Circle Of Passing

A druid of the circle of passing is one that has studied the ways of life and death; it's cycle as one in the natural order of the world. They spend their lives learning how to communicate with the other world in hopes of understanding death where others would fear it as the end; instead choosing to see it as another start to a life that no mortal can solve without diving into the void of the afterlife for themselves. One druid of the afterlife may choose to study the act of dying itself, taking special medicines to induce a death like state and connect their soul with the other side as a tether for their mortal body... Others, may choose to meditate and welcome other spirits into their own body to let them live once more for but a few moments as a spiritual medium, seeing the "Wildshape" ability together the druids as but a way for these beasts to live again inside their bodies. 

As a druid of passing, it is your choice and your blessing to nature to find beauty in the art of dying.. to see spirits where others see corpses, and see new life where others see Rot. 

Sight of the passage

You have learnt how to speak, interact and commune with the dead through your travels to the afterlife in a dream like state... You gain the ability to see the spirits of the recently slain, or passed beasts and plants that have died within 7 days and can cast "speak with dead" with them at will, allowing you to gain the benefits of "speak with animals" or "speak with plants" during the duration of the spell's activity. The animals can only answer 3 questions compared to the usual 5 however due to the magic needed to speak with them. 

Wilted circle

 

You have learnt to tap into the realm of death and afterlife to speak to and request the assistance of beasts that have long since passed, using your own body in a death like state to anchor Your gate to the afterlife in your current plane of existence.

As an action, using your Wildshape slot, you may enter a state of death-like meditation and create a 5x5ft circle of wilted life around you. From this circle you may summon a beast with a CR equal to or less than 1/3 of your level, all with the following effects.

• As spirits, they gain resistance to necrotic damage.

• You can share your senses with the beasts, allowing you to see/hear what they do.

•All summoned beasts act on your bonus action, requiring your bonus action to command them. Or else they simply defend themselves if attacked.

•The summoned beasts gain a + to their hp equal to your wisdom modifier × 5, and when one beast is destroyed, you may spend your action to summon another in its place.

The maximum number of beasts that can be summoned during this phase is equal to your wisdom modifier + 1 & only a single beast per turn may be summoned with your bonus action.

The beasts can be dispelled if: you lose concentration on maintaining it, you are pushed from the circle or, your hp drops to 0. During this phase, you are unable to move or take actions outside of controlling the gate and summons, which cannot move more than 100ft away from the gate. Just like a Wildshape, this feature lasts up to  number of hours equal to your druid level, halved, but can be dispelled at will.

A Touch Of Mourning

Your gateway to the afterlife has grown along with you in power, allowing you to tint the spirits summoned with the touch of their respective planes of death. Your summoned beasts now deal magical damage for the sake of overcoming resistances, and within your circle which has extended to 10x10ft, they can deal either radiant or necrotic damage equal to your level, based off your choice when summoning them.

When a creature is within the circle, you can use your action INSTEAD of summoning a beast, to deal either healing to them; or cause a constitution saving throw equal to your spell save to deal radiant or necrotic damage. This is done by sacrificing one of the spirits inside your circle at that time and is equal to your Character level + Beast CR

Stride Of passing

Just as your Wilted circle is now linked to the realms of death, You have linked it also to the essence of life within the realms you walk. You can now move your Wilted circle for half your movement speed each turn, which has now expanded to 20ft in radius.

When your wilted circle is active, you can use your action to shift yourself to the ethereal plane and move up to 100ft from your current position. You can only do this by sacrificing one of your summoned spirits to open the way to the ethereal plane. When you re-enter the material plane, all creatures within your wilted circle must make a constitution saving throw or else take 2d10 necrotic or radiant damage.  

As a passive action, things you grasp that can decay or rot can now be forced to do so with a bonus action, so long as the item is or was once living and does not possess more than 10hp. This includes wooden structures and meat

A second chance

With your soul anchored in the realms of life and death, it is within your power to bend the rules on those who have not yet been claimed by the hands of the reaper and instead grant them a second chance at life, twisting the reality of life and death with you yourself as an anchor. Your wilted circle has expanded to a 30ft radius

When a Creature would die or fail their last death saving throw in your wilted circle, You may offer your arms to them in embrace and welcome them into your wilted circle as one of your summoned beasts. During this time, they obey your commands or act on their own if you have not commanded them. They are not hostile to you or your party. When in this state, their body is considered at 0hp but not fully dead and can be revived if received enough healing to equal 1/2 of their hp maximum. Upon revival, the creature will be at 3 levels of exhaustion.