Hornet of Loyalty

"If you feel an abdominal pain and a tingling sensation in your neck, the best thing you can do now is look at the great blue sky you'll never get to see again"

You have acquired gear based on a monster called "Queen Bee". The monster does almost nothing to directly harm creatures, but it releases 'Spores' that implant the egg of a "Worker Bee" inside of most creatures that inhale them, leading to the Worker Bee eating its way out of the host. Worker Bees have unwavering Loyalty to the Queen. The gear has the traits of the monster, both for better and for worse.

Hornet [Alteration] - Level 3

"examination has confirmed that even gears that were outcomes of stable, refined extractions may undergo slight mutations depending on the user.
No, I wouldn't attribute that to incompleteness. Rather, such changes may even be a process of these gears reaching their own completion"
"The Rifle bullets selectively fly toward threats, so skillful aiming isn't required; all that's needed is the will to hit the target."
"The Shotgun Shells launch a cone of high-velocity spores to spread far but thin."

When taking this subclass, you gain a Rifle, extracted from Queen Bee. This Rifle can shift into a shotgun in a mere moment. Both forms of Hornet count as a martial ranged weapon (Firearms) for feats. You gain proficiency with Firearms. Both forms of Hornet are +1 weapons, and the damage they deal is considered Magical for bypassing resistances and immunities.
At level 8, Hornet becomes +2 weapon(s)
At level 12, Hornet (shotgun)'s cone range increased to 30 feet.
At level 15, Hornet becomes +3 weapon(s)

Hornet (Rifle Form)
1d4 Fire damage + 1d6 Piercing Damage.
1 Target.
5/110 Ft range.
When making an attack with this weapon, spend 1 Spore Round - Rifle.
On a hit, the target gains 2 Spore stacks.

You can change Hornet's form at any time during your turn, including between attacks (no action required):

Hornet (Shotgun Form)
1d6 Fire Damage
20 Ft Cone.
Each creature in the cone must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + Your proficiency bonus + your dexterity modifier). On a success, the creature takes half damage, and is not inflicted with any Spore stacks.
On a Failed save, the creature is inflicted with 3 Spore, and takes normal damage.

When making an attack with this weapon, spend 1 Spore Round - Buckshot.

Ammo;
At the start of each combat encounter (When initiative is rolled), Reload the following ammunition:
10 Spore Round - Rifle
6 Spore Round - Buckshot

These represent cartridges filled with the spores of Queen bee, and are used by your subclass weapon.
You also regain all expended Spore Rounds when you finish a short or long rest.

If you run out of Spore Rounds while making multiple attacks as part of the same Attack action, all follow-up attacks of that action are immediately canceled if they would spend Either type of Spore Round.
Immediately after this happens, you automatically perform Germination - Reload. If Germination - Reload is triggered this way, it does not use a Bonus Action.

Before making an attack that requires a Buckshot Spore Round, if you have none remaining, you may convert Rifle ammunition into Buckshot.
You may expend 2 Spore Round - Rifle to create 1 Spore Round - Buckshot, You can do this once per attack.

Germination - Reload:
You may reload your Hornet as a Bonus Action.
When you reload, if more than 6 total Spore Rounds were reloaded, make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw.
On a Success, you reload all Spore Round - Rifle and Spore Round - Buckshot, and no additional effects happen.
On a Failure, you reload all Spore Round - Rifle and Spore Round - Buckshot, and you suffer disadvantage on your next attack roll.

Inflicting Spore counts as inflicting a negative condition or harmful effect.

Spore:
Spore is a stacking condition that represents the parasitic growth of the Worker Bee.

A creature can have up to 15 Spore stacks.
While a creature has at least 1 Spore, its speed is reduced by 5 feet.
At the start of each of its turns, the creature takes 2 fire damage for every 5 stacks of Spore it has (rounded down).
When a creature receives magical healing, they lose spore stacks equal to half of the Amount of Healing (Max: 5).

Spore stacks on a creature persist until removed or until the creature dies.

Gear Resonance - Level 7

"Our attempt to control the subject's spore propagation has failed, Manager."

Your connection to Hornet has spread some effects of the Queen bee to your armor.

While wearing armor you are proficient in:
At the start of your turn, choose one creature within 30 feet that has Spore. Until the start of your next turn, attacks made by creatures other than you deal an additional 1d4 fire damage to that target.

When a creature that has Spore damages you, it takes 1d4 fire damage. If you took no damage in a round, you gain 1d4 temporary hit points.

 

Loyalty - Level 10

" 'Giving one’s life' is an empty vow. What I want from you is to survive and continue to protect me."

Your resonance with your Gear becomes stronger.

When taking damage, all allies have their attack damage increase by 1 for every 10 damage taken (Bonus maximum: +4). The bonus fades at the end of the round.
When a creature with Spore dies within 100 Feet of you, you gain 1 'Loyalty Pheromone'
Loyalty Pheromone has a max stack of 3, and grants the following bonuses:
1+ Stack: The first time you take damage each turn,
reduce it by 1d6.
2+ Stacks: Your movement speed increases by 10 feet.
3 Stacks: Your hit bonus increases by 2.

You lose all stacks of Loyalty Pheromone when combat ends.

When you take damage while you have temporary hit points, and the damage exceeds the number of temporary hit points you currently have, the excess damage that would carry over to your normal hit points is partially negated.
Reduce the damage that would affect your hit points by an amount equal to one-quarter of your maximum hit points (rounded down). This reduction cannot exceed the amount of excess damage from the triggering attack.
This feature applies only to damage from that single attack or effect.

Regenerating Spores - Level 15

"All Agents, equip your combat gear and return. … Worker Bee entities have hatched."

As an action, choose creatures within 50 feet that have Spore. You may remove up to 20 total Spore stacks, removing no more than 5 from a single creature.
You regain hit points equal to the number of stacks removed + 3 × your Loyalty Pheromone stacks.
You then gain 5 temporary hit points for each Loyalty Pheromone stack you have.

While you have temporary hit points, your attacks that inflict Spore inflict 1 more stack.
When hit, the attacker gains 1 Spore stack, if the creature has 15 Spore, they take 2d6 Fire damage instead.

Creation of Drones - Level 18

"To bring my kingdom to greatness… I need more bees…"

Hornet (Rifle Form) damage increased to 2d4 Fire damage + 2d6 Piercing damage.
Hornet (Shotgun Form) damage increased to 2d8 Fire damage, dexterity saving throw DC increased by 2.

When a creature with 10 or more Spores dies, "Worker Bee" Eats its way out of the corpse:

Worker Bee
Medium Monstrosity
AC = 13 + your proficiency bonus
HP = 20 + (5 × your proficiency bonus)
20 ft walk speed, 10 ft fly speed.
12 strength
9 dexterity
13 constitution
7 Wisdom
8 Intelligence
5 Charisma
1 action
Bite
1 target, 5 ft range, 1d6 piercing + 1d6 fire. On hit, inflict 1 Spore stack. Attack Bonus = Proficiency bonus + Dex modifier

Worker Bees are considered summons and act on your initiative. When combat ends, Worker Bees created by this feature die, and burst into Harmless Spores.
At any time during a worker bee's turn before you use an action, you may choose to detonate the worker bee, you gain 1d6 temporary hit points, and any creature within 15 feet of the worker bee must make a Dexterity saving throw (use Hornet - Shotgun attack DC) or take 3d6 fire damage and get inflicted with 5 Spore. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and is inflicted with 2 Spores instead.

You can have a maximum of 3 worker bees, if you try to create a new worker bee while already at 3, the oldest one immediately takes a movement action, and then detonates. After that, the new worker bee is created.