Otherworldly Patron - The Hive

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## The Hive
Through circumstances desperate or sinister, you have found yourself sworn into the service of the swarms of a hivemind or perhaps an alien entity that presides over them. Through your benefactor's guidance, you have learned to weave the discordant voices of thousands into the will of one mind, and use this power to sow chaos in your wake on the battlefield.

The intentions of these cunning and enigmatic yet beastial beings are incredibly difficult to glean, even for one with such a unique bond as yourself. Their directives may range from instinctual to frighteningly intelligent; their motives unfathomably deep or horrifyingly base.

#### Expanded Spell List
The Hive lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.

##### Hive Expanded Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|:----:|:-------------|
| 1st | *detect poison and disease, ray of sickness* |
| 2nd | *blindness/deafness, web* |
| 3rd | *plant growth, stinking cloud* |
| 4th | *dominate beast, Evard’s black tentacles* |
| 5th | *contagion, insect plague* |

#### Skittering Scourge
Beginning at 1st level, you know the *infestation* cantrip, which does not count against your known cantrips.

In addition, when a creature fails its saving throw against this spell, you can choose the direction they move in instead of rolling a die.

#### Children of the Swarm
Also at 1st level, you can summon the young of your hive to feed on your fallen enemies. When you slay a creature, you can cause a ravenous cloud of insects to erupt from its body as a reaction. Any hostile creature that begins their turn or moves within 5 feet of the target corpse suffers your Charisma modifier + half your warlock level in piercing damage (minimum of 1).

The swarm will disperse after 1 minute, or if the target corpse is destroyed, revived, raised as an undead creature or if you use this feature again on another slain creature. This feature can't be used on any creature that is not made of organic matter, such as constructs and elementals.

#### Relentless Instinct
Starting at 6th level, the unceasing hunger of your patron drives you in your service of the hive.  Your movement speed is increased by 10 feet while you aren't wearing medium or heavy armour.

In addition, you can use your reaction when you would be subjected to the grappled, restrained, stunned or paralyzed conditions to ignore them and end the condition, or suspend any effect that would slow your movement, such as difficult terrain, until the end of your turn.

Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

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#### Queen's Chosen
Starting at 10th level, you have advantage on saving throws against poison and gain resistance to poison damage as the blood of your patron courses through your veins.

In addition, you can send a surge of insects forth at a creature within 10 feet as a bonus action, dealing piercing damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). This affected creature can't make opportunity attacks until the end of your turn.

You can use this surging swarm twice, and regain these uses when you finish a short or long rest.

#### One of Many
Starting at 14th level, you can discorporate into a swarm as a bonus action. You can spend up to 1 minute in this form however the time spent does not need to be contiguous. You regain all expended time in this form when you finish a long rest. This effect is similar to the *gaseous form* spell except for the following differences:

* Your flight speed is 60 feet.
* You can discard this form freely on your turn without using an action.
* It does not require concentration nor any components.

When you discard this form, you can also choose to cause a second massive swarm to burst forth as an action. Each hostile creature within 15 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw against your warlock spell save DC. On a failed saving throw a creature suffers 4d10 piercing damage and takes half damage on a success.

This area is considered difficult terrain and heavily obscured only for hostile creatures until the end of your next turn. Once you use this surging swarm, you can't do so again until you have finished a long rest.

<br>

> ##### Credits
> * Written by **/u/PeanutJayGee**
> * Background style rules by **/u/JorgeRMH**
> ___
> ##### Art
> **Insectoid Queen's Guard**
> 
> **[ThemeFinland](https://themefinland.deviantart.com/art/Insectoid-queen-s-guard-662767507)**
> ___
> **Necrophage Hive Concept**
>
> **[Endless Legend](https://endless-legend.wikia.com/wiki/Necrophages)**
> ___
> ___
>
> ##### Note
> The *infestation* cantrip provided by the Skittering Scourge feature can be found in the Wizards of the Coast Unearthed Arcana or Xanathar's Guide to Everything.

\pagebreakNum

### Quirks

Warlocks of a Hive patron are often regarded as frightening individuals who spend much of their time living amongst creatures others would consider vermin. This stigma is often well justified, as they commonly exhibit disturbing behaviours imparted by the influence of the hive.

##### Hive Warlock Quirks
| d8 | Quirk |
|:----:|:-------------|
| 1 | You have an unnerving reflexive twitch. |
| 2 | You tend to attract insects regardless of your state of hygiene. |
| 3 | If one looks closely, the surface of your eyes appear segmented. |
| 4 | Your skin is covered in stings, bite marks and scars. |
| 5 | You often get the urge to collect large amounts of flowers. |
| 6 | You often find yourself distracted, observing the behaviour of insects.
| 7 | You are disappointed that you don't find rotting meat palatable, as it smells delightful. |
| 8 | Every now and then, a bug will fly out of your mouth while you are talking. This is perfectly normal.

