Rat Swarm (CR 1)
Neutral - Tiny - Swarm (Animal)
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Initiative
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3
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Defense
AC
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14
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Man Def
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15
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Monster Health
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31 |
15 |
2
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Hit Points |
Bloodied |
Hit Dice
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Saving Throws
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Fort: |
+5
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Refl: |
+1
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Will: |
+0
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Strong Against:
- (Swarm 1) Hardened (½ damage): slashing (physical, common), piercing (physical, common)
- (Swarm 2) Immune (no effect): Critical Hits and Flanking
- (Swarm 3) Immune (no effect): any attack that targets Maneuver Defense
- (Swarm 4) Immune (no effect): any spell that targets a specific number of creatures, except mind-affecting spells (if this creature has an Int score).
Weak Against:
Offense
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Size: |
Tiny
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2.5 ft. |
0 ft.
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Space |
Reach
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To-Hit
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+3
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Man Off
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+3
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Standard Attack (Melee):
- 1x Overrun (Swarm -- auto-hit) (1d4/19-20 x2)
as crushing (physical, common)
Filth Fever, Distraction
Full Attack (Melee):
- 1x Overrun (Swarm -- auto-hit) (1d4/19-20 x2)
as crushing (physical, common)
Filth Fever, Distraction
Standard Attack (Ranged):
Siege Damage: Not siege capable
Statistics
Feats:
Special Abilities
Filth Fever (Ex, Disease) Automatic
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Any damage inflicted by a Rat Swarm has a chance to inflict a weak disease:
- Filth Fever (Injury vector; Infected intensity)
- Save: Fort DC 14; Frequency: 1/day for 3 days
- Effect: 1d2 DEX damage per interval
- Fruition: victim becomes Nauseated; this cannot be cured normally.
- Fruition Duration: 1 day (full-night's rest).
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Distraction (Ex) Automatic after damage
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Any living creature that takes damage from a swarm must make a Fortitude save, DC 14, or become Afflicted. If the creature makes the save, they are instead Sickened. If they take damage on any following round while still Sickened or Afflicted, they must make another DC 14 Fortitude save, or move up one step on the Status Array. While sharing a space with the swarm, you cannot get rid of the Sickened condition. At the end of any round in which you are outside of the swarm, you may make another DC 14 Fortitude save to attempt to move down a step on the status array. (While outside of the swarm's space, you cannot go up on the status array if you fail the save, you simply remain at the status you currently have.)
- Nauseated ==> Afflicted ==> Sickened
- In addition, spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a swarm requires a Caster Check against the swarm's Maneuver Defense of 15. Using skills that involve patience and concentration require a DC 14 Will save.
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Rat Swarm
One rat is no threat to any adventurer. But a rat swarm isn't just one rat. It's hundreds and hundreds of rats, so many of them, piled so close atop one another, they form a single seething mass of dirty flesh. Rat swarms are so frenetically active they are almost fluids, flowing this way and that, no rat willing to break away from the safety of its fellows.
This roiling, scrabbling, mass of teeth and claws is enough to be quite a nasty threat, and even the best-armored hero has no defense against a thousand claws and bites every minute. It's best to kill rat swarms as fast as possible, and from a good distance, to boot.
Combat Tactics
Rat swarms wish to engulf you. They will charge as fast as they can to get into the space of their prey.
Note that multiple rat swarms can move into, stop and occupy up to half the spaces that other rat swarms occupy. No more than two swarms can inflict effects on a single target.
Out of Combat
Rat swarms are fairly common in sewers, or areas with high concentrations of filth and rubbish. They rarely venture into populated areas, unless something more dangerous has driven them from the shelter of their warrens.
Rewards
XP: 400
Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 219 gp.
- Weight: 10 lbs. Volume: 0.4 cu. ft.
Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.
Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
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1 - 10 |
Nothing Found
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11 - 14 |
1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
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15 - 17 |
1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
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18 - 19 |
1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
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20 |
Roll on Table 2
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### |
Nothing to see here!
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### |
Or here. Move along.
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Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
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1 - 5 |
3 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
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6 - 10 |
3 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
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11 - 14 |
1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
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15 - 17 |
1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
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18 - 19 |
1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
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20 |
Roll on Table 3
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### |
Or here. Move along.
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Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
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1 - 5 |
3 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
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6 - 8 |
3 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
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9 - 11 |
3 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
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12 - 14 |
3 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
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15 - 17 |
1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
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18 - 19 |
1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
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20 |
1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)
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