So I ran my first game the other day and something came up that I didn't really know what to do with. Basically they were on a 5 feet wide walkway with a river of sewage on one side and a wall on the other. However they pass a collapsed passage and a swarm of spiders attacks them. They try to combat it for a spell but with the lack of space and the fact that it dropped the sorcerer basically before anyone could do anything their solution was to grab the unconscious sorcerer and run. Since it was wrecking them an I didn't really know what it should so I decided to just have it retreat back to where it came from. However I feel it probably should've chased them, but I'll ask anyway, what should the swarm have done? I also was going to have it so the swarm just stuck with nearest target and kept attacking them even if they were unconscious, and once it killed someone it just stayed on there corpse, because they just continue to eat them. I mean they attack with the intent to eat right? Or was that just me being a jerk?
They would have kept chasing the meal or whoever fell behind.
Also the thing about swarms is that it can be hard to hurt them if the party is not prepared. If I am not ready for them I run away if possible and come back later.
The party may have been entitled to a perception check to notice them, if they did not get one.
Well they came out of the cracks in the rubble and the scenario I was running didn't say to give them one.
Well they came out of the cracks in the rubble and the scenario I was running didn't say to give them one.
Perception checks are part of the basic rules. That would not be in the module.
As an example if someone were hiding in a room that would grant the players a free perception check, but no module will tell you that.
Oh so I need to just make up a number they need to hit then? Ok. Also I believe I mentioned this but this is the first time I've ever GMed and had virtually no instruction.
No, you secretly roll stealth, they roll perception.
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It will take some practice to get the hang of all the DM nuances. Make sure you are well read on each encounter's abilities.
For spider swarms, they have no Stealth skill, so you simply roll a Dex check for them (d20+3) in this case, opposed by the character's Perception. They could see spiders crawling in and out of the cracks in the walls that the swarm will emerge from.
The swarm is mindless, no Int score, so they react purely by instinct. They would have pursued the party, but not too far from their home and with a speed of only 20, the party should be able to get away at some point.
Oh so I need to just make up a number they need to hit then? Ok. Also I believe I mentioned this but this is the first time I've ever GMed and had virtually no instruction.
No. You don't need to make numbers up. There are rules for determining the actual DC the needed.
Well in this case you may need to use some GM adjudication, but there are still rules. You would have to decide how much noise the swarm makes. I would say a DC 15 perception check to hear them in the cracks would be fair. A certain module I ran had a 15 or 20, IIRC.
edit: Manwolf has a good idea, but that also assumes they are trying to be sneaky. Some insects are ambush insects.
One should probably note that you are free to give the spiders a bonus to their stealth roll based on the actual encounter.
Say they are a long way up or have cover. And likewise you could also impose a penalty on the PC rolls based on something like being distracted by a swinging unstable rope bridge or strong winds.
The advise above regarding reading ahead and understanding each encounter will give you a better idea of what's fair.