Druids of the Circle of Bones walk a precarious path between life and undeath. They see the powers of necromancy as just another tool to be used to protect nature against those who would harm her. Yet they themselves use magic that goes against the natural cycle of of life and death to do so.

A druid that chooses this path explores powers that border the precipice of all that most druids hold as taboo. It is not unusual for Circle of Bone druids (or Dread Shamans, as they are known in some circles) to fall into that abyss and fully succumb to vile magics of undeath.

Other druid enclaves have strained relationships with those who choose to entrench themselves in these vile practices. Though their motives may be noble, they believe that by embracing this perversion of nature, these druids become what their kind was meant to oppose. Yet, as dangerous and corrupting as it may be, it cannot be denied that great power awaits those who make this darkness their own.

Circle Spells

2nd-level Circle of Bones feature

Your association to and understanding of the powers of undeath grants you access to certain spells. At 2nd level, you learn the sapping sting* cantrip.

At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to the spells listed for that level in the Circle of Bones 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 Bones Spells

Druid Level	Spells
2nd	sapping sting*
3rd	speak with dead, inflict wounds
5th	animate dead, life transference*
7th	blight, death ward
9th	danse macabre*, negative energy flood*

* these spells cannot be found in the player's handbook or the elemental evil player companion and can therefore not be included as spells listed in the spell section of your character sheet. You can however add them to the list by including a dummy item with the marked spells.

Pulse of Decay

2nd-level Circle of Bones feature

Your understanding of the powers of undeath enables you to channel these dark energies to bolster your spells and make them more destructive.

Pulse of Decay

You gain the ability bolster your spells with necrotic energy. As a free action, you can expend a charge to deal an additional 1d6 + your Wisdom Modifier necrotic damage to a creature or object that you have hit with a spell that deals damage (the damage type of that spell is irrelevant). You can choose to do so after the success of your attack roll (or their saving throw) has already been determined. If a spell affects more than one creature, you must choose one out of the affected creatures that becomes the target of the additional necrotic damage. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier. You regain all charges once you finish a long rest. The necrotic damage increases to 2d6 at 6th level, 2d8 at 10th level, and 2d10 at 14th level.

Soulless Servant

2nd-level Circle of Bones feature

You gain the ability to create servants out of animals that have drawn their last breath. As an action, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to target a dead beast that they can see within 30 feet of them. The target is then revived as an Undead under the Druid's control. The creature obeys the Druid's commands for the next 24 hours, or until the druid uses their Wild Shape feature again to maintain the creatures undead existence for another 24h. A dead Beast whose challenge rating is greater than half the druid's level (rounded down) is immune to this effect. Once a your Soulless Servant is reduced to 0 HP, they cannot be reanimated again by any means.
Healing. The Soulless Servant doesn't profit from regular healing magic and can only regain Hit Points through the use of spells that belong to the school of Necromancy. Alternatively, the Druid can expend one or more spell slots during a 10 minute ritual to mend the servant's wounds. For each expended spell slot, the servant regains 1d8 + your Wisdom Modifier HP per slot level. This ritual can also be performed during a short rest.
Combat. In combat the Soulless Servant takes its turn immediately after the Druid. The Druid can issue commands to the creature as a free action, which it follows to the best of its abilities. Should the Druid not issue any commands the Soulless Servant defends itself and the Druid as best as possible (at the DMs discretion).
Stat Changes. A reanimated beast that becomes a Soulless Servant gains the full amount of HP for that creature and undergoes the following changes.

• The creature's type becomes Undead.
• The creature gains the following abilities, resistances and immunities:

Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the Soulless Servant to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the Soulless Servant drops to 1 hit point instead.
Damage Immunities. poison
Condition Immunities. poisoned

• The Soulless Servant's intelligence becomes 4.

•  The Soulless Servant understands whatever commands the Druid gives to it, but is otherwise unable to comprehend language.

Profane Harvester

6th-level Circle of Bones feature

As your affinity for the foul powers of undeath has increased, you have found ways to harvest the energies inherent to death. If you or your Soulless servant kill a creature, you can use your reaction to gain one of the following benefits (you can only obtain 1 benefit this way, even if an attack killed multiple creatures). Multiple benefits can be active at the same time, but the temporary Hit Points don't stack.

• Undead Vitality - Druid. The Druid gains 2d8 + your Wisdom Modifier temporary Hit Points for 1 minute or until they have been reduced to 0.
• Undead Vitality - Soulless Servant. The Druid's Soulless Servant gains 2d8 + your Wisdom Modifier temporary Hit Points for 1 minute or until they have been reduced to 0..
• Undead Resolve. The Druid or their Soulless Servant gain advantage on their next attack roll or saving throw. Before your Druid makes that attack roll or saving throw, you can choose if you want to gain advantage on that roll. If not, the benefit passes to your Soulless Servant and its next attack roll or saving throw. If unused, this benefit fades after 1 minute.
• Undead Surge. The next time the Druid or their Soulless Servant roll damage, you can re-roll any ones or twos but must keep the new result. If unused, this benefit fades after 1 minute.

Necromancy Savant

10th-level Circle of Bones feature

Your mastery of necromancy becomes more prominent and enables to control the powers of undeath in more efficient ways.
Empowered Servant. Your Soulless Servants attacks count as magical (for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity).
Haunted Rebuke. When a creature destroys an undead that you control, you can use your reaction to force them to make a Wisdom Saving Throw against your Spell Save DC. If the saving throw fails, the creature takes 2d10 necrotic damage. On a success the damage is halved.
The damage increases by 1d10 if the undead that was destroyed, was your Soulless Servant.

Herald of Decay

14th-level Circle of Bones feature

The aura of undeath surrounds you like an ominous portent.

• Any Undead that starts its turn within 10 feet of you or enters the area for the first time on its turn, must succeed on a Wisdom Saving Throw against your Spell Save DC or become frightened of you until the start of their next turn. Undead with an Intelligence of 6 or lower have disadvantage on their saving throw.
• You gain resistance to necrotic damage. If your character is already resistant to necrotic damage, they instead gain immunity to necrotic damage.
• Your spells and attacks ignore resistance against necrotic damage.
• In addition you are able to cast speak with dead at will.

Dummy Feature

This Dummy Feature is included as there is a Glitch in DnD Beyond that requires the inclusion of a 3rd-level feature, even though the Druid doesn't have one. Please ignore this entry.

Dummy Feature

Please ingore this feature. It stems from a glitch in DnD Beyond that requires a 3rd-level feature, even though druids don't have one.