Druid Circle
Circle of Swarms
More unsettling than other druids but no less devoted, the Circle of Swarms reveres nature's small things. They may have a personal fascination with crawling things, or perhaps they are simply worshippers of nature's cycles of death and rebirth. Swarm druids run the gamut from creepy insect obsessives to gentle proponents of the natural order.
Circle of Swarms druids may be any alignment, and come from any background. They are even less likely than other druids to respect "civilized" law, though, and may disapprove of efforts to prevent decay and subsequent regrowth. Some may even have a distinctly insectile outlook, viewing individuals as expendable in the service of the greater good.
Circle of Swarms Features
| Druid Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 2nd | Circle Spells, Summoned Swarm |
| 6th | Surging Swarms, Primal Sting |
| 10th | Aggressive Infestation |
| 14th | Skittering Torrent |
Circle of Swarms Spells
At 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to the spells listed for that level in the Circle of Swarms Spells table. Once you gain access to a circle spell, you always have it prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. If you gain access to a spell that doesn’t appear on the druid spell list, the spell is nonetheless a druid spell for you.
| Druid Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 2nd | stinging insectsSDS, cloak of waspsS, latching beetleS |
| 3rd | touch of filthSDS, protection from poison |
| 5th | spider biteK, wasp barrageK |
| 7th | giant insect, poison puffK |
| 9th | insect plague, wall of insectsS |
Spells marked with SDS are taken from Spells That Don't Suck. Spells marked with K are by KibblesTasty. All are included at the end of this document.
Summoned Swarm
At 2nd level, your druidic powers draw the attention of swarms of milling insects. When you cast a druid spell of 1st level or higher, you may summon a swarm as part of the same action. The swarm is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See its game statistics in the accompanying Summoned Swarm stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places.
In combat, a swarm shares your initiative count, taking its turn immediately after yours. It can use its reaction on its own, but does not move on its own, and the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action. You can use a bonus action to command it to move and take an action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, the swarm can take any action of its choice. The swarm lasts for 1 hour, until it is reduced to 0 hit points, or until you die. You determine what types of creatures are present in the swarm, though this has no effect on its statistics.
You may have one swarm at a time, and you can summon a total number of swarms equal to your Wisdom modifier. You regain all uses after a long rest.
Surging Swarms
At 6th level, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature as a bonus action to explode into a cloud of insects before reforming elsewhere. When you do so, you may teleport to any location within 30 feet. You leave behind a Summoned Swarm at your starting location, which may immediately move and take an action as if you had commanded it.
Additionally, you can now have two summoned swarms simultaneously. When you command a swarm as a bonus action, you may command all the swarms to move, though only one will take an action.
Magic Attacks
Also at 6th level, your swarms' attacks now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Aggressive Infestation
At 10th level, there is no limit on the number of swarms you may have summoned simultaneously. Your summoned swarms gain two of the following traits:
- Poisonous Sting. A hostile creature that ends its turn in the swarm's space must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or be poisoned until the end of its next turn.
- Agile. The swarm's move speed increases to 30 ft., and it gains a 30 ft. fly speed. Its Relocate ability can now move creatures in any direction.
- Frenzy. The swarm's Bite attack deals 6d4 piercing damage, and when it ends its turn, you may designate its space as heavily obscured.
- Numerous. The swarm is size Large, and its hit points go up to 4+4 times your druid level.
All your summoned swarms share the same traits, which you can reselect every time you summon a swarm.
Skittering Torrent
At 14th level, when you use your Surging Swarms feature, all your Summoned Swarms may move and take an action as if commanded.
Summoned Swarm
Medium swarm of Tiny beasts, Unaligned
- Armor Class 13+PB (natural armor)
- Hit Points 2+2 times your druid level
- Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
3 14 10 4 12 2 STR(-4) DEX(+2) CON(0) INT(-3) WIS(+1) CHA(-5)
- Skills Perception
- Saving Throws Dexterity +2 plus PB, Constitution 0 plus PB
- Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
- Condition Immunities grappled, paralyzed, prone, restrained, stunned
- Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 11+PB
- Languages Understands Druidic
Traits
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny insect. It cannot be healed or receive temporary hit points.
Stinging Menace. When the swarm ends its turn in a creature's space, that creature takes poison damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the swarm's space. Hit: 3d4 piercing damage.
Clinging Shield. The swarm shields a creature in its space until the start of your next turn. The swarm ends its turn, and moves with the target on the target's turn. The target's armor class cannot be lower than a 14, and when it would take damage, that damage applies first to the swarm. If the swarm dies, any excess damage carries over to the shielded creature.
