swarm) XP 125
Initiative +6 Senses Perception +6
Dark Wings aura 1; creatures in the aura at the start of their
turns suffer a -2 to attack rolls
HP 36; Bloodied 18
AC 15; Fortitude 12; Reflex 14; Will 11
Resist half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable 5
against close and area attacks
Speed 2 (clumsy), fly 8
Pecking Death(standard; at-will)
+6 vs. AC; 1d6 + 3 damage
Hitchcock's Gambit (immediate interrupt; when adjacent foe shifts or moves) ✦Fear
+5 vs Will; the target stops moving as if struck by Combat Superiority (PHB, pg. 76)
Alignment Unaligned Languages —
Str 12 (+2) Dex 17 (+4) Wis10 (+1)
Con 12 (+2) Int 17 (+4) Cha 9 (+0)

I like this. Nice how the swarm can "stare down" someone trying to escape. Just a few nitpicks, though:
1. Swarms normally get an auto-attack with their aura. Was this something you did on purpose, or should that also be there?
2. Hitchcock's Gambit (love the name, by the way) kind of implies that your murder of crows should be a soldier type, rather than a skirmisher (powers that lock down adjacent targets are typically soldier powers). This doesn't mean that this creature can't be a striker, but it is unusual.

Swarm of Bats Level 2 Skirmisher
Large natural beast (swarm) XP 125
Initiative +9 Senses Perception +7; darkvision
Dark Kiss aura 1; creatures in the aura at the start of their
turns take 2 damage
HP 38; Bloodied 19
AC 17; Fortitude 14, Reflex 17, Will 12
Resist half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable 5
against close and area attacks


Speed2 (clumsy), fly 8
Venomous Bite(standard; at-will)
+6 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 ongoing damage (save ends).
Feeding Frenzy (immediate reaction; when foe is bloodied) against bloodied foes, a
swarm of bats gains +1 bonus to the attack roll and deals
an extra 5 damage.
Alignment Unaligned Languages —
Skills Stealth +10
Str 13 (+2) Dex 18 (+5) Wis13 (+2)
Con 14 (+3) Int 2 (–3) Cha 11 (+1)
Con 14 (+3) Int 2 (–3) Cha 11 (+1)

Nice. Just a few nitpicks, again:
1. The aura, again. Did you intend for it to be minor auto-damage, or should that be a free basic attack again?
2. The Feeding Frenzy power. That shouldn't have an action associated (especially not an immediate action; those can't be used during your own turn). For an example of how this works on other creatures, look up the Chillborn Zombie (Ice Reaper) or the Kobold Skirmisher (Combat Advantage). I would phrase the power like this:

Feeding Frenzy a bat swarm gains +1 to attack rolls and deals +5 damage against bloodied targets.

I might even change it to +1d6 damage.

 

[Daniel D. Fox]

Thanks for the feedback. Making changes as suggested. And yes, I used a different type of aura for diversity's sake.

Murder of Crows Level 2 Skirmisher
Large natural beast (swarm) XP 125
Initiative +6 Senses Perception +6
Dark Wings creatures in the swarm suffer a -2 to attack rolls
HP 36; Bloodied 18
AC 15; Fortitude 12; Reflex 14; Will 11
Resist half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable 5
against close and area attacks
Speed 2 (clumsy), fly 8
Pecking Death(standard; at-will)
+6 vs. AC; 1d6 + 3 damage
Hitchcock's Gambit (immediate interrupt; when adjacent foe shifts or moves) ✦Fear
+5 vs Will; the target stops moving as if struck by Combat Superiority (PHB, pg. 76)
Alignment Unaligned Languages —
Str 12 (+2) Dex 17 (+4) Wis10 (+1)
Con 12 (+2) Int 17 (+4) Cha 9 (+0)


Swarm of Bats Level 2 Soldier
Large natural beast (swarm) XP 125
Initiative +9 Senses Perception +7; darkvision
Dark Kiss creatures that start their turn in the swarm
take 2 damage
HP 38; Bloodied 19
AC 19; Fortitude 14, Reflex 17, Will 14
Resist half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable 5
against close and area attacks
Speed2 (clumsy), fly 8
Venomous Bite (standard; at-will)
+8 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 ongoing damage (save ends).
Feeding Frenzy against bloodied foes, a
swarm of bats gains +1d6 damage
Alignment Unaligned Languages —
Skills Stealth +10
Str 13 (+2) Dex 18 (+5) Wis13 (+2)
Con 14 (+3) Int 2 (–3) Cha 11 (+1)

 

[Mengu]

Murder of Crows:

I'd change Dark Wings back to aura, since the creature doesn't have engulf, or any ability that would allow it to end its movement on top of another creature.

I'd change Hitchcock's Gambit a bit to make it cleaner, and without referencing another complex rule.

Hitchcock's Gambit (immediate interrupt; when adjacent enemy shifts or moves) ✦Fear
+5 vs Will; the target is immobilized until the beginning of its next turn

Swarm of Bats:

I'd add marking to Dark Kiss

Dark Kiss creatures that start their turn in the swarm take 2 damage and are marked until the end of the Swarm of Bats' next turn.

The ongoing damage is confusing. Maybe this is what you meant?

Venomous Bite (standard; at-will)
+8 vs. AC; 1d6 and target takes ongoing 2 damage (save ends).

