Since somehow the publisher is bugged, i'm unable to properly publish this subclass. So i'll post it here.
Ive worked on this subclass for a player of mine who loves druids but detests animals and wild shape in general, prefering melee. He's not into anything but a full Druid so i came up with something a little OP for him, with which i'll need help to bring in line with other subclasses. Any advice is welcome!!
Thanks!
Circle of the Geomancers
Bonus Proficiency and Cantrip
When you select this circle at 2nd level, you learn the Mold Earth cantrip. It does not count towards your maximum number of cantrips known. You also gain proficiency with Mason’s Tools
Geomancy spells
The following spells become available to you at the indicated levels. They are always prepared and do not count against your maximum number of spells prepared.
Level
Spells Gained
3rd
Maximilian's Earthen Grasp, Earthbind
5th
Erupting Earth, Wall of Sand
7th
Stone Shape, Stoneskin
9th
Wall of Stone, Transmute Rock
11th
Bones of the Earth, Move Earth
Tectonic Mantle
At 2nd level, you can use a bonus action and expend one of your Wild Shape feature to instead cause the surrounding stone and earth to churn and crack, rising to meet your equipment as an additional layer of protection, giving you a semblance of appearance to an Earth Elemental. Your equipment is covered by this layer or earth, including any weapons, shields or armor you are wielding, but you however lose any bonus granted by any armor you may be wearing. You gain the following benefits for one minute after expending one use of your Wild Shape feature:
Your AC becomes 8 + your Proficiency and Wisdom modifiers. (minimum 16 AC)
You become vulnerable to Thunder damage
Your speed is reduced by half.
You gain resistance to Poison damage and advantage for saving throws against Poison
Advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks
Temporary hit points equal to your Druid level.
A single melee Stone Slam attack, dealing 1d8 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage.
A single ranged Boulder Throw attack, with a range of 30 feet, dealing 1d8 + your Strength ability modifier bludgeoning damage.
You can only cast spells granted by this Circle
Earthen Pulse
At 6th level, you develop the ability to use the power of the earth to greater effect. As an action, you can commune with the ground to sense your surroundings. You gain mental insight into the shape, composition and characteristics of the land in a radius of 1 mile. You can maintain this insight with Concentration for up to one minute. Once you use this feature you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Heart of stone
Upon reaching 10h level, you gain the ability to expend both uses of your Wild Shape while using Tectonic Mantle to further bolster yourself. Under this new, improved form, you also gain the following:
You gain tremorsense out to 30 feet if in contact with the ground
You gain the Multiattack action, using your Slam or Boulder Throw attacks twice instead of once. The damage of these attacks increases to 2d8 + your Strength ability modifier.
You gain the Earth Glide movement ability
Your size becomes Large, and your weapons and attacks deal an additional 1d4 damage.
Any weapon attack you perform is now considered magical.
Envoy of the Earthen Planes
Upon reaching 14th level, you gain the ability to expend both uses of your Wild Shape to transform into a true Earth Elemental. While transformed this way, you can speak normally and cast spells only granted to you by this Circle. Finally, you retain all abilities granted by your Tectonic Mantle and Heart of Stone features.
This is actually really interesting. Honestly though I think it's more restrictive than OP. Let's go step by step.
Bonus prof/cantrip: Nothing crazy here. It's pretty common theme to have that among many spell casting classes.
Circle spells: Again, nothing crazy. Its a good list and very earth themed.
Tectonic Mantle: This is interesting. The core of the class. I see it similar to the Bladesinger subclass of the wizard, but weaker in some ways. The armor class for example. The max AC would only be 19 with a prof bonus of +6 and a wisdom of 20 whereas a bladesinger would have ac 20 provided they had a 20 in both dex and int, but they also get stuff like mage armor, boosting it to 23 easily if not already wearing light armor.
The attacks are again interesting, but nothing that fancy. The cantrip Shillelagh gives the caster a d8 weapon based on wisdom while these attacks are strength based.
Then your speed is halfed, you gain a pretty small amount of temp HP, vulnerability to thunder, and some resistance to poison. For a melee focused circle it limits the melee quite a bit with the half speed and its boulder throw only has a range of 30ft, making it useless if the enemies are fast. Vulnerability is usually something I suggest avoiding for PC classes.
Then you limit the druids spells. As a full caster they should be able to sling spells left and right. Again using the Bladesinger, they can use all of their spells and still use their bladesong.
