School of Crawlers

The idea was amazingly unique and led to some very evocative imagery, but was certainly tricky to pull together. In the end, we’re happy with what we made, and we think this would make an amazing option for any Wizard who wants to add some creepy crawlies to their party!

Unsettling Companions

Starting when you take this tradition at 2nd level, the find familiar spell is added to your spell book, if it wasn't already. When you replace your spell book, you can add find familiar to that spell book for no additional cost. The following special forms are added to the list of options detailed in the find familiar spell: Buckler Beetle, Chain Centipede, Crescent Mantis, Gavel Ant, and Needle Wasp. The statistics for these insects will be detailed at the end of the subclass description. You can cast the spell normally, but you can also cast it to briefly call these insects to your side. You can cast find familiar as an action, but when you do, its duration becomes 10 minutes. When you cast the spell in this way, you must choose one of the special forms detailed in this feature. If you cast the spell in this way when you already have a familiar, the original familiar is dismissed to its pocket dimension and returns automatically when the new casting of the spell ends. Finally, when you cast it in this way, you can summon additional familiars by expending a spell slot of 3rd level or higher: Two familiars with a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, three familiars with a spell slot of 5th level or higher, four familiars with a spell slot of 7th level or higher, or six familiars with a spell slot of 9th level. You can choose for the familiars summoned in this way to all be the same insect, or different ones.

Crawling Arms

Also at 2nd level, as a bonus action, you can touch one or more of your insect familiars and cause them to transform into a piece of equipment, partially melding into you to share its power. You must be able to hold that familiar in order to cause it to transform in this way. It cannot be removed against your will while you remain conscious, and you can return any or all of them to their original form as a bonus action on your turn. While transformed in this way, the insect is petrified and immune to all damage, but remains conscious and aware of its surroundings. You can have only one insect transformed in this way at any time.

Buckler Beetle. The beetle takes the form of a shield. You can wear two of these shields at the same time, but if you do, the second shield increases your AC by 1 instead of 2. It melds to your forearm rather than your hand, leaving your hand free to grasp another weapon or simple objects, but not wear a shield.

Chain Centipede. The centipede takes the form of a whip. It has the light property and its reach property adds an additional 10 feet to its reach, instead of 5.

Crescent Mantis. The mantis takes the form of a scimitar. Immediately before or after making an attack with this weapon, you can move 5 feet without spending movement and without provoking opportunity attacks.

Gavel Ant. The ant takes the form of a maul. When you make an attack with this weapon, you have a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls if the target is a creature at least once size category smaller than you.

Needle Wasp. The wasp takes the form of a hand crossbow. It creates its own ammunition and lacks the loading property. It melds to your forearm rather than your hand, leaving your hand free to grasp another weapon or simple objects, but not wear a shield. No matter what form an insect takes, you are considered proficient with it while you wield it, and you can treat it as an arcane focus.

Swarmhost

By 6th level, you can have up to two insects transformed as part of your Crawling Arms feature at any one time. When you take the Attack action on your turn, provided you make at least one attack with an insect weapon from your Crawling Arms feature, you can make a second attack as part of that same action. In addition, damage from these weapons is considered magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical damage.

Metamorphic Evolution

When you reach 10th level, your insect weapons improve, gaining the following benefits:

Buckler Beetle. When a creature makes a melee attack against you and fails their attack roll by 5 or more, they must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or fall prone.

Chain Centipede. When you make an attack against a Large or smaller creature with this weapon and exceed the target's AC by 5 or more, the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or be pushed up to 10 feet in a direction of your choice.

Crescent Mantis. When you make an attack against a creature with this weapon and exceed the target's AC by 5 or more, the target must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, a creature's speed is reduced by 10 feet and it is unable to take reactions until the end of its next turn.

Gavel Ant. When you make an attack against a creature with this weapon and exceed the target's AC by 5 or more, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or take an amount of thunder damage equal to 2d6 plus your Intelligence modifier.

Needle Wasp. When you make an attack against a creature with this weapon and exceed the target's AC by 5 or more, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or become poisoned until the end of your next turn.

If the target is already poisoned by this effect when it fails this saving throw, it is paralyzed until the end of the current turn instead. In addition, you gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls for attacks made using these weapons. When you reach 14th level, this bonus improves to +2.

Part of the Swarm

When you reach 14th level, you become part of the swarm yourself. There is no limit to the number of insects that can be transformed by your Crawling Arms feature at any time, provided you are able to wield them. Additionally, while you are wielding at least two transformed insects, you sprout an additional pair of arms and a pair of wings. The arms sprout from your midsection and can be used identically to your normal arms, including wielding insect weapons. The wings sprout from your back and grant a flying speed of 30 feet. This flying speed increases by 10 feet for each additional insect you wield after the second.