Hellwasp Swarm
Hit Die: d8
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Features
1 +0 +0 +2 +0 HellWasp bodies, Hive Mind, Swarm Attack, Distraction, -2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Con
2 +1 +0 +3 +0 HellBorn, Poison,+1 Dex
3 +1 +1 +3 +1 Inhabit Dead, +1 Dex,
4 +2 +1 +4 +1 Growth, +1 Dex
5 +2 +1 +4 +1 Scattering Swarm, +1 Dex, +1 Con
6 +3 +2 +5 +2 Inhabit Living, +1 Dex
7 +3 +2 +5 +2 Lay Eggs, +1 Dex,
8 +4 +2 +6 +2 HellPlague, +1 Dex, +1 Con
Skills: 2+Int mod. Class skills are Bluff, Disguise, Hide, Intimidate, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot
Proficiencies: A Hellwasp swarm is proficient with its natural weapons only.
FeaturesHellwasp Bodies: At 1st level, the Hellwasp Swarm loses all other racial bonus and gets magical beast traits (Darkvision 60ft and low-light vision), plus the
Swarm Subtype. The Hellwasp Swarm is actually composed of thousands of diminutive creatures that act as one, forming a collective hivemind, with a base speed of 5 feet and a fly speed of 40 feet with good maneuverability. They can however just fly 5 feet above ground until they reach 4 HD, upon which they can fly freely.
Unlike a normal swarm of diminutive creatures, the Hellwasp Swarm just fills a 5-feet square and takes half damage from slashing and piercing weapons at first level, as it's composed of newborn sluggish hellwasps that although numerous provide an easy target.
Hive Mind: An Hellwasp Swarm legion of minds work as one, allowing it to speak with the combined sound of a thousand diminutive voices. It cannot perform careful manipulation, but it can grab and carry objects by coordinating it's multiple bodies as long as it's within its carrying load.
In addition, the Hellwasp swarm can count itself as a single creature for purposes of receiving beneficial spells from others.
This also allows an Hellwasp Swarm to fully benefit from magic items by equipping them on one of it's members. Of course, the item needs to be custom crafted for diminutive size, meaning it costs double, but cannot be targeted by opponents as the hellwasp equipped with it is always covered by thousands of its brethren. A Hellwasp swarm can also drink and receive the benefits of a potion by sharing it between all it's members.
Swarm Attack: An Hellwasp swarm basic attack deals 1d6 damage, plus an extra 1d6 damage for each two other HD of the Hellwasp swarm. If the Hellwasp swarm gains means of performing extra attacks, like enough Bab or Haste, it can deal Swarm damage one more time for each extra attack in a single turn if it full attacks. Any effect that would boost a natural attack boost the Swarm Attack.
Distraction: Any living creature that begins its turn with a hellwasp swarm in its space must succeed on a DC 10+1/2HD+Con mod Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round.
Ability Modifiers: An Hellwasp swarm gains -2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Con at first level. In addition it gains an extra +1 to
Dex at every other level.
Con at levels 5, 8.
For a total of -2 Str, +9 Dex, +4 Con at 8th level.
Hellborn: Hellwasps clearly didn't originate from the material plane. At second level they gain the Evil subtype, and their attacks count as Evil for bypassing Damage Reduction. They also gain fire resistance equal to their HD and DR/magic equal to half their HD.
Poison: At 2nd level, creatures damaged by the Hellwasp swarm receive a poison inflicting 1d3 Dex damage, Fort save DC 10+1/2 HD+Con mod negates. For every 4 HD of the Hellwasp Swarm, increase the poison damage die by one step. At 10 HD, even creatures immune to poison will be affected by this, but they gain a +5 bonus on their saves.
Inhabit Dead: At 3rd level a hellwasp swarm can enter the body of a dead creature by crawling into its mouth and other orifices. Inhabiting requires 1 minute, and the victim must be Small, Medium, or Large. The swarm can abandon the body at any time, although doing this takes 1 full round. Any attack against the host deals half damage to the hellwasp swarm as well, although the swarm’s resistances and immunities may negate some or all of this damage.
If it does so, it can restore animation to the creature and control its movements, effectively transforming it into a Zombie for as long as the swarm remains inside.
A hellwasp-inhabited creature is relatively easy to spot, since its skin crawls with the forms of insects inside. The swarm is intelligent enough to attempt to hide beneath loose clothing or a large cloak to keep its presence from being detected. The swarm can attempt a Disguise check to conceal its inhabitation of a host, with a -4 penalty if currently inhabiting a Small host.
