Circle of Germs

Druids of the Circle of Germs are attuned to the smallest living beings in the world. While for many bacteria are nothing more than a burden on one’s health, these druids have come to appreciate the symbiotic relationship these organisms have with all other living things.

These druids believe that the existence of nature itself is a result of symbiosis between living things. If these bonds are shattered, then the whole system comes crashing down and all life would cease. These druids are also firm believers in bettering oneself through evolution and embracing change.

Druids of this circle have come to understand how bacteria provide useful nutrients that allow living things to thrive, and utilize that to improve the health of others. These druids also observe the incalculable diversity of bacteria that allows them to survive in niche environments. Some druids even believe that because these organisms have existed for so long, they hold the secrets to the origins of life. Through years of attunement, these druids use their wisdom attained from bacteria to promote synergy between all living creatures and improve the lives of people around the world.

However, these druids are aware of the existence of pathogenic bacteria and train themselves to control their effects. Unfortunately, there are those who take advantage of these bacteria to impose their own will on the world. They deliver plagues onto other living beings to weed out the weak and select the strong. They twist the Circle’s ideas on change into a worldview where those who unable or unwilling to change are better off dead.

Spread Germs

At 2nd level, you can conjure and spread pathogenic bacteria, inflicting disease on nearby creatures. As a bonus action, you can target a creature that is  up to 15 ft of you, and that creature must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. If the creature fails its saving throw, it takes 1d4 necrotic damage and has disadvantage on Constitution checks and saving throws until the end of its next turn. The necrotic damage increases to 1d6 at 6th level, 1d8 at 10th level, and 1d10 at 14th level.

The means by which bacteria can spread is up to the player: airborne, person-to-person contact, contact with a contaminated surfaces, food or water, or contact with an infected animal or insect.

Enhanced Symbiosis

At 2nd level, you can harness a living creature’s bacterial flora to bolster their health and vitality. As an action, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to boost the beneficial bacteria from a target of your choice. While this feature is active, the target gains the following benefits:

- Gains 3 temporary hit points for each level you have this class

- Resistance to necrotic damage

- Advantage on Constitution checks and saving throws

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

Circle Spells

Your symbiotic link to the diverse world of bacteria gives you access to certain spells. At 3rd level, you learn the Shillelagh cantrip. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to the spells listed for that level in the Circle of Germs 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 Germs Spells
Druid Level	Circle Spells
3rd	Protection from Poison, Gentle Repose
5th	Stinking Cloud, Feign Death
7th	Aura of Life, Aura of Purity
9th	Contagion, Insect Plague

 

Familiar Vector

At 6th level, you can weave infectious bacteria into your magic, creating familiars that can spread disease far and wise. As an action, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to conjure an animal or insect familiar. The familiar can come in contact with a creature within 50 ft of you, and the creature must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. If the creature fails its saving throw, it takes 1d6 necrotic damage and has disadvantage on Constitution checks and saving throws until the end of its next turn. The necrotic damage increases to 1d8 at 10th level and 1d10 at 14th level. The feature ends if the familiar is destroyed or until you use Wild Shape again.

Medicinal Bacteria

At 6th level, your cultivation of bacteria allows you to utilize them in therapeutic medicine. You have advantage on Wisdom (Medicine) checks.

Immunity

At 10th level, your long-term exposure to diverse amounts of bacteria has put your immune system and health in peak condition. You are immune to necrotic damage and have resistance to poison damage.

Arcane Conjugation

At 10th level, the bacterial flora in and on you has received residual arcane magic from different spellcasters, granting you new spellcasting potential. You can prepare a 1st or 2nd level spell from the Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Warlock or Wizard spell list once per day. Once you have cast that spell, you cannot use this feature again until you have finished a long rest.

Overcome Resistance

At 14th level, the bacteria you have cultivated have evolved to a point that they can overcome even the strongest of immunity. Any creature you target for Spread Germs that is immune to necrotic damage must make a Constitution saving throw. Upon a failed saving throw, the creature is inflicted with the same status ailments caused by Spread Germs.

Protective Colony

At 14th level, you can conjure a protective film containing a harmonious colony of diverse bacterial species working together to strengthen your allies. The Enhanced Symbiosis feature now has the following benefits:

- Gains 5 temporary hit points for each level you have this class

- Immune to necrotic damage and resistance to poison damage

- Add +2 to Constitution and have advantage on Constitution checks and saving throws

- If a creature makes a melee weapon attack against the target or vice versa, the creature must make a CON save against spell save DC or take 1d8 necrotic damage.

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