Squad (Templete)

[AlphaNerd]

Squad (Templete)

Sometimes a group of soldiers train together for so long that they function as a single unit, rather than as a group of individuals. Or maybe you just want to let your group kill a hundred orcs without having it take all night. A squad is made up of roughly 10 more or less identical members.

A character may not assume the squad templete by magical means (unless maybe you clone yourself 9 times).

Size and type
The creature's size increase by two size categories, but is treated as the same size for purposes of trample.

Hit dice
No change. However, a squad has 10 times the hitpoints of the base creature.

Speed
No change

Armor Class
The creature gains a +4 dodge bonus to AC, as the members are constantly moving about and present an iconsistent target.

Attack, Full Attack, and Spells
A squad attacks and full attacks and casts spells like the base creature. It may, however affect multiple targets. Based upon the number of targets, it gains a boost to its attack rolls or DC as below. If a spell deals half damage on a successful save, increase the base damage by 50%. A creature may be selected as a target multiple times.

1. 1 target: +9 bonus
2. 2 targets: +7 bonus
3. 3 targets: +5 bonus

When a squad is in its bottom third of its hitpoints, these bonuses decrease by 2.

Damage
As base creature.

Special Attacks
None.

Special Qualities

• Merge - two identical damaged squads can combine as part of a move action and add their hitpoints together. The merged squad acts on the current initiative count and any movement or actions already taken count against its remaining actions.
• High surface area - squads take double damage from area of effect spells that encompass the entire squad. Spells that only affect part of the squad deal normal damage.
• Many hands - a squad may quaff a potion or read a scroll once per round as a free action on its turn.
• Which one? - a squad is unaffected by targetted effects that target less than half of them. Also, it is immune to bullrush, disarm, trip, and being grappled (it may choose to grapple, however).

Abilities
As base creature

Skills
The squad has maximum ranks in all skills it might possess, or whatever is reasonable.

Feats
A squad gains no feats.

Environment
As base creature.

Organization
Any number.

Challenge Rating
Base Creature + 4

Advancement
As Base Creature.

Level Adjustment
Haha. You don't get this.

[koz]

This seems fine, but it should be on It's My Own Invention.

[Judging__Eagle]

Not bad, it's like a smaller version of the Medium/Large sized creature Swarm Template that was released in DM2 for 3.5 Edition.

The DM2 Template filled 12 5-foot wide squares, arranged anyway the swarm wished, so long as it's footprint in any direction was smaller than the base creature's size.

It was also something like a 20 HD creature, and couldn't make attacks. Instead it relied on swarm damage (5d6 per round, plus damage increasing abilities such as str, magic weapons etc.), and could use any of it's special abilities like gaze attacks or breathe weapons. I'm a bit fuzzy on all the details, it's been a few years since I used that template.

[Maxus]

Attack, Full Attack, and Spells
A squad attacks and full attacks and casts spells like the base creature. It may, however affect multiple targets. Based upon the number of targets, it gains a boost to its attack rolls or DC as below. If a spell deals half damage on a successful save, increase the base damage by 50%. A creature may be selected as a target multiple times.

1. 1 target: +9 bonus
2. 2 targets: +7 bonus
3. 3 targets: +5 bonus

When a squad is in its bottom third of its hitpoints, these bonuses by 2.

You need to insert a word or two in that part I bolded.

Also, just to clarify this for my own satisfaction, a squad doesn't have more HP than an individual creature to which this template is applied, correct?

[AlphaNerd]

You need to insert a word or two in that part I bolded.

Also, just to clarify this for my own satisfaction, a squad doesn't have more HP than an individual creature to which this template is applied, correct?

1) Fixed.
2) No, a squad has 10 times the base creatures hitpoints. Text updated.

[JonSetanta]

SQUAD BROKEN!

An otherwise decent concept.
Beats the tactical rules from back in AD&D by tenfold.
I have a similar concept of treating multiples of people as a single entity for simplicity but yours is more compatible with D&D and d20 in general;
I strove for a lower granality to the point wherein individual weapons and simple abilities are reduced to mere "1d6 x100" damage against an opponent army's 1000 or so HP, 1 HP per size value an individual contributes to the group.[/quote]


Edit: Tried to fix. You'll have to edit the previous post and remove a quote heading, Alpha.