Swarm of Spiders

[Catodon]

Of course, this has made me realize I was using swarm completely wrong with my goblins in Burnt Offerings. That said, I like how it worked out so I suppose I need to write it up properly.

Whatever you did it worked great. We hate those guys like we should 

[Mister Andersen]

Of course, this has made me realize I was using swarm completely wrong with my goblins in Burnt Offerings. That said, I like how it worked out so I suppose I need to write it up properly.

How do you feel you were using it incorrectly?

[Krensky]

Of course, this has made me realize I was using swarm completely wrong with my goblins in Burnt Offerings. That said, I like how it worked out so I suppose I need to write it up properly.

How do you feel you were using it incorrectly?

Well, first it's arguable that letting them make all make swarm attacks as a standard action (ie three goblins equals six swarm attacks) is incorrect.

But I know I did the damage wrong. I was adding half the attack bonus instead of multiplying by half. Not sure how I mucked that up.

On the other hand, as I said, I think it worked great for things like the goblins. Call it horde rather then swarm or something.

[Mister Andersen]

Swarm is in some ways the Mastercraft NPC version of 2.0's joint action. But yes, I'd agree you were doing it wrong; your approach sounds more like an offensive version of Stand Together, probably applied as an attack trick.


Band of Brothers [Basic Combat]
Your comrades give you strength.
     Prerequisite: Tactics 2+ ranks
     Benefit: When at least 2 adjacent characters share your talent or Alignment, you gain Stress resistance equal to twice your Wisdom modifier (minimum 2). You also gain the following trick.
     Band of Brothers (attack trick, forte): Once per round, you gain a +2 morale bonus to attack and damage checks when at least 2 characters that you can see or hear share your talent or Alignment. You may not use any other attack tricks in the same round as you use this trick.

[Krensky]

See, that's fine for PCs, but I'm of the school that NPCs are fundamentally different.

Horde (+2 XP): The NPC is much more dangerous in numbers. When attacking a character who is adjacent to other is the attacker's species the attack gains a bonus to hit equal to the total number of attackers, and a bonus to damage equal to half the number of attackers, rounded down.

Or something like that. This my first pass at wording and maybe +2 XP is a bit low.

[MilitiaJim]

Band of Brothers [Basic Combat]
Your comrades give you strength.

I like this, though I would probably expand it to very nearby, within 30' maybe.  It's nice to have your battle brothers close, but you don't want everyone in that grenade's first blast increment.

[Mister Andersen]

Try it now

[Arakor]

That is terrifying. I don't know exactly how I'm going to use that swarm in my current Midnight campaign, but I'm definitely going to use it. Thanks.

If you want to use something even more terrifying, try replacing the spiders with Shrews.
It's a phenomena in Europe known as the Black Tide Carpet of Death, capable of ripping flesh from bones in seconds (kinda like land-based piranha swarms).

I've had a GM use this to great effect on me.

EDIT: Remembered the correct name for the phenomena.

[Catodon]

Whoahhh

[Arakor]

Whoahhh

Yeah ... given the choice between getting munched on by shrews or throwing ourselves off a cliff into a river in the valley below - guess what we chose!

CANNONBALL!!!!!!

Mind you, this was the same GM who ran our characters against a kobold who'd consumed a potion of Storm Giant strength. When our barbarian went flying head over heels, we had a simultaneous "Oh Crap" moment.

[the331st]

I want to run a one shot where a Tarasque Swarm invades the surface world to consume all...

[Doublebond]

I want to run a one shot where a Tarasque Swarm invades the surface world to consume all...

Even if you gave every single one the mook quality that would still be an impossible challenge.

On the other hand, you just gave me an idea for a campaign, specifically: the PCs have to race against time to stop a mad wizard from reawakening the unstoppable creatures that once brought the world to ruin so long ago.

Thanks!

[ArawnNox]

I want to run a one shot where a Tarasque Swarm invades the surface world to consume all...

Even if you gave every single one the mook quality that would still be an impossible challenge.

On the other hand, you just gave me an idea for a campaign, specifically: the PCs have to race against time to stop a mad wizard from reawakening the unstoppable creatures that once brought the world to ruin so long ago.

Thanks!

Yoink!