Ruethgar
2016-05-02, 08:29 PM
So for this I'm going to be focusing primarily on Murder of Crows. This post is intended to inspire ideas, not necessarily to seek a certain goal. Please feel free to comment with your swarm manipulation techniques.
Anthropomorphic Murder of Crows- Subtypes are never afforded the luxury of having LA applied to them making an Anthro Murder the same as an Anthro Raven. Of course most DMs would chuckle and probably through Living Spells at you just to play on your weakness for AoE or just slap you with a LA befitting a Swarm. At any rate a writhing mass of birds in the form of a humanoid able to wield weapons(even if he can't use them on normal attacks) seems like it would be pretty awesome.
Were-Murder, now this is nearer RAW playable out of the box, as I recall, you don't actually get the swarm subtype, but you get the look. The heavty 6 ECL is quite the hit, but in this case I would probably allow for either a reduction in the Lycanthrope Template's power or level draining the RHD away for the looks. You are after all going to be quite weak no matter the swarm you choose, and if you want it for flavor, why not, you aren't getting the immunites, auto-hit, flanklessness or damage reduction so why should you be taking such a heavty penalty? One issue that you should address with your DM is the space/reach. It is 10ft/0ft as per the entry, but the amorphous nature is a function of the Swarm subtype. You are still Tiny so you can go through spaces allowed for Tiny as usual so you keep that, but you also still provoke attacks of opportunity unless the DM makes an exception for the [Feline] feat Don't Mind Me in Fabulous Cats(or you find a swarm of cats listed to lycan into).
Dragonblooded, because a massive murder of crows coming to murder you isnt enough. Quick and easy for this would be the half dragon template, fluff those feathers right out and now you have a swarm of dragons. There is also ritual association Dragonblodded and take some feats. But my preference is for Half Dragon(or heavily aesthetically influenced Draconic) with some form of adding fire damage to their attacks, a level of Swordsage for Desert Fire use as an example, though one could also go the route of Human Heritage(you sick bastard), Magical Training, Precocious Apprentice(Furnace Within). Since you'll never use the 2nd level spell anyway, Fiery Burst at 3rd level. Do note that this would probably require an Awakened swarm unless you are the type of DM to fudge the rules a little for NPCs and flavor, in which case I would also remove the Magical Training requirement(and thus the need for Human Heritage) and go with the Redhead feat for Elemalific Searing Produce Flame. It will give it a little damage boost 1/day and still be dangerous against fire resistant PCs.
Animal Friends! Because 3.0 Animal Friendship just wont die. You'll need to drain a few HD, but you'll have to decide if it is worth it getting your very own swarm pet. In a similar vein, Command Animals from the OA Shaman Nature Domain or those two feats updated, Animal Defiance and Animal Control I think? Also, using the logic from Anthro Murders, an Awakened Raven has an ECL of 2 if you wanted to go that route to play them, or have them as followers.
Anthropomorphic Murder of Crows- Subtypes are never afforded the luxury of having LA applied to them making an Anthro Murder the same as an Anthro Raven. Of course most DMs would chuckle and probably through Living Spells at you just to play on your weakness for AoE or just slap you with a LA befitting a Swarm. At any rate a writhing mass of birds in the form of a humanoid able to wield weapons(even if he can't use them on normal attacks) seems like it would be pretty awesome.
Were-Murder, now this is nearer RAW playable out of the box, as I recall, you don't actually get the swarm subtype, but you get the look. The heavty 6 ECL is quite the hit, but in this case I would probably allow for either a reduction in the Lycanthrope Template's power or level draining the RHD away for the looks. You are after all going to be quite weak no matter the swarm you choose, and if you want it for flavor, why not, you aren't getting the immunites, auto-hit, flanklessness or damage reduction so why should you be taking such a heavty penalty? One issue that you should address with your DM is the space/reach. It is 10ft/0ft as per the entry, but the amorphous nature is a function of the Swarm subtype. You are still Tiny so you can go through spaces allowed for Tiny as usual so you keep that, but you also still provoke attacks of opportunity unless the DM makes an exception for the [Feline] feat Don't Mind Me in Fabulous Cats(or you find a swarm of cats listed to lycan into).
Dragonblooded, because a massive murder of crows coming to murder you isnt enough. Quick and easy for this would be the half dragon template, fluff those feathers right out and now you have a swarm of dragons. There is also ritual association Dragonblodded and take some feats. But my preference is for Half Dragon(or heavily aesthetically influenced Draconic) with some form of adding fire damage to their attacks, a level of Swordsage for Desert Fire use as an example, though one could also go the route of Human Heritage(you sick bastard), Magical Training, Precocious Apprentice(Furnace Within). Since you'll never use the 2nd level spell anyway, Fiery Burst at 3rd level. Do note that this would probably require an Awakened swarm unless you are the type of DM to fudge the rules a little for NPCs and flavor, in which case I would also remove the Magical Training requirement(and thus the need for Human Heritage) and go with the Redhead feat for Elemalific Searing Produce Flame. It will give it a little damage boost 1/day and still be dangerous against fire resistant PCs.
Animal Friends! Because 3.0 Animal Friendship just wont die. You'll need to drain a few HD, but you'll have to decide if it is worth it getting your very own swarm pet. In a similar vein, Command Animals from the OA Shaman Nature Domain or those two feats updated, Animal Defiance and Animal Control I think? Also, using the logic from Anthro Murders, an Awakened Raven has an ECL of 2 if you wanted to go that route to play them, or have them as followers.