This Druid circle was meant to focus on being a tank with a martial focus without being a Moon Druid. It thematically focuses on endurance and restoration, which is why it has resurrection spells, as well as being less reliant on spell slots, while still being the mid-range caster that Druids are known for being. I also wanted to have Wildshapes be improved, rather than just having stronger options, so I gave them bonus health. I knew that I wanted regeneration somewhere in the class, and it was intended to be less overpowered by limiting it to the double-use Wildshape form. Here are the features:
Wood of Renewal
When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you gain proficiency with handaxes, tridents, and heavy armor. You can also use a shield as a spellcasting focus for your druid spells.
When you make a ranged attack using a thrown weapon that you are proficient in, you gain the following benefits for that attack:
The weapon flies back to your hand immediately after the attack.
Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack roll.
You gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
Additionally, you can create specially-crafted wooden armor to protect yourself with. You conduct an hour-long ritual that crafts a nonmagical suit of medium or heavy armor, which will be made of wood. The creation is completed at the end of the hour, coalescing in an unoccupied space of your choice on a surface within 5 feet of you.
As part of this ritual, you must lay out wood or leather as well as coins or gems with a value equal to or greater than the creation. Armor made of wood or leather, such as any wooden armor previously created with this ritual can be used as the wood or leather, and its full value counts to the value of the new armor. The material irretrievably coalesces and transforms into the wooden creation at the ritual’s end, and the coins and gems vanish. The armor created is immune to being burned and is as durable as metal armor, though it confers no spectacular protection against fire to the bearer.
Once you conduct this ritual, you can't do so again until you complete a long rest.
Form of Life
Starting at 2nd level, you can expend two uses of Wild Shape at the same time to transform into a beast with strong connection to the restorative powers of nature. The beast has the following changes, but the basic version of the beast must still abide by the limits of the Beast Shapes table:
The beast regains hit points at the start of its turn equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up).
The beast has extra maximum hit points equal to twice your druid level.
Circle Spells
Your mystical connection to life infuses you with the ability to cast certain spells. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to circle spells connected to renewal of life.
Once you gain access to a circle spell, 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.
Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Force of Nature
When you reach 10th level, you draw on your prowess with nature magic to empower yourself when transformed. While you are transformed by your Form of Life Wildshape, you gain the following benefits:
You use your spell attack bonus instead of the beast’s attack bonus for any of its attacks, and if the beast has a trait or action that forces a creature to make a saving throw, it uses your spell save DC instead of the beast’s original save DC.
When you hit with a melee weapon attack, you gain a bonus to the damage roll. This bonus equals half your Wisdom modifier (rounded up).
Master of Bark
By 14th level, you have learned to use magic to grant the protective power of wood with ease. You can cast barkskin without requiring concentration or a spell slot, and it lasts for 8 hours. Once you have done so, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
Wood of Renewal: I would remove the bonuses to thrown weapons. I think that the proficiencies along with the crafting ritual are enough for one ability. The other bonuses can be picked up from feats or multiclassing, and the subclass itself does not seem to be thrown-weapon focused based on the other abilities.
Form of Life: To play into the benefits of your Wood of Renewal feature, perhaps you could give the beast a flat bonus to its AC if you were wearing wooden armor when you transformed. Right now, the two abilities seem to play against each other a little. One wants you to walk around and tank in wooden plate mail, the other wants you to tank using an enhanced wild shape. With this, I think the two could synergize a little.
As another possible alternative, what if instead of making the Wildshape feature an enhanced wildshape you could expend your wildshape uses to enhance your wooden armor without actually transforming? Just an idea.
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The ritual was entirely there for the stickler DMs that refuse to give the Druid wooden or bone plate despite having the proficiency, I didn’t factor it into balance. I suppose being able to upgrade armor mid-dungeon might be worth considering, but it’s not like it is going to come up more than 3 times (once for each armor). The handaxe and trident are also entirely flavor, as Druids already have the Spear, which is just as good as either one of them.
The throwing weapon theming was partially a pun on “reusing” a weapon, and it was also there to keep the 30-60 foot “mid-range” that thorn whip and produce flame have. Extra attack was meant to synergize with both the thrown weapons as well as make sure the Wildshapes stay relevant offensively. The throwing is a fairly important part of the circle, especially early-game.
