D&D 5e Swarms
The D&D 5e SRD includes 10 creatures of the swarm of Tiny beasts type, from low-CR minions to legendary threats. Tap any name for its full stat block, actions and lore.
10 results
The swarms in the SRD
The 10 swarms here span CR 1/4 to CR 2, so the type covers several tiers of play — all medium-sized. Size matters more than the type label in practice, because it decides reach, grappling and how many of them fit in a corridor. Sort by challenge rating when you are building an encounter, and by size when you are working out whether the fight fits the room.
Running swarms
A swarm is one creature that behaves like many, and its defining property is that it ignores the things that stop individual monsters. It moves through occupied spaces, it is resistant to single-target damage, and it cannot be blocked by a character standing in a doorway. That makes swarms the right answer to a party that has solved combat with a front line.
What they need from you
Swarms reward area damage and punish single-target builds, so they are a good way to let a fireball caster shine after several fights where they had no targets. They also work as pressure rather than as the whole encounter — a swarm arriving partway through another fight forces the party to change plan, which is more interesting than a swarm on its own.
Common questions
- How many swarms are in the D&D 5e SRD?
- The SRD includes 10 creatures of the swarm of Tiny beasts type. The SRD is the free subset of the rules, so the published Monster Manual contains more.
- What does the swarm of Tiny beasts creature type actually do mechanically?
- Creature type rarely changes a stat block on its own, but it determines what targets the creature. Spells, class features and magic items that single out a type — and the immunities common to that type — are where it matters. Check the individual stat block for the specific immunities and resistances.
- Where can I get printable stat cards for these creatures?
- Every creature on this page links to its full stat block. If you want them as physical cards to deal out at the table rather than pages to look up, the MakeMythic monster card bundle covers the creatures as printable stat cards with tokens and standees.
From the shop
Printable Monster Cards
Every creature as a printable stat card with tokens and standees — run any of these without flipping through a book.
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