GiTP Pathfinder Grab Bag Competition I - Creepy Crawlers

[Tarvon000]

SWARMLORD

"Sure it's kind of itchy, but being covered with spiders isn't so bad once you get used to it." Torgaz the Repulsive, a swarmlord

While others receive magical power from study, worship, or innate spellcasting ability, the swarmlord's magic originates from a powerful curse. Hundreds of small animals and vermin cluster around him, hiding in his hair and clothing. With training, however, he can learn to control these creatures, forming them into swarms and directing their actions.

Role: For the most part, swarmlords are essentially blasters, attacking with legions of swarms or using their wave of vermin attack against nearer foes. However, their wild shape ability allows for a limited scouting role as well.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d8.

Starting Gold: 2d4×10 gp.

Class Skills
The swarmlord's class skills are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

TABLE: SWARMLORD
{table=head]Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Swarm Points | Action Points
1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 |

Create swarm, command swarm, nausea immunity, swarmlord's familiar, wave of vermin 1d6

| 1 (1) | 1
2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 |

Agile swarm +1, swarm resistance

| 3 (1) | 2
3rd | +1 | +3 | +1 | +3 |

Poison resistance +2, wave of vermin 2d6

| 6 (3) | 2
4th | +2 | +4 | +1 | +4 |

Deadly swarm +2, evasive swarm

| 10 (3) | 3
5th | +2 | +4 | +1 | +4 |

Poison resistance +4, wave of vermin 3d6

| 15 (6) | 3
6th | +3 | +5 | +2 | +5 |

Agile swarm +2, wild shape (1/day)

| 21 (6) | 4
7th | +3 | +5 | +2 | +5 |

Poison resistance +6, wave of vermin 4d6

| 28 (10) | 4
8th | +4 | +6 | +2 | +6 |

Deadly swarm +4, penetrating swarm

| 36 (10) | 5
9th | +4 | +6 | +3 | +6 |

Poison immunity, wave of vermin 5d6

| 45 (15) | 5
10th | +5 | +7 | +3 | +7 |

Agile swarm +3, wild shape (2/day)

| 55 (15) | 6
11th | +5 | +7 | +3 | +7 |

Disease resistance +2, wave of vermin 6d6

| 66 (21) | 6
12th | +6/+1 | +8 | +4 | +8 |

Deadly swarm +6, warded swarm

| 78 (21) | 7
13th | +6/+1 | +8 | +4 | +8 |

Disease resistance +4, wave of vermin 7d6

| 91 (28) | 7
14th | +7/+2 | +9 | +4 | +9 |

Agile swarm +4, wild shape (3/day)

| 105 (28) | 8
15th | +7/+2 | +9 | +5 | +9 |

Disease resistance +6, wave of vermin 8d6

| 120 (36) | 8
16th | +8/+3 | +10 | +5 | +10 |

Deadly swarm +8, swift swarm

| 136 (36) | 9
17th | +8/+3 | +10 | +5 | +10 |

Disease immunity, wave of vermin 9d6

| 153 (45) | 9
18th | +9/+4 | +11 | +6 | +11 |

Agile swarm +5, wild shape (4/day)

| 171 (45) | 10
19th | +9/+4 | +11 | +6 | +11 |

Mindless, wave of vermin 10d6

| 190 (55) | 10
20th | +10/+5 | +12 | +6 | +12 |

Deadly swarm +10, greater swarm

| 210 (55) | 10[/table]

Class Features
The following are class features of the swarmlord.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Swarmlords are proficient with all simple weapons. They are also proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

Create Swarm (Su): As a standard action, a swarmlord can impel some of the animals or vermin in his hair and clothing to emerge and form themselves into a swarm within 30 feet of the swarmlord. Doing so costs a number of "swarm points" depending on the type of swarm created, as shown below. Swarms created by a swarmlord are immobile once created, attacking any creatures in their area, and after 10 minutes disperse and attempt to return to him.

A swarmlord only has a certain number of swarm points each day. His daily swarm point allotment is given on Table: Swarmlord. A swarmlord's spent swarm points are regained after 8 hours of rest. A swarmlord cannot spend more swarm points to create a single swarm than the number in parentheses given after his daily swarm point allotment.

1 Swarm Point-- Spider swarm.

3 Swarm Points-- Bat swarm, cockroach swarm, monkey swarm, rat swarm, snake swarm.

6 Swarm Points-- Mosquito swarm, wasp swarm.

10 Swarm Points-- Centipede swarm, crab swarm, leech swarm, venomous snake swarm.

15 Swarm Points-- Army ant swarm.

21 Swarm Points-- Jellyfish swarm, 16 HD army ant swarm.

28 Swarm Points-- Rot grub swarm.

36 Swarm Points-- 15 HD rot grub swarm.

45 Swarm Points-- Tick swarm.

55 Swarm Points-- 21 HD tick swarm.

Command Swarm (Su): As long as a swarmlord is within 100 feet of a swarm he has created, he can telepathically direct it to move as a free action by spending a number of "action points" depending on the command, as shown below. A swarmlord gains a certain number of action points each round. This number is given on Table: Swarmlord. In addition, once per round he can use either a move action to gain 2 action points, a standard action to gain 3 action points, or a full-round action to gain 4 action points. Unused action points are lost at the end of the round. A swarmlord cannot move a swarm more than once in the same round.