Most importantly, your point about the armor and wildshape is a good one, I didn’t really think about it. I might do something like replace the armor with the level 14 Barkskin ability or something so that it helps both normally and with Wildshape (which is what the Barkskin was intended to do, but it was probably a bit late to matter). I’ll focus my rework on this part of the feedback, because that is where I feel could use the most work. Thank you!
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Circle of Renewal
This Druid circle was meant to focus on being a tank with a martial focus without being a Moon Druid. It thematically focuses on endurance and restoration, which is why it has resurrection spells, as well as being less reliant on spell slots, while still being the mid-range caster that Druids are known for being. I also wanted to have Wildshapes be improved, rather than just having stronger options, so I gave them bonus health. I knew that I wanted regeneration somewhere in the class, and it was intended to be less overpowered by limiting it to the double-use Wildshape form. Here are the features:
Wood of Renewal
When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you gain proficiency with handaxes, tridents, and heavy armor. You can also use a shield as a spellcasting focus for your druid spells.
When you make a ranged attack using a thrown weapon that you are proficient in, you gain the following benefits for that attack:
Additionally, you can create specially-crafted wooden armor to protect yourself with. You conduct an hour-long ritual that crafts a nonmagical suit of medium or heavy armor, which will be made of wood. The creation is completed at the end of the hour, coalescing in an unoccupied space of your choice on a surface within 5 feet of you.
As part of this ritual, you must lay out wood or leather as well as coins or gems with a value equal to or greater than the creation. Armor made of wood or leather, such as any wooden armor previously created with this ritual can be used as the wood or leather, and its full value counts to the value of the new armor. The material irretrievably coalesces and transforms into the wooden creation at the ritual’s end, and the coins and gems vanish. The armor created is immune to being burned and is as durable as metal armor, though it confers no spectacular protection against fire to the bearer.
Once you conduct this ritual, you can't do so again until you complete a long rest.
Form of Life
Starting at 2nd level, you can expend two uses of Wild Shape at the same time to transform into a beast with strong connection to the restorative powers of nature. The beast has the following changes, but the basic version of the beast must still abide by the limits of the Beast Shapes table:
Circle Spells
Your mystical connection to life infuses you with the ability to cast certain spells. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to circle spells connected to renewal of life.
Once you gain access to a circle spell, 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.
3rd
prayer of healing
5th
revivify
9th
raise dead
13th
resurrection
Extra Attack
Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Force of Nature
When you reach 10th level, you draw on your prowess with nature magic to empower yourself when transformed. While you are transformed by your Form of Life Wildshape, you gain the following benefits:
Master of Bark
By 14th level, you have learned to use magic to grant the protective power of wood with ease. You can cast barkskin without requiring concentration or a spell slot, and it lasts for 8 hours. Once you have done so, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
Looks good. A couple of thoughts
Wood of Renewal: I would remove the bonuses to thrown weapons. I think that the proficiencies along with the crafting ritual are enough for one ability. The other bonuses can be picked up from feats or multiclassing, and the subclass itself does not seem to be thrown-weapon focused based on the other abilities.
Form of Life: To play into the benefits of your Wood of Renewal feature, perhaps you could give the beast a flat bonus to its AC if you were wearing wooden armor when you transformed. Right now, the two abilities seem to play against each other a little. One wants you to walk around and tank in wooden plate mail, the other wants you to tank using an enhanced wild shape. With this, I think the two could synergize a little.
As another possible alternative, what if instead of making the Wildshape feature an enhanced wildshape you could expend your wildshape uses to enhance your wooden armor without actually transforming? Just an idea.
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
The ritual was entirely there for the stickler DMs that refuse to give the Druid wooden or bone plate despite having the proficiency, I didn’t factor it into balance. I suppose being able to upgrade armor mid-dungeon might be worth considering, but it’s not like it is going to come up more than 3 times (once for each armor). The handaxe and trident are also entirely flavor, as Druids already have the Spear, which is just as good as either one of them.
The throwing weapon theming was partially a pun on “reusing” a weapon, and it was also there to keep the 30-60 foot “mid-range” that thorn whip and produce flame have. Extra attack was meant to synergize with both the thrown weapons as well as make sure the Wildshapes stay relevant offensively. The throwing is a fairly important part of the circle, especially early-game.
Most importantly, your point about the armor and wildshape is a good one, I didn’t really think about it. I might do something like replace the armor with the level 14 Barkskin ability or something so that it helps both normally and with Wildshape (which is what the Barkskin was intended to do, but it was probably a bit late to matter). I’ll focus my rework on this part of the feedback, because that is where I feel could use the most work. Thank you!