Primeval Subclasses: Artificer, Druid, and Warlock
by u/Silverblade1234 (updated 7/3/2021)
This document details three new subclasses, inspired by prehistoric fantasy settings such as Planegea, but appropriate for any game (with your DM's permission, of course).
- Bonesmith, a new artificer subclass that crafts powerful necromatic creations.
- Circle of the Grove, a new druid subclass that allows you to use primal magic to become a capable warrior.
- The Great Wyrm, a warlock subclass that channels the might and fury of a draconic patron.
Subclass Spells
If a subclass has a list of bonus spells or an extended spell list, only spells from the Player's Handbook are used. If you own additional books with spells you think are appropriate, ask your DM if you can exchange them for the listed spells. For example, if you own Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, you might ask your DM if your bonesmith artificer can exchange the listed spell animate dead for the new spell summon undead.
Artificer Specialist: Bonesmith
If artificers are applied wizards, then bonesmiths are applied necromancers, using dark magic and macabre materials in their inventions. They know that the body holds power even after life has fled, and seek to harness that power in their necromantic creations. In prehistoric fantasy settings, bonesmiths are often known as bonekeepers, and they are both respected and feared for their dark craft.
Tool Proficiency
3rd-level Bonesmith feature
You gain proficiency with smith's tools. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan's tools of your choice.
Bonesmith Spells
3rd-level Bonesmith feature
You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Bonesmith Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
Bonesmith Spells
| Artificer Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | false life, inflict wounds |
| 5th | gentle repose, ray of enfeeblement |
| 9th | animate dead, revivify |
| 13th | blight, death ward |
| 17th | antilife shell, destructive wave |
Student of Death
3rd-level Bonesmith feature
You gain proficiency in the Medicine skill. You also learn a necromancy cantrip of your choice, which counts as an artificer cantrip for you but does not count against your number of cantrips known.
Bone Golem
3rd-level Bonesmith feature
You have forged a fearsome construct of bone and shadow, a bone golem. It's friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See its game statistics in the Bone Golem stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. Your golem also gains one augmentation of your choice, which are detailed under "Augmentations" below. Your golem gains an additional augmentation of your choice at 5th, 9th, and 15th level.
In combat, the golem shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action. On your turn, you can command it to use another action (one in its stat block, or some other action) using your action, your bonus action, or as part of casting an artificer cantrip. If you are incapacitated, the golem can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.
If the golem has died within the last hour, you can use your smith's tools as an action to revive it, provided you are within 5 feet of it and you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The golem returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points restored.
At the end of a long rest, you can create a new bone golem if you have smith's tools with you. If you already have a golem from this feature, the first one immediately perishes. The golem also perishes if you die. When you create a new golem, you can choose the same or different augmentations for it.
Bone Golem
Medium construct, neutral
- Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 2 + your Intelligence modifier + five times your artificer level (the golem has a number of Hit Dice [d8s] equal to your artificer level)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 4 (-3) 10 (+0) 6 (-2)
- Saving Throws Dex +0 plus PB, Con +2 plus PB
- Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
- Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, poisoned
- Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
- Languages understands the languages of its summoner but can't speak
- Challenge — Proficiency Bonus (PB) equals your bonus
Necrotic Absorption. Whenever the golem is subjected to necrotic damage, it takes no damage and instead regains a number of hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt.
Actions
Shadow Maul. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + PB necrotic damage.
Reactions
Soul Link. When you take damage within 60 feet of the golem, the golem can use its reaction to reduce the damage taken by half. The golem immediately takes the same amount of damage, which can't be reduced or prevented in any way.
Sympathetic Necromancy
5th-level Bonesmith feature
While you are within 60 feet of your bone golem, whenever you cast a damaging artificer spell, you can add your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +1) to one damage roll of the spell.
Power of the Grave
9th-level Bonesmith feature
You can draw on deep reserves when practicing your dark arts. When you use a spell slot of 1st level or higher to cast a necromancy spell, you can cast it as if you used a slot one level higher. If this spell creates or summons an undead creature, its hit point maximum is increased by an amount equal to your artificer level.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Advanced Golemancy
15th-level Bonesmith feature
You have reinforced your bone golem with a number of significant enhancements, making it a perfect expression of your necromantic craft.
