Excerpt: Swarms

[Gloombunny]

Actually, if swarms are just a regular monster (for xp purposes), that means a swarm will be fighting with something else.

So... what sorts of things fight WITH a swarm? What will a swarm fight with, rather than attack?

Although I do kinda like the idea of the swarm being a threat to EVERYONE, enemy and ally, but I'm just wondering what the swarm won't attack.

Other swarms of the same critters. Undead. Constructs. The vile sorcerer-priest of some obscure bug-deity who summoned them.

 

[frankthedm]

First 4e house rule: Bludgeoning weapons do normal damage against ground based swarms. Maul=Giant bloody flyswatter.

Hardly. a maul might have aa bit more area to it's impact, but thats till less than 1/4 of a cubic foot. Now a shield bash with ones weight behind it probably should grant the effect you desire.

Hmm. VERY interesting that swarms are not Solos. They dropped the four for one, but they still look like a few swarms will be NASTY.

 

[Stalker0]

Am I the only one not that scared of the stirge swarm? It's kinda eh in the ability department.

Yeah, the stirge left me unfulfilled. But holy crap is that drake swarm scary!!!

If it knocks you prone, it deals 2d10 + 4 damage! (avg 15, take that wizard). Then on your turn, it gets another hit. And this is a 2nd level monster, holy crap who is this thing not a brute instead of a solider?

And since its just one monster, a perfectly reasonable encounter against 5 pcs is 5 of these things. Um....good luck party, your going to need it.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Aren't dragons solo?

Also, while it says "Drake", I don't think these guys are mini-dragons. I mean, they don't have a fly speed, so they don't have Wings. I think of them as well... pack-hunting lizards. The equivalent of African Wild Dogs, but bite sized.

A flying foe coupled with these buggers, however, is good.

That reminds me - pushing someone into the square that a swarm occupies probably wouldn't let the Swarm make an OA against the pushed target, would it?

Sure their Solo at around their level, but once you get high enough they aren't. So you should be able to through a Swarm or two in.

Well, Drakes could simply have underdeveloped wings, thus no flight.

Actually your dog comment got me thinking, while their larger then tiny... But packs of dogs that act as swarms?

 

[Scipio202]

3 swams plus an immobilizing trap to make it harder to use AoEs or to get away from the free attack aura.

 

[Kzach]

Swarms are considered a standard creature of their level.

So for a 12-th level group of five PC's, that's five stirge swarms to make a standard encounter.

Ouch.

 

[Zelc]

Yeah, the stirge left me unfulfilled. But holy crap is that drake swarm scary!!!

If it knocks you prone, it deals 2d10 + 4 damage! (avg 15, take that wizard). Then on your turn, it gets another hit. And this is a 2nd level monster, holy crap who is this thing not a brute instead of a solider?

And since its just one monster, a perfectly reasonable encounter against 5 pcs is 5 of these things. Um....good luck party, your going to need it.

Don't forget, you try to move out and it gets another opportunity attack against you. So you get hit up to three times per round... ouch!

And I think the ongoing damage 5 from the stirge attack stacks... So, how bout ongoing that damage 15, hope you save and remove a few before it hits you three times again?

 

[mrrodgers]

Actually, if swarms are just a regular monster (for xp purposes), that means a swarm will be fighting with something else.

So... what sorts of things fight WITH a swarm? What will a swarm fight with, rather than attack?

Although I do kinda like the idea of the swarm being a threat to EVERYONE, enemy and ally, but I'm just wondering what the swarm won't attack.

Chaotic Evil Beekeepers.

 

[Rechan]

Other swarms of the same critters.

I'm somewhat resistant to using the same monster x4-5. However...

Something else occurred to me. Creatures like the Cavern Choker probably can climb along the walls and snag people. Same with flying monsters loitering at the top of the cave, while the bottom of the cave is covered with bugs.

Scorpions and Spiders carry their young on their back - I can see a giant scorpion (or giant spider) that, when attacked, all the young *explode* off of it in a wave of destruction.

Symbiotic relationships. Lots of tiny animals get their food by eating parasites off of big animals. These guys making sure parasites and predators like weasels stay away from dinosaur/dragon/something else's eggs, the big nasty monster might tolerate the little guys.

 

[Rechan]

If it knocks you prone, it deals 2d10 + 4 damage! (avg 15, take that wizard). Then on your turn, it gets another hit. And this is a 2nd level monster, holy crap who is this thing not a brute instead of a solider?

As a soldier, it has smaller hit points, among other things. If it was a brute, it'd have a hell of a lot of hit points. Like the stirges.

Also, I'd like an answer: does ongoing damage stack?