The Swarm Arrives [3.5 Base Class-Zerg, Tyranids]

[Hellwyrm]

First of all, the all caps INVALIDATED wasn't meant to mean that the ability was bad or anything, just a reminder to me to come back and discuss the relative benefits of abilites. Wasn't meant to offend .

You mean spend more points, get to choose between fire and cold?

You know how different dragons have cool different breaths? Maybe if you paid extra EP you could get a swarmling breathing sonic energy, or dealing strength damage or something. Though on second thoughts this latter part conflicts with poison.... Actually this ability is fine.

Not sure. Pounce is STRONG.

Thought about it more, agreed with this decision.

I'm very, very leery of this ability. It currently uses the same scaling as the Martial abilities. At level 20, with pinnacle, you can get it to 24, which gives them Cast/manifest as an 8th level, with level 4 spells/powers.
Now... perhaps if each third point let them cast one level of spells. It would need to cap at eight at the very HIGHEST, and preferably lower. Six would seem good, at one less than the swarmlord, but... I'm not sure at all.

Yeah this ability is probably the hardest to pitch correctly. At the same time as this can lead to superpowered spell casting swarmlings, it can also make them to weak and make melee/weapon swarmlings much more powerful. Perhaps one spell level at one point, then one more spell level at 6 points, 12 points and 18 points (and again at 24 if you got the pinnacle ability). So thats almost exactly the same as your ability, it just comes online a little quicker at the beginning. This would cap the max spell level at 4, or at 5 if you got the pinnacle ability? And maybe only one swarmling per swarmlord may cast spells or powers?

Well, the problem is time! If you have three swarmlings, your turn could take four times as long as another players, and that's assuming you share initiative.
The pool is for all of them to share. Having several weak or one strong is meant to be a valid choice.
However, I think I have a valid way to help it that you just inspired.

After thinking about it more, and realising that your swarmlings can come from infested or assimilated creatures, swarmlings are powerful enough that your proposed limits are great. At the same time as I want to awesomeness of THE HORDE, I know that its unfeasible. I'm playing with a Dread Necro right now, when everyone in the party can cast, and does cast, Animate Undead, and each turn is SLOW.

Overall the number of points each swarmling gets seems perfect now.
Also with all your changes I like what I see.
Great work!
EDIT: Quote boxes broke, had to fix them.