<br>

> ##### You Pact Boon
> The following are suggestions for the appearance and style of your pact boon as a warlock of the Hive.
> 
> **Pact of the Chain.** Rather than assuming the form of another creature, the Hive patron prefers to send minions from their own number to aid their supplicants. Able to run down and track prey with frightening efficiency, the hive warrior is greatly favoured for scouting over long distances.
>
> **Pact of the Blade.** Your pact weapon may take on a living appearance, slowly pulsing with sickening vigour; or it may appear as weapon adorned with insectoid ornamentation, which occasionally crawl along its surface.
>
> **Pact of the Tome.** Your Book of Shadows appears as a book of entomological illustrations; or a stained tome bound with sinew and chitin.
>
>**Pact of the Talisman.** Your talisman may be a fragment of petrified honeycomb, a large mandible or an insect preserved in amber.
> 
> <a href='https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/SJANpaJ3-'>For the rules of the Pact of the Talisman, please see here</a>.

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### Pact of the Chain Familiar
The following familiar is provided as an additional choice for warlocks who have chosen the Pact of the Chain.

#### Hive Warrior
The hive warrior is a massive flying insect bred to protect and fight for their swarm. They are significantly more intelligent than their lesser brethren, aiding them in devising simple harassment tactics, laying ambushes, and relentlessly tracking their prey.

___
> ## Hive Warrior
>*tiny beast, unaligned*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 14
> - **Hit Points** 13 (3d4 + 6)
> - **Speed** 10 ft., burrow 5 ft., fly 60 ft.
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|9 (-1)|18 (+4)|15 (+2)|5 (-3)|16 (+3)|5 (-3)|
>___
> - **Skills** Perception +5, Stealth +6, Survival +5
> - **Damage Resistances** poison
> - **Senses** darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 10 ft. (only when burrowed), passive Perception 15
> - **Languages** one language known by its master
> - **Challenge** 1 (200 XP)
> ___
> ***Menace.*** Once on the hive warrior's turn, if it flies within 5 feet of a creature that is Large or smaller, it can force them to succeed a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of their next turn. On a successful save the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours. This save is made with disadvantage if the hive warrior has attacked the creature on the same turn.
>
> ***Skirmisher Instinct.*** The hive warrior can take the Disengage action as a bonus action. 
>
> If the hive warrior moves 30 feet or more on its turn, ranged attacks against it are made with disadvantage until the beginning of its next turn.
>
> ***Putrefying Saliva.*** The hive warrior can spend 10 minutes to rapidly accelerate the decomposition of the corpse of a Large or smaller creature, leaving nothing behind. This does not work with constructs or elementals.
>
> ### Actions
> ***Bite.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. *Hit*: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage, and 2 (1d4) poison damage.

\pagebreakNum

## Eldritch Invocations
The following invocations have been added as additions for the Hive patron.

#### Bloated Servants
*Prerequisites: The Hive patron, 7th level*
___

You can cast the *giant insect* spell once using a warlock spell slot. You can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

#### Crawling Chorus
*Prerequisite: The Hive Patron*
___

You can add your Charisma modifier to the damage dealt when you cast *infestation*, and you can move a creature up to 10 feet in a chosen direction when they fail their saving throw against this spell.

#### Million Whispers
*Prerequisite: The Hive patron, Pact of the Tome feature, 9th level*
___

You can perform a 10 minute ritual while holding your Book of Shadows to commune with all insects within 3 miles. This effect is similar to the *commune with nature* spell, however a group of insects will also lead you along the shortest path to one location of your choice, and you gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Wisdom (Survival) checks while you remain within 30 feet of this guiding insect swarm.

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#### Queen's Sting
*Prerequisite: The Hive patron, Pact of the Blade feature*
___
You can conjure a sickly green spear made from the stinger of some monstrous insect using your Pact of the Blade feature. This weapon has the finesse property. When you score a critical hit with this weapon the target creature suffers an additional 1d8 poison damage and is poisoned until the end of your next turn.

When you throw this spear, you can cause a sickening miasma to erupt in the target's space, even if the attack misses. The target and every creature within 5 feet of it must make a Constitution saving throw against your warlock spell save DC. A creature takes 3d8 poison damage and is poisoned until the end of your next turn on a failed save, or takes half as much damage on a successful one. The spear will reform in your hand at the beginning of your next turn.

Once you use this poisonous burst, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

#### Tarsal Grip
*Prerequisite: The Hive Patron, 5th level*
___
You become naturally adept at climbing. You gain proficiency in the Athletics skill and a climb speed equal to your movement speed.

#### Warrior's Grace
*Prerequisites: The Hive patron, Pact of the Talisman feature, 5th level*
___
Once each turn, any creature carrying your talisman can move up to half its movement speed for free after they reduce another creature to 0 hit points. In addition, the creature holding your talisman is always under the effect of the *feather fall* spell.