The Swarm

THE SWARM

No one knows for sure how The Swarm came to be. Whether it be from some strange fungus, or virus, or strange primal magic, what is known is that The Swarm are beings made entirely of insects. It seems each Swarm is composed of a singular type of insect, such as ants or wasps. The Swarm pile upon one another to make the vague form of a humanoid, male or female depends on the leader of The Swarm. The Swarm are created by the thoughts of a prime intellectual of the chosen insect type. It seems this single unit controls through a hivemind and may has gained self awareness, allowing it to control the entirety of the swarm. While fighting these beings is a challenge, one can almost guarantee that destroying the controller will abolish the entire Swarm. Whatever the reasons may be for the construction of The Swarm, no two Swarms are alike. Some are calm, intellectual types that chose to work with other races to better the world. Some are cruel and are bent on devouring anything that stands in the way of The Swarm. Some even just want to be left alone, relying on The Swarm to provide a better chance at survival.

ABILITIES

Advanced Dexterity: The Swarm receive a +4 racial bonus to Dexterity based skills.

Advanced Constitution: The Swarm receive a +4 racial bonus to Constitution based skills.

Senses: The Swarm has darkvision and blindsight. In addition, The Swarm is also immune to attacks from behind.

Swarm Traits: The Swarm has no discernible anatomy, and is not subject to critical damage. If The Swarm takes critical damage, it causes it to discorporate instead (see Discorporate). The Swarm is immune to any physical spell or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate), with the exception of such spells and effects generated by The Swarm itself, which treat The Swarm as one single creature if it so chooses. Mind-affecting effects that target single creatures function normally against The Swarm, since the creature’s individual components share a hive mind. The Swarm takes reduced damage from damaging area effects, such as fireball and splash weapons. The Swarm is susceptible to high winds. The Swarm must succeed a concentration check when in an area of tropical storm rated windspeeds or higher, or it will become discorporate.

Damage Reduction: The Swarm takes major damage as minor damage, and takes minor damage as nonlethal damage.

Fast Healing: The Swarm repairs any damage taken after 1d4 rounds. This is decided at the beginning of each combat scenario.

Immunities: The Swarm is immune to disease, paralysis, poison, and sleep effects.

Melee Attacks: The Swarm gains a slam attack that deals minor damage. This slam has the grab ability and affects creatures up to one size larger than The Swarm.

Discorporate: The Swarm can collapse into a shapeless swarm of insects as an action. All held, worn, and carried items fall and do not provide bonuses. The Swarm functions as a true swarm while discorporated, with a reach of 0 feet. While discorporated, The Swarm loses all of its class abilities and gains all of the swarm traits of its insect type. It loses its slam attacks and all special abilities and special attacks, but can make a swarm attack with a bonus dependant on its insect type. The Swarm can reform into its true form (including equipping all gear in reach) as a full action as long as the controlling unit is alive.

Squirming Embrace: If The Swarm grapples a foe, it can cause a swarm of insects to squirm over the grappled creature. These insects deal automatic swarm damage with no attack roll needed. If a creature takes damage from the swarm, it is also subject to the swarm’s distraction ability, and must make an Escape Artist check or be afflicted by The Swarm's ailment for 1d4 rounds.

Special: Swarm damage is based on the insect type. Some insects deal minor, major or nonlethal. Some deal no damage at all.

Army Ants deal minor damage. Cockroaches deal nonlethal damage. Locusts deal major damage. Wasps deal minor damage. Leeches don't deal direct damage.

Tenacious: The Swarm gains a +8 bonus vs grapple and a +4 bonus to AC.

Skilled: The Swarm gains a +8 bonus on Perception, Sense Motive, and Stealth checks.

Death Resistant: The Swarm can only truely be destroyed if the controlling unit is destroyed. Should the controlling unit escape the clutches of death it can seek out more of its specific insect hive. The Swarm becomes inactive for 1d6 months until a new hivemind can be established.

When creating The Swarm, choose one insect type, each insect type and their special ability are listed below:

Army Ants: Common in Estai’s deserts and lush, tropical jungles, army ants swarm over the land like a living carpet, devouring everything they come across. The Swarm composed of army ants likewise consumes everything in its path—including the bodies of other swarms. Disturbingly, these swarm spend little of their time in humanoid-shaped form, preferring to crawl as a biting swarm of legs and pincers. This form of The Swarm is mostly likely to be encountered in underground-dwellings.

Stinging Bite: The Swarm of Army Ants can deliver an agonizing bite that causes hysteria. This ability can be used during Discorporate or Squirming Embrace.

Cockroaches: Cockroaches can be found in great numbers anywhere civilization stains the landscape with its refuse. The Swarm composed of cockroaches are more likely to be found in urban areas, especially in large cities where they can go unnoticed by most, usually arising when both corpses and magical effluent are deposited in sewers and garbage dumps. The Swarm composed of cockroaches is a creature of stealth and guile. Frequently keeping to the shadows and sewers of the city, these swarms broker information and engage in blackmail, augmenting their unnatural talents with strong illusion and enchantment magic. Some say that a powerful enchantress swarm made of cockroaches runs a guild of thieves in Baziar, but no reliable sources can say they’ve met her.

Vile Plague: The Swarm of Cockroaches can emit a toxic cloud that causes nausea in a 10-foot area. This ability can be used during Discorporate and Squirming Embrace.

Locusts: Found in any area that sports—or once sported—verdant plant life, this variant of The Swarm has plague-like nuances and can be particularly hard to kill. Made up of ravenous locusts, these swarms make meals of any creatures weaker than they, and are particularly attuned to their animalistic instincts. One of these particularly appalling swarms is said to threaten the agriculture-rich lands of Razheen, and due to the influence of Darkness, a few of these creatures have been spotted in the jungles of Matazwa.

Consume: The Swarm of Locusts feeds until it can feed no longer. While using Discorporate or Squirming Embrace, The Swarm may select one target to consume. This act takes 1d6 rounds. If the target is living, it may make an Escape Artist check each turn to remove itself form The Swarm. If the check fails, the target dies at the end of the effect.

Wasps: Typically found in warm, moist regions, this version of The Swarm is made from hundreds of thousands of buzzing, swarming wasps. Aggressive and cruel, these swarms favor poison and other debilitating substances, and commonly focus their arcane knowledge on creating potent toxins. Rumor has it that one of these horrific creatures rules over a tribe of hunters along one of the winding tributaries threading throughout the Matazwa jungles.

Poison Sting: The Swarm of Wasps can deliver a poisonous sting to it's target causing it to slowly die within 1d6 rounds. This ability can be used during Discorporate and Squirming Embrace.

Leeches: The Swarm composed of leeches tends to hail from wet, moist areas such as swamps and lakes. While slower that other swarms, these tend to be more malicious, taking up careers as assassins. The Swarm of leeches also tend to favor Shakoten or Dhampir allies, staying near entraces to the Subterra. It is rumored that one of these swarms lives in the underground chambers of Baziar, secretly eliminating higher ranked officers in its army.

Life Drain: The Swarm of Leeches can attach itself to a target and drain its life force. While attached The Swarm completely heals itself after 1d4 rounds and the target dies after 1d4 rounds. The target can successfully make an Escape Artist check to break free. This ability can be used during Discorporate or Squirming Embrace.