Circle of Thorns

Druidic circles, much like any other order, have their particular specialty. Some connect to the seasonal patterns of the sun or moon. Others delve into a more primal space where they connect to a more animalistic aspect to life. And others still, explore the surrounding flora and their imperceptible influence in our daily lives.

On very rare occasions though, do druids intentionally limit their scope to anything too specific - like a specific mountain, or animal and plant species. Most believe it is a grave ignorance of life and to the druidic calling when limiting oneself so harshly. You... could not disagree more. Your calling has been there since the first day when you discovered your druidic gifts. How exactly it started you forgot, or perhaps suppressed. It is irrelevant. The thorns surrounding your body do not care for such trivial matters - they care to survive, to thrive; perhaps to draw blood for all the pain and suffering you - and them - had to endure.

Your calling is to see the world shrouded in thorns. In perfection. To enact vengeful justice onto those that did you - and them - wrong. You are their champion, their host... you are them.

Body of Thorns

At 2nd level, your thorns begin to cover your body granting you additional protection. While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit. Furthermore, when a creature within 5 feet of you hits you with a melee attack, the attacker takes piercing damage equal to your Wisdom modifier. 

Circle Spells

Your symbiotic link to thorns and your ability to tap into the cycle of nature grants you access to certain spells. At 2nd level, you learn the Thorn Whip cantrip. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to the spells listed for that level in the Circle of Thorns Spells table.

Once you gain access to one of these spells, you always have it prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. If you gain access to a spell that doesn’t appear on the druid spell list, the spell is nonetheless a druid spell for you.

Circle of Thorns Spells

DRUID LEVEL	SPELLS
2nd	Entangle, Goodberry
3rd	Spike Growth, Protection from Poison
5th	Plant Growth, Speak with Plants
7th	Grasping Vine, Guardian of Nature
9th	Wrath of Nature, Tree Stride

Thorny Vine

At 6th level, you can magically summon a 10-foot long thorny vine at a point you can see within 60 feet of you. The plant lasts for 1 hour or until it is attacked or you use the Vengeful Thorns feature at later levels. It has AC 10, 1 hit point, but is only targetable when it is grappling another creature (retreats back into the ground otherwise).

As a bonus action on your turn, you can choose one of the following options:

• Summon another thorny vine (as long as the ground is made up of natural or worked soil or rock) and make a melee spell attack against one creature within 10 feet of it. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 + your Wisdom modifier magical piercing damage. When you reach 14th level in this class, the damage increases to 2d8 + your Wisdom modifier.
• Mentally command an already summoned thorny vine to use the attack to either make a melee spell attack or a grapple attack against one creature within 10 feet of it. A creature grappled by a Thorny Vine is occupies the same field as the plant and takes 1d4 magical piercing damage at the start of its turn. Furthermore, Thorny Vines that are grappling a creature cannot take the attack action and automatically stop their grapple when the Vengeful Thorns feature is used.

Thorny Vines cannot be summoned within each other's range, and you can summon a number equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Grasping Roots

At 10th level, you gain the following benefits:

• You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.
• Your movement is unaffected by difficult terrain and you can spend 5 feet of your movement to automatically escape from nonmagical restraints, such as manacles or a creature that is grappling you.

Vengeful Thorns

At 14th level, you can cause the plants summoned by your Thorny Vines feature to enter a vengeful frenzy. As an action, you command all your plants to attack the closest hostile target in range. This attack doubles a plant‘s attack range and causes 3d8 magical piercing damage, up from 2d8 + your Wisdom modifier.

This ability can be used once per long rest and your Thorny Vines perish afterwards.