Druids are typically regarded as nature lovers who would much rather plant seedlings than embrace a potentially ruinous force like fire. But there’s one druidic subclass from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything that defies this expectation. The Circle of Wildfire druid knows that destruction and creation are intertwined, and only by burning dying shrubbery can new plants grow.
For players keen to defy stereotypes and introduce a little controlled flame into their repertoire, click below:
Circle of Wildfire features
- Expanded Spell List: Upon choosing this circle at 2nd level, you form a special bond with a wildfire spirit that gives you access to an expanded spell list. These spells are always prepared and don’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. Most of them, like burning hands and flaming sphere are excellent offensive fire-based spells. Others, like cure wounds and revivify, are healing options that could be reflavored as the druid enveloping a body in invigorating, gentle warmth.
Druid Level | Spells |
---|---|
2nd | burning hands, cure wounds |
3rd | flaming sphere, scorching ray |
5th | plant growth, revivify |
7th | aura of life, fire shield |
9th | flame strike, mass cure wounds |
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Summon Wildfire Spirit: Also at 2nd level, you get a new way to use your Wild Shape. You can expend one usage of it to summon a wildfire spirit, which takes on whatever appearance you like. The spirit appears in an unoccupied space within 30 feet, and any creatures within 10 feet of it need to succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC or suffer 2d6 fire damage. Barring the possibility of charring comrades upon summoning, the wildfire spirit is a handy ally that takes its turn immediately after you. You can command it with a bonus action. It exists for one hour, until it is reduced to 0 hit points, or until the druid dies. It also flies, is obviously immune to fire damage as well as most conditions, and utilizes both a ranged Flame Seed attack and a Fiery Teleportation skill that deals damage and can transport allies, granting a party immense battlefield mobility.
- Enhanced Bond: This 6th-level feature neatly ties together your class features. Whenever you cast a spell that deals fire damage or restores hit points while you wildfire spirit is summoned, you can roll a d8 and gain a bonus equal to the number rolled to one roll of the spell. Additionally, upon casting a ranged spell, the druid can choose to have it originate from either themselves or the wildfire spirit.
- Cauterizing Flames: The Circle of Wildfire’s 10th-level feature allows you to create spectral flames in the space of dead creatures sized Small or larger. This can only be done when the creature dies within 30 feet of either you or your wildfire spirit, and the flames last for one minute. If another creature enters the space, you can use a reaction to extinguish the spectral flames to either heal the creature or deal damage equal to 2d10 + your Wisdom modifier. This can be done a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest. From a healer’s perspective, this feature is stellar, particularly if the party is facing down mobs. It is reminiscent of the healing spirit spell, except handier because it uses your reaction. It can also be used with the wildfire spirit’s Fiery Teleportation to transport weak allies to hit point recovery stations across the battlefield. Dealing damage with this ability might be tough, since it’s unlikely that enemies will willingly enter a flame, but you or a party member could try shoving them into those spaces.
- Blazing Revival: At 14th level, the wildfire spirit can save you from certain death if it is within 120 feet of you. When you hit 0 hit points, you can choose to reduce your wildfire spirit to 0 hit points instead. This can be flavored as the spirit poofing away in a bright burst of smoke. You then regain half of your hit points to fight another round. Once this handy second chance is used, it can’t be used again until you finish a long rest.
Pros
In Dungeons & Dragons, fire is typically reserved for offensive magic. But the Circle of Wildfire subverts this in a thematic and versatile way.
Being able to switch between dealing damage and casting potent healing spells means that you'll fit into just about any party composition. While you might not be as tanky as your typical druid — since your Wild Shape uses will be spent summoning your wildfire spirit — the fire shield spell can deter enemies from attacking you and the Blazing Revival feature can keep you on your feet. Fiery Teleportation’s usefulness also can’t be understated when you or an ally are in a pinch.
Cauterizing Flames might only see a few uses in a combat encounter, but being able to litter the battlefield with what can only be described as traps and healing packs allow you to gain a tactical advantage over enemies.
Cons
The Circle of Wildfire is highly dependent on its wildfire spirit, which is an easy target to take out when enemies play smart. Monsters with resistance or immunity to fire will also neuter or outright render a chunk of this subclass’ abilities useless. The Elemental Adept feat can be used to bypass resistance. This subclass also curiously lacks the most iconic fire spell in D&D: fireball. It was initially offered in Unearthed Arcana but was later dropped. Perhaps it simply didn’t match this class’ theme of "controlled destruction."
Meet Lorraine Rockgleam, dwarven protector of a volcano
The Eternal Flame cultist screamed curses as the dwarf parried his sword thrusts and knocked him backwards with a burning blast from her fingertips. As her enemy lay prone on the ground, the dwarf clapped her hands together and manifested a nimble fox out of thin air. Entirely made of flame, the fox swung its tail in an arc and shot off an array of sizzling embers that set the cultist’s robes ablaze.
