Can Spathinae with through spaces smaller than 1 / 8 of their size?

[Bober]

The Spathinae is described as "an insectile species [...] Each inch-long Spathinae is much like the insect it resembles, but thousands organise themselves to form a biological and neural network [...]"

They have an ability called "Swarm Flexibility" which, among other things, says "A Spathinae colony has compression".

Compression is defined in the same manual (Alien Archive 3) as: "The creature can move through an area as small as one-quarter of its space without squeezing or one-eighth its space when squeezing."

Given the Spathinae has two monster templates examples (Guard and Explorer), both with equipment including weapons, and both with the Swarm Flexibility ability, it's safe to assume that they can use such ability while carrying that equipment.

So here's my question. If they were to drop their equipment, which is the single biggest part they need to fit through something, would they be able to go through even smaller spaces?
Could they go under a door, or inside a vent, given they are swarms of "inch-long" creatures?

I'm interested in both RAW and RAI replies.

[Hanomir]

Don't have whatever book they're from, but the salient point's probably whether their "bioneural network" is a permanent formation or something that can shuffle individual 1" bugs in and out of it at will. If they need to stay as physically-linked cohesive unit to remain sapient, there's probably some lower limit of how many bugs need to be touching another bug at once to not fracture the network - which could be as low as one-touching-one-other.

If it's that low, or if the nets are just a temporary construct, then sure, you could make a long "marching column" of individual bugs and get through ridiculously tight spaces. A 1" long bug is probably quite a bit narrower than 1", although a mesh screen would likely stop them cold.

If you need larger numbers of links to retain the network, the "column" might need to be double or triple or more the thickness, limiting access to some really tight openings. More of a braided cable of insects at that stage. Still be pretty versatile - your equipment (if not abandoned) is more likely to be the limit of where you can go than the biological components of the swarm.

A Technomancer Spathinae that can just ditch its junk and use magic hacks to make temporary guns and gear once it's gotten where it needs to be would be a really annoying infiltartor.

[Bober]

The source manual is the Alien Archive 3. Here's a few info that might come in handy:

Quote:

Damage can disrupt a Spathinae colony's network, or even cause the colony to "die", their connection failing and sapience fading away. Hundreds of constituents might survive, but the colony dissipates [...] Remnants of "dead" colonies might join other constituents to form a new colony [...] A given colony can endure for more than a century, but colonies also disperse and re-form, surrendering individuality for greater good.

This should mean that single insects have the ability to unlink and relink to colonies, if necessary.

Quote:

Shapable (Ex) Given 1 minute, a Spathinae colony can alter their shape. The colony can form and control up to four limbs. IF the colony loses a limb, they can use this ability to "regrow" the limb. [...]

Considering you can shape hands and such, it's safe to assume the width of a finger is enough to keep the link intact.

Also I don't know how (or even if possible) to upload images here, but looking at the two images of Spathinae on the alien archive page, it shows as some of these insects are just flying close to the "body", probably to signal that the whole colony constantly shuffles around. Which makes me think in order to be connected they don't need to touch all the time (might be anything form being a apart for a few seconds, to possibly more). That of course doesn't take into account equip anymore.

I'm considering a Technomancer actually, but that's another topic in the Advice section :)

[Hanomir]

Sounds like they can squeeze in just about anywhere, then - mesh screens excepted, and even those might be something you can get past if enough bugs can mass up to apply combined pressure.

Technomancer bug swarm is an interesting idea. With the spell cache feature being so loosely defined (it can even be a tattoo, for ex) you could do something really characterful like declaring that the swarm includes a few variant individuals ("brain bugs" or albinos or ones with special markings that emulate arcane circuitry or something) that collectively make up the cache. Wouldn't be much easier or harder to "break" than a tattoo would, albeit with more squishing involved. :)

[C4M3R0N]

This being a rules question technically, as a player currently playing a spathinae technomancer ironically, I'd say the technical rules answer is 1/8th their size by squeezing.
Obviously rule of cool being omit here.

As a GM, I'd be willing to let a spathinae squeeze through a hole the size of a gloved finger with acrobatics and dropping anything that'd prohibit that aside from tailored armor (hence the glove specification).

As a technomancer, I'd recommend grabbing glitch step and walking through the wall with your things though lol. Of course assuming it meets the max size you can glitch through.

Definitely a fun idea and a lot of potential for good story out of it though. A world famous spathinae technomancer assassin would be cool. Slipping in and out through cracks basically.