Being Swarmed/ Overrun

[LokiOne]

Besides the base RPG Rulebook (I have not yet acquired an AEd) ...

Has Anyone any new thoughts upon characters getting 'swarmed' or overrun by small creatures, or by natives such as Picts/ Savages that wish to 'take down' a Character .... possibly for capture,etc.

I am not sure if the Rules recreate this sufficiently. How many opponents can attempt to successfully grapple or wrestle an isolated character to the ground? Do they All have to survive the PC's AoO's? Would wounds stuff this up? What about piles of 'Thingies' equiivalent to Pygmies or Sprites ...??? (Besides the listed Swarms).

Any new thoughts anyone ??? Has the AEd reclarrified the Overrun/ Grapple type attacks?

 

[urdinaran]

Yeah, if each Pict (as an example) wishes to grapple the PC, then at least one of them will receive an AoO; If the PC has Combat Reflexes, then more will receive AoO.

Just remember, since you must make a successful melee attack to start a grapple, Aid Another can be useful when swarming.

If the attackers have Sneak Attack, watch out! Both involved in a grapple cannot Dodge or Parry. Once pinned, your defense vs the grappler is 5 and against others is 1; Finesse attacks become VERY easy now, and deadly.

 

[Sutek]

There's also the rule concerning multiple opponents.

For each adjacent attacker, subsequent ones get a cumulative +1 to hit, in addition to flanking bonuses. One guy can fill up a single square, but he can be surrounded by 8 bad guys wailing on him. That last dude in the order gets a +9 to hit at least because that's just from the multiple oponents rule and flanking...not BAB, good STR bonus, feats, aid another, etc.

Look on page 187 of the first printing of the rule book, or page 181 Atlantean.

As far as Grappling, multiple grapplers merely means tyhat the one guy that they are holding has to break more holds - that's it. The Grapple rules don't really work very well for wrestling in my opinion. They are written more for the hold-him-and-stab-him move more than anything else. Grappled opponents can Dodge or Parry and so can therfore be sneak attacked (add that on top of a +9 or more to sneak attack, and that poor guy is going down).

There is a Choke combat manuver in Road of Kings...I think. (fuzzy memory...someone help me out here).

As far as swarms like in terms of creatures, I have no idea. In D&D targets exposesd to such encounters typically suffer constant damage unless they do nothing except deal with the swarm. We're talking a million cockroaches or spiders or something here...a couple hundred rats. As of yet, ther are no rules for it in Conan, however, and ther aren't even anyt creatures that fit the bill. Perhaps in the revised monster book coming out some time next year.

 

[Trodax]

If the attackers have Sneak Attack, watch out! Both involved in a grapple cannot Dodge or Parry. Once pinned, your defense vs the grappler is 5 and against others is 1; Finesse attacks become VERY easy now, and deadly.

Maxed out Power Attack also works nicely when your opponent has a very low DV.

There's also the rule concerning multiple opponents.

For each adjacent attacker, subsequent ones get a cumulative +1 to hit, in addition to flanking bonuses. One guy can fill up a single square, but he can be surrounded by 8 bad guys wailing on him. That last dude in the order gets a +9 to hit at least because that's just from the multiple oponents rule and flanking...not BAB, good STR bonus, feats, aid another, etc.

Good point. This rule in itself makes swarming an opponent with numbers a lot more feasible than it is in standard D&D.