MY players and I were working our way through Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, because I'm an old-school glutton for punishment.
I wanted them to face a swarm of vegepygmies, which obviously will behave quite differently than a "swarm" of rats or insects or whatever. Maybe "swarm is the wrong word.
Anyway, the players argued saying that these creatures must occupy a 5' map square apiece, being 'small.' So, I said, "Fine, every square around you is filled with a vegepygmy, they already had initiative so they all attack you at the same time, and they all get flanking." The party grumbled.
There's got to be a better mechanic for running a horde of small but dangerous creatures- I pictured getting mobbed by like raccoons or something.
Why do swarms not work? Take a look at the skeletal swarm from ghosts of saltmarsh. That's a swarm of medium creatures, so why can't there be a swarm of small creatures?
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"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Agreeing with The Humbug. A swarm template could be, by default, a swarm type creature of 2 sizes larger than the base creature. It can occupy other creature's spaces, and deals half as many die of damage when reduced to half hitpoints.
There are some rules in the DMG for large numbers of enemies, so that you average the damage from lots of small creatures instead of rolling for each one individually.
Anyway, the players argued saying that these creatures must occupy a 5' map square apiece, being 'small.' So, I said, "Fine, every square around you is filled with a vegepygmy, they already had initiative so they all attack you at the same time, and they all get flanking." The party grumbled.
You're the DM, so you can use whatever stats you like for the swarm :-)
Are they just damaging the PCs, or will they be grappling them, disarming them, and knocking them over?
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MY players and I were working our way through Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, because I'm an old-school glutton for punishment.
I wanted them to face a swarm of vegepygmies, which obviously will behave quite differently than a "swarm" of rats or insects or whatever. Maybe "swarm is the wrong word.
Anyway, the players argued saying that these creatures must occupy a 5' map square apiece, being 'small.' So, I said, "Fine, every square around you is filled with a vegepygmy, they already had initiative so they all attack you at the same time, and they all get flanking." The party grumbled.
There's got to be a better mechanic for running a horde of small but dangerous creatures- I pictured getting mobbed by like raccoons or something.
Is there?
Why do swarms not work? Take a look at the skeletal swarm from ghosts of saltmarsh. That's a swarm of medium creatures, so why can't there be a swarm of small creatures?
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Agreeing with The Humbug. A swarm template could be, by default, a swarm type creature of 2 sizes larger than the base creature. It can occupy other creature's spaces, and deals half as many die of damage when reduced to half hitpoints.
There are some rules in the DMG for large numbers of enemies, so that you average the damage from lots of small creatures instead of rolling for each one individually.
You're the DM, so you can use whatever stats you like for the swarm :-)
Are they just damaging the PCs, or will they be grappling them, disarming them, and knocking them over?