Earthen Pulse: Kinda like the ranger but limited to the type of ground, not what might be walking on it. So-so.
Heart of Stone: multi attack for the form at the cost of both shapes is a bit much a bit late for the druid. Especially it being magic. Monks get unarmed magic blows by level 6. Moon druids also get the same. But even the large doesn't make up for how little this will be used. Earthglide and Tremor sense are cool though.
Envoy of the Earthen Planes: I dislike this one. Moon Druids can turn into an earth elemental at level 10, they just can't talk. But they also get to change into other elementals.
All and all I'd look at the Bladesinger more and try to match this to that. There's a lot of gimping with this subclass especially at the higher levels that wouldn't make it as fun as other subclasses.
i admit, i did not expect to be told this was ****** haha
I made the spellcasting limit mostly to keep in line with regular Wild Shapes, since the Tectonic Mantle essentially adds features to the regular Druid. Though i agree with the late Multiattack, i simply needed to keep the upgrades together, or the whole subclass would have just seemed like a watered down Moon Druid that only uses Earth Elementals. I personally love the Pulse of the World feature, since it emulates a special connection with the Earth, might change it to be somewhat different than Commune with Nature (spell) though.
I also agree with the final feature, i did not really know what to add, since this subclass in full steam is essentially a full spellcasting off-tank for melee.
The core of this class is the Tetonic Mantle is the core of this class and once you get that nailed down the rest will fall into place.
The transformation is like the Spore Druid transformation in that it replaces the druid shape. Unlike the wildshape though the Spore druid can cast all spells, gains a bonus to melee attacks and their signature bonus attack, and 3 temp hp per druid level.
That's a pretty good basis to this class. This is what I would suggest for the mantle bonus's at 2nd level:
Bonus to AC equal to proficiency bonus. This allows the druid to still use armor and scales pretty decently with level while giving that melee druid feel.
1d8 bonus bludgeoning damage on a melee attack. This allows the druid to gain a bonus to attacks to match the style and still benefit from spells such as Shillelagh and prevents a druid from having to stack strength if they don't want to.
Temp Hp equal to druid level. Leave that as is. Bonus armor makes up for it not having as much temp hp as the spore druid.
6th level could be an extra attack, or an increase to the extra 1d8 damage they already do. If the later you could give them earth glide as well. Earth glide with an extra attack might be a bit much though.
10th level should have the original level 6 ability and give the druid a 10 ft tremor sense while in the mantle. Gives utility and a sensory ability that's not too overpowered with only a 10ft range.
14th level I'd say use the spore druids 14th level feature. It can easily be themed to fit a geomancer and many of those immunities are similar to an earth elemental already. Anti critical hits shows the strength of the earth.
That's my suggestion at least.
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Since somehow the publisher is bugged, i'm unable to properly publish this subclass. So i'll post it here.
Ive worked on this subclass for a player of mine who loves druids but detests animals and wild shape in general, prefering melee. He's not into anything but a full Druid so i came up with something a little OP for him, with which i'll need help to bring in line with other subclasses. Any advice is welcome!!
Thanks!
Circle of the Geomancers
Bonus Proficiency and Cantrip
When you select this circle at 2nd level, you learn the Mold Earth cantrip. It does not count towards your maximum number of cantrips known. You also gain proficiency with Mason’s Tools
Geomancy spells
The following spells become available to you at the indicated levels. They are always prepared and do not count against your maximum number of spells prepared.
Level
Spells Gained
3rd
Maximilian's Earthen Grasp, Earthbind
5th
Erupting Earth, Wall of Sand
7th
Stone Shape, Stoneskin
9th
Wall of Stone, Transmute Rock
11th
Bones of the Earth, Move Earth
Tectonic Mantle
At 2nd level, you can use a bonus action and expend one of your Wild Shape feature to instead cause the surrounding stone and earth to churn and crack, rising to meet your equipment as an additional layer of protection, giving you a semblance of appearance to an Earth Elemental. Your equipment is covered by this layer or earth, including any weapons, shields or armor you are wielding, but you however lose any bonus granted by any armor you may be wearing. You gain the following benefits for one minute after expending one use of your Wild Shape feature:
Earthen Pulse
At 6th level, you develop the ability to use the power of the earth to greater effect. As an action, you can commune with the ground to sense your surroundings. You gain mental insight into the shape, composition and characteristics of the land in a radius of 1 mile. You can maintain this insight with Concentration for up to one minute. Once you use this feature you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Heart of stone
Upon reaching 10h level, you gain the ability to expend both uses of your Wild Shape while using Tectonic Mantle to further bolster yourself. Under this new, improved form, you also gain the following:
Envoy of the Earthen Planes
Upon reaching 14th level, you gain the ability to expend both uses of your Wild Shape to transform into a true Earth Elemental. While transformed this way, you can speak normally and cast spells only granted to you by this Circle. Finally, you retain all abilities granted by your Tectonic Mantle and Heart of Stone features.
