Circle of the Swarm – Dungeons and Dragons Custom circle for Druid in 5th Edition
Hello fellow gamers, Nerds or nerdarchists. However you deem to call yourself it is I, Nerdarchist Ted here and today I bring you some more class options for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition.
With all the free play test information that WOTC is putting out they are neglecting one of the coolest classes: Druids. Druids throughout history have been wild and mysterious. They have always been powerful in Dungeons and Dragons, and 5th edition is no exception. While some of the cool abilities in 3rd have been neutered they still have a lot of power at their disposal.
But one thing they lack is choice. Most classes in Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition have 3 or more options to choose from when they have to pick an archetype, path, school or what have you. But the druid only gets 2 choices. The Sorcerer only has 2 as well but with the Unearthed Arcanna they have released 2 other choices: Favored soul and Storm borne.
Custom classes in Dungeons and Dragons
Alas the druid is still with only 2 to choose from. So I am here to present you with the Circle of the Swarm.
The swarm druid is one who has separated from the normal order of things and seen the beauty in working as part of the collective. They still have their own thoughts feelings and goals but they have learned they do not have to do it alone.
They have learned to tap into the power of insects. They can call on insects to assist them. They even tend to wear armor fashioned from the carapace of fallen friends or defeated enemies. This helps them look and feel more insectile.
Circle of the Swarm – Druid in 5th edition
At 2nd level you gain an ability to summon swarm of tiny insect that follow you around. They can be dismissed or summoned as action. They can attack if directed as a bonus action and attack with your proficiency bonus. Use the swarm of tiny insects on page 338 of your monster manual. They are different that the swarm has a number of hit points equal to 3 per druid level. They deal a d4 at this level and the die goes up as you gain level in druid, d2d4 at 6th, 3d4 at 10th and 4d4 at 14th. They can also be directed to do anything a swarm of tiny creatures can do.
Also at 2nd level, you can communicate with insects but are limited by their intelligence.
At 6th level you gain the ability to harvest and use carapace to design armor. You can spend an hour per armor point you are proficient in as well as half the gold cost of the armor to purchase rare potions and ingredients to form armor equivalent to any in the players handbook. You know how to make armor for you so the armor you make is customized for you and does not function for anyone else.
At 10th level you gain a climb speed equal to your speed. Additionally you adhere to walls and ceilings like a spider. You can choose to hang by your hands or feet so you could walk on the ceiling being upside down with no drawbacks.
At 14th level you gain the ability to make a copy of yourself in a chrysalis. This is identical to the clone spell feature of your players handbook on page 222. You must spend a full day making your chrysalis in your insect lair. All component costs must be met and this functions in all ways like the clone spell only the prep time of a day versus a casting time of an hour.
So there you have it a custom class circle for Dungeons and dragons 5th edition. Please let me know what you think about it and whether you would play it or allow it in your game.
Until Next Time, Stay Nerdy!
Andreas Starrsjö
May 13, 2015 at 12:16 pm"You can spend an hour per armor point you are proficient in", I don't understand that sentence. Do you mean that do make a chitin plate mail it takes 18 hours?
Ted Adams
May 14, 2015 at 8:27 pmIt is based on the armor value above 10. So half plate has an armor value of 5 and full plate 8. So it would take 5 hours and 8 hours respectively. I hope that helps.
Ted Adams
May 14, 2015 at 8:47 pmIt is based on the armor value above 10. So half plate has an armor value of 5 and full plate 8. So it would take 5 hours and 8 hours respectively. I hope that helps.