Re: New Ship Weapon: Swarm GLobe

In <URL:news:local.spelljam> on Sun 15 Oct, Steven wrote:
> Posted this on WOTC forums :)
> 
> 
> Most ships that sail arcane space are not pirates or privateers. Instead,
> they are merchants, more concerned with trade and reaching home safely.
> Their crews do of course contain trained warriors and spellcasters to defend
> them in emergency. Against pirates though they are often outgunned, to this
> end, the Arcane sell a nice line in weaponry that even a penny pinching
> captain can appreciate: "Swarm Globes".

Looks like quite an elegant weapon.

The obvious defence against this, and swarms in general, is a
really low damage area effect spell - something that did 1d3 cold
damage might be ideal.

I'm not sure if such a thing exists, but a magic item which could
do it in a hurry would be really useful if people start chucking
these around!


> Swarm Globes are a bluish-globes of glass a foot across, meant to be hurled
> by catapults, though other methods can be used. They weight 20 lbs, and are
> magical devices.
> Each contains a swarm of creatures held in magical stasis and sometimes
> compressed in size as well, on breaking the globe, which happens on a hard
> impact, the swarm wakes up, reverts to original size if appropriate, and is
> very upset...and takes it's anger (and hunger) out on whoever is close.
> While they may not defeat an enemy, they cause so much havoc they often let
> a ship flee as the enemy try to deal with the swarm.
> -In useage, they're fired from catapults onto enemy ships as a normal
> attack.
> 
> To prevent accident, the globes are magical strong, as strong as iron, until
> a command word is spoken. This command word is always engraved on them in
> Common, after speaking it while touching the globe, the globe shimmers and
> after a few seconds when the shimmering ends (the next round), it becomes
> fragile as glass once more. 
> -In usage, the globe is loaded onto a catapult, when ready to fire, the
> artillery commander touches the globe, speaks the word, then immediately
> fires it. Since the globe is still strong as iron on launching, it won't
> break, but will do so on striking the enemy ship or any hard object.
> 
> Typically a Swarm Globe contains a swarm of rats, centipedes, or locusts (as
> per the Monster Manual), though other creatures are possible, but at higher
> costs.
> 
> Swarm Globe
> Moderate Alteration: CL 10; Craft Wondrous Item, Otiluke's Resilient Sphere,
> Polymorph. Cost: 2,500 gp. Weight 20 lbs.
> 1" thick glass (treat as iron until command word is spoken)
> 
> 
> My comments on replies about this on the SJ forums, plus other thoughts:
> 
> 1) Price. Considering the expense a SJ ship is, and how much a good merchant
> could make...or lose...2,500 gp is not much to keep yourself safe lol, and
> it's in keeping with prices as per the DMG, which is also important for game
> balance.

It is a one-shot weapon, but compared to the price of your Helm,
or just your ship and cargo, likely a worthwhile investment.


> 2) You don't want anything TOO lethal in the globe, just in case of
> accident, also very lethal things = more expense.
> A Summon Swarm spell exists iirc, also, be kind of easy to capture a lot of
> vermin around docks for use, so not only does it give a cheap bio-weapon,
> you also rid a harbour of rats etc ;)

Pipes of The Sewers to fetch your rats for you?


> 3) best creatures would be wasps or the hornets, but those aren't in the
> Monster Manual, and Hellswarm wasps are WAY too nasty.

How difficult is it to do a minimal spec for wasps or hornets?


> 4) yeah the idea is to so screw up the enemy, they can't pursue as you flee.
> Swarms are not the best weapons for pirates because they'd have to remove
> the vermin and suffer as well, but they are a possibility of course as an
> offensive weapon, especially if you have ways of neutralizing or removing
> them.
> 
> 5) It's a simple weapon, which is important, as most crews are not gonna be
> adventurers with a life time of sneaky dirty tricks and smarts.
> 
> 6) Game balance, you don't want this at it's cost to be small item, or you'd
> lob many of these at enemies, and have them lob them at you! Making it a 1
> foot, 20lb sphere with beings in stasis inside keeps it nice for traps and
> catapult/giant thrown.
> If it was like a Bead of Force and summoned swarms, owie! that would be
> brutal, and would have to be more expensive.
> 
> 7) A bale of hay would stop burning in the void, in the Phlogiston you'd
> blow yourself to hell, also in the Phlogiston Summon spells wouldn't work so
> a sphere that used summon monster wouldn't work.
> Fire is dangerous as hell, you may set the enemy on fire...or yourself.

Your bale of hay will stop burning in the void, then likely catch
again as it goes back into atmosphere.


> 8) Swarms would put most folk on deck out of action in the swarm area, so
> they couldn't cast, couldn't use ship weapons, and if the swarm got inside,
> maybe the helmsman would suffer.
> 
> 9) a Pirate crew harassed by swarms maybe angry if they capture you, but
> less likely to take vengeance than if you burned, killed many of them etc.
> 
> 
> 
> What ya think? :)

-- 
Dreamer
dreamer@??????.?????.??.uk
http://www.romsys.demon.co.uk/