1 Action Point-- The swarm moves up to its speed toward the nearest target it can attack.

2 Action Points-- The swarm moves up to its speed toward one target of your choice.

3 Action Points-- The swarm moves up to its speed in any path you designate.

4 Action Points-- The swarm moves up to its speed in any path you designate and can be shaped to occupy any four contiguous squares at the beginning of its move.

Whenever a swarmlord moves a swarm with this ability, he can spend 1 additional action point to move the swarm up to twice its speed instead.

Nausea Immunity (Ex): Living covered in vermin all his life has given a swarmlord immunity to being sickened or nauseated.

Swarmlord's Familiar: At 1st level, a swarmlord forms a close bond with a familiar. This functions like the wizard's arcane bond class feature, except that the familiar must be a bat, centipede, crab, rat, or snake.

Wave of Vermin (Su): In addition to forming vermin into swarms, a swarmlord can cause them to simply rush forward in the direction of his choice and attack everything in their path, dealing 1d6 points of damage as though from an attack made by a swarm to every creature in a 30-foot line originating from the swarmlord. A Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 the swarmlord's class level + the swarmlord's Charisma modifier) halves this damage. The damage of a swarmlord's wave of vermin increases by 1d6 points at every odd-numbered swarmlord level. A swarmlord can use his wave of vermin ability a number of times each day equal to his class level + his Charisma modifier.

Agile Swarm (Ex): All swarms created by a swarmlord of at least 2nd level gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC. Their dodge bonus increases by 1 at 6th level and every four levels thereafter.

Swarm Resistance (Ex): At 2nd level, a swarmlord gains damage reduction 10/-- against attacks made by swarms.

Poison Resistance (Ex): At 3rd level, a swarmlord gains a +2 bonus on all saving throws against all poisons, including supernatural and magical poisons. This bonus increases to +4 at 5th level, and then again to +6 at 7th level. At 9th level, a swarmlord becomes completely immune to poison.

Deadly Swarm (Ex): All swarms created by a swarmlord of at least 4th level deal 2 additional points of damage with their swarm attack. The damage of their swarm attacks increases by an additional 2 points at 8th level and every four levels thereafter.

Evasive Swarm (Ex): All swarms created by a swarmlord of at least 4th level take no damage instead of half damage whenever they succeed on a saving throw for half damage.

Wild Shape (Su): At 6th level, a swarmlord gains the ability to turn himself into any Small or Medium animal and back again once per day. His options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the beast shape I spell, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per swarmlord level, or until he changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. The form chosen must be that of an animal with which the swarmlord is familiar.

A swarmlord loses his ability to speak while in animal form because he is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but he can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as his new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)

A swarmlord can use this ability an additional time per day at 10th level and every four levels thereafter, for a total of four times at 18th level. As a swarmlord gains levels, this ability allows the swarmlord to take on the form of larger and smaller animals and vermin. Each form expends one daily use of this ability, regardless of the form taken.

At 10th level, a swarmlord can also use wild shape to change into a Large or Tiny animal or a Small or Medium vermin. When taking the form of an animal, a swarmlord's wild shape now functions as beast shape II. When taking the form of a vermin, the swarmlord's wild shape now functions as beast shape IV (treating the vermin as an animal to determine its ability and natural armor modifiers).

At 14th level, a swarmlord can also use wild shape to change into a Huge or Diminutive animal or a Large or Tiny vermin. When taking the form of animals, a swarmlord's wild shape now functions as beast shape III. When taking the form of a vermin, the swarmlord's wild shape still functions as beast shape IV.

At 18th level, a swarmlord can also use wild shape to change into a Huge or Diminutive vermin. When taking the form of a vermin, the swarmlord's wild shape still functions as beast shape IV.

Penetrating Swarm (Ex): All swarms created by a swarmlord of at least 8th level bypass the first 10 points of damage reduction of any type with their swarm attack.

Disease Resistance (Ex): At 11th level, a swarmlord gains a +2 bonus on all saving throws against all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases. This bonus increases to +4 at 13th level, and then again to +6 at 15th level. At 17th level, a swarmlord becomes completely immune to disease.

Warded Swarm (Ex): All swarms created by a swarmlord of at least 12th level gain SR equal to 5 + the swarmlord's class level.

Swift Swarm (Ex): All swarms created by a swarmlord of at least 16th level gain a +10 bonus to each of their movement speeds.

Mindless (Ex): At 19th level, a swarmlord learns to use the mindless vermin crawling on his head as a buffer against intrusion into his own mind, making him immune to mind-affecting effects.

Greater Swarm (Ex): All swarms create by a swarmlord of at least 20th level have maximum hit points per Hit Die and bypass all damage reduction of any type with their swarm attack.