- Your golem's attacks deal an additional die of damage, and ignore resistance to necrotic damage.
- Your golem has advantage on saving throws.
In addition, your extended exposure to necromantic energies has made you resistant to necrotic damage.
Augmentations
The augmentations are presented in alphabetical order.
Armored. The golem gains +2 to its AC, and has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.
Diseased. Any hostile creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of the golem must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or be poisoned until the start of its next turn.
Forceful. When the golem makes a successful melee attack on its turn, it can push its target up to 10 feet away from it.
Frightful. When the golem makes a successful melee attack on its turn, it can force its target to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the target is frightened until the end of the golem's next turn.
Guardian. When the golem makes a successful melee attack on its turn, its target has disadvantage on any attack roll it makes on a creature other than the golem, until the end of the golem's next turn.
Hulking. The golem's size becomes Large, its hit point maximum increases by your artificer level, and it has advantage on Strength checks and saving throws.
Necrotic. The golem can use the Shadow Bolt ranged spell attack as its action. It uses your spell attack modifier to hit, targets one creature the golem can see within 150 feet, and deals 1d6 + your proficiency bonus necrotic damage on a hit.
Swift. The golem's speed increases by 20 feet, and it doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it moves out of an enemy's reach.
Prehistoric Artificers
In prehistoric fantasy settings, artificers are often known as enchanters, and are a welcome sight around any campfire. Enchanters are artisans beyond compare, capable of crafting the finest weapons, armor, and equipment. But enchanters are especially valued for their ability to imbue their creations with magic—from spears that strike and return with the blessing of the winds, to shields that can blaze with the glory of the newborn sun, and so much more. But their craft invites danger, as everyone has heard cautionary tales of enchanters that pursued their genius too far, to their own ruin.
Druid Circle: Circle of the Grove
Druids belonging to the Circle of the Grove, commonly called grovewardens, seek to protect the green places of the world from beings that would threaten them. Some grovewardens support the responsible spread of civilization, helping to cultivate the farmland and forests needed for a kingdom to grow and thrive; others are sworn enemies of any that would encroach upon the unspoiled wilderness. They fight with weapon and spell, can call upon the old magic of deep woods, and even become more plant than person at the height of their power. In prehistoric fantasy settings, many druids of the Circle of the Grove are allied with ancient spirits of the deepest, darkest woods.
Sylvan Armory
2nd-level Circle of the Grove feature
You learn the shillelagh cantrip, which doesn't count against your number of cantrips known. For you, it has a duration of indefinite, and you can use it on any melee weapon that lacks the two-handed and special properties. You are proficient with any weapon affected by the shillelagh spell, and you can it as a spellcasting focus for your druid spells.
Verdant Form
2nd-level Circle of the Grove feature
As a bonus action, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to take on a verdant form, rather than transforming into a beast.
While in your verdant form, you retain your game statistics, but you become more plant-like; protective bark grows over your body, vines wrap themselves around you, and your skin takes on a green or brown coloration. The form lasts for 10 minutes. It ends early if you dismiss it (no action required), are incapacitated, die, or use this feature again. While in your verdant form, you gain the following benefits:
- You gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) at the start of each of your turns.
- You gain a bonus to any Constitution saving throw you make to maintain your concentration on a spell. The bonus equals your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1)
- Your melee weapon attacks deal an extra 1d4 damage to any target they hit. The extra damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class: at 5th level (1d6), 11th level (1d8), and 17th level (1d10).
Warden Magic
6th-level Circle of the Grove feature
Your primal magic fuels your combat prowess. On each of your turns while you are concentrating on a spell, including the turn when you cast it, you can make one attack with a weapon as a bonus action.
Woodfriend
10th-level Circle of the Grove feature
You speak the secret language of all things green and growing, and they regard you as a trusted friend. You can cast speak with plants at will, without expending a spell slot. When you use it to create difficult terrain, you can choose any number of creatures you can see within 30 feet of you to be unaffected by the difficult terrain.
Heart of the Forest
14th-level Circle of the Grove feature
The ancient woods have granted you their blessing, and you have been forever changed. Your creature type becomes plant. You have advantage on saving throws against poison and disease, and you have resistance against poison damage.
