The Official Cicada Swarm Help Thread

[Henry]

I found a web site that was very informative for using cicadas in RPG's.

www.cicadaville.com

 

[kengar]

In honor of the Cicada season, I recently had the PC's in our game encounter GIANT cicadas. They entered an abandoned structure and had "shells" the size of footballs EVERYWHERE.

Then the PC who was scouting was chased almost out of the area by them.

That reminds me, if you collect the "shells" -and are careful with them- they make great ankheg minis!

 

[PugioilAudacio]

Wow you're right! I never realized that. Time to start my new authentic Ankheg business. You get 100 for a $1. Great deal. Buy now don't delay, supplies are, um...., uh... running out! Yeah that's right, supplies are running out. Yep. Yes they are. Of course there isn't millions of them, where did you hear that from?

 

[Stone Angel]

If you hit the shell with some hairspray a couple times, then clear coat they are a bit more durable and keep a little longer.

A dire circadas "reee...reeee" ability could cause confusion like an umber hulk. that would be a great way to throw something new at your players. Or the abysall circadas could lay eggs into flesh instead of tree's. Then the arm or leg rots off and falls to the ground starting the cycle all ovr again.


The Seraph of Earth and Stone

 

[Bloodsparrow]

The local radio station was making a bit deal about it, but it appears the this brood doesn't come this far south (I think the 2008 brood does.)

The station, however, was going to bring some chefs in to cook some up. They call this event "I ate a cicada."

They don't get out here to CA, thankfully, so I haven't had the pleasure...

I seem to recall reading that some doctor pronounced them "low in carbs", and that at least one Atkins obsessed man was sent to the emergency room after eating a bowl of them that he had sauted in garlic.

So that's like, what... Con check DC 10?

And would they be bad for you? Or only when cooked with garlic?

And would the Druid's ability not to be poisoned mean that a Druid of sufficent level could eat as many garlic cicadas as they want without getting sick?

 

[snarfoogle]

Step 1: Take the module 'A Hot Day In L'trel' from an old issue of Dungeon.

Step 2: Convert it to what system you're playing.

Step 3: Remove lots of fire, put in lots of cicadas. Replace fire induced penalties with cicada induced penalties, etc.

Sorry, but I've always loved that module. '[Dire] Cicadas are everywhere in the city. They have started many fires. Bandits have come to the area to loot the destruction...'

 

[jerichothebard]

2) Make then cannibalistic. Whenever the party crushes one, have a swarm of them jump on the corpse and devour it - maybe have the ones eating them actually grow right before the party's eyes as they devour their deceased swarmmate. Eventually there are only a few hundred very large cicadas left.

And then they start on each other, until there is only one left...

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!

 

[Tumbler]

How about a Cicada like humanoid, like the Abeil in MM2 (bee people). They wouldn't be very smart (6 or so). Give them a sonic attack they automatically use on anything that they think will disrupt their mating (anything that moves). Then they lay eggs and their larvae eat enough trees or parts of trees to blight a forest.

Maybe they only hatch every 200 years or so, which explains why all of the trees in a forest are pretty much the same age.

Or what about ethereal cicadas who hatch out of the ethereal and then burrow back in. All of the little holes they leave make the planar barriers very porous and open to intrusion (or things disappearing into the mist).

 

[Kesh]

You folks are just nuts.

I feel kinda old now, having been through one of these broods when I was a kid. Wasn't that bad.

Of course, now that I'm in Hawaii, I don't have to worry about them.