Entomancer
Entomancers are those who draw their powers from insects. That insect can either live within the entomancer's body or they can be companions on the side. The entomancer also experiences bursts of rage, physically transforming the entomancer. Such an entomancer might be inhabited by a primal spirit or be descended from shapeshifters.
I am a collector of insects--my most prized find being the Australian Sydney funnel-web spider when I was four at the Bravewood City Zoo. I would openly die to protect all my insect brothers and sisters.
The Wrath of the Swarm
Entomancers are essentially spellcasters who make a pact with insects and bugs and in return for allowing the creatures to either use them as a host or be a familiar, in which the entomancer may call upon the creatures powers.Creating an Entomancer
Entomancers can telepathically speak with their swarm, the issue is the voices can sometimes cause mental damage in the form of insanity. Play entomancers as somewhat of a loner with a twinge of crazy, an entomancers have no need for social interaction among humanoids and the majority of entomancers in a party consider the party as a useful tool rather than an ally or friend. However, some entomancers experience a close bond with those they consider friends, and think of them as a part of their swarm.| --Spell Slots per Spell Level-- | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Population | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Entomancy, Entomancy Species, Population | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2nd | +2 | Spellcasting | 2 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 3rd | +2 | Adaptation | 3 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 5th | +3 | Crawling Sensation | 5 | 4 | 2 | -- | -- | -- |
| 6th | +3 | Species Evolution | 6 | 4 | 2 | -- | -- | -- |
| 7th | +3 | Many-Eyed | 7 | 4 | 3 | -- | -- | -- |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 8 | 4 | 3 | -- | -- | -- |
| 9th | +9 | -- | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 10th | +9 | Species Evolution | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 11th | +9 | Exo Skeleton | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | -- | -- |
| 12th | +9 | Ability Score Improvement, Adaptation Improvement | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | -- | -- |
| 13th | +5 | Hive Mind | 13 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | -- |
| 14th | +5 | Species Evolution | 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | -- |
| 15th | +5 | Hungry Mouths | 15 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | -- |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 16 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | -- |
| 17th | +6 | Swarm Form | 17 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Adaptation Improvement, Species Evolution | 18 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 19 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20th | +6 | Apex Predator | 20 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Table of Contents
This article is a stub.
by Phillipp Lansing (Unsplash)
Type
Arcane
Other Associated professions
Build Structure
Hit Dice: 1d8 per lv Hit Points At 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier Hit Points At Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Entomancer level after 1st Armor Proficiencies: light armor Weapon Proficiencies: Simple weapons, Martial weapons Tools: Herbalism kit OR Poisoners kit Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Arcana, Deception, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Persuasion, and SurvivalStarting Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:- Leather armor
- (a) a martial melee weapon or (b) a short Bow and 20 arrows
- (a) a simple weapon or (b) a shield or (c) explorer's Pack
- If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4 x10 dollars in funds.
Current Known Spells
- Cantrip - Level 0
- Level 1
- Level 2
Quick Build
You can make an entomancer quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the Hermit background. Entomancers use bugs as their way of casting spells and are considered an arcane-focus. Thus, their bodies must be durable enough to allow the bugs of their swarm to transmit the magical energy for them to use. At 2nd level, these abilities are unlocked.Spellcasting ability
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your Entomancer spells.Spell Save DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + CON mod.
Spell Attack modifier = proficiency bonus + CON mod.
