Summon Swarm: Too powerful with errata

[pawsplay]

In the monster manual, all of this swarms take half damage from weapons. However, it was errated to make them immune to weapon damage.

Say what? Wasn't this already errata'd to put half damage in there?

 

[werk]

What do you mean?

I meant that a summoned swarm is like Frankenstein's monster, very powerful but likely to turn on it's 'master'.

Not the Monster Manual or summon monster type monster (generic name for any creature in D&D)...hence the caps. It's like summoning a real monster...rather than a slave creature.

 

[Quidam]

I'd be interested to hear from anyone who's run a warlock with the swarm invocation. At-will and you don't have those pesky +2 rounds to worry about.

 

[kjenks]

Here's a way to control a swarm (kinda, sorta, sometimes): Use Dancing Lights to create "one faintly glowing, vaguely humanoid shape." It sure looks like a creature, and since Dancing Lights is an evocation with no saving throw, a mindless swarm is (sometimes) fooled into following it around.

 

[frankthedm]

What do you mean? With the summon monster spells you have absolute control over the monster, so it only attacks you or your friends if you tell it to.

You sure it can't take and AoO on your allies?

 

[irdeggman]

The errata just made it match the description in the swarm type traits which before errata it did not.

Traits: A swarm has no clear front or back and no discernable anatomy, so it is not subject to critical hits or flanking. A swarm made up of Tiny creatures takes half damage from slashing and piercing weapons. A swarm composed of Fine or Diminutive creatures is immune to all weapon damage. Reducing a swarm to 0 hit points or lower causes it to break up, though damage taken until that point does not degrade its ability to attack or resist attack. Swarms are never staggered or reduced to a dying state by damage. Also, they cannot be tripped, grappled, or bull rushed, and they cannot grapple an opponent.

 

[MarkB]

I'd be interested to hear from anyone who's run a warlock with the swarm invocation. At-will and you don't have those pesky +2 rounds to worry about.

It's pretty useful, if it happens to be exactly the right tool for the job. If not -

Warlocks don't have limited casting resources, so the main cost they have to face is opportunity cost. Spending a standard action each round to maintain the swarm means foregoing using any of their other invocations, or activating a wand, or anything else that requires more than a move action, so it's only useful in a limited range of situations. I've found good uses for it as a warlock, but it would never be my first or second choice of Least invocation.

 

[Monkey Boy]

I'd be interested to hear from anyone who's run a warlock with the swarm invocation. At-will and you don't have those pesky +2 rounds to worry about.

It breaks the game at low levels (especially vs low level mooks) and is next to useless from about level 4+ where the monsters get tougher and have better fort saves.

At level 1 you use it like a mini fireball:

'Those 4 squares are the bat swarm everything takes 1d6 damage no save, oh and your bleeding now so you loose 1 HP per round (they are dead they just dont know it yet), on your turn make a save or your nauseated.'

On your turn you simply create a new swarm. No problems loosing control and now you can summon spiders to reduce their STR for a bit of variation.

 

[MarkB]

It's also worth mentioning that it's one of a low-level warlock's few defenses against Fine or Diminuitive swarms. Summoning a swarm of your own to engage in mutual annihilation is a pretty useful tactic.