Swarm (Druid Skill)

Helpfile

Guild Level:  1
SP Cost:      see below
Skill:        animism
Syntax:       swarm <fireflies|cicadas|locusts|ants|scorpions>
              swarm release

LVL  SWARM      EFFECT                                           COST
---  -----      ------                                           ----
1    fireflies  Fills your room with a steady ambient light.      10
7    cicadas    Blankets your room in impenetrable darkness.      25
12   locusts    Destroys all items in your room.                  30
17   ants       Repeatedly bites all creatures in your room.      40
20   scorpions  Inflicts poisonous stings upon your current foe.  50


Possessing an affinity with all creatures of the natural world, a druid may summon forth a swirling swarm of small insects to both follow and assist the druid as he or she wanders the Realm.

The swarm of insects will follow after the druid until released or until the insects themselves lose interest and disperse. The duration of swarm loyalty depends greatly on the druid's animism skill.

As the druid progresses in general expertise, he or she may summon more varied types of insect swarms, the more common ones being listed.

Commentary

All summoned swarms follow the druid throughout their travels in the realm although only for a period of time dependent upon the druid's Animism skill. When this time is elapsed the swarms scatter and return home.

All summoned swarms maybe be attacked and killed and certain swarms such as ants and scorpions will rally around the druid and damage their foes. To use the swarm lore a druid must take a moment to request the aid of nature and therefore the summoning of a swarm takes several seconds to accomplish.

Fireflies

Fireflies, being swift and nimble, follow the druid instantly. When the druid is on the move the other types of swarms, however, will lag behind and take a moment to enter the druid's current location.

Cicadas

Since swarms follow the druid the Cicadas create darkness wherever the druid is or chooses to travel to. Certain areas, such as safezones, will prevent the cicadas from darkening them.

Locusts

Since swarms follow the druid the locusts destroy any items which are on the ground at the druid's current location or where the druid chooses to travel to. Locusts will not, however, destroy items which are cursed. Due to a limitation within the game, locusts may only destroy 25 items at a time; therefore, to destroy more (such as when fighting dwarves at the Grand Plaza of Starfall), the Druid will need to leave the room and re-enter, or release the swarm and re-summon it.

(Due to the fact that the following swarms will attack other creatures, the druid must be aware of the locations of those other creatures.)

Ants

Ants initiate combat with any living or undead creature at the druid's location or any location the druid travels to. Ants will not initiate combat with the druid's personal companion or with other adventurers. Furthermore if a druid summons ants and then attacks an adventurer, the ants will not damage the adventurer. Ants will initiate combat with the companions of other druids as well as creatures summoned into the service of members of other Guilds such as other Druids' companions, Mage familiars, Cleric zombies, Elementalist elementals, and so on. When ants initiate combat, the druid is brought into combat with those same creatures. A small note about other Druids' companions: As your companion can be bigger than you if you do not yet hold level 36, even if you are out of the pk level restriction, the other Druid's companion might not be; therefore, ants will attack the other Druid's companion, but again, not players.

A swarm of ants is unavoidably accurate and never fails to damage creatures during the time they are summoned. Those damaged creatures will often focus their attacks on the ant swarm and not the druid. An ant swarm is well suited to kill groups of creatures and it the perfect compliment to the druids quicksand lore which prevents groups of creatures from damaging the druid.

Scorpions

Scorpions will only attack those foes the druid is in combat with. Scorpions will damage any foe the druid is in combat with regardless of whether that foe is a creature or adventurer.

A swarm of scorpions, like ants, is unavoidably accurate and never fails to damage the druid's foes during the time they are summoned. Like ants, scorpions will often be the target of the attacks of the druid's foes. Scorpions do more damage per attack than ants do to the fact that they focus their attacks on a single foe. Scorpions are more suited for killing a single foe.

Swarm takes 2 rounds to cast and can always be recast immediately after the swarm disperses.

If a druid wishes to disperse a swarm they must wait several seconds after summoning it.