Class Features
Entomancy
Entomancy is the controlling and casting of insects, arthropods, arachnids, etc. Most have never heard of it because it is so rare and quite frankly, most find it disgusting.Entomancer Species
At first level, the type of insects either living inside your body or living as your familiar defines what type of Entomancer you are: Decomposers, Exo-gotas, Endo-gotas, or Orthoptera. As such, you gain certain benefits from your distinct species at 1st, 10th, 14th, and 18th levels.Population
You can utilize the swarm for certain abilities. When you use your swarm for these abilities it decreases in size. Your swarm's size is determined in Population Points. You regain lost Population Points at the end of a long rest but only if you have been provided with food during said rest. Having zero Population Points does not necessarily mean you have no swarm. Your population points are equal to your level. 1 Point of population is about 30-50 insects. This can vary depending on the type of Entomancer.Adaptation
At 3rd level, choose a specific environment such as Dry or Humid, and Hot or Cold. This becomes the environment you are most suited for. When you are in your specific environment you cannot gain exhaustion points from the extreme conditions in said environment, and you have advantage on survival checks. However, when you are in your opposite environment you permanently have one exhaustion point for as long as you are in that environment even if you aren't in extreme conditions. For example: choosing a Dry-Hot environment causes you to gain one exhaustion point in any Humid-Cold environment. At 11th level, this ability improves. If you chose a Dry Environment, you gain double proficiency in stealth (if you are not proficient in the stealth skill you become proficient in the stealth skill). If you chose a Humid Environment, you can move and attack in water without any hindrance, you can also walk on any liquid surface. If you chose a Hot Environment, you become resistant to Fire damage but are vulnerable to Cold damage. If you chose a Cold Environment you become resistant to Cold damage but you are vulnerable to Fire Damage. At 18th level, this ability improves further. If you chose a Dry Environment, you no longer require water to survive, and you have a burrowing speed equal to half your movement speed. If you chose a Humid Environment, your movement speed is doubled in the water, and you have advantage on attacks while in the water, along with being able to breathe underwater. You also lose any debuffs you would gain from this ability.Ability Score Increase
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.Crawling Sensation
When you reach 5th level, you gain the ability to infest enemies with your swarm. When you use your action to make an melee attack you can spend X amount of population points to attempt to infest the target. When you do, the target must succeed on a CON saving throw, they become infested on a failed save. When they are infested you can use a bonus action to deal Xd8 points of necrotic damage to that creature (where X is the amount of population points you spent) provided that creature is within 60 ft. of you. While infested, creatures suffer disadvantage on Constitution checks, Constitution saving throws, and attack rolls. The infestation lasts for a total number of days equal to your WIS modifier. This ability does not affect elementals or constructs.Cloak of Flies
As a bonus action once your reach 5th level, you can surround yourself with a swarm of buzzing botflies. The swarm extends 5 feet from you in every direction, but not through total cover. It lasts until you're incapacitated or you dismiss it as a bonus action. The swarm grants you advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks but disadvantage on all other Charisma checks. Any other creature that starts its turn in the swarm takes poison damage equal to your Charimsa modifier (minimum of 0 damage). Once you use this invocation, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest and your swarm has fed.Many-Eyed
Having multiple entities in or around your body looking out for you has its benefits. At 7th level, you get advantage on Perception and Insight checks and you can also sense invisible or hidden entities within 100 ft. of you. You do not know exactly where said entities are but you know they are there. Should such entities be detected, you can channel and focus your connection to your hive to seek out the precise location of any hidden entities that were originally detected within the 100 ft. radius.Exo Skeleton
At 11th level, you have the choice to form a thick layer of chitin on certain parts of your body when the need arises. As a result, you gain proficiency with medium armor and your AC increases by 1/2 your CON mod rounded down even while wearing light and medium armor, but not heavy.
by Kirill Pershin (Unsplash)
Hive Mind
At 13th level, your mind and the Hive's become one. As a result, you become resistant to psychic damage and by expending 3 Population Points and your reaction, you gain advantage on a psychic attack that would cause you to make a saving throw, this choice must be made when you become targeted by a psychic attack. By using your bonus action and 2 Population Points, you can end any effect on yourself that is causing you to be charmed or frightened.Hungry Mouths