But abilities like ongoing damage and feeding frenzy are typically more appropriate to Skirmishers and Artillery. So I'd be inclined to re-write this whole creature as:

Swarm of Bats Level 2 Soldier
Large natural beast (swarm) XP 125
Initiative +5 Senses Perception +7; darkvision
Dark Kiss aura 1; the swarm of bats makes a basic attack as a free action against each enemy that begins its turn in the aura.
HP 38; Bloodied 19
AC 18;Fortitude 15,Reflex 17,Will 14
Resist half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable 5
against close and area attacks
Speed2 (clumsy), fly 8
Distracting Bite (standard; at-will)
+8 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 damage, and target is marked until the end of the swarm of bats' next turn.
Alignment Unaligned Languages —
Skills Stealth +10
Str 13 (+2) Dex 18 (+5) Wis13 (+2)
Con 14 (+3) Int 2 (–3) Cha 11 (+1)

or

Swarm of Bats Level 2 Skirmisher
Large natural beast (swarm) XP 125
Initiative +5 Senses Perception +7; darkvision
Dark Kiss aura 1; Enemies that begin their turn in the aura take 3 damage.
HP 36; Bloodied 18
AC 15; Fortitude 12, Reflex 14,Will 11
Resist half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable 5
against close and area attacks
Speed 2 (clumsy), fly 8
Vicious Bite (standard; at-will)
+6 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 damage, and ongoing 3 damage (save ends).
Feeding Frenzy
the swarm of bats deals and extra 1d6 damage against bloodied enemies.
Alignment Unaligned Languages —
Skills Stealth +10
Str 13 (+2) Dex 18 (+5) Wis13 (+2)
Con 12 (+2) Int 2 (–3) Cha 11 (+1)

 

[Daniel D. Fox]

Do swarm rules automatically assume that they can occupy the same space as a foe?

 

[Mengu]

Do swarm rules automatically assume that they can occupy the same space as a foe?

They can move through enemy squares without provoking opportunity attacks, but they can't end their movement in an enemy square.

 

[JasonZZ]

Thanks for the feedback. Making changes as suggested. And yes, I used a different type of aura for diversity's sake.

Point noted on the auras. I just wanted to make sure that was deliberate.

Murder of Crows Level 2 Skirmisher
Large natural beast (swarm) XP 125
Initiative +6 Senses Perception +6
Dark Wings creatures in the swarm suffer a -2 to attack rolls
HP 36; Bloodied 18
AC 15; Fortitude 12; Reflex 14; Will 11
Resist half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable 5
against close and area attacks
Speed 2 (clumsy), fly 8
Pecking Death(standard; at-will)
+6 vs. AC; 1d6 + 3 damage
Hitchcock's Gambit (immediate interrupt; when adjacent foe shifts or moves) ✦Fear
+5 vs Will; the target stops moving as if struck by Combat Superiority (PHB, pg. 76)
Alignment Unaligned Languages —
Str 12 (+2) Dex 17 (+4) Wis10 (+1)
Con 12 (+2) Int 17 (+4) Cha 9 (+0)

Elsewhere in this thread Mengu has made another suggestion that you might consider about rewording the Hitchcock's Gambit power.

Swarm of Bats Level 2 Soldier
Large natural beast (swarm) XP 125
Initiative +9 Senses Perception +7; darkvision
Dark Kiss creatures that start their turn in the swarm
take 2 damage
HP 38; Bloodied 19
AC 19; Fortitude 14, Reflex 17, Will 14
Resist half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable 5
against close and area attacks
Speed2 (clumsy), fly 8
Venomous Bite (standard; at-will)
+8 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 ongoing damage (save ends).
Feeding Frenzy against bloodied foes, a
swarm of bats gains +1d6 damage
Alignment Unaligned Languages —
Skills Stealth +10
Str 13 (+2) Dex 18 (+5) Wis13 (+2)
Con 14 (+3) Int 2 (–3) Cha 11 (+1)

I noticed you made the bat swarm a soldier type. Did you perhaps mean to make that change to the murder of crows? That was the suggestion that I made, given Hitchcock's Gambit. The bat swarm was fine with just the change to Feeding Frenzy, at least in my opinion.

Aside from that, nice work (like I said before ).

 

[Daniel D. Fox]

I like the idea of swarms being more than just skirmishers. With mengu and JasonZZ's advice:

Swarm of Bats Level 2 Soldier
Large natural beast (swarm) XP 125
Initiative +5 Senses Perception +7; darkvision
Dark Kiss aura 1; the swarm of bats makes a basic attack as a free action against each enemy that begins its turn in the aura.
HP 38; Bloodied 19
AC 18;Fortitude 15,Reflex 17,Will 14
Resist half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable 5
against close and area attacks
Speed2 (clumsy), fly 8
Distracting Bite (standard; at-will)
+8 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 damage, and target is marked until the end of the swarm of bats' next turn.
Alignment Unaligned Languages —
Skills Stealth +10
Str 13 (+2) Dex 18 (+5) Wis13 (+2)
Con 14 (+3) Int 2 (–3) Cha 11 (+1)

Murder of Crows Level 2 Skirmisher
Large natural beast (swarm) XP 125
Initiative +6 Senses Perception +6
Dark Wings aura 1; creatures in the aura at the start of their
turns suffer a -2 to attack rolls
HP 36; Bloodied 18
AC 15; Fortitude 12; Reflex 14; Will 11
Resist half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable 5
against close and area attacks
Speed 2 (clumsy), fly 8
Pecking Death(standard; at-will)
+6 vs. AC; 1d6 + 3 damage and the target takes ongoing 2 damage (save ends).
Hitchcock's Gambit (immediate interrupt; when adjacent foe shifts or moves) ✦Fear
+5 vs Will; the target stops moving as if struck by Combat Superiority (PHB, pg. 76)
Alignment Unaligned Languages —
Str 12 (+2) Dex 17 (+4) Wis10 (+1)
Con 12 (+2) Int 17 (+4) Cha 9 (+0)