This is actually really interesting. Honestly though I think it's more restrictive than OP. Let's go step by step.
Bonus prof/cantrip: Nothing crazy here. It's pretty common theme to have that among many spell casting classes.
Circle spells: Again, nothing crazy. Its a good list and very earth themed.
Tectonic Mantle: This is interesting. The core of the class. I see it similar to the Bladesinger subclass of the wizard, but weaker in some ways. The armor class for example. The max AC would only be 19 with a prof bonus of +6 and a wisdom of 20 whereas a bladesinger would have ac 20 provided they had a 20 in both dex and int, but they also get stuff like mage armor, boosting it to 23 easily if not already wearing light armor.
The attacks are again interesting, but nothing that fancy. The cantrip Shillelagh gives the caster a d8 weapon based on wisdom while these attacks are strength based.
Then your speed is halfed, you gain a pretty small amount of temp HP, vulnerability to thunder, and some resistance to poison. For a melee focused circle it limits the melee quite a bit with the half speed and its boulder throw only has a range of 30ft, making it useless if the enemies are fast. Vulnerability is usually something I suggest avoiding for PC classes.
Then you limit the druids spells. As a full caster they should be able to sling spells left and right. Again using the Bladesinger, they can use all of their spells and still use their bladesong.
Earthen Pulse: Kinda like the ranger but limited to the type of ground, not what might be walking on it. So-so.
Heart of Stone: multi attack for the form at the cost of both shapes is a bit much a bit late for the druid. Especially it being magic. Monks get unarmed magic blows by level 6. Moon druids also get the same. But even the large doesn't make up for how little this will be used. Earthglide and Tremor sense are cool though.
Envoy of the Earthen Planes: I dislike this one. Moon Druids can turn into an earth elemental at level 10, they just can't talk. But they also get to change into other elementals.
All and all I'd look at the Bladesinger more and try to match this to that. There's a lot of gimping with this subclass especially at the higher levels that wouldn't make it as fun as other subclasses.
Hmmmm
i admit, i did not expect to be told this was ****** haha
I made the spellcasting limit mostly to keep in line with regular Wild Shapes, since the Tectonic Mantle essentially adds features to the regular Druid. Though i agree with the late Multiattack, i simply needed to keep the upgrades together, or the whole subclass would have just seemed like a watered down Moon Druid that only uses Earth Elementals. I personally love the Pulse of the World feature, since it emulates a special connection with the Earth, might change it to be somewhat different than Commune with Nature (spell) though.
I also agree with the final feature, i did not really know what to add, since this subclass in full steam is essentially a full spellcasting off-tank for melee.
I'm open to any and all changes
The core of this class is the Tetonic Mantle is the core of this class and once you get that nailed down the rest will fall into place.
The transformation is like the Spore Druid transformation in that it replaces the druid shape. Unlike the wildshape though the Spore druid can cast all spells, gains a bonus to melee attacks and their signature bonus attack, and 3 temp hp per druid level.
That's a pretty good basis to this class. This is what I would suggest for the mantle bonus's at 2nd level:
Bonus to AC equal to proficiency bonus. This allows the druid to still use armor and scales pretty decently with level while giving that melee druid feel.
1d8 bonus bludgeoning damage on a melee attack. This allows the druid to gain a bonus to attacks to match the style and still benefit from spells such as Shillelagh and prevents a druid from having to stack strength if they don't want to.
Temp Hp equal to druid level. Leave that as is. Bonus armor makes up for it not having as much temp hp as the spore druid.
6th level could be an extra attack, or an increase to the extra 1d8 damage they already do. If the later you could give them earth glide as well. Earth glide with an extra attack might be a bit much though.
10th level should have the original level 6 ability and give the druid a 10 ft tremor sense while in the mantle. Gives utility and a sensory ability that's not too overpowered with only a 10ft range.
14th level I'd say use the spore druids 14th level feature. It can easily be themed to fit a geomancer and many of those immunities are similar to an earth elemental already. Anti critical hits shows the strength of the earth.
That's my suggestion at least.