Swarm rules for Goblins

[MrEdwardNigma]

I'm DMing a game where the party of adventurers is currently trying to free a city from an infestation of goblins. However, all the PCs are level 7 and single goblins don't really prove much of a challenge. They tend to fight huge groups of them instead, easily forty to fifty goblins. While this is intentional, a barrage of weak foes, throwing the dice for the goblins individually really bogs down the game ridiculously.

So I was wondering if there were any sort of rules available where I could get along with less dice-rolls? Some way to count the goblins not as individuals but as a swarm, or some kind of other solution?

[rexx1888]

why not do what you just said??

run a group of goblins as a single entity, one attack roll per five or what have you. Normally the issue is that they are medium creatures, but swarms are able to enter the square of their target so just make the marker a big swarm.. i dont think this would make too many issues for you, since youll now run five mobs for fifty critters :D

[Sian]

there's Mob Swarms in Cityscape (p124) which could be used

[Inevitability]

there's Mob Swarms in Cityscape (p124) which could be used

I thought it was in the second DMG. May be in both though.

[hamishspence]

It's both. Cityscape assumes humanoids - DMG II allows for any creatures of the right size - and one of the examples is "Stampede Of Horses."

[Psyren]

To echo the others, Mob Rules are what you're looking for.

[Slipperychicken]

I'm DMing a game where the party of adventurers is currently trying to free a city from an infestation of goblins. However, all the PCs are level 7 and single goblins don't really prove much of a challenge. They tend to fight huge groups of them instead, easily forty to fifty goblins. While this is intentional, a barrage of weak foes, throwing the dice for the goblins individually really bogs down the game ridiculously.


They could be a pretty big pain if they take advantage of the terrain, using the most basic urban tactics. Things like crouching behind windows (hello there Improved Cover, +8 AC, and +10 to Hide checks) high off the ground (sorry Mr. Ubercharger, I guess your reach doesn't extend to the 3rd story of this building) in dark rooms (hello 20-50% miss chance), from a long distance away can make them supremely annoying. And then once they notice PCs approaching their position or retaliating, they can hit the floor (granting total cover since they're entirely behind a wall), relocate to a different room, or go to a different building entirely. Of course, the goblins are dispersed between buildings, meaning the PCs need either highly competent ranged attackers, or the ability to quickly move between buildings. Then, if the gobbos have the slightest hint of a brain, they can build obstacles from debris and trap the ever-loving **** out of each building they occupy to make life difficult for anyone trying to root them out. For the whole time the PCs are looking for them and trying to attack, the goblins are trying to plink away at the PCs' health.

And I'm not even getting started on what the goblins can do if they take hostages.

[hamishspence]

Tome of Battle White Raven manoeuvres are also a good way to beef up the accuracy and damage of large squads.