The Swarmkeeper ranger's swarm is not a creature. It's a set of subclass features designed to mimic the aesthetic of a swarm of creatures. It's not a valid target for any spells, but the ranger hosting the swarm is.
Swarms are a lil funky, but they are not really their normal creature type if you look at their stat blocks. While a rat is a “tiny beast”, a swarm of rats is a “medium swarm of tiny beasts.” “Beast” vs. “swarm of beasts” is sufficient to explain why you can’t Wild Shape into a swarm... but for effects that target “a creature,” should we treat a swarm as a creature or as creatures?
A creature: they’re in the MM with the same stat block format as other singular creatures, have ability scores, 5E has no real mechanism for accounting for non-creature or grouped combatants outside some very specific spells, both basic attacks and most spells can’t accommodate targeting anything that can’t be called a singular creature
Creatures: linguistically a “swarm of ___” is clearly describing a group not a single entity, logically a swarm is not a single creature, swarm isn’t a creature type enumerated in MM but their constituent creatures always are
I think it would be untenable to say that swarms aren’t “a creature” for the purpose of spells and attacks against them. And singling out this or that spell as not working on them like it would on other singular creatures, that’s arbitrary and wishy washy. They are “a creature”... but I just really wish that 5E had presented “swarm” as a universal template, or lair action or something, which could be applied to tiny creatures to generate “swarms of X“, because publishing them as creatures in their own right often feels like a square peg in a round hole.
I always suspected Swarmkeeper started out as a psionic subclass, and they just slapped swarm flavor over it. It still fits pretty well with a telekinetic concept if you want to take it in that direction. Not that swarm flavor isn't pretty cool as well.
Can you use it on your swarm?
A swarm counts as a "creature", so yes.However, it is not uncommon for swarms to be controversial, so get confirmation from your DM.Edit: Yurei is correct. The Swarmkeeper's Swarm is flavor, not a creature.
The Swarmkeeper ranger's swarm is not a creature. It's a set of subclass features designed to mimic the aesthetic of a swarm of creatures. It's not a valid target for any spells, but the ranger hosting the swarm is.
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I stand corrected.
Swarms are a lil funky, but they are not really their normal creature type if you look at their stat blocks. While a rat is a “tiny beast”, a swarm of rats is a “medium swarm of tiny beasts.” “Beast” vs. “swarm of beasts” is sufficient to explain why you can’t Wild Shape into a swarm... but for effects that target “a creature,” should we treat a swarm as a creature or as creatures?
A creature: they’re in the MM with the same stat block format as other singular creatures, have ability scores, 5E has no real mechanism for accounting for non-creature or grouped combatants outside some very specific spells, both basic attacks and most spells can’t accommodate targeting anything that can’t be called a singular creature
Creatures: linguistically a “swarm of ___” is clearly describing a group not a single entity, logically a swarm is not a single creature, swarm isn’t a creature type enumerated in MM but their constituent creatures always are
I think it would be untenable to say that swarms aren’t “a creature” for the purpose of spells and attacks against them. And singling out this or that spell as not working on them like it would on other singular creatures, that’s arbitrary and wishy washy. They are “a creature”... but I just really wish that 5E had presented “swarm” as a universal template, or lair action or something, which could be applied to tiny creatures to generate “swarms of X“, because publishing them as creatures in their own right often feels like a square peg in a round hole.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
I always suspected Swarmkeeper started out as a psionic subclass, and they just slapped swarm flavor over it. It still fits pretty well with a telekinetic concept if you want to take it in that direction. Not that swarm flavor isn't pretty cool as well.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm