Animal/ Insect etc Swarms

1st edition? 2nd edition? It doesnt matter! Let's just talk Palladium Fantasy.

Moderators: Immortals, Supreme Beings, Old Ones

User avatar
Kevin McIntyre
Wanderer
Posts: 62
Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 10:27 am
Comment: No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!
Location: Hilton Head, SC

Animal/ Insect etc Swarms

Unread post by Kevin McIntyre »

Curious to know how you guys handle such a thing. Such as how to successfully use a swarm of say, rats or spiders, or bats in a combat situation. How to do their AC, their HP/SDC, combat modifiers... how damaging them would work on a whole, etc.
When choosing the lesser of two evils, I pick the one I've never done before!
User avatar
kiralon
Champion
Posts: 2800
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2012 10:05 pm
Comment: Kill it with Fire.

Re: Animal/ Insect etc Swarms

Unread post by kiralon »

To fight against swarms the pcs need area effect weapons.
Ground Insect swarm: Generally 15hp per 10ft, PC's can't do anything effect them, flames can hold them off but will only slow them down, any area effect weapon that covers the whole swarm only has to do enough damage to kill one of them to kill them all.

Jack Jumper Ant Swarm 20ft long and 10ft wide
HP: 5 per 10ft square
AR: 0 but immune to none area effect weapons, but a table, or a door could work for example.
#attacks per round: 1 the first round, 2 every subsequent round.
Strike: -5, but +1 cumulative per round, or if especially aggressive (wasps etc) then +2 per round.
Dodge: nope
Parry: Well if you can knock a suit of plate out a swarm of flies then why not, oops that's diabloesque. No parry.
Damage:1d2 per round cumulative so 2d2 the second round, 3d2 third round etc unless poisonous, then players get to save vs poison for as many rounds as PE/3 (so if pe 12 first 4 rounds save as normal, then no save, too much poison in body) and the poison usually is an extra 1d6 dam cumulative (not cumulative for rounds saved)

Yellowjacket (Flying) Swarm (summoned so aggressive)
HP: 15 per 10ft cube
AR: 0, but immune to none area effect weapons, but if area effected is larger then swarm is destroyed.
#Attacks per round: 3
Strike: -5, +2 cumulative per round
Damage:1d3 per round cumulative so 2d3 the second round, 3d3 third round etc unless poisonous, then players get to save vs poison for as many rounds as PE/3 (so if pe 12 first 4 rounds save as normal, then no save, too much poison in body) and the poison usually is an extra 1d6 dam cumulative (not cumulative for rounds saved) per round.

Generally if my players see a swarm and don't have an area effect weapon they run.
User avatar
Whiskeyjack
Adventurer
Posts: 687
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2015 7:35 pm
Location: Thunder Bay, NW Ontario

Re: Animal/ Insect etc Swarms

Unread post by Whiskeyjack »

One of the LoD books has a swarm insect in them. It gives rules for attacking and defending against them.
If I remember right they are called Beedles.
User avatar
kiralon
Champion
Posts: 2800
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2012 10:05 pm
Comment: Kill it with Fire.

Re: Animal/ Insect etc Swarms

Unread post by kiralon »

Whiskeyjack wrote:One of the LoD books has a swarm insect in them. It gives rules for attacking and defending against them.
If I remember right they are called Beedles.

Yep, you need an area effect weapon that that covers the swarm or you run.
Post Reply

Return to “Palladium Fantasy RPG®”