Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Take a look at the rules in the beginning of the swarm section in the monster manual and under the swarm subtype at the end of the same. From the SRD:
Swarm
Swarms are dense masses of Fine, Diminutive, or Tiny creatures that would not be particularly dangerous in small groups, but can be terrible foes when gathered in sufficient numbers. For game purposes a swarm is defined as a single creature with a space of 10 feet—gigantic hordes are actually composed of dozens of swarms in close proximity. A swarm has a single pool of Hit Dice and hit points, a single initiative modifier, a single speed, and a single Armor Class. It makes saving throws as a single creature.
Many different creatures can mass as swarms; bat swarms, centipede swarms, hellwasp swarms, locust swarms, rat swarms, and spider swarms are described here. The swarm’s type varies with the nature of the component creature (most are animals or vermin), but all swarms have the swarm subtype.
A swarm of Tiny creatures consists of 300 nonflying creatures or 1,000 flying creatures. A swarm of Diminutive creatures consists of 1,500 nonflying creatures or 5,000 flying creatures. A swarm of Fine creatures consists of 10,000 creatures, whether they are flying or not. Swarms of nonflying creatures include many more creatures than could normally fit in a 10-foot square based on their normal space, because creatures in a swarm are packed tightly together and generally crawl over each other and their prey when moving or attacking. Larger swarms are represented by multiples of single swarms. A large swarm is completely shapeable, though it usually remains contiguous.
Combat
In order to attack, a single swarm moves into opponents’ spaces, which provokes an attack of opportunity. It can occupy the same space as a creature of any size, since it crawls all over its prey, but remains a creature with a 10-foot space. Swarms never make attacks of opportunity, but they can provoke attacks of opportunity.
Unlike other creatures with a 10-foot space, a swarm is shapeable. It can occupy any four contiguous squares, and it can squeeze through any space large enough to contain one of its component creatures.
Vulnerabilities Of Swarms
Swarms are extremely difficult to fight with physical attacks. However, they have a few special vulnerabilities, as follows:
A lit torch swung as an improvised weapon deals 1d3 points of fire damage per hit.
A weapon with a special ability such as flaming or frost deals its full energy damage with each hit, even if the weapon’s normal damage can’t affect the swarm.
A lit lantern can be used as a thrown weapon, dealing 1d4 points of fire damage to all creatures in squares adjacent to where it breaks.
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Fighting a swarm of insects?
My PCs are going to go up against a massive swarm of bees.
Stop laughing at me.
They dont have access to any big fire spells (or area effect spells of any kind) and sword and shields aren't going to be too effective against a swarm of insects. Are they?
I'm sure there must be rules out there for dealing with this type of encounter. How do you figure AC, HP, etc? Even with a certain number of HP, it seems pretty silly that they could somehow do enough physical damage with a sword, mace, arrow, etc. to disperse the threat.
Whats the buzz on this?
My advice to the group is -- RUN!!
You need to look up Swarms in the Monstrous Manual under the creatures and then look up the Swarm subtype in the glossary.
The short end of this is that the swarm is immune to all weapon damage. The exception to this is if the weapon does fire damage/cold damage/etc. as well -- then it will only do the element damage. Torches will do a little bit of damage as will lanterns. They really need some way of doing area of effect damage.
The rules for this also treat the swarm as having one AC, one group HP, etc. I would probably just use the wasp swarm from the Fiend Folio:
Hit Dice: 4d8+4 (22hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 10 ft, fly 60 ft (average)
AC: 14 (+3 Dex, +1 Natural)
Base Attack: +3
Damage: 1d6 + Poison (1d8 initial/secondary -- Fort DC 18)
Special Attacks: Distraction (DC 13)
Special Qualities: Immune to weapon damage, swarm traits, vermin traits
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 16, Con 13, Int --, Wis 10, Cha 2
CR: 2
This is at least a start.
As I said before though -- unless they have some kind of elemental damage or area of effect damage -- RUN!
Good luck.
I'd probably also give a person with Fire Shield or a similar spell a complete immunity to swarms. (This is not RAW, by the way.) Sort of a sentient bug zapper kind of a deal.
8-)
A good house rule. Of course, it would have to be modified somewhat by the circumstances. A swarm of incorporeal creatures or a swarm with immunity to fire or cold (depending on the vesrion of the spell) would negate this rule in part or completely. Against a swarm of bees though, it makes perfect sense.
The back of Libre Mortis has many swarms; swarm type creatures; swarm vampires for example; and bees, whatnot and rules for fighing them and such; check that out; I think it has what your looking for; I dont have mine handy or I would give you a short summary.
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Thanks again Paizo comrades! As always your insights make my game better!
Anybody got a good idea for what I can use as a miniature?
The problem with using miniatures for swarms is that they are morphable (sp? -- or is it even a word?).
A swarm takes up 4 five foot squares -- this could be a line, a larger square, or any combination (think Tetris).
What I would do is use 4 of the same counter (from old dungeon mags?) as one swarm. It is easier to show the swarm and how it moves.
Hope that this helps.