02-06-2012, 04:13 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Swarm initiative
Simple question: where does a swarm fall in the turn sequence? It lacks a Basic Speed stat.
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02-06-2012, 04:20 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: On the road again...
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Re: Swarm initiative
with swarms, don't the individual units of the swarm have a Basic Speed? I know they have a Basic Move.
My ruling: If the swarm (or its individual components) have DX and HT scores, derive the Speed from them. Worst case scenario, use the Move of the swarm; if the Move is something abyssal, like Move 1 or Move 2, add +1d to the Move to get the Speed (to put it more in-touch with PCs).
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02-06-2012, 04:24 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Oregon
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Re: Swarm initiative
What makes you think they don't have a Basic Speed stat? The examples in Basic (bats, bees and rats) should have Speed equal to their constituent members (an unfortunate oversight that it's not listed.) The Insect Swarm in DF5 has a Speed score, as does the Flutter Devil in Creatures of the Night 4.
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02-06-2012, 04:54 PM | #4 | |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Re: Swarm initiative
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02-06-2012, 04:56 PM | #5 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: Swarm initiative
What's the move of comparably sized insects?
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02-07-2012, 05:29 AM | #6 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Buffalo, NY- the weak live elsewhere!
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Re: Swarm initiative
A swarm seems to me to be more of an environmental hazard than an opponent. If you're in the swarm, you take damage. So, what's the Basic Speed of a fire? Since there is reduced damage for spending only part of your turn in a fire hex (i.e.not ending your turn in one), I'd say that the swarm attack happens LAST. Call it Basic Speed 0, if you need to be numerical. (And yes, reducing damage for moving THROUGH a swarm hex seems perfectly reasonable.)
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02-08-2012, 10:52 AM | #7 | |
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New York City
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Re: Swarm initiative
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02-08-2012, 11:31 AM | #8 | |
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Cambridge, MA
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Re: Swarm initiative
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02-09-2012, 12:34 AM | #9 |
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Renton, WA
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Re: Swarm initiative
I would say that most swarms are reactive. They are pursuing a) intruders b) food or c) they are simply migrating in one direction (ala ants).
I would have them simply act last. Have them react to what everyone else does. For instance, if two PCs jump into a lake, one runs screaming down the road, and the other lights up a torch, I would chase down the screaming not on fire not submerged running meat sack. You know, the one with the built in dinner bell? If it's a swarm of ants just moving along the jungle, they only affect PCs standing in the path (maybe very close by, probably hard to stand next to a swarm of migrating army ants and expect them to stay in "formation"). Also, when ever there's a question of who goes first, I lean towards the PCs acting first. It's just good GM business IMHO. |
02-09-2012, 10:52 AM | #10 |
Untagged
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: Swarm initiative
Why is everyone seeming to confuse move with speed?
Insects often move rather slowly, but have very fast reaction times. |
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initiative, swarm |
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