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RobbieOC
2007-02-24, 02:10 AM
Dumb question in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...

How do I make a rat swarm? I'm looking at the swarm entry in the glossary of the MM, but it doesn't seem to really say how to make a swarm out of a specific animal. I understand how they work, but how do I figure out HP? How do I figure out how many HD it has? How do I figure out CR? Thanks.

oriong
2007-02-24, 02:40 AM
It's listed in the swarm entry in the monster manual.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/swarm.htm#ratSwarm

Thomas
2007-02-24, 10:14 AM
If you look at the swarms and at the entries for the constituent creatures, it's not very hard to figure out how to create a swarm that doesn't exist (such as my "murder of crows"). Just use existing swarms as a basis.


Crow (raven, rook, etc.): CR 1/6; Tiny Animal; HD 1/4 d8; hp 1; Init +2; Spd 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (average); AC 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 12; Base Atk/Grp +0/-13; Atk Claws +4 melee (1d2-5); Space/Reach 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.; SQ Low-light vision; AL N; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +2; Str 1, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6.
Skills: Listen +5, Spot +7
Feats: Alertness, Weapon Finesse

Murder of Crows: CR 3; Tiny Animal (Swarm); HD 4d8; hp 18; Init +2; Spd 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (average); AC 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 12; Base Atk/Grp +3/-; Atk Swarm (1d6 plus eye peck); Space/Reach 10 ft./0 ft.; SA Distraction, eye peck; SQ Half damage from slashing and piercing, low-light vision, swarm traits, vulnerability to area effects; AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +3; Str 1, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6.
Skills: Listen +7, Spot +8
Feats: Alertness, Lightning Reflexes
Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn with a swarm in its space must succeed on a DC 12 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Eye Peck (Ex): Any living creature damaged by a murder of crows must succeed on a DC 12 Reflex save or be blinded. The spells remove blindness, renegeration, and heal can cure this condition.

Shhalahr Windrider
2007-02-24, 02:29 PM
If you look at the swarms and at the entries for the constituent creatures, it's not very hard to figure out how to create a swarm that doesn't exist (such as my "murder of crows").
Heh! You don't use Tome of Magic, do you?

Your version is nearly identical, too. A few minior difference, but much is the same.

"Doesn't exist." :smalltongue:

Thomas
2007-02-24, 06:31 PM
Nope, never read a full page of it. I've looked inside once or twice.

I should probably write game mechanics for a d20 game. (Right after I get done revising all the piss-poor d20 stat blocks in my dual-system Lovecraft Country supplements. A 4th-level character with 4 feats? And why does Armitage get 2 extra feats? Is he just that old?)

The_Snark
2007-02-25, 12:11 AM
Yeah, they look nearly the same; maybe a few differing stats, and no Eye Peck.

As for figuring out HD... there isn't an actual rule for this, but in general, think about how dangerous the creature would be in large numbers, how robust the thing is individually and how many there are likely to be, and then assign a number of HD that seems vaguely reasonable. CR is figured out the same way you always figure out CR for a homebrewed monster, which is to say with difficulty.

I should really get around to making my neogi spawn swarm.

Shhalahr Windrider
2007-02-25, 12:32 AM
Yeah, they look nearly the same; maybe a few differing stats, and no Eye Peck.
There is an eye peck in the official version. But it's called "Blinding" instead.

The_Snark
2007-02-25, 12:40 AM
Huh, didn't remember that. Maybe I should have actually been looking at it.