swarm enhancements

[MR CRITICAL]

is a swarm attack a natural attack can you give a swarm the improved natural attack feat to increase the swarm attack damage and if so what category is the swarm attack in?

[VoodistMonk]

When I was applying the Aerial Creature template to the Leech Swarm, I did not find any evidence to suggest that the swarm damage is a natural attack... and thus, I did not give the Aerial Leech Swarm the 1D6 shock damage that the template applies to natural attacks.

It is listed under Melee in swarm bestiary entries. However, "swarm" is not an entry under Natural Attacks. And swarms do not follow or seem to fall under the "other" damage progression on the Natural Attack table. Even using a swarm's space entry as its size, it still doesn't fit anywhere on the Natural Attack table.

[Mark Hoover 330]

[quote;=PFSRD]Swarm Attack: creatures with the swarm subtype don’t make standard melee attacks. Instead, they deal automatic damage to any creature whose space they occupy at the end of their move, with no attack roll needed. Swarm attacks are not subject to a miss chance for concealment or cover. A swarm’s stat block has “swarm” in the Melee entries, with no attack bonus given.

The amount of damage a swarm deals is based on its Hit Dice, as shown on Table: Swarm Damage by Size.

A swarm’s attacks are nonmagical, unless the swarm’s description states otherwise. Damage reduction sufficient to reduce a swarm attack’s damage to 0, being incorporeal, or other Special Abilities usually give a creature immunity (or at least resistance) to damage from a swarm. Some swarms also have acid, blood drain, poison, or other special attacks in addition to normal damage.

Swarms do not threaten creatures, and do not make attacks of opportunity with their swarm attack. However, they distract foes whose squares they occupy, as described below.

Swarms possess the distraction ability. Spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a swarm requires a caster level check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a DC 20 Will save.

I believe this is saying that a "Swarm Attack" is a separate kind of melee attack than other weapons or attack forms. There's no attack bonus, so no use in taking a feat that modifies the attack bonus of a Natural Attack and since it is not classified as a Natural Attack there's no way to modify the damage or another part of the attack based on that type.

[TxSam88]

Swarms are nasty enough as is, why do you want to boost them?

[VoodistMonk]

TxSam88 wrote:

Swarms are nasty enough as is, why do you want to boost them?

Because leeches cannot fly on their own?

And Vescavor Swarms cannot swim... how are they supposed to eat a hole in the bottom of your boat and burst through the floor followed by a deluge of seawater if they cannot swim?