Circle of Swarms

Spider Swarm

By Prodigyduck On Deviantart

Form of the Many

Starting at 2nd Level you may use your Wild Shape to change into a small swarm of your choice. At 3rd Level you may use this feature to change into a medium swarm instead. At 5th Level you may use this feature to change into a large swarm instead. You must still follow the CR and Flying/Swimming restrictions as per the Wild Shape Chart. Additonally you can hear and understand the hushed voices of the swarms. You always know the direction and distance to a hive, nest, or swarm within a mile. At 6th Level the radius increases to 10 miles and you can sense the type of swarm. Spells that target a single creature affect your swarm form as if it was a single creature.

One of Us

At 2nd Level your affinity with hive-like intelligence allows you to charm swarms. Hostile swarms do not attack you unless attacked first or commanded to do so by another creature. Swarms will behave normally towards your allies. You may wrench control of a swarm to dominate the churning chaos. Using an action you may force your will onto a swarm you can see. The swarm must make a Wisdom Saving throw against your spell casting DC. If it fails the swarm becomes Charmed.

While the creature is Charmed, you have a Telepathic link with it as long as the two of you are on the same plane of existence. You can use this Telepathic link to issue commands to the creature while you are conscious (no Action required), which it does its best to obey. You can specify a simple and general course of Action, such as “Attack that creature,” “Run over there,” or “Fetch that object.” If the creature completes the order and doesn’t receive further direction from you, it defends and preserves itself to the best of its ability.

You can use your Action to take total and precise control of the target. Until the end of your next turn, the creature takes only the Actions you choose, and doesn’t do anything that you don’t allow it to do. During this time, you can also cause the creature to use a Reaction, but this requires you to use your own Reaction as well.

This control ends if you or your allies attack the swarm, if the swarm dies, if you take a rest, if you are separated from the swarm by more than a mile, or if you choose to control another swarm. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom Modifier(Minimum once). You regain these charges on a long rest.

A Cacophany of Wrath

At 6th Level your Wild Shape Swarm becomes more powerful. You gain the ability to turn into any of the swarms from the list below regardless of Flying/Swimming restrictions. In addition hostile creatures who start their turn within your swarm form must make a Wisdom Saving throw or be subjected to one of the following conditions based on the type of swarm. A creature affected by one of the conditions may make a new save at the start of their turn. The Condition ends when a creature makes the save or moves out of your Swarm.

  • Bats: Blinded
  • Beetles: Deafend
  • Spiders: Restrained
  • Wasps: Paralyzed
  • Snakes: Poisoned
  • Rats: Frightend

Additionally you may absorb swarms under your control into your swarm form. Doing so adds the amount of hitpoints a swarm had before being absorbed to your form. Any hitpoints gained in this way increases your swarm forms maximum hit points. In addition each swarm absorbed of a equal size increases the size of your swarm form by one size. For example if you absorb a medium sized swarm and your current swarm size is medium you become a large size swarm. Every time you grow in this way your swarm form's attack bonus increases by two. You may not absorb a swarm of a differet type than your current swarm form.

Never Alone

At 6th Level You learn Find Familiar as a druid spell and can cast it without spending a spell slot. You may cast this spell while in Wildshape in addition to normal form. Additionally swarms under your control are capable of performing more advanced tasks like performing reconnaissance, relaying basic information, or manipulating complicated objects like locks and traps. As an action you may choose to see or hear out of their eyes or ears but are blinded and deafend while this occurs.

Uncanny Atributes

At 10th Level you begin to move less and less like a conventional creature. After a Long Rest you may choose one of the following features. You may change your choice of feature each time you finish a long rest. While a particular feature is selected you display minor physical changes associated with that type of swarm. For example you might have patches of scales, fur, or webbing.

  • Bats: You gain Blindsense out to 20 feet.
  • Beetles: You gain 1 AC
  • Spiders: You gain Spider Climb and Web Walking.
  • Wasps: You gain a flying speed of 20 feet.
  • Rat: You gain a burrowing speed of 20 feet.
  • Snakes: You gain immunity to poison and the Poisoned Condition

More than Humanoid

At 14th Level your union with the hive is complete. Your Creature type is now Monstrosity. As an Action you may conjure large or smaller swarms which are automatically under your control. Controlling these new swarms does not end your control on a swarm you already control. You may not control or summon more swarms than your Wisdom Modifier. You determine the swarm type each time you use this feature. Each use of this feature summons one swarm. Control of the swarm(s) end if you take a rest, are separated by more than a mile, if you or your allies attack the swarm, or the swarm dies. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom Modifier. You regain charges on a long rest.