Question about fighting swarms

[Ail]

Hi all,

in the last session of my campaign, there was a fight with swarms. Now, swarms attack by entering the enemy's space and dealing automatic damage. In this situation, what happens if a character in a swarm's space moves? Does the swarm go with it? Can the character attacks hiw own space without hitting himself? What about other characters? Can they attack the swarm without hitting the character there?

We flipped through the PHB and the MM considerably during the session, but we could not find definitive answers, so any help will be appreciated.

Alex

[Joël of the FoS]

> In the last session of my campaign, there was a fight with swarms.

I love swarms

> Now, swarms attack by entering the enemy's space and dealing automatic damage. In this situation, what happens if a character in a swarm's space moves?

Treat it as a normal creature for its move and attack, but that needs to enter a PC’s square to do damage.

So the swarm does damage at its initiative, after moving (unless it chooses to be stationnary if the PC doesn’t move). The PC can then exit the square, but if the swarm reach him again upon its next move, it will deal damage again.

Don’t forget the PC can make an attack of opportunity when the swarm moves toward his square. On the reverse, a swarm has a reach of 0, so it can't make attacks of opportunity.

> Does the swarm go with it?

No, it’s not « carried » by the PC. The swarm will have to move again to reach and damage this PC again (or move to a closer target).

> Can the character attacks hiw own space without hitting himself?

It isn’t described in swarms, and the PHB doesn’t say anything about attacking your own square (edit: this is untrue, and Roti corrected me - see below)

> What about other characters? Can they attack the swarm without hitting the character there?

Again, it’s not written specifically in swarm, but as for green slime, I guess all attacks to the swarm do equal damage to the PC.

> We flipped through the PHB and the MM considerably during the session, but we could not find definitive answers, so any help will be appreciated.

The swarm description has been updated a lot in CityScape, FYI.

Joël

[Rotipher of the FoS]

You can attack creatures in your own space. That's how combat with Tiny or smaller creatures always works (PHB p. 149). The grappling rules don't impose a risk of non-grappling opponents hitting the wrong participant in a grapple; by extension, it's probably best to rule that others who are assisting a swarm-surrounded PC won't hit that PC in their efforts to damage the swarm.

A swarm has its own Speed, and it doesn't actually attach to its victims like, say, a stirge would. I'd recommend you let people move out of a swarm's space, else you'd have problems every time two characters try to exit a swarm in opposite directions.

[Joël of the FoS]

You can attack creatures in your own space. That's how combat with Tiny or smaller creatures always works (PHB p. 149).

Ah, I did forget this paragraph of the PHB, thanks Sharon. So yes, I guess you can attack a swarm in your own square.

But making a five foot step before attacking (or run away from it) is a better choice perhaps, depending on how you deal with damages others inflict to you (when surrounded by a swarm), when trying to fight the swarm .

Joël