Course of Swarms

The Course of Swarms introduces rules for fighting many enemies at once.

**Course Requirements**: Combat

**Prerequisite for**: None

Often you will need to account for the danger of being surrounded by many weaker enemies. This is where Swarming rules come in. A Swarm Cog counts as 3 levels higher for the purpose of Encounter Difficulty.

## Swarm Creation

A Swarm is a normal Cog with the following new rules:

#### **Swarm Movement**

The Swarm can occupy up to L hexes until it has L HP remaining, at which point it can take up at most HP hexes. When a Swarm moves, it may split and re-join freely:

* **Splitting**: when a Swarm moves from one hex to another, it may choose to occupy its original hex and/or any intermediate hexes along its path
* **Re-joining**: Swarms can move into hexes occupied by themselves.

#### **Swarm HP**

A Swarm's max HP is **6 times its listed HP** as a Cog.

Any damage to the Swarm subtracts from its HP, until it is occupying HP hexes, at which point each hex has an HP pool of 1. When the Swarm is attacked by an Area of Effect attack or by attacks which can target multiple hexes or creatures, each hex the Swarm occupies is treated as its own target for the purpose of resolving these abilities; the Swarm will be hit multiple times by these attacks.

#### Massive Damage

When a hex of a Swarm takes at least L damage in a single attack, that hex of the Swarm is eliminated and any remaining damage is ignored.

### Swarm Actions

A Swarm declares its actions as a cohesive unit but resolves actions per hex. For example, when a Swarm would Move or Attack, each hex independently Moves and Attacks.

## Swarm Abilities

These abilities are unique to Swarms and may be purchased with AP. A Swarm Cog can purchase any number of these abilities.

**Aggressive Swarm** **(3 AP)**

This Swarm can move into and occupy enemy hexes. When a creature moves while a hostile Swarm is occupying their hex, the Swarm moves with them; normal rules for Swarm movement apply.

**Rain (3 AP)**

When this Swarm makes X attacks (X>1) against a target in the same Round, this instead counts as a single attack with the following modifiers:

* +10X Accuracy
* +X damage
* This attack cannot be Evaded or reduced by Alert; instead, every reduce the Accuracy by -20 for every Evade and -10 for every Alert applied

**Strong Together (2 AP)**

This ability requires **Rain**. **Rain** does not activate until X is at least 4, but the bonuses to Accuracy and damage are doubled.

**Modified Spread (X AP)**

This Swarm can occupy an additional +2X hexes. X may be between -L/3 to L/3.

**Opportunists** **(3 AP)**

When an enemy leaves this Swarm's Reach, the Swarm can make a melee skill strike as a Free Reaction against this enemy. This attack uses the Cog's base Accuracy and deals 1d6+L damage.

**Vastly Inaccurate (-2 AP)**

This Swarm loses 5 Accuracy for every 10 HP lost.

**Forces Depleted (-2 AP)**

This Swarm deals 3 damage less for every 10 HP lost.

**Weak Divided (-2 AP)**

This Swarm deals half damage against targets who receive attacks from fewer than 3 hexes of the Swarm during a Swarm's attack.

## Course of Damages

If the Course of Damages is unlocked, add this rule for compatibility: when a Swarm would take any special damage, it instead takes twice the amount of normal damage. In this way, Swarms are immune to most status effects but are still injured by special damage.

## Course of Foes

If the Course of Foes is unlocked, add this rule for compatibility: Swarms cannot be Foes.

## Course of Contenders

If the Course of Contenders is unlocked, add this rule for compatibility: Swarms cannot grapple or be grappled.