“For one who supposedly worships fire, you know very little about its true nature,” the dwarf said, chuckling as the cultist ripped his robes off and ran screaming down the mountain trail.
Lorraine Rockgleam is a member of the Rockgleam dwarf family, which has lived in the shadow of the volcanic Mt. Vallatar for generations. Legend has it that a portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire swirls within the depths of Mt. Vallatar, which has not erupted in the last century but could burst at any moment.
All Rockgleam dwarves venerate the volcano’s power and the bountiful rewards that it offers, living in structures at the base of the mountain. The base can quickly be taken down and reassembled in the event of a lava flow. They forge weapons and armor from Mt. Vallatar’s sulphur deposits, use lava rocks to brew Vallatar Beer — a potent, world-renowned drink — and operate hot spring resorts at the mountain’s many geothermal pools, bringing in a steady flow of tourists year-round.
Lorraine is a member of a select group of Rockgleam druids who were forged in the intense heat of Mt. Vallatar’s caverns. A master in the art of controlling fire since childhood, Lorraine specializes in communicating with the occasional fire elemental that emerges from the volcano’s depths, and on duller days, patrols Mt. Vallatar’s trails to keep tourists from straying too far from the sanctioned hot springs.
Lately, members of the Cult of the Eternal Flame have been sighted poking their noses around the mountain, and Lorraine has taken it upon herself to defend her home against these evildoers who would pervert the power of fire for their own nefarious purposes.
Playing Lorraine
Lorraine is a chaotic good mountain dwarf with the Outlander background. She sports high Wisdom and Constitution scores, and has a decent Intelligence score that represents her knowledge of the region she lives in. She has proficiency in the follow skills and tools:
Feats
Lorraine has the Elemental Adept feat. Elemental Adept allows Lorraine to ignore resistance to fire damage with her spells. Further, when she rolls damage for a spell that deals fire damage, she treats any 1 on the die as a 2.
Spells
Lorraine’s magic is largely themed around fire and healing, as befitting her Circle of Wildfire training. For cantrips, she relies on control flames, create bonfire and produce flame, and she has guidance at her disposal.
Faerie fire lets her identify any stray tourists who might wander too far on Mt. Vallatar’s trails. Flame blade, heat metal and wall of fire are all spells that she uses to bring the pain to cultists lurking in her territory. Lorraine can also use gust of wind in conjunction with Cauterizing Flames to push opponents into her spectral flames.
When facing an opponent immune to fire damage, Lorraine has a few spells at her disposal that mimic the bludgeoning quakes of a volcano, like earth tremor and erupting earth. She’s likely to transition to more of a support role in these instances, utilizing cure wounds, healing word, revivify, and aura of life. At higher levels, she’ll cast mass cure wounds to heal party members and wrath of nature to create obstacles for enemies.
Magic items
Like all Rockgleam dwarves, Lorraine wears Armor of Fire Resistance, Hide. She also possesses a number of Potions of Fire Breath and Potions of Fire Resistance, which she might lend out to friends who are less versed in pyrotechnics. Last but not least, she wears a Necklace of Fireballs forged from the sulfur of Mt. Vallatar that lets her use fireball when all else fails.
Playing Lorraine as an NPC
Dungeon Masters who want to use Lorraine and the other Rockgleam dwarves in a campaign can advertise Mt. Vallatar’s hot springs as a rest stop for player characters eager to soothe their bones and heal their wounds. Both the hardy dwarf and her volcano could also be integrated into Princes of the Apocalypse, an adventure which features the Cult of Eternal Flame.
Druids with a burning passion
There are many different types of characters you can create with this subclass, from the likes of Lorraine Rockgleam to more unpredictable pyromaniacs. If fire’s your favorite element and you’re interested in a druid who’s best at burning everything down before building it back up again, then the Circle of Wildfire is perfect for you.
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Jeremy Blum (@PixelGrotto) is a journalist, gaming blogger, comic book aficionado, and fan of all forms of storytelling who rolled his first polyhedral dice while living in Hong Kong in 2017. Since then, he's never looked back and loves roleplaying games for the chance to tell the tales that have been swirling in his head since childhood.
I like how you made the story about a specific character you made, Jeremy. It was honestly really cool and it will give me some nice NPC ideas, especially with Tasha’s rules about changing subclasses. I can have my PCs talk to the NPCs you make, and then those NPCs can teach them stuff! It’ll help make transitions into gaining a subclass easier and more streamlined for my PCs as well, instead of just saying “Yup, you are level three and you can do this now. Surprise!”
I like how you aren’t trying to copy everything the previous writer did, still including useful information but also adding your own flare. Keep it up!
Thank you! That's the idea :)
Terrific article -- thank you.
Little surprised that the wildfire spirit isn't in the extra's tab in the character sheet but generally a nice article. Notes on the sub class and a 'free' NPC to boot!
