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| The Gremlin |
 Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:30 am Post subject: Monster idea: Firefly swarm |
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Joined: 07 Jan 2008
Posts: 235
Location: Corvallis, Oregon
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What do you think? I'm trying to write up some stats right now...
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| Bubba Ho-Tep |
| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:06 am Post subject: |
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Joined: 02 Jan 2008
Posts: 131
Location: Frankfort, Kentucky
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| Could be cool, if they shot fire out of their butts or something. Or just that their wings vibrated so fast that it would burn if they touched you. |
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| The Gremlin |
| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:11 am Post subject: |
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Joined: 07 Jan 2008
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Location: Corvallis, Oregon
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Yeah. or maybe they could be a type of fey...
New equipment idea: Firefly lamp. Works like a hooded lantern I think, but rather than oil, there's fireflies that die out. Advantage: Fireflies last longer, and you don't have to light a match. Disadvantage: they cost more, and they're more tricky to replace.
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| The Gremlin |
| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:14 am Post subject: |
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Joined: 07 Jan 2008
Posts: 235
Location: Corvallis, Oregon
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I'm starting to think that these will go great in my homebrew.
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| Bubba Ho-Tep |
| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:33 am Post subject: |
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Location: Frankfort, Kentucky
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| I see alot of possibilities for good and evil fireflies. |
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| varianor |
| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:54 am Post subject: |
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Joined: 06 Jan 2008
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How 'bout this? (I sent this to Phil Reed years ago for a magazine that never got off the ground. Five years later, I call it abandoned property and post it here.  )
Dragon Flye Swarm
Diminutive Dragon (Swarm)
Hit Dice: 6d12–6 (33 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), fly 40 ft. (average)
Armor Class: 20 (+4 size, +4 Dex, +2 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/—
Attack: Swarm (2d6)
Full Attack: Swarm (2d6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, frightful distraction
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immune to weapon damage, draconic traits, energy resistance 20 (dependant on type), swarm traits
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +5
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 19, Con 8, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 2
Skills: Listen +4, Spot +4
Feats: —
Environment: Any, by type
Organization: Solitary, cloud (2–7 swarms), or plague (11–20 swarms)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: By dragon type
Advancement: None
Level Adjustment: —
Glittering scales flash as a swarm spirals up into the sky amidst smoke and ash. A peculiar echoing roar resounds instead of the expected whine. Brilliant wings flash in the sun as the cloud turns and flaps closer. At first the red color of the bodies is a marvel, until they hiss. Flame erupts, engulfing you.
Creations of some mad experiment, a dragon flye swarm is composed of diminutive dragons that behave like insects. The swarm may be the same color as any of the chromatic dragons, but red is most likely. This cloud of tiny creatures (generally an inch long) voraciously attacks any meat in its path. The typical swarm hatches from an inferno where eggs were laid years before. After emergence, they burn the nearby landscape to ash, laying more eggs as they go.
The dragon flyes use breath weapons reflexively. The minute one at the front vomits forth cold, the rest follow, creating a small but deadly unified attack. Black dragon flye swarms typically breed near swamps, breathing acid upon fishermen and swimmers when they emerge. White dragon flyes are found in cold regions, often hatching after a frost. Blue dragon flyes are found in any climate. They typically hatch after a lightning storm. Green dragon flyes emerge in forests after a particularly hard rain or if one of their full sized brethren destroys the verde with acid.
Aside from the listed abilities, these creatures do not possess typical draconic abilities. They do not advance and are not interfertile with regular dragons. The tiny dragon flye eggs have little value since the resulting swarms can’t be trained. They otherwise follow the rules for swarms, but are not vermin.
Combat
Breath Weapon (Su): These swarms have a breath weapon depending on what type of dragon they resemble. A swarm’s Line breath weapon is 40 feet long, and a Cone is 20 feet long. A swarm may use its breath weapon every 1d4 rounds after the initial attack.
Dragon Flye type: Dmg Type Shape Length Save DC
Black: 4d4 acid line 40 feet 14
Blue 2d8 lightning line 40 feet 14
Green: 3d6 acid cone 20 feet 14
Red: 2d10 fire cone 20 feet 15
White: 2d6 cold cone 20 feet 14
Frightful Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn with a dragon flye swarm in its space must succeed on a DC 12 Will save or be panicked for 1 round. This replaces the standard swarm distraction ability.
Draconic Traits: Darkvision, low light vision, immunity to magic sleep effects and paralysis effects.
Energy Resistance 20 (Ex): Any swarm is resistant to one energy type - whatever damage type the dragon they resemble is primarily immune or resistant to. Black dragon flye swarms are resistant to acid, white dragon flye swarms are resistant to cold, etc.
For more detail on swarms, please see MM1 p. 316.
Skills: A dragon flye swarm has a +4 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks. |
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| The Gremlin |
| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:22 pm Post subject: |
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Location: Corvallis, Oregon
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Not bad!
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| The Gremlin |
| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:33 pm Post subject: |
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i think I'll base Firefly Swarms off of the locust swarms, but they can dazzle their foes with a sudden flash of light. or something similar.[/code]
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| varianor |
| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:43 pm Post subject: |
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| I like that. It could be equivalent to flare, and the swarm gets it every round or every other round. |
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| The Gremlin |
| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:50 pm Post subject: |
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Joined: 07 Jan 2008
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Location: Corvallis, Oregon
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Good idea! So they're like a locust swarm, but with flare and you can sell them for money (for Firefly Lanterns).
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| Bubba Ho-Tep |
| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 1:05 pm Post subject: |
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| The Gremlin |
| Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 1:11 pm Post subject: |
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Location: Corvallis, Oregon
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Say, that 'Dragon Flye' swarm got me thinking... How would a 'Dragonfly swarm' be? Maybe it would have the same stats as a 'locust swarm', but you never know! Thoughts?
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| bubbagump |
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:28 pm Post subject: |
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Joined: 14 Jan 2008
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About that Dragon Flye Swarm: how 'bout statting up the individual tiny dragons, too? Perhaps you could make them 8"-12" long and give them varying abilities just like the larger dragon species. They could be, say, CR 1/4 critters singly, and much tougher when swarming (perhaps in breeding season?). Just a thought.
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| PsychoTron |
| Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:35 am Post subject: |
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Joined: 19 Jan 2008
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Location: Durao, 274th Layer of the Abyss
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The Dragon Flye Swarm sounds great. I'll definately have to find a spot for it in my campaign. I was also thinking about giving the swarm the ability to take the shape of a true dragon as well, possibly with some extra abilities.
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