Circle of Assimilation

While some druids believe that the artificial machinations of humanity are an aberration to mother nature’s plans, some believe the opposite: they are a part of existence, and even if they can be ignored now, they won’t be able to for much longer. The inventions of grand artificers and breakthroughs in the ways humanity views nature and harnesses it, are impossible to contain and deny.

Druids of the Circle of Assimilation aren’t as close minded as their conservative cousins: they live in cities, joining grand wizards and inventors in their affairs, looking for a way to either adapt their natural magic to modernity, or to adapt technology to the old ways they practice. These druids bond with machines, finding a special bond with small automatons, micro-organisms of machinery and technology, finding it easier to view them as nature, as the circles of their cousins do for hives and insect colonies. 

Whatever the case may be however, these druids find beauty in modernity, using it to recycle the rotten and forgotten chaff, perfecting the world and walking the fine line of balancing modernity with tradition.

Note: This is a light homebrew subclass, heavily borrowing from Circle of Spores on the beginning while changing/buffing some of it.

Circle Spells

Your symbiotic link to technology and your ability to tap into its energy as the next step in evolution grants you access to certain spells. At 2nd level, you learn the Mending cantrip, it counts a druid spell for you, but it doesn’t count against your number of cantrips known.

At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to the spells listed for that level in the Circle of Assimilation Spells table. Once you gain access to one of these spells, 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.

Circle of Assimilation
Druid Level	Circle Spells
2nd	command, identify
3rd	heat metal, web
5th	blink, glyph of warding
7th	arcane eye, fabricate
9th	animate objects, creation

Cloud of Machinery

Starting at 2nd level, you are constantly surrounded by a cloud of very small automatons. These small constructs are invisible to the naked eye when alone, though they become clearly visible as a cloud when together. Most of the time, you host these constructs in your body, or inside your clothing. They are harmless to you, though you may unleash them on others.

Whenever a creature moves into a space within 10 feet of you, starts its turn there or hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to deal 1d4 necrotic damage to that creature unless it succeeds on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC, taking half as much on a successful save. The necrotic damage increases to 1d6 at 6th level, 1d8 at 10th level, and 1d10 at 14th level.

Construct Shroud

Also at 2nd level, you gain the ability to channel magic into your cloud. As an action, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to awaken them in your body, rather than transforming into a beast form, and you gain 4 temporary hit points for each level you have in this class. While this feature is active, you gain the following benefits:

• When you deal your Cloud of Machinery damage, roll the damage die a second time and add it to the total.
• Your melee weapon attacks deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to any target they hit.
• Your creature type is now Construct. You still benefit from spells that restore hit points that normally don’t do so to constructs. 

These benefits last for 10 minutes, until you lose all these temporary hit points. or until you use your Wild Shape again.

Clockwork Servant

Starting at 6th level, you gain the ability to spread your artificial cloud to the broken and forgotten things around you, making them stronger and alive again through assimilation. Whenever a beast, construct or humanoid that is Small or Medium dies within 15 feet of you, you can use your reaction to reanimate it, causing it to stand up immediately with a number of hit points equal to your proficiency bonus as your Clockwork Servant.

Your Clockwork Servant uses the Zombie stat block in the Monster Manual. It makes attacks using your spell attack modifier instead of its own attack bonus, and it counts as a construct rather than an undead. It remains animated for 1 hour, after which it collapses and dies. In combat, the zombie’s turn comes immediately after yours. It obeys your mental commands, and the only action it can take is the Attack action, making one melee attack.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Spreading Automatons

At 10th level, your cloud of automatons becomes more powerful. You gain the following benefits:

• You can now use your Clockwork Servant feature as an Action, altering a non magical object that is Small or Medium to become a Clockwork Servant instead.
• You can now use your Cloud of Machinery feature as if you were in one of your Clockwork Servant’s spaces rather than your own.
• Whenever you use your Cloud of Machinery feature, rather than affecting a single creature, you can cause the damage to be dealt in a 5-foot radius sphere instead. This sphere must contain the triggering creature.

Benign Assimilation

By the time you’ve reached 14th level, your druidic connection to technology becomes so strong you can spread it into living creatures. Whenever you activate your Construct Shroud feature, you may choose a willing creature you can see within 30 feet of you, as your cloud of automatons also spreads towards them (no action required).

The creature gains 5 temporary hit points for each level you have in this class. While this feature is active, they gain the following benefits:

• Their melee weapon attacks deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to any target they hit.
• Their creature type is now a Construct. They still benefit from spells that restore hit points that normally don’t do so to constructs. 
• You can now cast spells, use your Cloud of Machinery feature, and your Clockwork Servant features as if you were in the creature’s space rather than your own.

These benefits last for 10 minutes, and you can use this feature twice, regaining the ability to use it again when you finish a long rest.