Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Chakrum Apr 23, 2015 22:38:56	Can a druid turn into a swarm of the appropriate challenge rating?   Thanks,  Mark   P.S. One more question while I'm at it. What happens if your a giant toad and you have swallowed someone and your reduced to 0 hit points in that form and forced to shape change back to humanoid? Do you automatically throw up the target?
#2 EmpactWB Apr 23, 2015 23:16:25	I'd rule against the swarm, because it is multiple creatures even though they use a single stat block.   Yeah, you'd throw them up. The alternative is massive damage from the ruptured abdomen, so on this particular occasion, vomiting is the less messy option.
#3 CFK Apr 24, 2015 3:23:14	I'd also rule against shape changing into a whole swarm, but not against summoning one.   If you'd try to shape change into a swarm, you change into 1 individual creature of the swarm... So if it's a swarm of wasps, you'd change into A wasp...
#4 Mechatarrasque Apr 24, 2015 10:20:17	I have mixed feelings.  While I try not be overly beholden to previous editions,  swarm druid (maybe circle of the hive or circle of blight) was its own thing, and it just feels like it should still be its own thing.  On the other hand, 5e swarms don't seem to be as powerful as previous swarms......   I think I would allow a player to come up with a new circle that was swarm based, loosely modeled after the Circle of the Moon (maybe with an ability to use another swarm {of the same type} to heal yourself while in swarm form), but I wouldn't allow a regular druid to become a swarm.
#5 Coredump00 Apr 24, 2015 12:24:58	I think I would allow it.  I can't say its RAW.... but I don't think it would be a problem, and it seems pretty cool.
#6 Xaspian Apr 24, 2015 13:29:15	All the swarms in the MM are labelled as a "Medium swarm of Tiny beasts". Wild Shape lets a druid transform into any beast. Thus by RAW, a druid cannot transform into a swarm. That's not to say you shouldn't allow it, I'm just making clear why it's not possible in the rules.
#7 BRJN Apr 24, 2015 18:26:47	Currently, no you cannot play a Swarm Druid.  However this sub-class should be added to a future Rules Expansion.   (Also open my 'characters' sig for a tangent comment.)
#8 BRJN Apr 24, 2015 18:32:36	An earlier thread discussed the question of the Giant Frog / Druid.  The conclusion has already been summarized above.   Want to do something really nasty?  As a Giant Frog, swallow somebody and then submerge.  YOU can hold your breath for dozens of rounds for 'free'.  HE can't, and is on a ticking time limit. For even more fun, be a Crocodile.  Grab your enemy and drag him underwater before you try to Swallow him.  Do barrel rolls underwater to disorient him too.
#9 TomCosta Apr 24, 2015 20:13:48	I agree that you can't turn into a swarm. That said, I posted this on another thread some time ago... a new druid circle. I don't want to hijack your thread, but comments welcome.   Circle of the Beastmaster This circle grants class features exactly as the beast master ranger archetype, except the features are granted at levels 2, 6, 10, and 14 respectively. Circle of the Hivemaster XXXX   Spells of the Hivemaster Your mystical connection to bugs (arthropods, including arachnids such as scorpions and spiders, crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters, and insects such as beetles, centipedes, and wasps) infuses you with the ability to cast certain spells. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to spells of the hivemaster. Once you gain access to a spell of the hivemaster, 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. Some of the spells are known by a different name to you and have a corresponding change in their description as noted in parentheses following the spell. These descriptive differences have no effect on the spells mechanics unless noted.   Druid Level Spells of the Hivemaster 3rd barkskin (“chitin”), web 5th fly (“wings of the dragonfly”), hivemaster 7th blight (“locusts ”), giant insect 9th  insect plague, Rary’s telepathic bond (“hivemind”)   Swarm Form The rites of your circle grant you the ability to transform into a swarm of bugs. Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Wild Shape to transform into a swarm of arthropods (you ignore the Limitations column on the Beast Shapes table, but must abide by the Max. CR column). In this form, you maintain a singular mind or hivemind.   Wall Crawler Starting at 6th level, you gain the spider climb, web sense, and web walker abilities.  Spider Climb. You can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.  Web Sense. While in contact with a web, you know the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.  Web Walker. You ignore movement restrictions caused by webbing.   Blindsight Starting at 10th level, you gain the ability to perceive your surroundings without relying on sight within 10 ft. You are aware of the location of any hidden or invisible creatures within that range.  At 14th level, the range of your blindsight increases to 20 ft.   Swarm King/Queen At 10th level, when you cast spells on or at a swarm, you can treat each swarm as if it were a single creature, eliminating the swarm’s immunities to being charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, or stunned by your spells.  In addition, your near constant contact with bugs has made you immune to disease, poison, and being frightened.   Improved Swarm Form Starting at 14th level, when you Wild Shape into a swarm form you gain several additional abilities, including: • You cannot be flanked or grappled, are immune to the grappled condition, and have advantage on saving throws to avoid being shoved or pushed. • Your hivemind grants you advantage on saving throws against illusions, blindness, deafness, and unconsciousness. • You gain the ability to distract your enemies. When you share a space with a target and as long as you do so, you force the target to make a concentration check (DC 10 Constitution saving throw) each round they are concentrating , the target has disadvantage on all checks and attack rolls, and the space counts as difficult terrain.   New Spell Hivemaster 3rd-level enchantment Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 ft. Components: V, S, M (a piece of a bug’s home, such as honeycomb, anthill sand, or wasp paper) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour   You summon nearby bugs (arthropods, including arachnids such as scorpions and spiders, crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters, and insects such as beetles, centipedes, and wasps) that come together in unoccupied spaces that you can see within range. Choose one of the following options for what appears: • One arthropod swarm of challenge rating 1 or lower • Two arthropod swarms of challenge rating ½ or lower • Four arthropod swarms of challenge rating ¼ or lower The DM has the creatures’ statistics. The summoned swarms are not only friendly to you and your companions, but will sacrifice themselves for you in trying to protect your or if ordered to do so. Roll initiative for the summoned swarms as a group, which has its own turns. They obey any verbal commands that you issue to them (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any commands to them, they defend themselves from hostile creatures, but otherwise take no actions. Alternately, you may have a swarm cover you or a willing ally to form an armor of sorts. A Small or Medium creature can be covered by one swarm. While covered you gain the swarm’s Armor Class if it is higher than your own and the swarm’s resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. Any damage you take affects both you and the swarm (which retains its own damage resistance). Once the swarm loses half its hit points, it can no longer serve as armor. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using certain higher-level spell slots, you choose one of the summoning options above, and more creatures appear: twice as many with a 5th-level slot, three times as many with a 7th-level slot, and four times as many with a 9th-level slot .
#10 Nevvur Apr 25, 2015 10:13:41	I did my own take on the swarm druid, too. Circle of the Plague