Monday, 8 April 2019

Monsters: Swarms

Monsters: Swarms

Swarms of small creatures often require special rules in any RPG system. In GURPS, swarms and hordes usually are represented with Injury Tolerance (Diffuse) with appropriate enhancements from GURPS Powers and/or GURPS Horror. Rules on fighting swarms are described on p. B461, while GURPS Zombies has something extra for them. The rules on p. B461 assume statblock-less swarms, while I have found only a single pre-written statblock for a swarm that uses slightly different rules - the insect swarm from GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 5 - Allies, p. 9. Monster Manual for D&D 3.5 has several swarms. One of them - the locust swarm - can use the aforementioned statblock. Two others - spider and centipede swarms - can use the aforementioned statblock, but remove Flight. The rest - rat, bat, and hellwasp swarms - will require more significant changes.

Bat Swarm [Monster Manual, page 237]

9 points
Attribute Modifiers: ST-6 [-60]; DX+2 (No Fine Manipulators, -40%) [24]; IQ-7 [-140]; HT+2 [20].
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP+4 [8]; Will+7 [35]; Per+9 [45]; Basic Move-4 [-20]; Air Move-4 [-8].
Advantages: Night Vision 9 [9]; Sonar (Accessibility, In air, -10%; Biological (Passive), -5%; Restricted Arc, 60°, -75%; Targeting, +20%) [6].
Swarm: Injury Tolerance (Diffuse; Body of Swarm, Rat-Sized, +0%; Flying Swarm, +30%) [130].
                Swarm Bite: Cutting Attack 1d (Area Effect, 1 yard, +25%; Cosmic, No die roll required, No active defense allowed, +400%; Melee Attack, C, No Parry, -35%) [35].
Disadvantages: Foot Manipulators [-6]; No Fine Manipulators [-30]; Short Lifespan 1 [-10]; Wild Animal [-30].
Perk: Fur [1].
Creature Type: Animal.

Typical Stats
ST:
4
HP:
8
Speed:
6
DX:
12
Will:
10
Move:
2 ground, 8 air
IQ:
3
Per:
12


HT:
12
FP:
10
SM:
+0
Dodge:
9
Parry:
N/A
DR:
0
Swarm Bite: 1d cutting, Reach C. The swarm must “step” into close combat with the target and attack. The target can retreat or dodge and drop (p. B377) to move at least one yard away; if not, it automatically takes 1d large area cutting damage that is reduced by DR normally.
Swarm: A bat swarm consists of about a dozen of bats. This makes it immune to crippling injuries and reduces the damage it suffers from most physical blows; see Injury to Unliving, Homogenous, and Diffuse Targets (p. B380). The swarm cannot be slammed or grappled. Diffuse includes all the benefits of No Blood, No Brain, and No Vitals. The swarm is dispersed by injury equal to its HP. A dispersed swarm is effectively “unconscious” and unable to act in concert. A determined foe might contain and continue to damage the dispersed bodies, though. Should the swarm reach -HP, enough of the bodies have been killed to destroy the swarm.

                Traits: Foot Manipulators; Fur; Night Vision 9; No Fine Manipulators; Short Lifespan 1; Sonar (Accessibility, In air; Biological (Passive); Restricted Arc, 60°; Targeting); Wild Animal.
Skills: Aerobatics-13; Flight-13; Survival (Plains)-13; Stealth-13.
Creature Type: Animal.

Hellwasp Swarm [Monster Manual, page 238]

238 points
Attribute Modifiers: ST-9 [-90]; DX+2 (No Fine Manipulators, -40%) [24]; IQ-3 [-60]; HT+2 [20].
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP+7 [14]; Will+5 [25]; Per+5 [25]; Basic Move-5 [-25].
Advantages: Doesn't Eat or Drink [10]; Infravision [10]; Night Vision 5 [5].
Swarm: Injury Tolerance (Diffuse; Body of Swarm, Gnat-Sized, +40%; Flying Swarm, +30%) [170].
                Sting: Toxic Attack 1 (Area Effect, 1 yard, +25%; Contact Agent, +150%; Cosmic, No die roll required, No active defense allowed, +400%; Melee Attack, C, No Parry, -35%) [7].
Inhabit [103]: Possession (Can possess SM-2 and bigger creatures, +20%; Immediate Preparation Required, 1 minute, -30%; Link, +10%; Parasitic, -60%) [40] + Telekinesis 18 (Accessibility, Corpses only, -20%; Animation, -20%; Link, +10%) [63].
Fire Resistance [30]: DR 10 (Includes Internal, +20%; Limited, Fire, -40%; Tough Skin, -40%) [20] + Immunity to Noxious Fire Effects [10].
Disadvantages: No Fine Manipulators [-30].
Creature Type: Magical Beast (Evil).

