Circle of the Lightwardens

Lightwardens are a unique Naikru variation of druids, invented as a permutation to the standard process in which the life cycle occurs by a certain infamous sibling of Gaia. Instead of energy only being transmitted via nutrients, in order to promote complexity and intelligence in the plant life, energy in the form of information was also passed via lightwaves. This civilization experiment is generally considered to be a success, resulting in the teachings of the Lightwardens to continue unto sections of the realms.

Level 3: Circle of the Lightwardens Spells

When you reach a Druid level specified in the Circle of the Lightwardens Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.

Circle of the  Lightwardens Spells

Druid Level	Prepared Spells
3	Guiding Bolt, Shield of Faith, Light, Shining Smite, Spider Climb
5	Daylight, Speak With Plants
7	Fount of Moonlight, Sickening Radiance
9	Wall of Light, Awaken

Level 3: Lightspeak

You can emit a small ray of light that extends up to 1 mile long in a straight line. This light contains any stored information you send, which can be understood by other speakers of this language who make contact with the light. It is possible to send Morse codes this way. In dim light or darkness, this light is noticeable to all creatures, though it's contents aren't automatically understood.

Examples of information include images, words, concepts and memories. However, this does not automatically allow creatures to gain languages or skills, as the amount of information sent is often required to be limited so that it can be easily comprehended.

If you can speak with a creature or object that has no languages normally, such as plants, lightspeak can also be used to communicate with them. 

At level 12, your lightspeak can be stored inside of trees to save information. Other creatures with lightspeak can see this information, as if speed reading through a book. Trees and other foliage also facilitate your lightspeak to travel not unlike a neurological network, pulling the light from tree to tree in order to reach the target, possibly extending it's potential range.

Level 3: Infusion of Light

When you cast the druidcraft spell, you learn a new option to select from it's list, the Light Infusion. Using your inner light, you infuse target natural object with a number of blessings, based on it's relative size:

Leaf (Small): The natural object takes on the properties of a Goodberry, except it does not heal the creature, and allows it to understand Lightspeak for 24 hours.

Bush (Medium): Creatures within 5ft (or inside) this object have advantage on stealth saving throws, and gain the benefits of half cover.  This effect lasts for 24 hours, but if it refreshed regularly without the duration ending over the course of 30 days, it becomes permanent.

Tree (Large): Creatures of your choice who move to be within 10ft of the tree must succeed on a strength saving throw against your spell save DC, or be restrained by magical roots until the start of their next turn. The tree effect lasts for 24 hours, but if it refreshed regularly without the duration ending over the course of 30 days, it becomes permanent.

a DM may decide what qualifies as an object that is natural in their setting

Level 6: Specialized Role

Lightwardens are not all the same, picking between a number of subjects for which to focus themselves based on their skillset. When you gain this feature, choose one option from below.

• Sentry: If you do not expend any movement, you enter sentry stance. If a creature moves anywhere within your reach, you may make an unarmed attack against them. On a successful hit against a creature your size or smaller, they are also grappled by you, assuming you have an open hand. 
• Protector: When you use a feature that allows you to choose to take damage (such as taking damage for another creature, or damaging your self) or pay hit points, you may pay/take half as much.
• Cavalier: You and your mount do not provoke opportunity attacks while you are mounted. 
• Skycounter: Whenever you hit a (actively) flying creature with an attack or damage via failed saving throw, they fall, losing whatever flight speed they have until the end of your next turn.

 Once you have reached level 10 (Druid), you may pick a second specialization from this list. 

Level 10: Light Warding

When you make an attack action with an unarmed attack, you may weave in the power of your light as a part of your combo. After the attack is made, you may cast a spell from your Lightwarden subclass spell table as a bonus action. 

Whenever you cast a Lightwarden subclass spell, you become empowered until the end of your next turn. You grow up  to one size larger, and unlock a new option for your wild shape: Plantshape. When using this wildshape option, target one willing plant creature within 5ft of you. It transforms into one of your available wildshape options, using your stats, duration and abilities, except the creature is a plant instead of a beast. It takes it's turns in combat directly after you. 

Level 14: Royal Order

You may take an action to call upon the light spirits of other lightspeakers from the surrounding area to action. Areas with high density of natural plant life will have more spirits, while areas with less will have less spirits. by default, you summon an amount of spirits equal to your twice your druid level, adding or subtracting up to 60 spirits based on the amount of natural plant life, or lack thereof in your immediate environment. (for example, a forest would award 60, while an empty plane of magic would award 0. A metropolitan city where trees have been trampled to create it might be worth a negative value).

These spirits gather together in a radius equal to their total size in feet, rounded down to the nearest 10. They act as if you had cast the spell Guardian of Faith, except it deals damage equal to the amount of spirits, and only disappears after one minute. It takes the visage of the King of the Bears, patron king-saint of the Lightwardens.