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Obviously, this is just a prototype but here's our work so far. We're quite proud of our handicraft, but constructive criticism is encouraged. Trolling will be met untimely devouring by said swarm, obviously.
To be clear, we see this creature as our progeny and a member of our family, not an object or tool to be used and controlled.
Undead Sentient Squirrel Swarm (CR16)
NE Diminutive undead (swarm)
Init +11;
Aura chittering madness (100 ft., DC29)
Senses blindsight 30 ft., deathwatch, detect magic, darkvision 60 ft., lowlight vision; Perception +31
Defense
AC 31, touch 21, flat-footed 24 (+6 Dex, +1 dodge, +10 natural, +4 size)
hp 283 (21d8+189) fast healing 10
Fort +14, Ref +14, Will +14
Defensive Abilities swarm traits; Immune cold, lightning, magic, positive energy, undead traits, weapon damage
Offense
Speed 30 ft., burrow 15 ft, climb 30 ft.;
Melee swarm (5d6 plus 2d6 bleed, devour flesh and distraction)
Space 10 ft., Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks devour flesh, distraction (DC 29)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 18th; concentration +25)
Constant—deathwatch, detect magic, freedom of movement
At will—contagion (DC 23), death knell (DC 21), gaseous form, locate creature, swarm of fangs
3/day—greater false life, greater scrying, quickened fear (DC 23)
1/day—greater teleport (self only, up 50 lbs. of gear), soul bind (DC 28), waves of exhaustion (DC 28)
Statistics
Str 8, Dex 24, Con —, Int 14, Wis 19, Cha 25
Base Atk +15; CMB —; CMD —
Feats Ability Focus (chittering madness, devour flesh, distraction), Combat Casting, Dodge, Following Step, Greater Spell Focus (necromancy), Improved Initiative, Mobility, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (fear), Spell Focus (necromancy), Step Up
Skills Acrobatics +31, Climb +34, Intimidate +30, Perception +31, Sense Motive +23, Stealth +42
Racial Modifiers acrobatics +8, intimidate +8, perception +8
Languages Aklo, Common, Necril
SQ desecrated, gnawing swarm, unholy proliferation
Special Abilities
The undead sentient squirrel swarm is surrounded by an aura of maniac chittering that drives the living insane. Any sane, living creature within 120 ft. of the swarm must make a DC29 Will Save or become insane per the insanity spell. In order to remove this effect, a spellcaster must make a DC35 concentration check or the spell fails. This is a mind-affecting curse effect.
Due to the nature of the secret rituals required to create an undead sentient squirrel swarm, it must be created in the area of an a desecrate spell with an evil altar or profane permanent fixture, granting it +2 hp per hd. The additional hitpoints are not lost in an area of an antimagic field and cannot be dispelled.
The undead sentient squirrel swarm quickly strips the flesh off living creatures, ingesting it to sate their endless hunger. Any time the swarm deals swarm damage to a creature with flesh (GM discretion) that is helpless, nauseated, or prone it also deals 1d4 points of STR, DEX, and CON drain, as well as gaining the benefits of haste (per the haste spell) for 1 round (this negates any slow or stagger effect on the swarm). A successful DC29 Reflex Save reduces this to 1 point of STR, DEX, and CON damage and negates the haste effect. Any corpse that remains in the swarms square for 1 round is stripped to the bone, suitable for the creation of a skeleton and cannot returned to life by raise dead. As a full round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, the swarm may devour every remaining scrap of any corpses in its area, effectively disintegrating them with no domains but powered bone dust.
an undead sentient squirrel swarm's swarm attack counts as magic and adamantine for the purposes of DR. Additionally, it ignores hardness of less than 20 and deals double damage to objects. It may burrow through any material that has a harness less than 20 (GM discretion).
An undead sentient squirrel swarm is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below:
- Any effect or spell that commands or controls undead such as control undead, including effects that would target a single creature affect a undead sentient squirrel swarm normally as though it were a single creature. However, any creature that is not the creator of the swarm must make an opposed charisma check against the creator of the swarm with a -4 penalty if they issue any command that conflicts with the desires of the creator of the swarm (GM discretion) if they still exist. Otherwise, they must make an opposed charisma check against the swarm with no penalty to issue any claims that opposes the desires of the swarm (most commands).
