EricNoah
Adventurer
I like swarms. They are a cool challenge that make the players think outside the box a little bit. I think there's lots of room for new swarms. I'd like to use this thread to gather some ideas for new swarm types and then try to stat them up.
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My first new swarm is a Swarm of Crawling Claws. This is based on the Crawling Claw monster from Monsters of Faerun.
Crawling Claw Swarm: CR 3; AL N; Tiny Undead (Swarm); HD 5d12; hp 32; Init +2; Spd 30, Climb 30; AC 18 (FF: 16, Touch: 14); +6 base melee, +6 base ranged; Grapple: +4; Space 10'; Reach 0'.
--- Swarm (Claws 1d6)
SA: Swarm Attack (Ex), Distraction (Ex), Grappling Attack (Ex)
SQ: Half Damage from Piercing (Ex), Half Damage from Slashing (Ex), Blindsight (Ex), Swarm Traits, Undead Traits
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +4; STR 14, DEX 14, CON --, INT 2, WIS 10, CHA 6
Skills: Climb +10, Hide +12, Move Silently +4, Sleight of Hand +3.
Feats: Nimble Fingers, Stealthy.
Special Attacks:
Swarm Attack: Creatures with the swarm subtype don't make standard melee attacks. Instead, they deal automatic damage to any creature whose space they occupy at the end of their move, with no attack roll needed. Swarms do not threaten creatures in their square, and do not make attacks of opportunity with their swarm attack.
Grappling Attack: A swarm of crawling claws can execute a grapple on any creature in its squares at the end of its turn as a free action along with its swarm attack. The swarm gains a +8 to all grapple checks (figured into the stats above). During a successful grapple, the swarm may attempt to pick the victim's pockets.
Distraction (Ex): Any living creature vulnerable to a swarm's damage that begins its turn with a swarm in its square is nauseated for 1 round; a Fortitude save (DC 16) negates the effect. Spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a swarm requires a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a DC 20 Concentration check.
Special Qualities:
Blindsight 60': Using nonvisual senses, such as sensitivity to vibrations, keen smell, acute hearing, or echolocation, a swarm of crawling claws maneuvers and fights as well as a sighted creature. Invisibility, darkness, and most kinds of concealment are irrelevant.
Swarm 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. 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, though this swarm can initiate grapples. A swarm is immune to any spell or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate). A swarm takes half again as much damage (+50%) from spells or effects that affect an area, such as splash weapons and many evocation spells.
Undead traits: Darkvision out to 60 feet. Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects. Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
Notes on Treasure: Crawling Claw swarms can have 1d8 non-magical rings (jewelry valued at 1d10x10 gp) and may have a magical ring at the DM's discretion. A magical ring does not generally benefit the whole swarm.
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I think my next swarm will be a swarm of stirges. Individually they make a good challenge for low-level characters. A swarm of them should make a good challenge for medium-level characters.
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My first new swarm is a Swarm of Crawling Claws. This is based on the Crawling Claw monster from Monsters of Faerun.
Crawling Claw Swarm: CR 3; AL N; Tiny Undead (Swarm); HD 5d12; hp 32; Init +2; Spd 30, Climb 30; AC 18 (FF: 16, Touch: 14); +6 base melee, +6 base ranged; Grapple: +4; Space 10'; Reach 0'.
--- Swarm (Claws 1d6)
SA: Swarm Attack (Ex), Distraction (Ex), Grappling Attack (Ex)
SQ: Half Damage from Piercing (Ex), Half Damage from Slashing (Ex), Blindsight (Ex), Swarm Traits, Undead Traits
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +4; STR 14, DEX 14, CON --, INT 2, WIS 10, CHA 6
Skills: Climb +10, Hide +12, Move Silently +4, Sleight of Hand +3.
Feats: Nimble Fingers, Stealthy.
Special Attacks:
Swarm Attack: Creatures with the swarm subtype don't make standard melee attacks. Instead, they deal automatic damage to any creature whose space they occupy at the end of their move, with no attack roll needed. Swarms do not threaten creatures in their square, and do not make attacks of opportunity with their swarm attack.
Grappling Attack: A swarm of crawling claws can execute a grapple on any creature in its squares at the end of its turn as a free action along with its swarm attack. The swarm gains a +8 to all grapple checks (figured into the stats above). During a successful grapple, the swarm may attempt to pick the victim's pockets.
Distraction (Ex): Any living creature vulnerable to a swarm's damage that begins its turn with a swarm in its square is nauseated for 1 round; a Fortitude save (DC 16) negates the effect. Spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a swarm requires a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a DC 20 Concentration check.
Special Qualities:
Blindsight 60': Using nonvisual senses, such as sensitivity to vibrations, keen smell, acute hearing, or echolocation, a swarm of crawling claws maneuvers and fights as well as a sighted creature. Invisibility, darkness, and most kinds of concealment are irrelevant.
Swarm 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. 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, though this swarm can initiate grapples. A swarm is immune to any spell or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate). A swarm takes half again as much damage (+50%) from spells or effects that affect an area, such as splash weapons and many evocation spells.
Undead traits: Darkvision out to 60 feet. Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects. Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
Notes on Treasure: Crawling Claw swarms can have 1d8 non-magical rings (jewelry valued at 1d10x10 gp) and may have a magical ring at the DM's discretion. A magical ring does not generally benefit the whole swarm.
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I think my next swarm will be a swarm of stirges. Individually they make a good challenge for low-level characters. A swarm of them should make a good challenge for medium-level characters.
So I'm designing one from the ground up. If I ever get it finished, I'll post it.
