What are the advantages of being a were-swarm?

[CyberThread]

Just a curious question and all, but what advantage are we talking about when we have a were swarm versus the normal were power selections?

[Yuki Akuma]

Well. You're a swarm, for one thing. This makes you immune to weapons. You can also squeeze through very small spaces and you automatically hurt things that share a space with you.

Of course I'd call being a wereswarm a bit of a stretch. Just because swarms are treated as a single creature for game mechanics purposes doesn't mean you can be a wereratswarm.

[ShurikVch]

Swarm subtype (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#swarmSubtype)

A swarm can move through cracks or holes large enough for its component creatures.
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. A swarm composed of Fine or Diminutive creatures is immune to all weapon damage.
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, and they cannot grapple an opponent.
A swarm is immune to any spell or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate), with the exception of mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects) if the swarm has an Intelligence score and a hive mind. 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.
Swarms made up of Diminutive or Fine creatures are susceptible to high winds such as that created by a gust of wind spell. For purposes of determining the effects of wind on a swarm, treat the swarm as a creature of the same size as its constituent creatures. Wind effects deal 1d6 points of nonlethal damage to a swarm per spell level (or Hit Dice of the originating creature, in the case of effects such as an air elemental’s whirlwind). A swarm rendered unconscious by means of nonlethal damage becomes disorganized and dispersed, and does not reform until its hit points exceed its nonlethal damage.

[Starbuck_II]

Well. You're a swarm, for one thing. This makes you immune to weapons. You can also squeeze through very small spaces and you automatically hurt things that share a space with you.

Of course I'd call being a wereswarm a bit of a stretch. Just because swarms are treated as a single creature for game mechanics purposes doesn't mean you can be a wereratswarm.

Correct, but you can be a were Murder of Crows.

[ShurikVch]

Also Pest Swarm, Piranha Swarm and Needletooth swarm http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mmiii_gallery/83025.jpg

[Chronos]

There's plenty of precedent in folklore and fiction for a single person turning into a swarm. And for good reason: It's just a cool concept. In my mind, rule of cool trumps all, as long as it can be reasonably balanced, and the RHD and LA of lycanthropy are a pretty significant balancing factor.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

"This animal can be any predator, scavenger, or omnivore whose size is within one size category of the base creature’s size."

In core, the Bat Swarm and Rat Swarm are the only ones with the animal type, the others are vermin and invalid for werecreatures. A bat swarm is diminutive, so you can only put it on a tiny or smaller humanoid as a werecreature. A rat swarm is tiny, so you could put it on a small humanoid. A needletooth swarm (MM3) is also tiny, and can go on a small humanoid for a werecreature.

Both a rat swarm and a needletooth swarm have Str 2, so in hybrid or animal form you would get Str -8. You would retain all the special qualities of the base animal in any form, though it would be within a DM's power to decide that the swarm's traits that are dependent on being composed of multiple creatures are not active while in humanoid or hybrid form.