Minmaxing an un-optimized concept

[Danielqueue1]

A druid/warlock focused mostly on bugs. Giant insect, conjure animals for giant spiders, infest and that Xtge warlock invocation for insect swarms. What would be the most effective way to build this concept?

1. I know doing something else is going to be more optimized, but I am setting this up for a specific game with a theme.

2. The DM does not allow UA.

3. Point-buy stats.

[Man_Over_Game]

A druid/warlock focused mostly on bugs. Giant insect, conjure animals for giant spiders, infest and that Xtge warlock invocation for insect swarms. What would be the most effective way to build this concept?

1. I know doing something else is going to be more optimized, but I am setting this up for a specific game with a theme.

2. The DM does not allow UA.

3. Point-buy stats.

In any scenario, I'd go into the Great Old One for the Warlock, picking the Quasit as your 3rd level boon. Treat it as if you're bonded to some great hive mind planar worm thing.

From there, you have two choices:

Go melee, with the Druid of Spores that's in the new book that's coming out. It uses fungi, necrotic and poison damage. It'd fit the bill quite nicely. At Warlock level 5, you can also pick up Cloak of Flies, and you can also pick up the Mage Armor or Gift of the Ever Living Ones for additional health.
--OR--
Go ranged, utilizing the Druid of Shephards for the AoE buffs, and just reflavor the aura totems to something else (Like Beetle for Bear, Mantis for Hawk, and Worm for Unicorn).

[Kadesh]

Warlock doesn't mesh with Druid due to needing 5 levels minimum.

Straight Druid 20 is the best way to do it, with Moon Druid to take its shape. All 'Vermin' are now Beasts in 5e, and you can fluff your Elemental Shape as something like a Dragonfly, (Air), Centipede (Earth), Mantis Shrimp (Water), or Scorpion (Fire).

Just spit balling, mind.

[Trustypeaches]

My suggestion would be to ignore Warlock and go Circle of Spores as your Druid class, for which an official (and slightly underpowered) version from the upcoming Guildmasters Guide to Ravnica has been leaked.

Their class features revolve around an aura of necromantic spores that you can easily reflavor to a swarm of insects, potentially necromantic insects like the Necrophages.

[Cynthaer]

Warlock doesn't mesh with Druid due to needing 5 levels minimum.

Straight Druid 20 is the best way to do it, with Moon Druid to take its shape. All 'Vermin' are now Beasts in 5e, and you can fluff your Elemental Shape as something like a Dragonfly, (Air), Centipede (Earth), Mantis Shrimp (Water), or Scorpion (Fire).

Just spit balling, mind.

I'm inclined to agree. I'm not concerned with mechanical optimization; it's just that I think 5 extra levels of Druid will do more for the "insect mage" concept than 5 levels of Warlock. Pretty much no matter what level you're at, you're no more than 2 Druid levels away from another insect-themed spell of some kind.

You don't need to get into Unearthed Arcana, but I think your best bet for the character concept long-term is to work with your DM on two things:

1) Agree to let you reskin spells/features as insect-themed where reasonable.

Some of that doesn't really need DM approval. For instance, you might describe casting Protection from Poison as "a stinger grows from my finger; I sting the fighter with it, and the poison magically inoculates her." Or Gust of Wind could manifest as ghostly butterfly wings on your back blowing enemies around.

Even mild mechanical changes should be fairly non-controversial, like changing Flaming Sphere to be a swarm of insects that deals poison damage instead of fire.

2) At higher levels, provide some higher-CR insects.

The highest CR insect in 5e is the Giant Scorpion at CR 3. If you go with Circle of the Moon, you'll eventually need something bigger to Wildshape into, and in any case you'll want some more powerful creatures for Polymorph, Animal Shapes, or Shapechange. You may also want some more variety at lower levels, but that's less important IMO.

I don't think either of these requires too much work from your DM or impacts the game balance much. (If anything, having all your spells dealing poison damage makes you weaker than normal.) If your DM is on board, I think straight Druid is your best bet—Moon if you want to transform, Shepherd if you want to summon, or Land if you just like insect-themed spells.

[Danielqueue1]

Unfortunately Ravnica is not open until DM gets the book otherwise I definitely would have gone with that. Thank you all for the suggestions.

[Ganders]

I've done the druid-warlock before. Not really optimal, but extra spell slots do come in handy in emergencies.

First of all, you can wear armor. At minimum, find yourself a wooden shield and a breastplate of chitin from some big bug.

Second, take full advantage of your cantrips: druids get Move Earth and Guidance, either can get Infestation. If you're trying to optimize, be sure to ask your DM whether Infestation can force extra damage from Booming Blade.

You can change your druid spells every day so no need to worry over your choices. But remember that you'll want to use some of your low-level druid slots for low-level warlock spells. Many warlock spells work just fine in low-level slots including Darkness, Mirror Image, Misty Step, and Shield if you have it.

[Mr.Spastic]

For the druid levels I would recommend the Underdark circle of land. You get web and spider clime and more spellslots brought back on a short rest. For the warlock I think that the great old one fits best. Then you just grab the invocations you want.

[ATHATH]

Was this concept at all inspired by the Druid-related stuff in the KotFT expansion for Hearthstone?

[RickAsWritten]

Drop Spike Growth(which you can flavor as a swarming plague of locusts), and then Repelling Blast and Thorn Whip to your heart's open circulatory system's content.