Author Topic: Swarms  (Read 2357 times)

Offline Discipol

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 800
  • I use this for magical purposes. Honestly!
    • View Profile
Swarms
« on: August 27, 2011, 11:47:29 AM »
Hello, how do you define a swarm? Comparing it to D&D mechanics or common sense.

We fought a swarm of Toot-toot-like creatures and there were about 24 of them. Each of us has 4 on our heads and each attacked with poison claws aka poison tipped toothpicks.

But this is not satisfactory, as a swarm has several properties than just x identical members each on his own turn.

One way would be to just consider the swarm a monstrous sized creature, perhaps with physical immunity of catch being spray attacks and aoes. But how would these two forms of attack work? nr of creature * shifts/creature?

How do you roll defense for each member? Supposed you have 1000 bees in a swarm and you fireball them. If the "creature" rolls over your attack, it takes NO stress? Each bee dodged it and lived?

A swarm is not that uncommon, especially in the Nevernever, where we will spend some time, chances of pixie swarms is high and we would like some sort of a system to have a fair combat instead of overwhelming odds against us.
Frank Power: Picture
High Concept: "Emissary of the Crystal Dragon, Crystalax", Trouble: "A debt I will never afford to pay."
Aspects: "Modern-day Gladiator.", "Authority p

Offline The Mighty Buzzard

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1041
  • Unemployed in Greenland
    • View Profile
Re: Swarms
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2011, 12:38:14 PM »
It's most accurate to roll them each individually but it does take a lot longer.  Bear in mind though that a swarm of pixies with box knives can kill a queen in basically one exchange with surprise.  They're not something to play with lightly if you want your players to survive.
Violence is like duct tape.  If it doesn't solve the problem, you didn't use enough.

My web based NPC formatter, output suitable for copy/paste to boards and wiki, can be found here.

Offline ways and means

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1783
  • What Lies in the Truth, what truth in the Lies.
    • View Profile
Re: Swarms
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2011, 07:43:32 PM »
It's most accurate to roll them each individually but it does take a lot longer.  Bear in mind though that a swarm of pixies with box knives can kill a queen in basically one exchange with surprise.  They're not something to play with lightly if you want your players to survive.

Can kill a Lady not a Queen there are degrees of difference.
Every night has its day.
Even forever must come to an end....
I think.

Offline EldritchFire

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 164
  • Everyone needs magical fire in their lives!
    • View Profile
    • My Blog: EldritchFire Press
Re: Swarms
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2011, 07:57:07 PM »
Here's how it's handled in Bulldogs! Well, these are the minion rules, but minions can be a good framework for swarms. Just be sure to throw on some toughness powers with a catch of AoE/spread attacks.



-EF
This isn't D&D where you can have a team of psychopathic good guys running around punching everyone you disagree with.
Twitter
My Blog

Offline The Mighty Buzzard

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1041
  • Unemployed in Greenland
    • View Profile
Re: Swarms
« Reply #4 on: August 28, 2011, 09:02:52 AM »
Can kill a Lady not a Queen there are degrees of difference.

Ladies are queens, they're just the least of the three types.  Hence the lack of capitalization.
Violence is like duct tape.  If it doesn't solve the problem, you didn't use enough.

My web based NPC formatter, output suitable for copy/paste to boards and wiki, can be found here.

Offline computerking

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 390
    • View Profile
    • Into the Dark
Re: Swarms
« Reply #5 on: August 29, 2011, 06:04:38 AM »
You might also want to check this thread for an idea or two:
http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,27281.0.html
I'm the ComputerKing, I can Do Anything...
Into the Dark, A Podcast dedicated to Villainy
www.savethevillain.com

PS: %^#@ Orbius. This may or may not be relevant to the discussion, but whatever.

Offline Rubycon

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 184
    • View Profile
Re: Swarms
« Reply #6 on: August 29, 2011, 07:25:13 AM »
While keeping the fight on an individual basis might be more precise, it's also more complicated. 24 pixies might work, but not 240 rats...
Therefore, I would give the swarm an attack and a damage value for each opponent thea can reach and a number of stress boxes. For a certain number of stress boxes deleted, the attack and the damage lessens.
For defense, I would reverse this. A huge swarm is vulnerable. Strike somewhere and you will hit something. With lesser members of the swarm, they can act more individal and defend themselves. So huge swarm = low defense, small swarm = better defense.