At 15th level, your swarm can start feeding itself. You can let all the excess insects residing either in your body or around your location to leave to scavenge for food and new insects to force into their army. This depletes your remaining population points, if any, and requires you to be in one of your adapted environments. After an hour, they return to you en mass, replenishing your population points by double the number you've spent, (if at zero points you receive 1). This can be done during a short rest, and you can do it again after a long rest when your swarm eats their slaves.Swarm Form
At 17th level, you can temporarily turn your body into a swarm of insects. Using an action you can transform yourself into a swarm of harmless insects. You still keep your stats, ability scores, and HP. However your AC becomes your constitution modifier. Any items, equipment, and armor that you had on your person also transform. While you are in your swarm form, any physical attack that deals slashing or piercing damage will only do 1 point of damage. However any spell or ability that would inflict Fire or Cold damage forces you take the max amount of damage of that type. Your swarm size is dependent on your hit points, when you reach 0 hp, you are instantly killed, as the last insect in your swarm has died. This lasts for 1 minute or until dispelled with a bonus action, and recharges after a long rest.Apex Predator
At 20th level, you and your swarm become an entity to be feared. You can use your action and 3 Population points to become invisible for a total number of minutes equal to your WIS mod + CON mod. This effect is not concentration and is not broken by spell casting or attacking. You also gain every benefit from the Adaptation skill regardless of your chosen Environment. Your Swarm Form is also not so harmless. while you are in your Swarm Form you can use your action to attempt to attack a target. Your bonus to attack is your CON mod + your WIS mod + your proficiency bonus and when you succeed on that attack you deal damage equal to your current HP to the target. You can use this attack action again after you finish a long rest.Multiclassing
Prerequisites.To qualify for multiclassing into the Entomancer class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 Constitution and Wisdom
Subclass Options
DecomposersDecomposers
Decomposers are a species of entomancers who specialize in necromancy and undeath. Their swarm usually consists of botflies, worms, and other nightcrawlers.Half Alive
Your swarm essentially makes you half alive. At 1st level, if you have chosen this archetype, you gain resistance to Necrotic Damage as you are constantly on the verge of death.Corpse Jacker
At 6th level, special worms known as Corpse Jackers begin to grow and live inside your body. The worms are about 3 ft long and have very long mandibles. Using your action, and 2 Population points you can infest a corpse with a Corpse Jacker by touching it. If that corpse is a medium humanoid, it becomes a zombie under your control (your KT has the statistics for a zombie). That zombie is under your control for a total number of days equal to your Wis modifier (minimum of 1), once those days are up that zombie dies. If a zombie under your control dies you cannot resurrect it with another Corpse Jacker. You can control a number of zombies equal to your Wis modifier (minimum of 1).Decomposition
At 10th level, you can use your swarm to devour corpses and regain population points. You can use your action to move your swarm to a corpse you can see within 30 ft. You can keep your swarm on the corpse for a number of turns that depend on the corpse's size. Tiny corpses are too small to regain anything, small take 1 turn to devour, medium take 2 turns, large take 4 turns, and anything larger cannot be devoured. When you do this you lose all of your population points until your swarm returns to you, then you regain the population points you had plus the number of turns your swarm had spent in said corpse in population points. It is important to mention that the swarm devours all the flesh of the corpse leaving behind only the bones.Spreading Maggots
At 12th level, you gain the ability to send your swarm to plant eggs in other entities. As a bonus action while your Crawling Sensation feature is active, you can hurl your swarm up to 30 ft. away, where they swirl in a 10-foot cube for 1 minute. The swarm returns to you early if you use this feature again, if you dismiss them as a bonus action, or if your Crawling Senation feature is no longer active. Whenever a creature moves into the cube or starts its turn there, that creature takes your Crawling Sensation damage, unless the creature succeeds on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. A creature can take this damage no more than once per turn.Dead Man Walking
At 14th level, you and your swarm are so in-tune that they are the only reason you are still living. As a result some parts of your flesh are beginning to rot and fall off, you have no heartbeat, and you no longer need to eat (though your swarm still does) as you get all the energy you need from your swarm. Because of this you cannot be detected by a detect life or a detect undead spell. As well as when you are reduced to 0 HP you can spend 3 population points to instead go to 1hp. This can only be done once per long rest.Corpse Eater
At 18th level, your swarm is now your life. Now, whenever you utilize your Decomposition skill, you also gain HP equal to your CON modifier plus your Population Point maximum. Also, the size limit to the corpses that can become zombies is now Medium or Large and the cost to create a Corpse Jacker is now 1 Population Point.Endo-Gotas
Endo-Gotas are Entomancers who specialize in assassination, murder, stealth, life-stealing, and espionage. Their swarms usually consist of fleas, ticks, mosquitos, spiders and/or assassin bugs. Endo-Gotas are usually found in most cities.Hemo Vamprisis
