Swarms--a good mechanic?

[Gez]

The -10/+50% thing comes from WotC's constant revision on how vulnerability works.

"3.0": Takes half damage is save is successful, double damage otherwise.
"3.2": Get a -10 penalty to saves, double damage if no save is allowed.
"3.5": Get +50% damage.

The Fiend Folio was written before the rules for the revision were finished, and so used the "3.2" draft I put above (why 3.2? Well, 3.25 was too long, and you round down). If the FF had been written for the strict "3.0" rules, then swarms would have taken double damage, except if a save is allowed for half-damage, blah-blah.

 

[hong]

Re: re

Even though the rules don't support it, I would allow Fire Shield to be effective against swarms because it logically seems like they would. We DM's have to use our brains sometimes when the rules seem iffy.

What Celtavian said. It's pretty darn clear to me what should be the ruling in a situation like this. If a wasp tries to sting you and flies into the fire shield, it's going to get fried.