Growth: At 4th level the Hellwasp swarm now fills a 10x10 square. Like normal swarms, its shapeable in any form that fills four 5x5 squares.
Scattering Swarm: At 5th level the Hellwasp Swarm refines its coordinate flying , gaining full immunity to weapon attacks. It can also divide itself in up to four medium swarms, or two "long" swarms each filling 2 5x5 squares, as a full round action. Each one has stats as the original one, except they divide the HP between them. They can get together simply by entering adjacent squares, in which case they add their HP back together. Should one of the scattered swarms be destroyed, it's size is deduced from the Hellwasp swarm when its remaining members get together. It takes 8 hours of feasting, rest and frantic eye laying to replace one lost 5x5 square worth of Hellwasps.
Multiple swarms can't fill the same square.
Inhabit Living: At 6th level a hellwasp swarm can enter the body of a helpless creature by crawling into its mouth and other orifices. Inhabiting requires 1 minute, and the victim must be Small, Medium, or Large The swarm can abandon the body at any time, although doing this takes 1 full round. Any attack against the host deals half damage to the hellwasp swarm as well, although the swarm’s resistances and immunities may negate some or all of this damage.
When a hellwasp swarm inhabits a living victim, it can neutralize the effects of its own poison and control the victim’s movement and actions as if using dominate monster on the victim, and this ignores immunity to mind-affecting effects. The hellwasps quickly consume a living victim, dealing 2d4 points of Constitution damage per hour they inhabit a body. A body reduced to Constitution 0 is dead.
A hellwasp-inhabited creature is relatively easy to spot, since its skin crawls with the forms of insects inside. The swarm is intelligent enough to attempt to hide beneath loose clothing or a large cloak to keep its presence from being detected. The swarm can attempt a Disguise check to conceal its inhabitation of a host, with a -4 penalty if currently inhabiting a Small host.
A remove disease or heal spell cast on an inhabited victim forces the hellwasp swarm to abandon its host.
Lay Eggs:At 7th level, a number of times per hour equal to their Con modifier, the Hellwasp Swarm can lay eggs on an opponent it damages with its Swarm Attack (only can lay eggs once in a single opponent per round). The eggs hatch in 1d4 rounds, producing a new Hellwasp Swarm with Elite Array of stats and six levels lower than you, no feats or skills. The new Hellwasps crawl their way out of the victim's natural (or inflicted) orifices, forcing it to save against Distraction again, and the new swarm appears on its square, following any orders from the "mother" Hellwasp Swarm. They're under the control of the Hellwasp Swarm for 1 minute per HD, after which they abandon it and go to their own devices.
An Hellwasp Swarm of 15 HD spawns swarms with feats and skills of their own, but they must be ones that the Hellwasp swarm itself has. They may also start picking class levels, as long as they're 6 levels lower than the "mother" Hellwasp swarm.
Multiple swarms can't fill the same square.
HellPlague: At 8th level the Hellwasp Swarm Hive Mind can now easily coordinate multiple bodies. If it uses a swarm of its Lay Eggs ability to Inhabit a dead body, then it won't go to its own devices, but serve the Hellwasp Swarm as an animated corpse permanently. The Hellwasp Swarm can control up to eight times its own HD worth of zombies this way. If it produces more than it's limit, the ones longer under control break free.
Living inhabited creatures count as double their HD for purposes of this ability.
The Hellswarm itself can also now choose to don't deal Con damage to living inhabited creatures to make them last longer. This applies to its Lay Egg swarms as well, as long as they're high level enough to have the Inhabit living ability.
Comments:
First, I know those on the image aren't "official" Hellwasp swarms, but at the lack of an official picture, this will have to do.
Anyway this is the first "Pure" swarm I've did. Specially hard because being a swarm really plays completely different from most other stuff. In the end I just decided that somebody wanting to play a swarm is willing to deal with the basic inconvenience so ended up not making that much custom changes. Just some stuff so you can properly benefit from magic and gear.
Anyway when not crawling over opponents, the main stick of the Hellwasp Swarm is inhabiting the dead and the living and making them dance/fight for it. Inhabiting living is clearly stronger so it's gained later, but you can start making your wasp-zombies at third level.
For the two last levels custom abilities, in the form of spawning mini-swarms as support and then using them as permanent minions, while being able to control living creatures for longer.
Still feel like I could add some other touch to polish it up, but I really can't think of anything else. Well, I think it's more than playable as it is now. Making defeated opponents your slaves while buzzing around the battlefield and pestering everybody while ignoring weapons and single-target spells is nothing to scoff at for an 8 level class. Enjoy your swarm of hell wasps!
