Skitter Swarm (5e Monster)

Author: Rlyehable (talk) Date Created: 2019-04-30 Status: Finished Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Skitter Swarm
Large Swarm of Tiny Monstrosities, Unaligned
Armor Class: 12
Hit Points: 105 (10d10+30)
Speed: 30 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 6 (-2) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 6 (-2) 20 (+5) 6 (-2)
Damage Resistances: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks.
Damage Immunity: psychic
Condition Immunity: blinded, charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses: truesight 240 ft. (blind beyond this range), passive Perception 15
Languages: —
Challenge: 5 (1,800 xp)Proficiency Bonus (PB): +3
Sense Skitters. The swarm can sense the number of Skitters in a 5 mile radius. Spider Climb. The skitter can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny creature. The swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points. Actions Flee. The skitter can use its action to perform two of the following: dash, disengage, and hide. Mind Blast (Recharge 4-6). The swarm magically emits psychic energy in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or take 22 (4d8+4) psychic damage and be stunned for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Skitters appear as a spherical creature about 1 inch in diameter, covered with 1 inch spiky hair. This "hair" is actually thousands of microscopic tentacles that both allow it to feed, and move by rolling and squeezing through smaller openings.

Skitters are generally harmless and solitary, but if their numbers are not controlled, overpopulation will cause a change in skitters. At this time they will form a dangerous Skitter Swarm. The swarm will move toward the nearest area where the swarm can disperse without overcrowding.

The swarm combines the latent psychic energy of the whole. It unleashes this energy at any creature that may pose a danger to the swarm, or is in its path.

If the swarm is reduced to 0 hit points, it does not mean that all of the skitters have been destroyed. Rather, the remaining skitters disperse (since enough of the skitters have been killed to reduce the population to an acceptable level.

Sources and Notes

Author's Notes

Skitter and skitter swarm are a recreation of a creature I designed for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in the late 70's. It was designed to explain how medium and larger creatures could survive in a dungeon with limited logistics to support them.

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