Dealing with Swarms?

[EriktheRed]

Are there any magic items that provide specific benefits against swarms?

[ThermalSlapShot]

Are there any magic items that provide specific benefits against swarms?

From D20SRD.org

Vulnerabilities Of Swarms

Swarms are extremely difficult to fight with physical attacks. However, they have a few special vulnerabilities, as follows:

A lit torch swung as an improvised weapon deals 1d3 points of fire damage per hit.

A weapon with a special ability such as flaming or frost deals its full energy damage with each hit, even if the weapon’s normal damage can’t affect the swarm.

A lit lantern can be used as a thrown weapon, dealing 1d4 points of fire damage to all creatures in squares adjacent to where it breaks.

soo... Yeah.

[Lord Vukodlak]

Are there any magic items that provide specific benefits against swarms?

Well any area effect would deal 50% more damage against a swarm so a necklace of fireballs would have a special effect against swarms. Swarms are vulnerable to strong winds so a Wind Fan could be helpful there.

But I can't recall any special "swarm fighting items" there's just gear that can be used to fight swarms more effectively.

[ThermalSlapShot]

Well any area effect would deal 50% more damage against a swarm so a necklace of fireballs would have a special effect against swarms. Swarms are vulnerable to strong winds so a Wind Fan could be helpful there.

But I can't recall any special "swarm fighting items" there's just gear that can be used to fight swarms more effectively.

Does a wizard/sorcerer count as a weapon or gear?

[thethird]

Things like swarmguard armor, and swarmstrike weapon from dungeonscape?

[HalfQuart]

Not a magic item, but Alchemist's Fire (SRD) and other splash weapons work.

[CRtwenty]

Wand of Burning Hands :smallwink:

[Arael666]

Fiery burst can pretty much instakill a swarm, or at least deal substantial damage. All that by the price of nothing, since its a reserve feat.

[HunterOfJello]

Fiery burst can pretty much instakill a swarm, or at least deal substantial damage. All that by the price of nothing, since its a reserve feat.

A feat is a very high price to pay to be able to deal with swarms.


~~~

Insectbane candles from Arms & Eqiupment Guide are your best friend against most swarms. They only work on insect swarms though, so you still gotta watch out for bats, rats, undead rats, and other things.

[ThermalSlapShot]

A feat is a very high price to pay to be able to deal with swarms.


~~~

Insectbane candles from Arms & Eqiupment Guide are your best friend against most swarms. They only work on insect swarms though, so you still gotta watch out for bats, rats, undead rats, and other things.

Pshaw, Creeping Doom is so an 7th level spell! For the price of one feat I can take out high level Druids... Cause you know, they totally prepare that spell all the time.

[Arael666]

A feat is a very high price to pay to be able to deal with swarms.

But it's a very useful feat in the first place, it's not like he's taking it just to deal with swarms.

[EriktheRed]

Things like swarmguard armor, and swarmstrike weapon from dungeonscape?

This is what I was looking for, thanks.

[Twilightwyrm]

I wounder: what would be the effect of a tanglefoot bag on a swarm? I mean, probably not an aerial swarm, but say a swarm of spiders or rats?

[Kasbark]

If you can use Pathfinder stuff, the Swarmbane Clasp is very cheap and very good against swarms.

[Lord Vukodlak]

I wounder: what would be the effect of a tanglefoot bag on a swarm? I mean, probably not an aerial swarm, but say a swarm of spiders or rats?

Tanglefoot bags target a single creature not all creatures in an area... so nothing.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Tanglefoot bags target a single creature not all creatures in an area... so nothing.

That's real-world logic. By RAW a swarm is a single entity and has no specific immunity to entanglement as long as it's an AoE effect.

[Zombimode]

Nope, Tanglefoot Bags are explicitly single-target. And swarms are immune to effects that only affect distinct targets.

[Ace Nex]

Burning Hands if you're low level. AOE damage spells work great, so long as they're not on the party before you can launch your barrage.

[nedz]

What's wrong with the old flask of oil and a burning torch ?

[Lord Vukodlak]

That's real-world logic. By RAW a swarm is a single entity and has no specific immunity to entanglement as long as it's an AoE effect.

By RAW a tanglefoot bag targets a single creature using a ranged touch attack. Its not an AoE thus a swarm is immune.

[ericgrau]

Any magic weapon enchantments work. At low level you stock up on alchemical items. Or really they do so little damage that walking away quickly works too. As does a little DR, such as class features or ironward diamonds (magic item compendium).

Is your DM throwing a particularly large number of swarms at you for some reason? Normally they aren't much of a threat. I'd just put up with them and let the casters wipe them away while you wait for something more dangerous. If you want to feel like you're contributing then pick up some alchemist's fire, acid and so on. If they are becoming a very common problem then the DR against low damage will help quite a bit more. I suppose it helps a little in general too. And there are a wide variety of wondrous items in the DMG that do small amounts of non-weapon damage, if you want to upgrade from the alchemical stuff. Heck with pipes of the sewer you can even bring in your own rat swarm, or control the rat swarm attacking you.

[nedz]

If you want to get snazzy then there's also a wand of Repel Vermin (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/repelVermin.htm). This should allow you to either hedge the swarm or perhaps even push it onto your opposition.