Relocate. The swarm forcibly moves a creature. An unwilling target must make a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, the swarm can carry them up to 10 feet horizontally in any direction, as long as it has remaining movement to use. Creatures that are at least two size categories bigger than the swarm are immune.
Circle of Swarms quirks
The following are some optional quirks for a player of this Circle to choose from.
| d6 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | You have always valued the company of bugs over other humans. |
| 2 | You chitter to yourself when others aren't listening. |
| 3 | You do not notice the centipedes in your hair, even when others point them out. |
| 4 | You view other druids as prissy tree-huggers. |
| 5 | You occasionally refer to human settlements as "hives" or "colonies". |
| 6 | You frequently attempt to persuade others to eat cricket-flour confections. |
Appendix: Spells
Cloak of Wasps
1st-level conjuration
- Classes: Druid, Warlock
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 ft.
- Components: V, S, M (a dried wasp wing)
- Duration: Concentration, 10 minutes
You summon a milling shield of stinging insects to protect a creature you can see within range. The target has half-cover against ranged attacks. When a creature hits the target with a melee attack, the wasps swarm out to retaliate, dealing 1d4 piercing and 1d4 poison damage. The wasps will retaliate 2 times, after which the spell ends.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the wasps retaliate 1 additional time for each slot level above 1st before it ends
Latching Beetle
1st-level conjuration
- Classes: Druid, Ranger
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 ft.
- Components: V, S, M (a small beetle husk)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You create a poisonous beetle, which attaches itself to a creature you can see within range. The target makes a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the beetle takes hold, dealing 3d4 piercing damage. At the end of each of its turns, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 3d4 poison damage and become poisoned until the start of its next turn.
Stinging Insects
Conjuration cantrip
- Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V, S, M (six sugar crystals)
- Duration: Instantaneous
You cause a cloud of biting, stinging insects to appear near one creature you can see within range. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On failure, it takes 1d4 piercing damage and 1d4 poison damage and moves 5 feet in a direction of your choice. The creature doesn't move into obviously dangerous ground, such as a fire or a pit.
The spell's damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 5th level (2d4+2d4), 11th level (3d4+3d4), and 17th level (4d4+4d4).
Wall of Insects
5th-level conjuration
- Classes: Druid, Ranger
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 120 ft.
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
A wall of churning bugs appears on a solid surface you can see within range. You can make the wall up to 60 feet long, 20 feet high, and 10 feet thick, or in a ring up to 20 feet in diameter, 20 feet high, and 10 feet thick. The wall is opaque and lasts for the duration. Moving through the wall costs 3 feet of movement for each foot.
A creature that starts its turn in the wall or enters the wall on its turn must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it takes 2d8 poison damage and 2d8 piercing damage, and is poisoned until the end of its next turn. On a success, it takes half as much damage and is not poisoned.
If a creature ends its turn in the wall, some insects cling to it, and it continues to be affected as if in the wall until it or another creature within 5 feet spends an action to brush the insects off.
Wasp Barrage
3rd-level conjuration
- Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self (40-foot cone)
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You conjure a swarm of magical wasps zip out to sting creatures of your choice within a 40 foot cone. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1 piercing damage + 4d12 poison damage. After they attack, the magic wasps fade away.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d12 for each second slot level above 3nd.
Changelog
v1.2
- Finished updating spell list (Cloak of Wasps, Latching Beetle, Wall of Insects)
v1.1
- Relocated magic attacks from optional at level 10 to automatic at level 6
- Reworked swarm's damage (overall buff).
v1.0
- Updated art and license
- Replaced infestation with stinging insects
v0.5
- Replaced rain of spiders with wasp barrage
v0.4
- Replaced spider bite with rain of spiders
- Added ability to move all swarms to Surging Swarms
- Added Numerous option for Aggressive Infestation
v0.3
- Added spider bite and stinging swarm (both by KibblesTasty)
v0.2
- Reduced swarm's HP
v0.1
- First Draft
Credits & References:
Circle of Swarms created by somanyrobots Discord | Patreon
Spells
- Stinging Insects created by somanyrobots and Omega Ankh
- Cloak of Wasps, Latching Beetle, Wall of Insects by somanyrobots
- Wasp Barrage created by KibblesTasty
Art
Circle of Swarms, by Olga Jaworska
Background Image Stains
License
© 2023 somanyrobots, CC BY-NC 4.0
Includes spells from Spells That Don't Suck by Omega Ankh and somanyrobots, which is licensed CC-BY and available here.
Includes spells from Kibbles' Casting Compendium 2.0 by KibblesTasty Homebrew LLC, which is licensed CC-BY and available here.
5E SRD Content
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available here.
The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available here.
