[Rindis]

Hmm. I'm still not sure how to write that up as an Ally or something.

Further wrinkles: The spell specifies that the caster needs to Concentrate to maintain control of the swarm, and it's a 10' cube, so it's going to be more than a single-hex swarm.

I'm thinking that it's probably best to build as a Persistent Area-Effect attack... that can be stopped by damaging it...?

Meanwhile, I got Martial Arts a little while ago, and just used it to re-write Push (from Spells 4) to be closer to the original intent.

Push (VC)
Conjuration, Somatic, Verbal
4 points + 4/level
Casting Time: 1 second
Casting Roll: None
Range: 10 yards
Duration: Instantaneous

Use of this spell allows the caster to push objects away from him. The spell generates 1d of knockback ‘damage’ per level of the spell, which is applied as normal (see Knockback, B378). Note that 1 point of knockback is about sufficient to shove 1 oz about a yard (with a cube-root progression from there; see the Objects Hit Points Table, B558, to figure HP/resistance of objects without a ST score).

No die roll to hit is needed. If the combination of distance, size, and any other modifiers to your Innate Attack (Gaze) skill result in needing at least a 3, the spell works!

To have a chance at actually knocking back a regular human, this spell will need to be at least second level (to get the 8 ‘damage’ needed vs ST 10; halflings and the like are vulnerable at first level). However, it is possible to use Sweep (MA81) by targeting a leg to make it unexpectedly go out from under the target. If this is done, roll a Quick Contest of Sweep (which defaults to Innate Attack (Gaze) -3; Talent does count) vs the best of the target’s ST, DX, Acrobatics, or Brawling instead of a damage roll; if the target loses he falls down.

Innate Attack 1d (cr; Cosmic: No Die Roll Required, +100%; Increased 1/2D, x10, +15%; No Blunt Trauma, -20%; No Wounding, -50%; Reduced Range, 1/10, -30%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [0.8x5]