While in your verdant form, at the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) if you have no more than half of your hit points left and aren't incapacitated.
Warlock Patron: The Great Wyrm
You serve an ancient dragon of impossible power---and hunger. Perhaps you stole an object from its hoard that changed you, or perhaps you have sworn yourself to be the wyrm's agent outside its lair. However you gained its favor and survived, you carry a portion of its power out into the world, a small piece of a Dragon Soul. You can use this power to briefly channel the might of your patron, unleashing draconic terror and destruction upon your foes. In prehistoric fantasy settings, your patron might be one of the original progenitors of all dragonkind, legendary in pride and appetite.
Great Wyrm Type
You choose your patron's type or determine it randomly, using the Great Wyrm Type table. Your patron's associated damage type is used for several Great Wyrm features.
| d10 | Wyrm Type | Damage Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Black/Copper | Acid |
| 3–4 | Blue/Bronze | Lightning |
| 5–6 | Green | Poison |
| 7–8 | Red/Brass/Gold | Fire |
| 9–10 | White/Silver | Cold |
Expanded Spell List
1st-level Great Wyrm feature
The Great Wyrm lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The Great Wyrm Expanded Spells table shows the great wyrm spells that are added to the warlock spell list for you, along with the spells associated in the table with your patron's color: black, blue, green, red, or white.
Scalekin
1st-level Great Wyrm feature
Without the armored scales of your patron, you must turn to more conventional ways of protecting yourself. You gain proficiency with medium armor and shields. You also learn to speak, read, and write Draconic.
Dragon Soul
1st-level Great Wyrm feature
You can harness the might of the Dragon Soul bestowed upon you by your patron, a fragment of its draconic power. Once on your turn when you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can deal an extra 1d8 damage of your patron's damage type to your target, and apply one of the following effects:
- Dragon Fang. You also deal the extra damage to each other creature of your choice within 5 feet of your target.
- Maelstrom Winds. Your target must make a successful Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
- Terrifying Fury. Your target must make a successful Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
You can use this feature twice, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. You can use it an additional time at 6th level (three times) and 14th level (four times).
Draconic Affinity
6th-level Great Wyrm feature
You gain resistance to your patron's damage type, and your warlock spells ignore resistance against your patron's damage type. In addition, when you cast a damaging warlock spell, you can replace the spell's damage type with your patron's damage type.
Great Wyrm Expanded Spells
| Spell Level | Great Wyrm Spells |
Black/Copper Spells |
Blue/Bronze Spells |
Green Spells |
Red/Brass/Gold Spells |
White/Silver Spells |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | command | inflict wounds | compelled duel | ray of sickness | burning hands | fog cloud |
| 2nd | alter self | Melf's acid arrow | gust of wind | blindness/ deafness |
locate object | blur |
| 3rd | protection from energy |
water breathing | lightning bolt | stinking cloud | fireball | sleet storm |
| 4th | Leomund's secret chest |
phantasmal killer | freedom of movement |
greater invisibility | fire shield | ice storm |
| 5th | legend lore | insect plague | wall of stone | cloudkill | dominate person | cone of cold |
Might of the Ancients
10th-level Great Wyrm feature
Your draconic magic grows in power. The extra damage dealt by your Dragon Soul feature increases to 2d8. In addition, your Dragon Soul abilities are improved:
- Dragon Fang. Each damaged creature must also make a successful Constitution saving throw, or take 1d8 damage of your patron's damage type at the beginning of each of its turns, for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the save at the end of its turn, ending the effect on itself on a success.
- Maelstrom Winds. You can also fly up to half your speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
- Terrifying Fury. Your target also has disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes against a spell you cast before the end of your next turn.
Fury of the Wyrm
14th-level Great Wyrm feature
As an action, you can manifest the full might of your Dragon Soul. Some warlocks take an draconic features themselves, while others conjure a spectral dragon-spirit above them. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:
- You are immune to damage of your patron's damage type.
- You gain a flying speed equal to your current speed.
- When you use your Dragon Soul feature, you don't expend its uses.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Contact & Feedback
I welcome any and all feedback on any of my work! You can reach me on Discord at Silverblade#9212, and on Reddit at u/Silverblade1234. Thanks for reading, and I hope to hear from you!
Art Credit
