About Nanoswarms

As products of advanced nanotech, nanoswarms are constructs made up of hundreds or even hundreds of thousands of miniaturized robots or drones. These robots or drones combine with each other to create larger machines and perform tasks. Robotic nanoswarms are programmed with various levels of artificial intelligence allowing them to perform various tasks without further instruction. 

A nanoswarm is made up of drones, has no Intelligence score, but is capable of following its last set of simple commands until it’s given new orders. Drone nanoswarms must be fed instructions though some type of encrypted wireless network device.  Some drone swarms are managed by computers and others are managed by other forms of AI, maybe even a robotic nanoswarm. Drone nanoswarms can even be piloted using other nanite devices like Soullink or a cybernetic neural computer. For additional information on neural computers, see the Section 4 of the Gravity Age: Cybernetics Emporium.

COMBAT

Nanoswarms act as directed by their controllers or according to their AI laws. As a swift action, a nanoswarm’s controller can direct the swarm to attack particular enemies, use specific tactics or powers, perform other actions, or do nothing at all. The swarm does exactly what its controller directs it to do.

A nanoswarm generally appears as an animate clump of fine metallic nanobots, but the controller can mold or sculpt the swarm according to his or her whim within the limits imposed by the creature’s size. The quality of such “nanoswarm sculpture” is determined by an Engineering check. A result of 10 to 19 creates an object or creature that is recognizably similar to the desired object or creatures shape; a result of 20 to 29 creates an object or creature that looks like an accurate portrayal of that object or creature type; a result of 30 or higher creates a construct that looks like a specific individual. No matter how high the Engineering check result, a nanoswarm’s appearance can’t hide the metallic materials from which it is formed.

CONSTRUCT (TECHNOLOGICAL, SWARM)

A nanoswarm has immunity to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, critical hits, kinetic damage, necromancy effects, mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), and any effect that requires a END save unless it also works on objects or is harmless. It is not subject to nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, flanking, exhaustion, or energy drain.

Nanoswarms are never staggered or reduced to a dying state by damage. Also, they cannot be tripped, grappled, or bull rushed, and they cannot grapple an opponent. A swarm is immune to any spell or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate), with the exception of mind-affecting which targets technological constructs.  A swarm takes half again as much damage (+50%) from spells or effects that affect an area, such as splash weapons, grenades, and many evocation spells. Due to their ability to bond with one another, a nanoswarm is not subject to high winds. It cannot heal damage, but it can be repaired.

Nanoswarms always consist of fine nanobots unless otherwise noted.  Due to the unique gravitational forces involved in maintaining a swarm of fine nanobots, nanoswarms gain Strength bonuses according to the size of the swarm and ignore Strength penalties normally associated with swarms. Due to their technological nature nanoswarms do not have a Constitution score.

Swarm Attack: nanoswarms don’t make standard melee attacks. Instead, they deal automatic damage to any creature whose space they occupy at the end of their move, with no attack roll needed. Nanoswarm attacks are not subject to a miss chance for concealment or cover.

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Every time a nanoswarm is created, the engineer can choose to apply one special ability to the nanoswarm. The type of special abilities available to each nanoswarm is listed under the Unique Nanoswarm Ability section of the creature description.  The nanoswarm ability menus are listed after the nanoswarm stat blocks.