Creeping Doom (spell)
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Creeping Doom is a spell that allows the druid to summon a vast, writhing swarm of venomous arachnids, insects and myriapods, forming a deadly carpet of creeping horrors. The swarm consists of 700 to 1,000 creatures (1d4 + 6, multiplied by 100) and spreads across a 20-foot square area, moving forward at the caster's command at a rate of 10 feet per round toward any target within 80 feet.
| Range | 10 ft. |
| Duration | 4 rounds per level |
| Area of Effect | 64 combat hexes (20x20 ft.) |
| Casting Time | 4 rounds |
| Saving Throw | none |
| Level | druid (7th) |
Contents
Each individual creature delivers a single fatal bite or sting, inflicting 1 hit point of damage before perishing, making the largest swarms capable of dealing up to 1,000 points of damage collectively before its capacity to overwhelm it's victims passes. Opponents can disperse or destroy the creatures by obvious means such as fire, extreme cold, magical barriers or strong winds — though the swarm's sheer numbers make it a terrifying force against creatures vulnerable to mundane attacks.
The swarm remains under the caster's control only while within 80 feet. If it moves beyond this distance, it becomes autonomous, continuing its advance without direction. Once control is lost, it cannot be regained, nor can the caster dismiss creatures that have strayed beyond this range.
Movement and Devastation
The swarm instinctively spreads around obstacles, seeking the most direct path to its prey. It can slip through cracks, under doors and into burrows, swimming or flying across bodies of water, climbing the sheer surfaces of walls, so that hardly any natural barrier can impede it's process. The swarm has no intelligence and, if freed to act on its own, should make no distinction in which victims are attacked. If multiple creatures are caught in its path, the swarm will distribute itself among them, ensuring that no single target takes the full force unless all others have already been overwhelmed.
The spell is profoundly effective when used against a great number of tertiary enemies, such as a battlefield or defendants in a siege. It can be especially harmful if it should be employed against the common people of a village or an urban neighbourhood.
