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<blockquote data-quote="GMMichael" data-source="post: 6393147" data-attributes="member: 6685730">Note: I need descriptions for monster-swarm tactics...SwarmsMore often than not, one monster will have several&nbsp; friends.&nbsp; A swarm is any group of monsters numbering four or more that&nbsp; generally move as a group.&nbsp; Except for health, their scores are the same&nbsp; as the individual monsters of that type.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; HEALTH – Monsters in a swarm share the same pool of health.&nbsp;&nbsp; The GM should note how much health is equal to three times an&nbsp; individual’s health; when swarm health dips below this amount, the swarm&nbsp; is “scattered,” and ceases to be a swarm (see Scattered).&nbsp; When it is&nbsp; necessary to know how many of a particular creature make up a swarm,&nbsp; divide the swarm’s health by 5 or 10, whichever is closer to the&nbsp; individual creature’s health.SIZE – Swarms are measured by how much of a room they fill.&nbsp; Room&nbsp; capacity is measured solely by the room’s size measured in units.&nbsp; Each&nbsp; unit of size supports 20 health of swarm.&nbsp; So a 1-unit room holds 20&nbsp; health, and a 5-unit room holds 100 health.&nbsp; When rolling up a swarm,&nbsp; its size will be:1 – means that one creature is present, not a swarm.&nbsp; Lone monsters cannot swarm PCs.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 25% - divide the room’s capacity by four to determine swarm size.&nbsp;&nbsp; This is likely to scatter the swarm (see scattered).&nbsp; This swarm can&nbsp; swarm 1 PC.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 50% - divide the room’s capacity by two to determine swarm size.&nbsp;&nbsp; Smaller rooms at 50% will likely have scattered swarms.&nbsp; This swarm can&nbsp; swarm 2 PCs.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 75% - subtract ¼ of the room’s capacity from its max capacity to find swarm size.&nbsp; This swarm can swarm 3 PCs.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 100% - this room is packed with monsters.&nbsp; This swarm can swarm all PCs.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Scattered – a scattered swarm has been damaged to or beyond (less&nbsp; than) the threshold of 3 times a single montser’s health.&nbsp; When this&nbsp; happens, the swarm’s abstract number becomes a concrete 3 monsters, and&nbsp; it ceases to be a swarm.&nbsp; Each creature should be run as a different&nbsp; monster, with full health.
SPEED – this is an all-important score for a swarm, because a swarm uses&nbsp; it for movement, attacking, evading, and most other things that a swarm&nbsp; can do.&nbsp; Swarm uses of speed are also covered in the Combat section,&nbsp; but that discussion is focused on the PC-side of combat.Attacking – Swarms do not need to roll to attack; they deal melee&nbsp; damage, two times a single monster’s melee (i.e. roll twice), to each PC&nbsp; who doesn’t successfully maneuver (see Combat).&nbsp; When monsters swarm a&nbsp; lone PC, the swarm deals four times its melee damage.&nbsp; When monsters&nbsp; swarm a PC formation, the damage is two times melee.&nbsp; Swarms deal shot&nbsp; damage based on Room Size; the number of attacks made equal the room’s&nbsp; number of units.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Movement – Swarms have two primary maneuvers: swarming and&nbsp; pursuing.&nbsp; When PCs enter a room, monsters attempt to swarm, or&nbsp; surround, the PCs.&nbsp; The swarm uses its speed score as a bonus on this&nbsp; contest.&nbsp; However, the more time that PCs spend in the room is more time&nbsp; for the swarm to surround them.&nbsp; So, for each round spent in the room,&nbsp; the swarm gains +1 to its speed score.&nbsp; Scattering the swarm eliminates&nbsp; this bonus. 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; If PCs are not in the same room as the swarm, or they decide&nbsp; to flee from the swarm, some swarms will pursue, and the PCs must make&nbsp; speed contests against the swarm’s normal speed bonus.&nbsp; A failed contest&nbsp; indicates that the swarm has caught up with a PC, and it can then take&nbsp; its normal 2x attack damage.&nbsp; Swarm shots cannot damage fleeing PCs.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Evading – some swarms, like wizards, do not try to engage the PCs,&nbsp; because they are weak in close combat.&nbsp; PCs must win speed contests to&nbsp; engage these swarms in melee, and these swarms do not gain speed bonuses&nbsp; each round.&nbsp; Engaging an evading monster still subjects a PC to that&nbsp; monster’s melee damage.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Other uses – if a GM gets creative with his dungeon – adding&nbsp; stairs, tentacle-pits, or conveyor belts – monsters and swarms will need&nbsp; an ability to deal with such things.&nbsp; The speed score is a quick and&nbsp; easy bonus to grant to the monsters in their time, or contests, of need.
