SwarmkeeperSource Howl of the Wild pg. 72 2.0Many civilizations throughout history have benefited from a symbiotic relationship with insects. A community might raise insects for certain byproducts, such as a bee’s honey or a spider’s silk, or tame larger versions of common species as mounts. Some even take this harmony to the extreme and willingly host a swarm of insects inside their bodies. Because of their unusual arrangement, swarmkeepers tend to live solitary lives, or at least as solitary as you can be as a host of thousands. When dealing with those who might be squeamish of their abilities, some swarmkeepers wear straw skeps, backpack-like boxes often employed by beekeepers as a kind of social camouflage. Such items might even be used to house additional insects if their swarm grows too big to fit inside their body.
Swarmkeepers can add new capabilities to their swarms. For some, this means incorporating many different species of insects into their swarm, making even mortal enemies in nature work together. Others selectively cultivate one kind of insect precious to them into various morphs that give the swarm new capabilities.
Uncommon Archetype Dedication Source Howl of the Wild pg. 72 2.0Archetype SwarmkeeperPrerequisites trained in
Nature
Your body has become a symbiotic hive for a swarm of crawling insects. You can emit your swarm using the Swarm Forth action, and you can use the Bite and Sting action while your swarm is outside your body to command it to attack. Your deep connection to your swarm precludes you from also having an animal companion, though if an ability allows you to have more than one animal companion (such as the beastmaster archetype), you can count your swarm as one. You're immune to any damage from your swarm, and during your daily preparations you can anoint up to five willing creatures with a concoction made from your pheromones to grant them immunity as well.
While outside your body, your swarm is Large and has a Speed of 15 feet and a climb Speed of 15 feet. It can occupy the same space as other creatures. While outside your body, the swarm can be attacked. It uses your statistics for defenses but is immune to
grappled,
prone,
restrained, and
mental effects that target only a specific number of creatures. The swarm has resistance equal to your level to physical damage and weakness equal to your level to area and splash damage. Any damage that would be dealt to the swarm is dealt to you instead, though you take damage only once from any ability that includes both you and the swarm in the area of effect (though you take the greater amount of damage).
Swarm Forth [two-actions] (
concentrate)
Requirements Your swarm is within your body;
Effect Your swarm boils forth from your body into a space adjacent to yours. (Its space can overlap yours.) It remains separate from you until the end of your next turn, but you can Sustain the effect up to 1 minute. The effect also ends if you end your turn more than 60 feet away from the swarm. When you use Swarm Forth and each time you Sustain the effect, you can have the swarm Stride.
When Swarm Forth ends, the swarm disperses into individual creatures. While dispersed, it can no longer be used for actions or be targeted, and the insects return to you and nest in your body again. This typically takes 1 minute unless you're extremely far away (as determined by the GM).
Bite and Sting [one-action] Requirements Your swarm is outside your body;
Effect Each creature in your swarm's space takes 1d4 piercing damage with a
basic Reflex save against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher. At 4th level and every 2 levels thereafter, the damage increases by 1d4.
Archetype Flourish Source Howl of the Wild pg. 72 2.0Archetype SwarmkeeperFrequency once per round
Prerequisites Swarmkeeper DedicationRequirements Your swarm is outside your body.
Your swarm can emit a bright flash, much like aphet beetles, a genus of flash beetles once used by Osirian miners as sources of light. Each creature in its space must succeed at a Fortitude save against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher, or be
dazzled for 1 round (2 rounds on a critical failure). The swarm then glows with light like a
torch until it returns to your body
Archetype Flourish Source Howl of the Wild pg. 73 2.0Archetype SwarmkeeperPrerequisites Swarmkeeper DedicationRequirements Your swarm is outside your body.
Your swarm's stings burn with agonizing pain, much like that caused by the bright red pyre ants that make their tunnels within the parched sands of deserts like Qadira. Each creature in your swarm's space must succeed at a Fortitude save against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher, or take 1d6
persistent poison damage. A creature that critically fails is also
enfeebled 1 for as long as it's taking this persistent poison damage.
At 8th level and every 4 levels thereafter, the persistent poison damage increases by 1d6.
