All-Consuming Hunger (CR 8)
Diminutive Undead (Swarm)
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Initiative: +0; Senses: darkvision 60 ft.
AC: 14 (+4 size), touch 14, flat-footed 14
Hit Dice: 16d12 (104 hp)
Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +10
Speed: 40 ft., climb 20 ft.
Space: 10 ft./0 ft.
Base Attack +8; Grapple -
Attack: Swarm (4d6 plus all-consuming wasting)
Full Attack: Swarm (4d6 plus all-consuming wasting)
Damage: -
Special Attacks/Actions: All-consuming wasting, create spawn, distraction, fear aura
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 11, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 16
Special Qualities: immune to weapon damage, swarm traits, undead traits
Feats: -
Skills: Climb +8
Advancement: None
Climate/Terrain: Underground
Organization: Swarm
Treasure/Possessions: None
Source:
Underdark
All-Consuming Wasting (Su): Supernatural disease-swarm, DC 21 Fortitude save negates, incubation period 1 day; 1d6 Constitution damage. Unlike normal diseases but similar to mummy rot, all-consuming wasting continues until the afflicted creature's Constitution score reaches 0 (at which point it dies) or until a remove disease spell or similar magic is applied. If an afflicted creature dies, it rises as a new all-consuming hunger 1d4 rounds after death.
Create Spawn (Su): Any living creature killed by an all-consuming hunger rises as a new all-consuming hunger within 1d4 rounds. Such a spawn is uncontrolled, but it has the same overwhelming desire to kill and reproduce that characterizes every one of its kind.
Distraction (Ex): Any living creature vulnerable to the swarm's damage that begins its turn with a swarm in its square is nauseated for 1 round; a DC 21 Fortitude save negates the effect. Spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a swarm requires a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills requiring patience and concentration requires a DC 20 Concentration check. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Fear Aura (Su): A miasma of death and rot surrounds an all-consuming hunger. Any creature within a 60-foot radius that looks at it must succeed on a DC 21 Will save or be affected as though by a fear spell (caster level 16th).
Undead Traits:An all-consuming hunger is immune to mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects or is harmless. It is not subject to critical hits, non-lethal damage, ability damage to its physical ability scores, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or death from massive damage. It cannot be raised, and resurrection works only if it is willing. It also has darkvision out to 60 feet.
Skills: An all-consuming hunger receives a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks even if rushed or threatened. It uses its Dexterity modifier instead of its Strength modifier for Climb checks.
The all-consuming hunger is an undead swarm composed of tiny bits of dead body parts, often from a variety of creatures. It transmits a horrible, wasting disease that turns its victims into all-consuming hungers.
An all-consuming hunger resembles a writhing, pulsating mass, of rotten body parts and jellied organs. This mindless undead has no motivation other than to kill living creatures and create spawn.
Swarm Subtype
A swarm is a collection of Fine, Diminutive, or Tiny creatures that acts as a single creature. A swarm has the characteristics of its type, except as noted here. A swarm has a single pool of Hit Dice and hit points, a single initiative modifier, a single speed, and a single Armor Class. A swarm makes saving throws as a single creature.
A single swarm occupies a square (if it is made up of nonflying creatures) or a cube (of flying creatures) 10 feet on a side, but its reach is 0 feet, like its component creatures. In order to attack, it moves into an opponent's space, which provokes attacks of opportunity. It can occupy the same space as a creature of any size, since it crawls all over its prey. A swarm can move through squares occupied by enemies and vice versa without impediment, although the swarm provokes attacks of opportunity if it does so. A swarm can move through cracks or holes large enough for its component creatures.
A swarm of Tiny creatures consists of 300 nonflying creatures or 1,000 flying creatures. A swarm of Diminutive creatures consists of 1,500 nonflying creatures or 5,000 flying creatures. A swarm of Fine creatures consists of 10,000 creatures, whether they are flying or not. Swarms of nonflying creatures include many more creatures than could normally fit in a 10-foot square based on their normal space, because creatures in a swarm are packed tightly together and generally crawl over each other and their prey when moving or attacking. Larger swarms are represented by multiples of single swarms. (A swarm of 15,000 centipedes is ten centipede swarms, each swarm occupying a 10-foot square.) The area occupied by a large swarm is completely shapeable, though the swarm usually remains in contiguous squares.
Traits: A swarm has no clear front or back and no discernible anatomy, so it is not subject to critical hits or flanking. A swarm made up of Tiny creatures takes half damage from slashing and piercing weapons. A swarm composed of Fine or Diminutive creatures is immune to all weapon damage.
Reducing a swarm to 0 hit points or lower causes it to break up, though damage taken until that point does not degrade its ability to attack or resist attack. Swarms are never staggered or reduced to a dying state by damage. Also, they cannot be tripped, grappled, or bull rushed, and they cannot grapple an opponent.
A swarm is immune to any spell or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate), with the exception of mind-affecting spells and abilities (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects) if the swarm has an Intelligence score and a hive mind. A swarm takes half again as much damage (+50%) from spells or effects that affect an area, such as splash weapons and many evocation spells.
Swarms made up of Diminutive or Fine creatures are susceptible to high winds such as that created by a gust of wind spell. For purposes of determining the effects of wind on a swarm, treat the swarm as a creature of the same size as its constituent creatures (see Winds, page 95 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). For example, a swarm of locusts (a swarm of Diminutive creatures) can be blown away by a severe wind. Wind effects deal 1d6 points of nonlethal damage to a swarm per spell level (or Hit Dice of the originating creature, in the case of effects such as an air elemental's whirlwind). A swarm rendered unconscious by means of nonlethal damage becomes disorganized and dispersed, and does not re-form until its hit points exceed its nonlethal damage.
Swarm Attack: Creatures with the swarm subtype don't make standard melee attacks. Instead, they deal automatic damage to any creature whose space they occupy at the end of their move, with no attack roll needed. Swarm attacks are not subject to a miss chance for concealment or cover. A swarm's statistics block has "swarm" in the Attack and Full Attack entries, with no attack bonus given. The amount of damage a swarm deals is based on its Hit Dice, as shown below.
| Swarm HD | Swarm Base Damage |
| 1-5 | 1d6 |
| 6-10 | 2d6 |
| 11-15 | 3d6 |
| 16-20 | 4d6 |
| 21 or more | 5d6 |
A swarm's attacks are nonmagical, unless the swarm's description states otherwise. Damage reduction sufficient to reduce a swarm attack's damage to 0, being incorporeal, and other special abilities usually give a creature immunity (or at least resistance) to damage from a swarm. Some swarms also have acid, poison, blood drain, or other special attacks in addition to normal damage.
Swarms do not threaten creatures in their square, and do not make attacks of opportunity with their swarm attack. However, they distract foes whose squares they occupy, as described below.
Distraction (Ex): Any living creature vulnerable to a swarms damage that begins its turn with a swarm in its square is nauseated for 1 round; a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 swarm's HD + swarm's Con modifier; the exact DC is given in a swarm's description) negates the effect. Spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a swarm requires a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a DC 20 Concentration check.