[Index]
Numenera Discovery
Yellow swarms are groups of weird ultradimensional insects. They must stay in close proximity to one another, or they lose their ability to remain in this reality. They look like a small cloud of yellow locusts until you get close enough to see that they are transparent and oddly configured, with asymmetrical bodies that have seven legs and five wings.
Yellow swarms feed on various chemicals in the brains and spines of many creatures in the Ninth World.
Motive: Hungers for various organic compounds
Environment: Anywhere
Health: 18
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (5 points)
Movement: Short
Modifications: Speed defense as level 6
Combat: A yellow swarm moves in and attacks with hundreds of tiny bites and stings. The trick of fighting a swarm is that it fades in and out of reality, so every round, the GM rolls a d6 (yes, the GM rolls a die!). If the result is 1-3, no attacks or special abilities will affect the swarm in that round, but the players don't learn this until after they have declared their actions.
However, the swarm always attacks just before or after fading, so it is always able to affect creatures in this world.
Interaction: It's not possible to communicate with a yellow swarm.
Use: Yellow swarms often linger near interdimensional gates or other access points, so the presence of a swarm is a good indicator that a gate is nearby.The people of the Ninth World often refer to extradimensional entities such as the yellow swarm or the erynth grask as "demons." They think of them as supernatural, otherworldly beings of pure evil. The truth is often more complex, but the dangers that these creatures pose make people's perceptions understandable.
GM Intrusion: The swarm overwhelms the character, engulfing them. Any actions they take while engulfed are hindered by two steps.