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General Tabletop Discussion
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Swarm of insects (spiders) -- How do you run this monster?
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<blockquote data-quote="Prakriti" data-source="post: 7895958" data-attributes="member: 6855149"><p>I'm about to run <em>Ghosts of Saltmarsh</em>, which includes a few encounters with insect swarms (spiders). As I read the stat block, it occurs to me that I have no idea how to run this monster. Unlike a swarm of flying insects, the spiders need to crawl onto a target to attack it (I assume, because that's the only thing that makes sense). But I'm not sure how to describe this action without giving the players the impression that they're being engulfed in spiders and can't attack for fear of hurting themselves or their companions. (How the hell do you stab a spider when it's crawling on someone, anyway?)</p><p></p><p>I guess I need to make it clear to the players that the "swarm" is a monster that can be attacked, and not some sort of trap/hazard that must be dealt with creatively. But how do I do that?</p><p></p><p>(Also, the swarm has 22 HP and resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage, which is effectively 44 HP. That's nuts for its 1/2 CR, isn't it?)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Prakriti, post: 7895958, member: 6855149"] I'm about to run [I]Ghosts of Saltmarsh[/I], which includes a few encounters with insect swarms (spiders). As I read the stat block, it occurs to me that I have no idea how to run this monster. Unlike a swarm of flying insects, the spiders need to crawl onto a target to attack it (I assume, because that's the only thing that makes sense). But I'm not sure how to describe this action without giving the players the impression that they're being engulfed in spiders and can't attack for fear of hurting themselves or their companions. (How the hell do you stab a spider when it's crawling on someone, anyway?) I guess I need to make it clear to the players that the "swarm" is a monster that can be attacked, and not some sort of trap/hazard that must be dealt with creatively. But how do I do that? (Also, the swarm has 22 HP and resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage, which is effectively 44 HP. That's nuts for its 1/2 CR, isn't it?) [/QUOTE]
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Swarm of insects (spiders) -- How do you run this monster?
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