Circle of Pestilence

Druids of the Circle of Pestilence heed the call of pestilence. They believe that the balance in nature cannot be preserved through the sole means of helping life flourish. While some need to create life, others must destroy it. Decay, diseases, rot, swarms of all types of foul creatures, and vermin are all harbingers of pestilence, and thus, companions of these druids.

These druids seek out overcrowded areas to lower the population there through mass disease, or they may work with darker forces to acquire control over the universe.

Pestilent Blood

Starting at 2nd level, you embody the act of decaying. You start to carry diseases within your body. These diseases may cause small changes in your appearance. Your skin color may become paler than it was or you may get edemas in several places. You gain advantage on saving throws against diseases and poisons.

Additionally, the diseases you carry mix with and your bodily fluids to create a special chemical with which you can infuse a weapon you are wielding. As a bonus action, you can cut yourself with a weapon or spit bloody phlegm on it by dealing 1 damage to yourself. This damage cannot be reduced by any means. On your next weapon attack that uses this weapon within 1 minute, the target creature must make a successful Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or become poisoned for 1 minute. If the target creature succeeds on the saving throw, it becomes immune to the chemical until it takes a long rest.

The diseases you carry become more potent as you grow in power. Starting at 6th level, the weapon you infuse stays coated in the liquid for 1 minute and deals acid, necrotic, or poison damage for the duration. You choose the type of damage at 6th level and cannot change it later. It deals an extra 1d6 damage at 6th, 1d8 at 10th, and 2d6 at 14th levels.

Swarm Shape

Starting at 2nd level, you can transform into a swarm of beasts, even if it is a monstrosity, by using your Wild Shape feature. You can talk to your GM to determine the kinds of vermin you can transform into.

Swarmer

Starting at 6th level, as you heed its call by entering this circle, the pestilence in nature answers your call. You can cast the call blood scarab swarm* spell twice without expending a spell slot. The swarms summoned by this feature also carry your Pestilent Blood and they deal the chosen type of damage of this feature on their attacks. As your connection with pestilence grows, vermin start to crawl all over your body and your face at all times.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest to use it again.

Vomit Swarm

Starting at 10th level, disease-carrying swarms of vermin fill your body. As an action, you can vomit out 1d4 swarms of rats, bats, poisonous spiders, scorpions, centipedes or flying insects along with your bodily fluids. Each creature in a 15-foot cone must make a successful Dexterity saving throw or take 6d6 damage of the type of damage chosen in your Pestilent Blood feature.

Also, the swarms stay under your command, and follow your mental orders for 1 minute.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest to use it again.

Hivemind

Starting at 14th level, you can form a hivemind and become its leader. By performing a ritual that takes 10 minutes, you can call nearby insects and form a hivemind between them. If there are no insects around you, you can form the hivemind by using the swarms you have conjured or vomited out. At the end, you have the hivemind monster, that is detailed below, under your control.

The creatures in the hivemind share an evil consciousness. Through the unity formed in the hivemind, every creature is aware of one another on a heightened level and attains a greater intelligence. All members of the hivemind can perceive things through every other members’ perception. Also, the Intelligence score of the members with an Intelligence lower than 8, increases to 8. Since you are the leader of the hivemind, as a bonus action, you can order the swarms of vermin that you have under your command to move, stop, attack, or use an action. You cannot give separate orders to each swarm, the hivemind acts together.

Additionally, you can channel your spells through these swarms of vermin, and make the space occupied by these swarms become the origin point of the spell. When you do so, the vermin make strange noises and movements as they perform the verbal and somatic components of the spell.

The members of the hivemind, including you as you are its leader, must be within 60 feet of each other or the bond between them breaks, and if a member ventures further than 60 feet, they leave the hivemind and the hivemind loses members.

When a spellcaster makes a Concentration check for a spell, you can order the hivemind to create disturbing and distracting noises as a reaction, giving the spellcaster disadvantage on the roll. Also, when a target is hit by the hivemind, it must make a successful Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or start to carry vermin eggs. Upon its death, the target’s body explodes and creates a new swarm of insects. The eggs disappears after 1 hour or they can be removed by a lesser restoration spell.

Hivemind

Huge swarm of Medium vermin swarms, neutral evil

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 88 (16d10)
Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
5 (-3)	16 (+3)	10 (+0)	8 (-1)	12 (+1)	3 (-4)

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Special Traits

• Swarm. The hivemind can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the hivemind can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny insect. The hivemind can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.

Actions

• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target. Hit: 30 + your Wisdom modifier (12d4 + your Wisdom modifier) piercing damage, or 15 + your Wisdom modifier (6d4 + your Wisdom modifier) piercing damage if the hivemind has half of its hit points or fewer. The target must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.