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Dreamhunter Minion: Formication Swarm




Usually felt and rarely seen, the formication swarm is made up of hundreds of spectral fingers bound together by a webbing of spiderweb and sinew. The unholy collection skitters along the surface akin to a colony of spiders toward its prey; its mass stretching and undulating to match its confines. Unfortunately, the formication swarm can also move through solid objects and walls, making them nigh-impossible to escape from.


Sadists' Fingers. The formication swarm is created by mixing the severed digits from dozens of murderers and torturers mixed with the psychic agony of concentrated nightmares. Once manufactured, Hypatatos the Dreamhunter lets the swarm loose in cities and towns to terrorize to its heart's content. Considering the formication swarm contains no heart, it is never content.


Instead, the undead hive taunts and torments its victims. It usually starts with townsfolk feeling a brush on the back of their neck, side of the forearm, or round of ankle only to see nothing is there. Then the formication swarm crawls up someone's spine or plays with their hair before phasing through a wall or crawling back into the rafters. Eventually the horror escalates and it claws its prey; small 'spontaneous' scratches at first. Unless discovered and destroyed, however, the swarm will eventually tear apart its current targets before seeking out fresh victims and starting the process all over again.

Formication Swarm

Medium swarm of Tiny undead, Chaotic Evil

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)

Hit Points 16 (3d8 + 3)

Speed 30ft

Str 3 Dex 13 Con 12 Int 1 Wis 14 Cha 6

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing

Damage Immunities necrotic, poison

Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned

Sensesblindsight 30 ft., passive Perception 12

Languages-

Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Incorporeal Movement.

The swarm can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.

Invisibility.

The formication swarm is naturally invisible.

Swarm.

The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a tiny creature. The swarm cannot regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.

Spider Climb.

The swarm can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Actions

Clawing.

Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (4d4) slashing damage or 5(4d4) slashing damage if the swarm is at half hit points or below.

Sensory Overload (Recharge 5-6).

Target creature within 5ft of the swarm is subjected to the unsettling feeling of thousands of tiny legs on and under their skin. The creature must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom save or be Restrained for the next minute as they attempt to brush off of the feeling on and around them. If the creature fails the save by 5 or more they are Paralyzed instead. At the end of its turns, the creature may repeat this save, the effect ending on success.
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