### Circle of the Scourge

A sky blackened with buzzing wings, a withered and blighted crop, an epidemic sweeping across nations, these are among the weapons of nature that strike out at overpopulation and seek to bring about balance. While many druids choose to focus on restoring and protecting all life, you tread a path which centers death and decay as an aspect of the world.
 
Many will not understand your nature, but for those who would forget, only from death can new life be born.




#### Swarm Shape 

When you choose this circle at 2nd level, your Wild Shape is replaced by Swarm Shape, which allows you to transform into a natural swarm of tiny beasts with a challenge rating as high as 1 (you ignore
the Max. CR column of the Beast Shapes table, but must abide by the other limitations there).
Starting at 6th level, you can transform into a swarm with a challenge rating as high as your druid level
divided by 3, rounded down.



#### Plague Magic
Your Swarm Shape is not merely just a physical shape, but also grants you access to grim new magics. Starting at 2nd level, while using Swarm Shape you gain use of Plague Magic. These spells are always prepared and do not count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. You may cast them while using swarm shape, ignoring any verbal, somatic or material components. These spells count as druid spells. 

In addition to this, any druid spell that allows you to communicate with, summon, charm or take control of a beast may now be cast on natural swarms, ignoring immunities.

##### Plague Spells
| Druid Level | Spells |
|:----:|:-------------|
| Cantrips | Infestation, Poison Spray
| 2nd  | Inflict Wounds, Ray of Sickness |
| 3rd  | Animal Messenger, Blindness/Deafness |
| 5th  | Bestow Curse, Stinking Cloud |
| 7th | Blight, Confusion |
| 9th | Contagion, Insect Plague |


#### Bolstered Swarm

Starting at 6th level you begin to call on more creatures to reinforce your form.  When you use Swarm Shape to change into a swarm, you gain temporary hit points equal to your druid level multipled by 2 plus your wisdom modifier. These hit points are lost when you revert back to humanoid form, or after one hour, whichever is sooner.
This feature ignores a monster's *swarm* special trait.

#### Scourged Body
At 10th level your body becomes hardened by your scourge magic, you become immune to disease and gain resistance to the necrotic damage type.
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#### Improved Plague Magic

Starting at 14th level, your plague magic becomes more virulent, spreading among your foes. When you cast a plague spell targeting only one creature, the spell can instead target two creatures within range and within 5 feet of each other. 



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> ##### Scourge Druids in the World
>While most of the world who understand your character's nature probably consider them to be evil, this isn't necessarily the case. 
While certainly darker minds who are drawn to killing and destruction may find the magic of scourge druids useful, there are also those with a sincere interest in the natural order, and maintaining the cycle of birth, growth, death and decay. Expect most scourge druids in the world to be at least neutral, and certainly hard of heart.

>An example of scourge druids in D&D could be The Children of Winter in the Eberron setting. This druidic order is a relatively diverse group, venerating death and promoting survival of the fittest. They await the coming doom, and when the world is at its most bloody and cruel, they do not interfere.

>A more general example of a druid deity or great spirit is Gnaw. He exists on the fringes of the spirit world, in skittering darkness and wriggling remains. His presence can be felt in a rushing swarm of rats, the low hum of bluebottles and the chilling cry of circling crows. Again while his followers are not wholly evil, it takes a dark mind to attend to his work.