Archetype Flourish Source Howl of the Wild pg. 73 2.0Archetype SwarmkeeperPrerequisites Swarmkeeper DedicationRequirements Your swarm is outside your body.
Your swarm can spin dense webs much like those left by stone-gray weaver spiders under eaves and in derelict city buildings, especially along the coasts of Varisia. When your swarm ends its turn, it fills all surfaces in its space with sticky webs that last for 1 minute. The webs are
difficult terrain. A creature that ends its turn in the webs must succeed at a Reflex save or be
immobilized until it
Escapes. The webs' save DC and Escape DC are equal to the higher of your class DC or spell DC. The swarm is immune to its webs.
Archetype Source Howl of the Wild pg. 73 2.0Archetype SwarmkeeperPrerequisites Swarmkeeper Dedication
You know how to take advantage of those your swarm has attacked. A creature who has taken damage from your swarm's Bite and Sting is
off-guard against the first Strike you make against it in the same turn.
Archetype Source Howl of the Wild pg. 73 2.0Archetype SwarmkeeperPrerequisites Swarmkeeper Dedication
The clicking of fast-moving legs accompanies your swarm in all kinds of environments. Your swarm's land and climb Speeds increase to 20 feet, and the swarm gains a 20-foot Swim speed.
Archetype Source Howl of the Wild pg. 73 2.0Archetype SwarmkeeperPrerequisites Swarmkeeper Dedication
When your swarm is sharing your space and Strides, you can choose to have your swarm carry you with it. You stay in the same basic position within its space while it moves and when you arrive at your new location (with your exact location determined by the GM if it's unclear). Because you're moving voluntarily, your movement isn't
forced movement and therefore still triggers reactions based on movement. If your swarm
Flies, and you don't have a fly Speed, you fall at the end of this movement.
Archetype Flourish Source Howl of the Wild pg. 73 2.0Archetype SwarmkeeperPrerequisites Swarmkeeper DedicationRequirements Your swarm is outside your body.
Like nefarious
sportlebores, a species of insect that plague adventurers by hiding in their rations as counterfeit food, your swarm can crawl down throats. The sportlebores attempt to force their way into the mouth of each creature in your swarm's space. Each creature takes 4d4 piercing damage depending on its Fortitude save against the higher of your class DC or spell DC. The damage increases by 1d4 at 10th level and every 2 levels thereafter. Regardless of the result of its save, the creature is temporarily immune to sportlebore choke for 1 hour.
Critical Success The creature if unaffected.
Success The creature takes half damage and is
sickened 1 as it spits out most of the offending sportlebores.
Failure The sportlebores crawl down the creature's throat. The creature takes full damage and is sickened 1.
Critical Failure As failure, but the creature takes double damage and is sickened 2.
Archetype Source Howl of the Wild pg. 73 2.0Archetype SwarmkeeperPrerequisites Swarmkeeper Dedication
Your swarm is dense, blotting out vision. You and your allies gain
lesser cover when in your swarm's space.
Archetype Flourish Source Howl of the Wild pg. 73 2.0Archetype SwarmkeeperPrerequisites Swarmkeeper Dedication
Your swarm takes on characteristics of the death cicadas of the Mana Wastes, whose distinctive buzz is said to be a herald of imminent demise. The inclusion of these death cicadas grants your swarm a fly Speed of 20 feet. You also gain the Death Drone action.
Death Drone [one-action] (
auditory,
flourish,
mental) The cicadas in your swarm make a droning sound that stimulates a fear response. Each creature within your swarm's space takes 6d4 mental damage and must attempt a Will save against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher.
Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
Success The creatures takes half damage.
Failure The creature takes full damage, is
frightened 1, and takes a –2 circumstance penalty to Perception checks that require hearing.
Critical Failure The creature takes double damage, is frightened 2, and is
deafened until the start of your next turn.
Archetype Source Howl of the Wild pg. 73 2.0Archetype SwarmkeeperPrerequisites Swarmkeeper Dedication
Your hive has grown to the point where it is difficult to keep your swarm contained within your body. When you release your swarm with Swarm Forth, you can choose for it to be Huge instead of Large.