Stirge SwarmCR 6
XP 2,400
N Tiny magical beast (swarm)
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision;Perception +11
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 12 (+4 Dex, +2 size)
hp 78 (12d10 plus 12)
Fort +8; Ref +14; Will +5
OFFENSE
Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (average)
Melee swarm (3d6 plus blood drain) The creature drains blood at the end of its turn if it grapples a foe, inflicting Constitution damage.
Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks blood drain (1d6 Constitution), distraction (DC 16 FORT)
A creature with this ability can nauseate the creatures that it damages. Any living creature that takes damage from a creature with the distraction ability is nauseated for 1 round; aFortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 creature's HD + creature's Con modifier) negates the effect.
STATISTICS
Str 3, Dex 19, Con 10, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +12; CMB —; CMD —
Feats Improved Initiative, Improved Lightning Reflexes,Lightning Reflexes, Skill Focus (Perception), Skill Focus(Stealth), Toughness
Skills Fly +17, Perception +11, Stealth +20
SQ diseased
SPECIAL ABILITIESDiseased (Ex)
QUESTION: Is this how an attack works:
QUESTION: How do you do a grapple check with no CMB/CMD stats?
Swarm stays in opponents square at the end of their turn. Auto damage 3D6+distraction FORT save. THEN drain (grapple check). if successful grapple check then the 1D6 drain.
I'll preface by stating that the stirge swarm is a 3rd-party monster, and not published by Paizo.
That said, I assume the author intended for the blood drain to be automatic (not requiring a grapple check), just like normal swarm damage.
any other opinions?
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The blood drain is part of the swarm damage. Be glad it is not a tick swarm, or may i introduce the tick swarm.
By RAW, this creature can't ever use its blood drain ability. 3rd party editor needs to read the rules better apparently. ;)
Blood drain is a universal monster ability that requires the monster to grapple its foe before use.
Blood Drain (Ex)
The creature drains blood at the end of its turn if it grapples a foe, inflicting Constitution damage.
In the swarm subtype description, it notes that swarms are incapable of being grappled or grappling.
Traits: A swarm has no clear front or back and no discernible anatomy, so it is not subject to critical hits or flanking...Also, they cannot be tripped, grappled, or bull rushed, and they cannot grapple an opponent.
So as written, the monster has an ability it can't use.
My guess? They intended the blood drain to be used when the creature swarms into a square and attacks, and so just copied and pasted the universal monster ability into the monster's stat block, without realizing that as written it couldn't use the ability.