BEHAVIOR – each swarm has a different pack-mentality.&nbsp; This represents&nbsp; both the instincts of the individuals, and the consensus from group&nbsp; communication.&nbsp; When designing your own swarms, this is a great place to&nbsp; add personality to your creations.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="GMMichael, post: 6393147, member: 6685730"] [B][SIZE=1]Note: I need descriptions for monster-swarm tactics...[/SIZE] Swarms[/B] More often than not, one monster will have several friends. A swarm is any group of monsters numbering four or more that generally move as a group. Except for health, their scores are the same as the individual monsters of that type. HEALTH – Monsters in a swarm share the same pool of health. The GM should note how much health is equal to three times an individual’s health; when swarm health dips below this amount, the swarm is “scattered,” and ceases to be a swarm (see Scattered). When it is necessary to know how many of a particular creature make up a swarm, divide the swarm’s health by 5 or 10, whichever is closer to the individual creature’s health. SIZE – Swarms are measured by how much of a room they fill. Room capacity is measured solely by the room’s size measured in units. Each unit of size supports 20 health of swarm. So a 1-unit room holds 20 health, and a 5-unit room holds 100 health. When rolling up a swarm, its size will be:[INDENT]1 – means that one creature is present, not a swarm. Lone monsters cannot swarm PCs. 25% - divide the room’s capacity by four to determine swarm size. This is likely to scatter the swarm (see scattered). This swarm can swarm 1 PC. 50% - divide the room’s capacity by two to determine swarm size. Smaller rooms at 50% will likely have scattered swarms. This swarm can swarm 2 PCs. 75% - subtract ¼ of the room’s capacity from its max capacity to find swarm size. This swarm can swarm 3 PCs. 100% - this room is packed with monsters. This swarm can swarm all PCs. Scattered – a scattered swarm has been damaged to or beyond (less than) the threshold of 3 times a single montser’s health. When this happens, the swarm’s abstract number becomes a concrete 3 monsters, and it ceases to be a swarm. Each creature should be run as a different monster, with full health. [/INDENT] SPEED – this is an all-important score for a swarm, because a swarm uses it for movement, attacking, evading, and most other things that a swarm can do. Swarm uses of speed are also covered in the Combat section, but that discussion is focused on the PC-side of combat. [INDENT]Attacking – Swarms do not need to roll to attack; they deal melee damage, two times a single monster’s melee (i.e. roll twice), to each PC who doesn’t successfully maneuver (see Combat). When monsters swarm a lone PC, the swarm deals four times its melee damage. When monsters swarm a PC formation, the damage is two times melee. Swarms deal shot damage based on Room Size; the number of attacks made equal the room’s number of units. Movement – Swarms have two primary maneuvers: swarming and pursuing. When PCs enter a room, monsters attempt to swarm, or surround, the PCs. The swarm uses its speed score as a bonus on this contest. However, the more time that PCs spend in the room is more time for the swarm to surround them. So, for each round spent in the room, the swarm gains +1 to its speed score. Scattering the swarm eliminates this bonus. If PCs are not in the same room as the swarm, or they decide to flee from the swarm, some swarms will pursue, and the PCs must make speed contests against the swarm’s normal speed bonus. A failed contest indicates that the swarm has caught up with a PC, and it can then take its normal 2x attack damage. Swarm shots cannot damage fleeing PCs. Evading – some swarms, like wizards, do not try to engage the PCs, because they are weak in close combat. PCs must win speed contests to engage these swarms in melee, and these swarms do not gain speed bonuses each round. Engaging an evading monster still subjects a PC to that monster’s melee damage. Other uses – if a GM gets creative with his dungeon – adding stairs, tentacle-pits, or conveyor belts – monsters and swarms will need an ability to deal with such things. The speed score is a quick and easy bonus to grant to the monsters in their time, or contests, of need. [/INDENT] BEHAVIOR – each swarm has a different pack-mentality. This represents both the instincts of the individuals, and the consensus from group communication. When designing your own swarms, this is a great place to add personality to your creations. [/QUOTE]

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