Swordwing

The swordwing is one of the most mysterious new monsters introduced in the debut of fourth edition. Winged, mantislike humanoids that live underground and hunt sentient beings for sport is a fine concept for a random encounter monster, or a short sidequest. However, the weakest swordwing presented in the Monster Manual is twenty-fifth level; a handful of these creatures could conquer a small kingdom, and according to the flavor text they are social creatures. Such a powerful and alien menace is worth more attention, in my opinion.

Here is an expanded swordwing menu, meant to supplement the types already present in the MM, as well as a bit of homebrew fluff. Enjoy.


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The underdark is known for its many, horrific denizens. Tentacled amphibious slavers, demon-worshipping humanoid maniacs, and all manner of other gruesome creatures can be found fighting desperately for survival amidst the twisting caverns and endless, gloomy caves. In the very deepest part of the underdark, where one could wander for decades without meeting any creature that has ever beheld the sun, live the creatures nicknamed "swordwings" by humanity.

More than anything else, the swordwing resembles a jagged, humanoid insect, about seven feet tall and covered in a painful-looking chitinous carapace. Three pairs of dragonfly-like wings beat rapidly to carry the creature above the ground, supplemented by a pair of double-jointed legs for terrestrial locomation. One of the swordwing's arms ends in a clawed, three-fingered hand with an opposable thumb, while the other terminates in an elongated claw or blade. The face is like a hornet's, with two pairs of scissorlike mandibles and two, blazing eyes.

Swordwings live in large communities in the deep underdark, resembling spherical or ovular hives made from some hard, stone-like substance that - on closer inspection - is actually a living fungus. These biological hives grow on the walls and ceilings of massive underground caves, covering and spreading through networks of smaller caves and passageways, or even floating in subterranean lakes and seas. Each hive has long tentacles that secure it to the stone around it, like flying buttresses. It is unclear if the swordwings plant these fungal hives, or if the fungus gives birth to swordwings. Whatever the case, neither is ever found independently of the other.

Swordwings understand Deep Speech, but they very rarely speak. When they do, their speech makes little sense, as if spoken by someone barely fluent in it - and it requires a bit of thought to deduce what they are trying to say (usually a demand for sacrifices of food or treasure). Their motives are limited to predation (they are ravenous carnivores) and gathering their strange collections: every individual swordwing collects something, whether coins, dinner plates, or skulls, which it will kill to get more of.


Swordwing Lore (Dungeoneering):

DC 20: Swordwings are mysterious, humanoid insects that live deep underground. They are said to be among the deadliest warriors in the world, each swordwing being able to lay low scores and scores of soldiers. Though they usually keep to themselves, they occasionally emerge from their mysterious lairs to wreak absolute havoc and destruction on the rest of the underdark and - occasionally - spilling out into the surface world.

DC 25: Swordwings are obsessed with collecting items and trinkets. Every swordwing has a personal collection of stolen items (such as jewelry, mirrors, or canoe paddles) that it gathers during their bloody raids. There are different forms of swordwing, with various weapons growing out of their left arms, all seemingly part of the same hive. They are led by "crownwings," but the command structure is fairly informal.

DC 30: Swordwings breed in large, nestlike structures, grown from a stony plant or fungus in the deep underdark. It is here that their collections are stored, and that more swordwings are birthed through an unknown reproductive process. Some believe that the swordwings are actually grown from the fungus itself, which leads one to wonder where the fungus came from...


Bloodwing; Level 22 Lurker (4,150 XP)
Medium aberrant humanoid
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Initiative +23 Perception +17 (darkvision)
HP 112 Bloodied 56
AC 36 Fortitude 34 Reflex 35 Will 33
Speed 6; fly 8
Skills +24 Stealth, +22 Nature
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Standard Actions
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basic melee attack Forked Spear (at will):
+27 vs. AC; 3d8+8 damage (critical 3d8+32) and ongoing 15 (save ends).
Combat Advantage: receive an additional +2 to attack rolls, and deal ongoing 20 damage instead of 15.
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melee Bite (at will):
Target must be taking untyped ongoing damage; +27 vs. Fortitude; 4d10+8 damage and the bloodwing shifts 8 squares and heals 15 hp.
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Active Camouflage (at will):
The bloodwing gains concealment until it makes an attack.
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Alignment evil
Languages Deep Speech
Str 24 (+18) Con 20 (+16) Dex 26 (+19) Int 10 (+11) Wis 22 (+17) Cha 16 (+14)


This type of swordwing is slightly smaller and more darkly colored than most, and its right arm ends in a two-pronged spear, each tip surrounding by toothy serrations. This weapon is used to cause heavy bleeding, which the bloodwing uses a proboscis hidden behind its mandibles to drink.


Tactics

The bloodwing relies on its allies to distract the enemy, using its Active Camouflage to sneak up behind the target and flank it. Once it has Combat Advantage, the bloodwing uses its Forked Spear to cause bleeding, and follows it up on the next turn with a Bite before shifting away and using Active Camouflage again. If there are two bloodwings working together, or other monsters that cause untyped ongoing damage, the bloodwing will Bite everyone it can, shifting between the bleeding enemies to drink all their blood.


