How Do You Fight A Swarm?

[The Spectrum Rider]

Whenever my players face a swarm of creatures sized Diminuative or less (that is, no weapon damage need apply), most of them run for the hills and hope they're faster than the swarm (or at least faster than their friends). This is a nice variety of six roughly 10th-level characters.

Then the sorcerer throws fireballs at the swarm until it's dead.

Frankly, the ranger, the bard, the cleric, the rogue, the monk - they're a mixture of frustrated and bored. "Nothing we can do about it," they say, if they don't have hefty energy-damage spells to throw around.

Any suggestions? Any tactics?

The Spectrum Rider

 

[Darklone]

Flyswatter. Smoke grenades. Energy enhancements.

 

[thullgrim]

oil flasks, acid attacks (splash damage and everything)

 

[uzagi_akimbo]

burning brandy/rum/spirits, torches (obviously), tar, glue, solvents running water (if available - decanter of endless water should do nicely, but up to GM-discretion; might be fun as a fire-brigade strength water hose for dispersal, too)

A group of mine did a death-roller crusher attack using a piece of a tumbled pillar (well, they had a skilled thief-acrobat ) one time for some great fun and tense moments, but a barrel or round treetrunk might work, too.

Or use a large tarpaulin/blanket/carpet to smother and then crush them (again GM-discretion) by jumping/stomping around on it - the swarms low strength per vermin should make escape from a heavy cover difficult.

Use summon monster/undead to get something immune to swarm's damage or dealing damage by touch (such as a ooze, cube, incorporeal undead or with DR, like a mummy, fire or air elemental ) to wipe out the swarm. Druid's summoning elementals are a major pain. Summoned mephits should do fine, too, as long as it is not an airborne swarm, killing slowly with repeated breath weapons while flying by or above the swarm.

 

[Majere]

Swarms have very many 1/2 hp creatures.
Anyone with an area of effect damage ability should be fine, which basically means the magic users. (Clerics get flame strike off the top of my head for one)

If the fighters are upset, ask them how much use the spell caster is against something with SR40 .. Horses for courses and all that

Majere

 

[FireLance]

Torches work too, but deal pathetic damage and are useless against a swarm with resistance to fire (a Hellwasp swarm, for example).

The fightability factor (for want of a better term) goes down significantly when the swarm is composed of Dimunitive or Fine creatures as they ignore weapon damage. There really ought to be a feat that allows a character to deal weapon damage when fighting swarms, maybe half damage, and with bludgeoning weapons only. Otherwise, all fighter-types ought to pack an energy weapon of some kind.

By the way, Spell Resistance isn't the spellcaster threat it used to be, with all the Conjuration spells that ignore SR.

 

[anon]

Anyone notice the contradiction in the Bat Swarm entry?

Bat Swarms are Diminutive, which according to the Swarm traits entry means that they are immune to weapon damage.

Yet under Special Qualities it listed both: "half damage from slashing and piercing" as well as "swarm traits".


So, were Bat Swarms supposed to be Tiny? I find this option unlikely as Bat entry in the animals section has a Bat as Diminutive.

Was the "half damage..." entry incorrect? My personal guess.

Or are Bat Swarms a special exception to the normal swarm traits rule? Also very possible.

 

[The Spectrum Rider]

Anyone notice the contradiction in the Bat Swarm entry?

Bat Swarms are Diminutive, which according to the Swarm traits entry means that they are immune to weapon damage.

Yet under Special Qualities it listed both: "half damage from slashing and piercing" as well as "swarm traits".


So, were Bat Swarms supposed to be Tiny? I find this option unlikely as Bat entry in the animals section has a Bat as Diminutive.

Was the "half damage..." entry incorrect? My personal guess.

Or are Bat Swarms a special exception to the normal swarm traits rule? Also very possible.

Actually, I sent a note about this to WotC, when they were soliciting feedback on the newly-released MM 3.5. They thanked me (warm fuzzies all around) and said it was a mistake - weapon half-damage should apply to bat swarms.

The Spectrum Rider

 

[anon]

So... what was the mistake?

Are Bat Swarms Tiny? or are they Diminutive and so immune to weapon damage? or are they an exception?

 

[LGodamus]

my favorite...decanter of endless water set to "geyser" mode