How frequent are vermin encounters in your game?

[fanboy2000]

After the poll about dragon encounters, I got around to thinking about vermin. Vermin are thematically opposite from dragons. Dragons are intelligent and regal, but vermin are mindless and grotesque.

Vermin are the kinds of creatures that can be almost anywhere for almost, any reason. Dragons are often the climax of a series of encounters, but vermin are fillers.

I used them a fair bit. More recently I created a cult that worshiped vermin.

 

[Jhaelen]

I think vermin are probably the monster type I've used the least, so far. I'm not a fan of giant insects. Like dinosaurs (which I haven't used ever!) I think they work best if there's a region in your campaign setting that is custom-made for them.

I do like swarms, though. And that's what I've used once, IIRC (death scarabs(?)). I've also prepared an encounter with a siege beetle(?) from MMV but I won't be sad if there's no good opportunity for me to use it.

 

[Rechan]

I particularly like vermin. The problem is coming up with an explanation why you might encounter different kinds of vermin in the same place.

For instance, recently I was scratching my head trying to figure out a reason why the PCs would be attacked by a giant praying mantis, a few centipedes, etc at the same time; that's not normal insect behavior!

I found one solution is to have various humanoid groups that use insects, either as mounts, symbiotes, or weapons. My PCs are coming across some jungle-dwelling cannibals that use praying mantids for mounts and guards, use immobilizing centipedes as grenade-like weapons (tossing them at the feet, letting them attack as normal), and use corpse slugs to compliment the ghouls they venerate.

The nice thing about vermin, too, is the variety and availability for inspiration. The animal kingdom is full of very curious species. Take for instance the wasp that shoves its stinger in its prey's brain, controls them and makes them walk into a hole it can lay eggs on them. That's a really cool idea for a monster, mind-controlling wasps! They're also fairly simple, and easy to sprinkle into any environment or situation.

(Plug: Blackdirge's 4e BUGS pdf; I had no part in making it, but I like and use the contents!)

 

[Syrsuro]

I definately use Vermin far more than Dragons (although I use humanoids far more than either).

Personally, I like them. Especially swarms of small vermin.

And occasionally giant vermin. Personally, I think we need more of them - the immense variety and just plain weirdness of the insects and other arthropods in the word are poorly represented in the game and I'd like to see more of them.

But then again, I'm probably biased since I hold a degree in Entomology.

Carl

 

[CleverNickName]

I use them a lot...animals as well...mostly when I want an uninteresting encounter. Sometimes a cave is just a cave, a tomb is just a tomb, and a ruin is just a ruin.

 

[Stoat]

I use vermin fairly often, particularly at lower levels. They're usually a pretty solid combat challenge, and there's almost always room in a dungeon for a dumb predator.

 

[Chainsaw]

I voted "Often," but then realized that wasn't strictly accurate - we use vermin often at lower levels, when we need less powerful adversaries, but only rarely at higher levels (unless they're the supporting cast of a major adversary, like a Wererat Lord, Bug God or whatever).

Probably I'm too heavily influenced by my 8-bit videogaming childhood, where low-level combat tended to be against rats, spiders, creeping vines and whatnot, while higher level combat tended to be against more fantastic or mythical creatures.

 

[avin]

Often. More used than dragons and silly creatures like Grell or Grick

 

[Lancelot]

Sometimes. More so at Heroic levels (4e 1st-10th, 3e 1st-7th). Beetles are a personal favorite of mine... always have been, dating back to the classic BECMI days with the fire beetle, oil beetle and tiger beetle. Plus, they make a nice change from spiders (which, thanks to the drow, are just sooo cliche).

 

[frankthedm]

For instance, recently I was scratching my head trying to figure out a reason why the PCs would be attacked by a giant praying mantis, a few centipedes, etc at the same time; that's not normal insect behavior!

Yeah, mixed groups of carnivorous bugs do have some issues.

I found one solution is to have various humanoid groups that use insects, either as mounts, symbiotes, or weapons. My PCs are coming across some jungle-dwelling cannibals that use praying mantids for mounts and guards, use immobilizing centipedes as grenade-like weapons (tossing them at the feet, letting them attack as normal), and use corpse slugs to compliment the ghouls they venerate.

Yes, this is a cool idea, buuut, the party iss more encountering the cannibals, with the bugs serving more as 'tools', mounts and guard dogs.

Hmmm, now I feel like playing some old school Golden Axe

The nice thing about vermin, too, is the variety and availability for inspiration. The animal kingdom is full of very curious species.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/World-Kong-Natural-History-Island/dp/1416505199/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228366587&sr=8-1"]The World of Kong: A Natural History of Skull Island[/ame] Also has a buttload of flavorful bugs to use against the PCs.