- Any harmless spell or effect that specifically targets undead (such as unliving rage) ignores the swarms magic immunity and treats them as a single creature. This also applies to its own SLAs.
An undead sentient squirrel swarm is immune to positive energy, and any time it is affected by positive energy it must make a DC 20 Fort Save or be staggered for 1d4 rounds. On a success, the duration is 1 round.
An undead sentient squirrel swarm is not destroyed when if dispersed. Every single member of the swarm is capable of reforming the swarm via profane multiplication. Unless a swarm is dispersed by an area of effect ability or track down and destroy every last remaining member of the swarm, it reforms in 1d4 days at the location of the largest number of survivors (even if that is just one) with 1 hit point and begins to fast heal as normal. Necromancers usually keep several survivors locked away for this very purpose, rendering the swarm effectively immortal.
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This makes me so very happy. I appreciate the work that went into this.
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This makes me so very happy. I appreciate the work that went into this.
We're actually really happy with it, though it's almost certainly under CR and liable to cause your players to flip the table.
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"The Swarm shall consume you ALL... for NONE shall stand against the Might of the Swarm! You cannot run, you cannot hide... You too will inevitably be devoured and raised into the Perfection that is Undeath!"
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There's literally no way to kill this Swarm I love it :D.
Can they have a Glide ability where they open up flaps of necrotic flesh like Flying Squirrels? And then give them a Special Movement speed of Glide 40ft or something? The Swarm moves forward by the squirrels at the back climbing up high or jumping off stuff and gliding to the front, and then when they land, they climb up high and jumping and gliding to the front again. Sort of like an endless stream of gliding squirrels coming at you. It's not supposed to be anything mechanically beneficial, just flavor :)
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There's literally no way to kill this Swarm I love it :D.
Can they have a Glide ability where they open up flaps of necrotic flesh like Flying Squirrels? And then give them a Special Movement speed of Glide 40ft or something? The Swarm moves forward by the squirrels at the back climbing up high or jumping off stuff and gliding to the front, and then when they land, they climb up high and jumping and gliding to the front again. Sort of like an endless stream of gliding squirrels coming at you. It's not supposed to be anything mechanically beneficial, just flavor :)
Oh, I love that. Sadly, I cannot edit the post and I'm not sure I have the doc anymore.
The swarm is pretty tough, but it's CR16. A swarmbane clasp is 3k - but it's the sort of monster you'll have a rough time against without preparation.
In terms of the effective immortality, I thought that was a nice touch.
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"The Swarm shall consume you ALL... for NONE shall stand against the Might of the Swarm! You cannot run, you cannot hide... You too will inevitably be devoured and raised into the Perfection that is Undeath!"
We're really glad you found this thread. We were considering messaging you.
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"The Swarm shall consume you ALL... for NONE shall stand against the Might of the Swarm! You cannot run, you cannot hide... You too will inevitably be devoured and raised into the Perfection that is Undeath!"We're really glad you found this thread. We were considering messaging you.
"Excellent.... ALL shall be Purified of weakness and Perfected in Undeath... none shall escape the Might of the Swarm"
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We should probably create a statblock or two for Guild Agents. Thoughts?
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We should probably create a statblock or two for Guild Agents. Thoughts?
As flattering as that may be, some agents may prefer that their details remain secret.
I am unabashed, and care not if you flaunt my credentials. I believe most everything was posted in my resume/application to the Now Hiring Necromancers thread.
GM's may use my likeness to terrorize their tables as much as they please.
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We should probably create a statblock or two for Guild Agents. Thoughts?As flattering as that may be, some agents may prefer that their details remain secret.
I am unabashed, and care not if you flaunt my credentials. I believe most everything was posted in my resume/application to the Now Hiring Necromancers thread.
GM's may use my likeness to terrorize their tables as much as they please.
TBQH you've done all the heavy lifting already. But yeah, it's an impressive number of HD of undead controlled. Also, the statblock alone would be monstrously unwieldy. Not a criticism, but probably not the project we're looking for.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
We should probably create a statblock or two for Guild Agents. Thoughts?
"Excellent...", the Swarm echoes. "All shall be purified of their weakness and raised to the Perfection that is Undeath... "