Typical Stats
ST:
1
HP:
8
Speed:
6
DX:
12
Will:
12
Move:
1 ground, 12 air
IQ:
7
Per:
12


HT:
12
FP:
12
SM:
+0
Dodge:
9
Parry:
N/A
DR:
0, 10 (vs. fire)
Sting: 1 point toxic damage. The swarm must “step” into close combat with the target and attack. The target can retreat or dodge and drop (p. B377) to move at least oneyard away; if not, he automatically takes 1 point of damage unless wearing sealed armor. Subjects with natural DR (but not with the Tough Skin limitation) are safe only if they keep their eyes and mouth shut and plug their nose, ears, etc.
Swarm: A hellwasp swarm consists of about a thousand of hellwasps. This makes it immune to crippling injuries and reduces the damage it suffers from most physical blows; see Injury to Unliving, Homogenous, and Diffuse Targets (p. B380). The swarm cannot be slammed or grappled. Diffuse includes all the benefits of No Blood, No Brain, and No Vitals. The swarm is dispersed by injury equal to its HP. A dispersed swarm is effectively “unconscious” and unable to act in concert. A determined foe might contain and continue to damage the dispersed bodies, though. Should the swarm reach -HP, enough of the bodies have been killed to destroy the swarm. The swarm can seep under doors, or through screens, ventilation grates, clothing (2 seconds), chinks in armor (5 seconds).
Inhabit: The hellwasp swarm can parasitically possess an SM-2 or larger creature by entering its body and controlling all its actions, as if using the Possession (p. B75) advantage with the Parasitic enhancement. Alternatively, it can inhabit a corpse of such a creature in the same way. The corpse should have no more than 18 HP (corpses are Unliving objects). An inhabited corpse can grab, lift, strike, and throw with ST equal to its HP. It has the the swarm’s DX. Move equals to 18 – the corpse’s HP.

                Traits: Doesn't Eat or Drink; Immunity to Noxious Fire Effects; Infravision; Night Vision 5; No Fine Manipulators.
Skills: Flight-13.
Creature Type: Magical Beast (Evil).

Rat Swarm [Monster Manual, page 239]

46 points
Attribute Modifiers: ST-6 [-60]; DX+2 [40]; IQ-7 [-140]; HT+4 [40].
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP+2 [4]; FP-2 [-6]; Will+6 [30]; Per+9 [45]; Basic Move-2 [-10]; Basic Speed -0.5 [-10].
Advantages: Combat Reflexes [15]; Flexibility [5]; Night Vision 4 [4]; Reduced Consumption 3 (Cast Iron Stomach, -50%) [3]; Resistant to Metabolic Hazards (+8) [15]; Silence 2 [10].
Swarm: Injury Tolerance (Diffuse; Body of Swarm, Rat-Sized, +0%) [100].
                Swarm Bite: Cutting Attack 1d (Area Effect, 1 yard, +25%; Cosmic, No die roll required, No active defense allowed, +400%; Melee Attack, C, No Parry, -35%) [35].
Disadvantages: Semi-Upright [-5]; Short Lifespan 4 [-40]; Wild Animal [-30].
Perk: Fur [1].
Creature Type: Animal.

Typical Stats
ST:
4
HP:
6
Speed:
6
DX:
12
Will:
9
Move:
4
IQ:
3
Per:
12


HT:
14
FP:
12
SM:
+0
Dodge:
10
Parry:
N/A
DR:
0
Swarm Bite: 1d cutting, Reach C. The swarm must “step” into close combat with the target and attack. The target can retreat or dodge and drop (p. B377) to move at least one yard away; if not, it automatically takes 1d large area cutting damage that is reduced by DR normally.
Swarm: A rat swarm consists of about a dozen of rats. This makes it immune to crippling injuries and reduces the damage it suffers from most physical blows; see Injury to Unliving, Homogenous, and Diffuse Targets (p. B380). The swarm cannot be slammed or grappled. Diffuse includes all the benefits of No Blood, No Brain, and No Vitals. The swarm is dispersed by injury equal to its HP. A dispersed swarm is effectively “unconscious” and unable to act in concert. A determined foe might contain and continue to damage the dispersed bodies, though. Should the swarm reach -HP, enough of the bodies have been killed to destroy the swarm.

                Traits: Combat Reflexes; Flexibility; Fur; Night Vision 4; Reduced Consumption 3 (Cast Iron Stomach); Resistant to Metabolic Hazards (+8); Semi-Upright; Short Lifespan 4; Silence 2; Wild Animal.
Skills: Climbing-14; Escape-14; Scrounging-13; Stealth-14.
Creature Type: Animal.


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