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Pathfinder Unchained / Simple Monster Creation / Monster Creation Examples / Monster Examples

Bat Swarm

Source Pathfinder Unchained pg. 246
The bat swarm is straightforward to create, but its swarm subtype is complicated and grants it additional features that make it unlike other monsters.
Array: Since a bat swarm is made up of creatures with only animal intelligence, the combatant array is the only choice for it that makes sense.
Creature Type: The animal type increases the bat swarm’s Fortitude and Reflex bonuses each from +3 to +5 and grants low-light vision, but it mandates an Intelligence modifier of either –4 or –5. Bats are slightly more intelligent than some other animals, so they have a –4 modifier.
Subtype: The swarm subtype grants the bat swarm its various immunities, vulnerability to area effects, swarm traits, swarm attack, and distraction.
Size: The bat swarm is made up of many Diminutive creatures, so it gains a +4 bonus to touch and flat-footed AC. As a swarm, it doesn’t have CMB or CMD, so the size adjustments to those numbers are ignored. It also gains Fly and Stealth as master skills.
Options: The bat swarm’s option is a weaker variant of the bleed attack option.
Skills: Other than the master skills from size, the bat swarm’s echolocation enhances its ability to notice things, so it gets Perception as a master skill. That’s already plenty of skills for an animal, so the bat swarm doesn’t have any good skills.

Bat Swarm CR/HD 2

Init +3; Perception +10 (blindsense 20 ft., low-light vision)
Size Diminutive (10 ft.); Speed 5 ft., fly 40 ft. (good)

Defenses

AC 16 (touch 16, flat-footed 16); Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1
hp 22; Immune bull rush, critical hits, flanking, grapple, spells that target a specific number of creatures, trip, weapon damage
Weakness +50% damage from area effects
Defense Options swarm traits

Attacks

Melee swarm (all targets in the swarm’s space) always hits (1d6 plus 1 bleed)
Attack Options (DC 11) distraction

Statistics