Thinking of running my first 5e game. Attack of the bugs!

[leon666]

So I am currently in a game of 5e and it all seems to flow better for the Dm and players and recently i've been getting that urge to run something and as 5e seems a nice system, why not?

I only have a vague concept so far (Gotten inspiration from other threads) and am going to go for a overwhelming horde of small easy to kill insects, with a set number in mind to begin with and will see how long they can last or if they can exterminate all the bugs and win a prize!

I've been thinking of using stirges and paying close attention to the clothing and armor used by the players to plot exactly how many i can fairly have attaching to each of them at once. I'm not set on these though and am open to suggestions for other bugs or perhaps something to supplement a nest of 1,000 stirges. I really wanna make the players skin crawl!

So far the best I can come up with for a set up is they are hired to investigate cattle mutilations and follow some clues (stirge guano?) to a cave above or underground, disturb something and unleash the flesh eating horrors sleeping inside.

General advice (I'm sure links exist) for 5e Dm'ing welcome as well as any idea for the game itself.

[bc56]

Stirges are a good choice, but personally I would use Giant Wasps or Giant Centipedes.(giant spiders iff you want it too be hard) They give more of a feeling of the creepy-crawlies because people know what these bugs are, and are often grossed out by them. On the other hand, stirges are more like vampire bats, also scary, but not as creepy-crawly and more as parasites.

[samcifer]

This thread reminds me of an old video game "Zombies Ate My Neighbor".

"Pesticide is not enough in...

Level 92 - Billions of Bugs"

(not a real level from that game, btw)

[xroads]

This thread reminds me of an old video game "Zombies Ate My Neighbor".

"Pesticide is not enough in...

Level 92 - Billions of Bugs"

(not a real level from that game, btw)

Classic game. But I was reminded of an even older game... Atari's "Centipede." Throw some giant mushrooms into the cave and make sure the player's are equipped for ranged attacks, and you're all set. :smallwink:

But seriously, as alternative to giant bugs, you might want to try a large insects swarms. I would imagine a huge swarm of flesh stripping ants could downright terrorize the players. Especially if the encounter happens moments after the heroes watch the swarm strip an animal down to it's bones in seconds.