Buy a scroll or two? Wand of burning hands is two prestige (free).
Sometimes, the solution is to be the guy who takes the damage, and buys time for the rest of the group. Not always glamorous, but useful.
A Wand of Burning Hands is doing 1d4x1.5 damage with a DC11 reflex save for half. A Wand of Sound Burst is doing 1d8x1.5 damage with a DC13 fortitude save to avoid the stun.
Neither is a particularly good idea against most mid to high CR swarms. A CR9 Tick Swarm has 120hp. Even a simple CR4 Leech Swarm has 39hp.
For core it is pretty much bring a caster or be prepared to run away.
I didn't say it was great, or easy. But it is literally, better than nothing. By a little.
Better choices still would be to purchase a scroll of fireball, or some other area-effect spell. You might need something other than fire sometimes.
Windwall is good for blocking out the smallest flying creatures.
I have a cleric that channels negative energy, that also works fairly well. Sometimes I've also used holy water against undead swarms.
You can also sacrifice something to the swarm to buy time. Summon something, or let it eat your pack mule.
I suppose a scroll of haste or a potion of expeditious retreat might be another option...
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A Wand of Burning Hands is doing 1d4x1.5 damage with a DC11 reflex save for half. A Wand of Sound Burst is doing 1d8x1.5 damage with a DC13 fortitude save to avoid the stun.
Neither is a particularly good idea against most mid to high CR swarms. A CR9 Tick Swarm has 120hp. Even a simple CR4 Leech Swarm has 39hp.
For core it is pretty much bring a caster or be prepared to run away.
I didn't say it was great, or easy. But it is literally, better than nothing. By a little.
Better choices still would be to purchase a scroll of fireball, or some other area-effect spell. You might need something other than fire sometimes.
Windwall is good for blocking out the smallest flying creatures.
I have a cleric that channels negative energy, that also works fairly well. Sometimes I've also used holy water against undead swarms.
You can also sacrifice something to the swarm to buy time. Summon something, or let it eat your pack mule.
I suppose a scroll of haste or a potion of expeditious retreat might be another option...
Unfortunately, a potion of expeditious retreat is never an option.
From the Magic Item section of the CRB, Creating Potions subsection:
The imbiber of the potion is both the caster and the target. Spells with a range of personal cannot be made into potions.
Expeditious retreat, shield, longstrider, entropic shield, and more spells are ineligible to be made into potions.
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By the way, you can get a single 5d6 sphere from a necklace of fireballs for 2 prestige. You can get an Nd6 sphere for N×150 gp (where N is between 2 and 10).
Spheres come in different strengths, ranging from those that deal 2d6 points of fire damage to those that deal 10d6. The market price of a sphere is 150 gp for each die of damage it deals.
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By the way, you can get a single 5d6 sphere from a necklace of fireballs for 2 prestige. You can get an Nd6 sphere for N×150 gp (where N is between 2 and 10).
Spheres come in different strengths, ranging from those that deal 2d6 points of fire damage to those that deal 10d6. The market price of a sphere is 150 gp for each die of damage it deals.
I love the idea. Unfortunately, you cannot buy them individually.
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Thanks everyone for suggestions. In summary:
- Having a caster with area spells is the best. Negative channel cleric is also good.
- Failing that, if you are a caster or have UMD, there are tons of options for scrolls and wands you can use.
- Failing both of those, if you don't have UMD, then it's Alchemical Weapons, and Necklace of Fireballs or Javelin of Lightning when you need higher amounts of damage. Expensive but it works.
I hope to just have a caster at the table. Considering my 4 characters so far are wizard, wizard, cleric, sorcerer, chances are pretty good. :)