Circle of Roots

The circle of roots consists of druids who connect with and sometimes mimic trees. They are often guardians of forest and groves and many of them take on the appearance and qualities of a specific type of tree. One might take  on the qualities of a Pine Tree and the hairs growing from their body become sharp and prickly. If one is closer to Oaks then they might become very stalwart and metaphorically set their roots somewhere and never leave their home. A lot of druids from this circle want to protect a specific place or forest, or a specific species of tree or just a very specific tree. The trees have existed since life itself began, so when threatened, it’s sometimes better to just plant your roots and stand strong.

Bond of Bark

2nd lvl Circle of Roots feature:

You have an incredibly close connection to trees, and have started to take on some of their properties. Your AC cannot be lower than 16 regardless of what armor you are wearing.

You also always have the Speak With Plants spell prepared. It counts as a druid spell for you and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can have prepared each day. You can cast Speak with plants without expending a spell slot targeting only trees. You can do so a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Grow Roots

2nd lvl Circle of Roots feature:

You gain the ability to plant roots, expanding your domain and control over the battlefield.

As an action you can expend a use of your wild shape feature to plant your roots where you stand rather than transforming into a beast. You retain your game statistics while in this form. When planting your roots you can decide how far you want your roots to stretch out. Depending on how far they stretch out your speed changes. 

 

• If you plant your Roots in a 15 foot radius, your speed is halved.
• If you plant your Roots in a 30 foot radius, your speed is 5 feet.

 

When your roots are in the ground you become an immovable object. While in this state,  you cannot be shoved and you are also incapable of jumping or going prone, however, you have disadvantage on dexterity saving throws.

 

You can control your roots across the battlefield, giving you access to new abilities that you can use as an action. You can also use one of these actions immediately as a part of your transformation. 

 

Piercing Vine: You cause a sharp pointed root to strike up from the ground, striking your foe. You can make a melee spell attack against a creature that is standing within your roots. On a hit the target takes piercing damage equal to 1d8 + your wisdom modifier. 

 

Sapling Puff: A small sapling/flower comes up from the ground within the area of your roots, spreading pollen in the immediate area. Each creature within a 5 feet radius from where the sapling is puffed must succeed a constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or be stunned until the end of your next turn. Creatures with the Construct type are immune to this effect.

Spirit Sprout: You send your spirit from your position into the roots, leaving behind a wooden statue in your image. You choose a point within range of your roots, and you immediately transport to that location. The statue that you leave behind gives half cover to anyone that stands directly behind it. If you use this feature again, the previous statue crumbles and disappears.

Spirit Gardener

6th lvl Circle of Roots Feature:

Your connection to your roots become much closer, and they become an extension of your consciousness. As a bonus action, you can plant a seed within the area of your roots. You can then, as an action, activate any number of seeds that you have planted as long as they are within range of your root system, choosing either Piercing Vine or Sapling Puff and then the chosen effect occurs. After a seed has been activated it then disappears. The amount of seeds you can have planted at the same time is equal to your proficiency modifier. The Seeds stay in the ground for as long as you have your roots planted.

 

In addition to this, you can now cast spells that are 1st lvl or higher from anywhere within the area of your roots. For example, you can cast cure wounds on any of your allies as long as they are within the area of your roots.

Growing strong

10th lvl Circle of Roots Feature:

The abilities you gain from Grow Roots improve. 

The area of your roots is now doubled when you plant them.

• If you plant your Roots in a 30 feet radius, your speed is halved.
• If you plant your Roots in a 60 feet radius, your speed is 5 feet.

 

Piercing Vine now allows you to make 2 attacks instead of 1 and counts as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to non magical attacks and damage.

Sapling Puff now causes enemies to be Paralyzed instead of being Stunned.

Spirit Sprout now makes it so the statue you leave behind acts as a Seed, and you can activate it in the same way as you do from your “Spirit Gardener” Feature. When you activate the statue in this way, the damage from “Piercing Vine” increases to 2d8 + your Wisdom modifier, and enemies have disadvantage against the Sapling Puff saving throw.

Explosive Seeds

14th lvl Circle of Roots Feature:

The seeds that you plant in the ground become volatile and full of energy. As an action or a reaction, you can cause a seed that you have planted from your “Spirit Gardener” feature to pop, causing it to explode. All creatures within a 15 foot radius sphere centered on the seed must make a dexterity saving throw against your Spell Save DC or take thunder damage equal to a number of d6 equal to your wisdom modifier (If your wisdom modifier is 3, this would then deal 3d6 thunder damage). 

If there is a seed within the 15 foot sphere of the explosion, that seed also explodes. That explosion deals 1 more d6 thunder damage. Repeat this for any additional seeds that might be activated by further explosions. 

You can use this ability up to 3 times, and you regain all expended uses on a Long Rest. 

--

.