Blastwing; Level 24 Artillery (6,050 XP)
Medium aberrant humanoid
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Initiative +23 Perception +17 (darkvision)
HP 124 Bloodied 62
AC 36 Fortitude 36 Reflex 36 Will 34
Speed 6; fly 8
Skills +22 Nature, +22 Dungeoneering
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Standard Actions
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basic melee attack Pincer (at will):
+31 vs. AC; 3d6+8 damage.
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blast Shockwave (encounter, recharge when first bloodied):
Blast 6; +29 vs. Fortitude; 4d12+8 sonic and fire damage and target is knocked prone.
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Minor Actions
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basic ranged attack Pincer Blast (minor; at will):
Range 6; +29 vs. Reflex; 3d6+8 sonic and fire damage and target is pushed 1 square; if the target is hit by two sound blasts in the same turn, it is dazed until the end of its next turn. If the target is already dazed, it is stunned until the end of its next turn (save ends).
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Alignment evil
Languages Deep Speech
Str 20 (+17) Con 24 (+19) Dex 26 (+20) Int 14 (+14) Wis 20 (+17) Cha 16 (+15)


This solidly-built swordwing has a thick, strangely shaped pair of pincers. Though they can inflict a nasty cut, their main purpose is to click against each other, releasing a sonic blast so powerful it sets the air momentarily on fire in a flash of orange. This weapon is a larger version of the pistol shrimp's claw; a mundane animal that actually exists in real life.


Tactics


The blastwing uses fairly simple tactics, flying around the battlefield to get an unobstructed line of sight to the enemies and launching pincer blasts in as rapid a succession as it can, hoping to stun an enemy by hitting it with three consecutive attacks. If an enemy is flanked (or looks like it is about to be), the blastwing will move to its side, so it can start its next turn with the immobile foe in its sights. The blastwing avoids melee whenever it can. If there are multiple blastwings, they will always gang up on a single enemy if they are able.

Whenever Shockwave is charged, the blastwing will try and get into a position where it can hit two or more enemies without catching any allies within the blast.


Ramwing; Level 24 Controller (6,050 XP)
Medium aberrant humanoid
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Initiative +23 Perception +17 (darkvision)
HP 170 Bloodied 85
AC 37 Fortitude 36 Reflex 35 Will 34
Speed 6; fly 8
Skills +22 Nature, +22 Dungeoneering
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Standard Actions
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basic melee attack Hammer Claw (at will):
+31 vs. AC; 3d10+8 damage (critical 3d10+38) and target is pushed 5 squares and knocked prone.
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Reactions
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Repelling Attacks (when an enemy moves into a square adjacent to the ramwing, at will):
Make an opportunity attack against the enemy.
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Alignment evil
Languages Deep Speech
Str 26 (+20) Con 20 (+17) Dex 24 (+19) Int 14 (+14) Wis 20 (+17) Cha 16 (+15)


The ramwing's right arm ends in a hard, bony plate that it can use for a high-velocity punch. Its right arm is built in such a way that a forward jab with this weapon is capable of transferring much more force than the creature's Strength score would normally allow, making for a truly devastating punch. This is similar to another real life crustacean, the mantis shrimp.


Tactics

The ramwing gets into the thick of melee, putting itself in places where the enemy will have to come within reach if they want to attack its allies, forcing them to trigger its Repelling Attacks. The ramwing's purpose is to defend the other types of swordwing, which it does by knocking the enemy away from the weaker forms and (if possible) into flanked squares or terrain hazards. If no enemies are moving, or if they are all prone, the ramwing will move to the most dangerous-looking one and use its standard action to hammer claw it.


Swarmwing; Level 27 Minion Skirmisher (2,750 XP)
Medium aberrant humanoid
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Initiative +22 Perception +18 (darkvision)
HP 1; a minion is never damaged by an attack that misses.
AC 42 Fortitude 39 Reflex 39 Will 37
Speed 6; fly 8
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Standard Actions
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basic melee attack Claw (at will):
+32 vs. AC; 20 damage (critical 30 damage) and the target receives a -2 penalty to AC against the next attack made against it before the start of its next turn.
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melee Flyby Attack (at will):
The swarmwing moves its speed and makes a basic melee attack at any point along its move; do not provoke an opportunity attack from the target.
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Passive
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Skirmish
If the swarmwing moves at least two squares before attacking, it deals an extra 5 damage.
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Alignment evil
Languages Deep Speech
Str 24 (+20) Con 22 (+19) Dex 24 (+20) Int 10 (+13) Wis 20 (+18) Cha 14 (+15)


When swordwings are encountered in large numbers by very high epic level parties, you may want to use a minion version. Here ya go.


Tactics

Swarmwings are always in motion, dive-bombing the enemy in turn so that each one will benefit from its predecessor's inflicted AC penalty. When they are prevented from using their flyby attacks, they maneuver into flanking positions.


Encounters

Swordwings are capable of forming a complete encounter group on their own, with the different types filling the various monster roles. If variety is needed, it is possible that, despite being unable to communicate effectively with natural creatures, the swordwings can speak fluently with similarly alien aberrations. In this case, they could act as muscle for mind flayer, aboleth, or avolakia allies. In particular, they work well providing air support for a large, ground-based monster.

Finally, even an alien swordwing must realize that might makes right. Perhaps a swordwing hive lends a few of its members as bodyguards to an evil wizard or ancient dragon, in exchange for certain items?