What’s worse than encountering a scary, disgusting, or threatening monster in D&D? Encountering an entire swarm of them!
Swarms of Insects
Ew.
It’s probably fair to assume that most of us don’t enjoy encountering swarms of insects in our everyday lives. But Swarms of Insects in Dungeons and Dragons are somehow so much worse. Swarms in D&D are far more sinister by nature, often summoned by more powerful enemies looking for a little boost. So these insects are almost definitely going to attack you, and include varieties such as Beetles, Centipedes, Spiders, and Wasps. Their attacks could be anything from “sort of weird and gross” to “absolute nightmare fuel.” I can’t think of many things worse than a swarm of targeted attack-wasps.
Swarms of Bats
I like bats, but some of their most interesting qualities are some of same reasons I don’t want to encounter a swarm of them anytime soon. Echolocation and Keen Hearing means that hiding from bats will be pretty difficult (unless you manage to deafen them.) Luckily, with an armor class of twelve and only twenty-two hit points, bats aren’t terribly challenging foes for an adventurer over level one. You might get bitten a few times though, and I don’t even want to know what fantasy rabies shots look like.
Swarms of Rats
Real world, not magically swarming rats are pretty cool. They’re smart and resourceful animals that plenty of people keep as pets or recruit to help them cook gourmet meals– okay, so maybe not that last one. But in general, real rats aren’t all that bad. Swarms of D&D rats though? They’re tragically unintelligent biting machines with a keen sense of smell and the ability to fit through small holes in walls. Yikes.
Swarms of Poisonous Snakes
Why did it have to be snakes?!
Somehow my favorite and least favorite swarm at the same time, the Monster Manual manages to add snake pits to Dungeons & Dragons– and they’re absolutely full with a swarm of poisonous snakes. One of the strongest of the swarms– a fourteen Armor Class and thirty six hit points– a snake swarm is still more of an annoyance than a real issue for most adventurers. But their bite does deliver 4d6 poison damage, so make sure it’s a distraction you prioritize getting rid of.
Swarms of Quippers
Quippers are carnivorous fish with sharp teeth, and they frequently gather in swarms. There’s about an equal chance of an angry bog witch summoning a swarm of Quippers to ruin your day as there is of your party just running into them organically. Luckily, Quippers are only a threat to adventurers who happen to be in the water at the time. So at least you have some control over your chances of encountering them. But when you are unlucky enough to have that encounter, they have a lovely ability called “Blood Frenzy.”
What kind of swarms have you encountered in your D&D adventures? Which is your favorite swarming creature? Which kind of swarm would you be most okay with encountering? Let us know in the comments!