When you choose this archetype as your species at 1st level, your swarm can leach off the life of a target. When you successfully grapple a creature, you can use a population point to have your swarm suck the blood of your opponent. Once your swarm has latched onto your target, they stay attached until your target is freed from your grapple. While grappled, your swarm damages the creature you are grappling at beginning of your turn for your CON mod + your proficiency bonus and heals you for the amount of damage dealt at the beginning of your turn. This ability has no effect on constructs, undead, elementals, or oozes.Leech Drain
At 2nd level, you gain the ability to heal yourself once you reach below half of your hit points thanks to any life draining insects at your side. Roll a 1d10 plus your Constitution Modifier. Whatever you roll equals the amount of hit points that return to you. Once you use this ability, you must make a short or long rest to gain this ability back. At other levels (5th, 10th, 15th, and 17th), you can increase the die number by one. 5th = 2d1010th = 3d10
15th = 4d10
17th = 5d10
Insectus Shape
At 3rd level, you can use your action to magically assume the shape of an insect that you have seen before, whether that be a clear image or in person.At times, you can choose to have only part of your body grow appendages of an insect. You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. Your entomancer level determines the insects you can transform into, as shown in the Insect Shapes table. At 3rd level, for example, you can transform into any insect that has a challenge rating of 1/2 or lower.Insect Shapes
| Level | Max. CR | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | 0 | Giant Beetle, Scorpion, Spider |
| 3rd | 1/2 | Giant Centipede, Wasp |
| 4th | 1 | Giant Spider |
| 4th | 1 | Funnel-Web Spider, Giant Spider |
| 7th | 2 | Giant Wolf Spider, Giant Wasp |
| 10th | 3 | Giant Scorpion |
| 13th | 4 | Giant Red-Headed Mouse Spider |
| 16th | 5 | Giant Huntsman Spider |
| 20th | 6 | Giant Funnel-Web Spider |
Coast
| CR | Insect | Fly / Climb / Swim | Grow Appendages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Giant Wolf Spider | Climb / Swim | Legs only |
Desert
| CR | Insect | Fly / Climb / Swim | Grow Appendages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Scorpion | Climb (not on glass) | Tail only |
| 1 | Giant Spider | Climb | Legs only |
| 2 | Giant Wolf Spider | Climb / Swim | Legs only |
| 3 | Giant Scorpion | Climb (not on glass) | Tail only |
Forest
| CR | Insect | Fly / Climb / Swim | Grow Appendages | 1/2 | Wasp | Fly | Wings and Tail (with stinger) only |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giant Spider | Climb | Legs only |
| 2 | Funnel-Web Spider | Swim | Legs and fangs (with venom) only |
| 2 | Giant Wasp | Fly | Wings and Tail (with stinger) only |
| 2 | Giant Wolf Spider | Climb / Swim | Legs only |
| 4 | Giant Red-Headed Mouse Spider | -- | Legs and fangs (with venom) only |
| 6 | Giant Funnel-web Spider | Swim | Legs and fangs (with venom) only |
Grassland
| CR | Insect | Fly / Climb / Swim | Grow Appendages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 | Wasp | Fly | Wings and Tail (with stinger) only |
| 2 | Giant Wasp | Fly | Wings and Tail (with stinger) only |
| 2 | Giant Wolf Spider | Climb / Swim | Legs only |
Hill
| CR | Insect | Fly / Climb / Swim | Grow Appendages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Giant Wolf Spider | Climb / Swim | Legs only |
Swamp
| CR | Insect | Fly / Climb / Swim | Grow Appendages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giant Spider | Climb | Legs only |
| 2 | Funnel-Web Spider | Swim | Legs and fangs (with venom) only |
Underdark
| CR | Insect | Fly / Climb / Swim | Grow Appendages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Giant Beetle | Climb | Legs only |
| 1/2 | Giant Centipede | Climb | -- |
| 1 | Giant Spider | Climb | Legs only |
| 2 | Funnel-Web Spider | Swim | Legs and fangs (with venom) only |
| 2 | Giant Wolf Spider | Climb / Swim | Legs only |
| 4 | Giant Red-Headed Mouse Spider | -- | Legs and fangs (with venom) only |
| 6 | Giant Funnel-web Spider | Swim | Legs and fangs (with venom) only |
- Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the insect, but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature's bonus instead of yours. If the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can't use them.
- When you transform, you assume the insect's hit points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. However, if you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form, For example, if you take 10 damage in animal form and have only 1 hit point left, you revert and take 9 damage. As long as the excess damage doesn't reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren't knocked unconscious.
- You can't cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your insect form. Transforming doesn't break your concentration on a spell you've already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell, such as Call Lightning, that you've already cast.
- You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can't use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.
- You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the KT decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature's shape and size. Your equipment doesn't change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.
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