Druid
Circle of Roots [v1.3]
While many druids have a kinship with the deep woods of nature, a Circle of Roots druid has a connection that can go much deeper, where some may wonder where the will of the primordial woods ends and the will of the druid starts. Legends say that the first of these druids were woads who took human form, rather than humans that took woad form, but such things are lost to legend.
Frequently, regardless of the nature of their connection, these druids will feel most comfortable deep in nature, and place great value in its unspoiled form, sharing a world view more in common with dryads and treants than other mortals... perhaps they were even raised by such creatures, leading them to this path.
Members of this Circle stray toward what many would consider Neutral, not commonly becoming embroiled by mortal causes except where they overlap with their own concerns.
Circle of Roots Features
| Druid Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 2nd | Circle Spells, Tree Shape |
| 6th | Extra Attack |
| 10th | Ancient Fortitude |
| 14th | Guardian's Grasp |
Circle Spells
At 2nd 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 the Roots Spells table. Once you gain access to a circle spell, you always have it prepared, and it doesn't count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.
| Druid Level | Circle Spells |
|---|---|
| 2nd | bramble bindingK, grasping rootsK |
| 3rd | barkskin, sprout treeK |
| 5th | bramble barrierK, [PLACERHOLDER] |
| 7th | carnivorous gardenK, guardian of nature |
| 9th | commune with nature, tree stride |
Tree Shape
When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you gain an alternate use for Wild Shape. As a bonus action, you assume a treelike form, covered in leaves and bark, which lasts up to one hour, or until you end it as a bonus action or until you are incapacitated.
You gain the following properties when you transform:
- You can make yourself Large sized. If you do so, your reach becomes 10 feet.
- You can make a Wisdom (Athletics) check to initiate, maintain, or contest a grapple, and have a number of grappling appendages (in the form of grasping roots or branches) equal to your Wisdom modifier.
- Each appendage serves as a natural weapon under the effect of shillelagh. While in this form, you can cast shillelagh on any weapon you are carrying.
- Your AC is 10 + your Constitution modifier + your Wisdom modifier. You cannot benefit from the AC of armor or shields while in this form.
- You gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier + twice your Druid level when you transform into tree form. When the form ends, you lose any temporary hit points you have from it.
- When you take this form, you can expend a 1st level or higher spell slot. When you do so, the temporary hit points you gain increases by 1d8 per level of the spell slot spent.
- Any speed you have becomes 15 feet, unless the speed was lower. If you don't move during your turn, you have advantage on Ability Checks and Saving Throws against effects that would move you or knock you prone.
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 DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment. Your equipment doesn't change 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. You can cast spells as normal while in this form.
Note: Vulnerable Limbs!
A creature you are grappling can attack you regardless if you are in its normal attack range by attacking the limb grappling them.
Extra Attack
Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Ancient Fortitude
Beginning at 10th level, you gain the endurance of the most ancient trees of the great forests. While in Tree Form, if you have no temporary hit points at the start of your turn, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier. You can spend a spell slot to increase the amount of temporary hit points by 1d8 per level of the spell slot spent.
Additionally, if you have any temporary hit points when you take damage that forces you to make a Constitution saving throw to maintain Concentration on a spell, you can make the check with advantage (regardless if the damage exceeds your temporary hit points or not).
Crushing Grasp
Starting at 14th level, when a creature starts their turn grappled or restrained by you (by a grapple or a spell such as entangle), you can choose to crush them, dealing 2d6 bludgeoning damage to them.
Circle of Roots Quirks
The following are some optional quirks for a player of this Circle to choose from - these can be either preexisting, signaling their fated path toward this Circle, or appear after the first time they've assumed Tree shape.
| d6 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | You have a strong dislike of fire, and tend to put fires out when possible |
| 2 | Parts of skin resemble bark, even while in human form. |
| 3 | You find other mortals to always be in a terrible hurry. |
| 4 | You can taste 14 flavors of sunlight. Most of them are delicious. |
| 5 | Your hair is leaf green. On a bad hair day, you can't get the leaves out of your hair. |
| 6 | You tend to simply say your own name as means of communication. |
Change Log
v1.1
- Added Circle Spells - all of them are on the Druid list, but adds some flavor and gives you access to some thematic spells prepared.
- Ancient Fortitude revised, no longer effects maximum health.
- Guardian's Grasp damage increased to 2d6 damage.
- Spell and grammar fixes, spell list fixes (previously it gave 1st level spells at 3rd and 2nd at 5th, now it properly gives 2nd at 3rd and 3rd at 5th.)
v1.2
- Gains additional temporary hit points equal to their Wisdom modifier, to make it better at early levels. It still doesn't match moon druid, but gives them a solid buffer to make it slightly more comparable (especially given typically higher AC).
- Added new plant spells to the list.
- Changed Names.
- Formula changed from 10 + dex + con to 10 + con + wis. I used to avoid removing dex from AC, but hey, they are tree.
- Can no longer benefit from a shield in tree form. Still will be a total increase in AC as Wisdom scales.
- Simplified how your natural weapon works.
v1.3
- You can choose to spend spell slots to increase the temporary hit points of your Tree form by 1d8 per level spent. This better matches how certain druids that turn into animals works.
- You can likewise choose to spend a spell slot with Ancient Fortitude to increase the temporary hit points you regain.
- Crushing Grip is now optional.
Credits
- Subclass created by KibblesTasty
- Editing by Gabriel Russell
License
5e SRD Content
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at:
https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document
The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at:
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