The Fiery Teleport is a great feature of this class - I've used it at low levels to pull party members out of combat and reposition the frontline. Takes a little forethought, and it being a bonus action means you can't hold it as an action but being able to move people every round is super useful - just remember that the spirit is pretty weak! But gives an option to hit and run which is great at low levels
For reference, my druid here is an Uthgardt Tribal Member who had a close encounter with a fire salamander ... he is a Wildhunt shifter whose bestial form is lizard themed and his wildfire spirit is a lizard. Almost an accidental druid really...
Well at least you didn't use this to focus on Exandria Unlimited.
Any chance of an article on the Fey Wanderer?
I think they're still working on stat blocks that scale using a character's stats (level, proficiency bonus etc.); these will be needed to support all of the recent(-ish) summon spells like Summon Fey etc., and Beast Master Ranger companions as well, but there's no ETA for any of these being finished yet.
I believe you can only mount something one size larger than you, so you'd need to be Tiny to fly around on the spirit :P that being said, I'm also not sure about the logistics of sitting on a fire spirit haha
I feel like the irony of Druids, characterized by natural means and basic functions of the world is that to play one effectively you'll need a lot of money to get all the potential beast shapes, and the ability to organize it all. It was nice to see Wildfire and Starlight druids give a more streamlined function for one of the more complex abilities in D&D.
It's so streamlined I find druids tend to forget their wild shape can still be used to wild shape. leading to a druid I played with going 'Oh yea, I'm a druid" turning into a horse we needed, and then racing off into the horizon.
Stellar article!
Absolutely great article and explanation of a great subclass. And i loved the example of Lorraine. Might just have to mix some Wildfire into my next Echo Knight :D
Do you find Elemental Adept to be actually useful for this subclass?
The only reason I ask is because it seems like most of the fire damage you do comes from your Wildfire Spirit, and its damage is not affected by Elemental Adept (since it's not your spells).
I ❤️🔥 🔥
The fire damage your Wildfire Spirit does isn't even from spells, so it wouldn't count even if it did apply.
It might still be a decent feat if you want to lean into the theme and focus on casting fire spells of your own as well, but otherwise there may be better choices.
Right, yeah, and I did mentioned that at the very end of my comment.
I know that it would affect any spells you cast through the Wildfire Spirit (Produce Flame, Scorching Ray, etc). I guess I was hoping to get some insight as to whether enough of your fire damage comes from those spells to make the Elemental Adept feat worth it. I suppose it just depends how you play
Sorry that's my bad, guess I didn't read your post carefully enough! Yeah any spells you cast from the spirit's location will still count for Elemental Adept as you are still the one casting them; this applies to a bunch of similar features like an Artificer's Homunculus Servant and so-on.
The actual value of Element Adept depends on exactly what you intend to build; if you're going to go heavy on a single element then it can be worth it, but personally I prefer to always build with at least two elements in mind, and try to have them fit the theme. For example, even for a heavy fire user you could still take "air" spells to represent air displaced by heat, or if you're happy with Avatar: The Last Airbender rules you could take lightning (which in that show is a specialised fire bending technique). With two or more elements in your mix of spells, you don't really need Elemental Adept for powering through resistances as you can just use a different damage type, which keeps your feat choice free for something else (or an Ability Score Increase).
Elemental Adept is one of those feats where it could really do with a slight boost to equalise it with some of the easier to maximise feats; while it does also have the treat 1's as 2's, IMO that's better for elements like acid where there are a bunch of high die count spells (because a number of them use d4's). If it were a half feat (still gave +1 to an ability score) or had another bonus then it could be great, but in its current form is best taken only when you're really determined to make a mostly fire build or such. Of course if that's the kind of build that someone wants to play then that's what they should do, as that should always be the first consideration; it'd be a build with weaknesses (fire immune enemies like various fiends etc.), but that can also be very characterful and a fun challenge.
You make a pretty good point! I think my Focus on Elemental Adept: Fire is primarily due to the fact that the Wildfire Druid gets an added d8 on damage rolls for fire spells as the lvl 6 feature, provided your Sprit is up. Using a different elemental type to circumvent resistance may be a better option, and would allow me to take something more valuable for a Druid, such as Warcaster or Resilient: CON
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Just curious, is summon wildfire spirit a spell? can metamagic increase its time in play to 24 hours? if not, is there something that could?
Rules as written only something explicitly described as a spell is a spell, so basically only things you'll find in the magic spells section.
But otherwise, ask your DM!
D&D is a DM led game and they can allow features to count as spells if they want; but make sure you have a good reason why you need more than the two hours you normally get. Personally I wouldn't have a problem with it, I'd probably just counterbalance it by giving d6's as hit dice equal to your druid level, and specify that that's the only way it can heal (no healing magic etc.), this way a single summon last all day, but it'll be limited in how completely it can heal (so take enough punishment and you'll need to re-summon it as normal).
I'm this subclass and I love it!!!!