Can a swarm convert its standard action to a move action? Can it then deal damage twice?
Can a swarm take a five foot step to avoid provoking attacks of opportunity? If yes, does it still do damage?
Tried searching for answers and found this thread which is the same as my first question, but since I had an additional question and no clear consensus was reached I though it'd post this thread anyway.
|
Can a swarm convert its standard action to a move action? Can it then deal damage twice?
"Swarm attack" doesn't list an ability type or action type. I think the best way to read it is to treat "at the end of its move" as "at the end of its turn". It's still nasty, because unlike most creatures, a swarm can use a Run action to pursue and then still do damage. But I don't think it can attack twice.
Can a swarm take a five foot step to avoid provoking attacks of opportunity? If yes, does it still do damage?
It can take 5ft steps, for example to get away from creatures.
However, if it enters the square of a creature, that still provokes an AoO from the creature whose square it enters. (But not from bystanders.) That is because entering a creature's square is a different kind of provocation.
And going with the "whose squares it occupies at end of turn" reading of swarm attack, it would still do damage.
Swarms are mindless and not likely to be smart enough to perform a 5-foot step. The rules also say they provoke so it seems to me that even an intelligent swarm would provoke. In addition the swarms do not use a standard action to do damage. They do damage just by occupying your square at the end of their move(not move action). Basically when they stop moving in your square you take damage. They do not actually use an action to do damage.