"Reverse Swarms" (Epic monster idea)

[Khisanth the Ancient]

In the same way a swarm is many creatures (in the fiction) that act as one creature statblock (in the game), a 'reverse swarm' is one creature (in the fiction) represented by multiple stat blocks. This would be for really huge creatures able to act independently in different places (multiple heads, tentacles, body-weapons or whatever).

For example a Greater Kraken might have separate Kraken Tentacle stat blocks and a main stat block, King Ghidorah or Tiamat (if expanded to a true kaiju scale) might have separate Head stat blocks and a main stat block, a magical construct-fortress-arsenal might have separate stat blocks for its turrets and main body, etc.

Has this already been done?

 

[Omeganian]

So a MMORPG boss translated to tabletop?

 

[Deset Gled]

Has this already been done?

I've seen variants of it at various times. Last thread I remember about it was here:

D&D 5E (2024) Thread 'Tuning big single creatures into multi-part-creatures.'

Nov 3, 2025

The idea is to turn big creatures into multiple connected smaller ones. Each part has it's own HP and turn.

This replaces legendary resistance, legendary actions, and multi-attack. As you get more turns to make saves, and do more small actions between PC turns.

AoE's only affect half the parts (rounded up). Monsters choice.
Teleport/banish needs to hit all living parts to succeed. Weaken it first.


Example

Adult Dragon (5 sub-creatures)
All parts have the following statistics unless otherwise noted.
Armor Class 19 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 256 (19d12+133)
Resistance to element...

• mellored
• Replies: 37
• Forum: *Dungeons & Dragons

• 

I think it's a good idea to run with if you have players who are really into fighting big monsters.

 

[Alzrius]

In the same way a swarm is many creatures (in the fiction) that act as one creature statblock (in the game), a 'reverse swarm' is one creature (in the fiction) represented by multiple stat blocks. This would be for really huge creatures able to act independently in different places (multiple heads, tentacles, body-weapons or whatever).

For example a Greater Kraken might have separate Kraken Tentacle stat blocks and a main stat block, King Ghidorah or Tiamat (if expanded to a true kaiju scale) might have separate Head stat blocks and a main stat block, a magical construct-fortress-arsenal might have separate stat blocks for its turrets and main body, etc.

Has this already been done?

Just once that I recall: at the end of the AD&D 2E adventure The Shadow Rift, your PCs fight the domain's Lovecraftian darklord, Gwydion, as he comes through a gateway. The adventure has seven different stat blocks representing different parts of him that reach through the gate, such as his tail, his eye, his thirteen-fingered hand, etc. It specifies that defeating one part does nothing to the others.

 

[Tigris]

Ihave seen such suggestions for pathfinder 2, since it does not have a mechanic for real boss monsters (just higher level enemies): and does also sometimes have the "environment" just be enemies: Hazards - Rules - Archives of Nethys: Pathfinder 2nd Edition Database


D&d 4e did have a summon which consisted of several independant tentacles. The writhing henge (found in dragon magazine 386),which would only be desd if each tentacle was dead.

There are also some other tricks for making a similar feeling in a simpler way:

like the beholders in D&D 4e would in each players turn use one of their eyes (at random) to attack the player if in range. For a kraken with tentacles you could do the same. (Similar many 4e boss monsters had a 2nd initiative where they could do a (limited) attack, like a bite attack) or had attacks where their limbs would attack different targets (2 claws attack 2 different players).