SWARMKEEPER
Whereas other druids commune with nature or even the spirit of a city, swarmkeepers find beauty and strength in decay, and they draw their power from fungus, disease, and their own singular will to survive.
Entomology (Su)
At 1st level, a swarmkeeper has gained sufficient knowledge of the bugs, insects, arachnids, and other assorted creepy-crawlies of the natural world that she can weaponize them in much the same way that a typical herbalist does her herbalism plants. When using the find herbs class feature to determine her herbalism plants for the day, if a swarmkeeper has at least one empty preservation vessel, she can declare her next find herbs roll to be searching for bugs. To search for bugs, a swarmkeeper rolls on the appropriate biome's find herbs table as normal, but does NOT collect any of the herbalism plants marked with an asterisk (*) on the rolled table entry. In exchange for giving up these plants, a swarmkeeper also rolls on that biome's entomology table and collects the bug listed on the rolled table entry. If a biome table has no asterisks (*), then the swarmkeeper cannot look for bugs in that biome. Additionally, as searching for microcosm plants and searching for bugs both replace herbalism plants marked with an asterisk (*), a swarmkeeper cannot both search for bugs and search for microcosm herbs with the same find herbs roll. She must choose one or the other. This ability alters find herbs.
Foraging (Ex)
At 1st level, whenever a swarmkeeper collects her herbalism plants for the day with the find herbs class feature, she also collects 1 unit of generic produce. This unit of generic produce is treated as an herbalism plant with a point value of 1 for the purpose of feeding bugs. At 6th level and every six levels thereafter, a swarmkeeper collects an additional unit of generic produce, to a maximum of 4 units of produce at 18th level.
Vermin Familiar (Ex):
A swarmkeeper bonds with a vermin familiar, treating her druid level as her wizard level for the purposes of determining her familiar’s abilities. She must select her familiar from the following options: cockroach, greensting scorpion, house centipede, rat, sawleg locust, or scarlet spider. A vermin familiar does not gain the share spells or deliver touch spells abilities.
As a standard action, a swarmkeeper can cause her familiar to burst forth into a full swarm of identical creatures, filling four contiguous 5-foot squares and gaining temporary hit points equal to half its master’s maximum hit points. While in swarm form, the familiar loses the improved evasion and scry on familiar special abilities. It uses its normal AC, saving throws, and skill bonuses, and it gains the swarm subtype and the ability to make swarm attacks (dealing 1d6 points of damage at 1st level and using the swarmkeeper's class level as the swarm’s Hit Dice to determine damage increases as per the swarm subtype). The swarmkeeper is immune to her own familiar’s swarm attack.
Beginning at 5th level, any creature damaged by a vermin familiar’s swarm attack must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw (DC = 10 + 1/2 the swarmkeeper's class level + the swarmkeeper’s Wisdom modifier) or be sickened for 1d6 rounds. At 12th level, creatures that fail their Fortitude saving throws instead become nauseated.
A swarmkeeper can transform her familiar into a swarm a number of times each day equal to her Wisdom modifier (minimum 1), and the transformation lasts for 1 minute per druid level, or until the swarmkeeper reverts her familiar back to a singular form as a standard action. A vermin familiar cannot be reduced in size to Diminutive or smaller when in swarm form. This ability replaces druidic circle and nature bond.
Vermin Empathy (Su):
A swarmkeeper can improve the attitude of vermin as a normal druid can with animals. Vermin have a starting attitude of unfriendly. The swarmkeeper can also improve the attitude of animals and mindless undead creatures that were formerly animals, but she takes a –4 penalty on the check unless the animal or undead has a disease special attack. Finally, the swarmkeeper can also improve the attitude of vermin swarms, but she takes a -4 penalty on the check unless the swarm consists of the same kind of vermin as her vermin familiar or her current wild shape.This ability replaces wild empathy.
Swarmcaller (Sp):
At 3rd level, a swarmkeeper can summon a swarm of vermin once per day as a standard action. This functions like summon swarm, except the swarm the swarmkeeper summons must be a cockroach, locust, or spider swarm. If she uses this ability during the surprise round or first round of combat, flat-footed creatures gain the shaken condition (this doesn’t stack with other fear effects). At 9th level, she adds army ant, centipede, and wasp swarms to the list of swarms she can call with this ability. This replaces trackless step and weathered.
Miasma (Ex):
Starting at 5th level, if a swarmkeeper is adjacent to a creature at the beginning of its turn, the creature must succeed at a Fortitude save with a DC of 10 + 1/2 the druid’s level + the druid’s Wisdom modifier or become sickened for 1 round. A creature of the animal, fey, or plant type that fails its save is nauseated for 1 round and sickened for 1 minute thereafter. If the creature makes its save, it is immune to this effect for 24 hours, as are creatures immune to disease. This ability replaces wild speech.
Swarm Chosen (Ex):
At 8th level, a swarmkeeper is no longer damaged by swarms with the vermin creature type and is immune to the distraction ability of swarms. She may use skills involving patience and concentration while within a swarm without a Will save. In addition, she gains immunity to effects that would cause her to become sickened or nauseated. This ability replaces the ability to wild shape into magical beasts.
Blightblooded (Ex):
At 9th level, a swarmkeeper and her vermin familiar gain immunity to all diseases, including natural and supernatural diseases.
Decompose (Ex):
At 11th level, a swarmkeeper can gain energy from rapidly decaying and absorbing the corpses of living creatures. Decomposing requires 1 minute of concentration while the druid touches the corpse. After 1 minute, the corpse is destroyed (as the disintegrate spell). For 1 day per Hit Die of the dead creature the druid does not require food, drink, or sleep. She can still gain beneficial effects from consumable items (such as potions or heroes’ feast). This ability replaces legendary herbalist.
Swarm Shape (Su):
At 14th level, a swarmkeeper can use wild shape to transform into a swarm of vermin, functioning as swarm skin, but not allowing her to split into more than one contiguous swarm. She doesn’t leave her gear behind when she uses this ability, and she can revert to her mundane form normally. This ability replaces the normal wild shape option gained at 14th level.
Plaguebearer (Su):
Starting at 15th level, any creature that strikes a swarmkeeper with a touch attack, unarmed strike, or natural weapon must succeed at a Fortitude save with a DC of 10 + 1/2 the druid’s level + the druid’s Wisdom modifier or contract a disease, as the contagion spell. If the creature makes its save, it is immune to this effect for 24 hours. This ability replaces friend of the animals.
Personal Swarm (Su):
At 16th level, a swarm of insects inhabits the area around the swarmkeeper's body. This swarm has a total number of hit points equal to the druid's total hit points, and can damage enemies within 30 feet of her. As a standard action, the swarmkeeper may cause both her swarm and an enemy within 30 feet to lose up to 2 hit points per class level she possesses. The swarm cannot inflict more damage than its current hit point total. If the swarm is reduced to 0 hit points, it ceases to exist until it regains at least 1 hit point. Whenever the swarmkeeper takes damage, her blood transforms into more insects. Each hit point she loses replenishes her swarm by one hit point, up to a maximum equal to her hit point maximum. The swarm can take damage, has an AC and touch AC of 25, and is immune to mind-affecting abilities. It automatically fails all saving throws.