Swarms

Swarms are a staple of many fantasy settings. Some swarms form in nature when several animals move en masse and others are the result of magic.   When dealing with swarms, it is far easier to manage the swarm as a collected unit rather than roll for each individual creatures. Swarms inflict lethal (or occasionally bashing) on all targets within range each round and they act on the same initiative value.   To evade a swarm by Dodging it, each success removes a die of damage and your character can move normally.   If a character botches his dodge or takes three unsoaked levels of damage, the swarm has knocked them down. This limits mobility of the character to a few yards a turn and reduces the swarms difficulty to inflict damage to 5. Actions involving getting up and getting away are at +1 or +2 difficulty depending on the strength of the creatures in the swarm.   Brawl attacks, even with natural weapons, knives, arrows, and most thrusting weapons can only inflict one health level of damage on a successful attack. Large weapons like staves, axes, and slashing swords inflict their normal damage, as do area of effect attacks. A swarm reduced to zero health levels is either killed off or dispersed, probably a combination of the two.   A human can conceivably outrun a swarm of bugs or rats, but outrunning a swarm of hyenas or birds is out of the question.

Scarterran Swarms

  Small Bugs 1 die of damage per turn, 5 health levels, 2 Initiative Rating   Large Bugs 2 dice of damage, 7 health levels, 3 Initiative Rating   Flying Bugs 2 dice of damage, 5 health levels, 4 Initiative Rating   Birds or Bats 4 dice of damage, 9 health levels, 3 Initiative Rating   Rats 3 dice of damage, 7 health levels, 3 Initiative Rating   Large Rats (foot long or bigger) 4 dice of damage, 9 health levels, 3 Initiative Rating   Feral Cats 3 dice of damage, 6 health levels, 6 Initiative Rating   Wild Dogs 6 dice of damage, 15 health levels, 4 Initiative Rating   Vorpal Bunnies 15 dice of damage, 50 health levels, 10 Intiative Rating

Scaraquan Swarms

  Small Bugs 1 die of damage per turn, 5 health levels, 2 Initiative Rating     Large Bugs 2 dice of damage, 7 health levels, 3 Initiative Rating     Swift Bugs 2 dice of damage, 5 health levels, 4 Initiative Rating     Small Biting Fish 3 dice of damage, 7 health levels, 3 Initiative Rating     Large Biting Fish (foot long or bigger) 4 dice of damage, 9 health levels, 3 Initiative Rating     Swift Biting Fish 3 dice of damage, 6 health levels, 6 Initiative Rating     Small Sharks 6 dice of damage, 15 health levels, 4 Initiative Rating


Cover image: Rabbit Reign by Real Life Animal Kingdoms

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