SPECTRAL SWARM

Spectral Swarm is an Acquired Template that can be added to any Aberration, Animal, Magical Beast, or Vermin Swarm. Spectral Swarms are free roaming magically created guardians. Most outlive their creators and become randomly traveling destroyers, eating all in their path afterwards.

Size and Type: The base creatures type changes to undead. Do not recalculate the base creatures base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. It gains the Incorporeal Subtype. Size is unchanged.

Hit Dice: All current and future Hit Dice become d12's, and hit points are recalculated.

Speed: Spectral Swarms have a Fly Speed of 50, unless the base creature already has a better flight speed, with Perfect maneuverability,.

Armor Class: Loses Natural Armor Bonus to AC (if any), except against Ethereal opponents.

Attacks: A Spectral Swarm retains all the attacks of the Base Creature, but those relying on physical contact do not effect creatures that aren't ethereal. BAB is unchanged.

Damage: Against ethereal creatures, the Spectral Swarm attacks normally. Against non ethereal targets the Spectral Swarm usually cant physically damage them but can use special attacks (see below). When using its Swarm attack it does negative energy damage instead of physical damage against non ethereal targets.

Special Attacks: A Spectral Swarm retains all the Special Attacks of the base creature, but those relying on physical contact cannot effect non ethereal creatures. The Spectral Swarm also gains the following:

Consume Swarm (Su): When a Spectral Swarm kills a Swarm of the same type as it's Base Creature (i.e. if a Spectral Spider Swarm kills a Spider Swarm) it adds that Swarms Hit Dice to it's own total 1d4 days later. Each time a new swarm is absorbed increase the Spectral Swarms Area by 5 feet. Remember to increase Swarm Damage as it gains the appropriate amount of Hit Dice.

Special Qualities: A Spectral Swarm retains all Special Qualities of the Base Creature, plus all of the following:

Dawn Flight (Ex): When the sun rises at dawn, a Spectral Swarm cannot cross over from the Ethereal Plane. Instead of being Incorporeal beings stuck between the Prime and Ethereal, they shift fully into the ethereal and cannot manifest again until nightfall.

Turn Immunity (Ex): Spectral Swarms are Immune to Turn/Rebuke Undead attempts.

Unnatural Aura (Su): Animals will not come within 100 ft. of a Spectral Swarm, and Panic if forced to do so (they remain Panicked so long as the Spectral Swarm is within Range).

Lifesense (Su): Spectral Swarms may automatically sense Living creatures within 100 ft. as thought they had Blindsight. They also automatically know the strength of their life force as if they had cast Deathwatch.

Saves: Saves remain unchanged except for changes due to new stats.

Abilities: +4 Dex, +4 Cha (minimum Charisma of 10. If it is below 10, raise it to 10). Spectral Swarms have no Strength or Constitution Score.

Skills: Spectral Swarms have a +8 Racial Bonus to Hide, Intimidate, Listen, Move Silently, Search, and Spot checks.

Feats: Spectral Swarms gain no Bonus Feats.

Environment: Any, often as Base Creature

Organization: Unchanged.

Challenge Rating: +2

Treasure: Unchanged.

Alignment: Always Neutral Evil.

Advancement: Depends on how many Swarms it can Consume (see above).

Level Adjustment: n/a

Example of creature using template here:

"Back in the old days we had locust problems every year. The famines they caused were horrible. Babies died in their cribs, while the cattle died in the fields. It was like the bugs were possessed. Like they wouldn't stop until we all starved to death.

And one day a man named Alister came to town with his young apprentice. He claimed to be a Wizard, and said for a fee he could fix our problem. We paid him half and the locusts didn't appear the next day. When he came to collect the last half he said he wanted more, or the locusts would come back. We agreed. And then tried to kill him in his sleep. He escaped, his apprentice didn't. Or should I say, his son didn't.

The town was terrified when he told us who the boy really was. We waited weeks for his revenge. Then months. When it didn't come we hoped he'd moved on. And then the locusts came back. At least we thought they were locusts at first. But they didn't eat crops anymore..."

The Swarm (Advanced Locust Swarm/Spectral Swarm)
Diminutive Undead
Hit Dice: 27d12 (175 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: Fly 50 ft. (10 squares), perfect
Armor Class: 20 (+4 Size, +6 Dex), touch 20, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +20/-
Attack: Swarm (5d6 negative energy damage)
Full Attack: Swarm (5d6 negative energy damage)
Space/Reach: 30 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Distraction, Consume Swarm
Special Qualities: Dark Vision 60 ft., Immune to weapon damage, swarm traits, Dawn Flight, Turn Immunity, Lifesense, Unnatural Aura
Saves: Fort +15, Ref +16, Will +9
Abilities: Str -, Dex 25, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 10
Skills: Hide +27, Intimidate +8, Listen +8, Move Silently +8, Search +8, Spot +8
Feats: ---
Environment: Temperate Plains
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 13
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Advancement: Varies
Level Adjustment: --


Consume Swarm (Su): When a Spectral Swarm kills a Swarm of the same type as it's Base Creature (i.e. if a Spectral Spider Swarm kills a Spider Swarm) it adds that Swarms Hit Dice to it's own total 1d4 days later. Each time a new swarm is absorbed increase the Spectral Swarms Area by 5'.

Dawn Flight (Ex): When the sun rises at dawn, a Spectral Swarm cannot cross over from the Ethereal Plane. Instead of being Incorporeal beings stuck between the Prime and Ethereal, they shift fully into the ethereal and cannot manifest again until nightfall.

Distraction (Ex): Any living creature vulnerable to swarm damage within The Swarm's area of effect must make a DC 23 Fortitude Save or be Nauseated 1 round. Using skills that involve patience or concentration require a DC 20 Concentration check. Casting or concentrating on spells requires a Concentration check (DC 20+spell level).

Unnatural Aura (Su): Animals will not come within 100' of a Spectral Swarm, and Panic if forced to do so (they remain Panicked so long as the Spectral Swarm is within Range).

Lifesense (Su): Spectral Swarms may automatically sense Living creatures within 100' as thought they had Blindsight. They also automatically know the strength of their life force as if they had cast Deathwatch.

Combat: The Swarm isn't subtle. It charges the nearest creature and attacks it until it dies. Rinse, Repeat. Given a chance it'll devour everything it can before the sun causes it to retreat.