Circle of Root and Branch

Druids who practice the Circle of Root & Branch have a close relationship with the green things of the world. Early on in their devotion they learn to resist toxins, emulate flora as easily as they do fauna, and even how to create a living plant companion. These druids are rarely seen without a mandragora at their side, a kind of living plant that varies based on the land it was born in. While not always fanatical about the defense of natural territory, druids of the Circle of Root & Branch always exhibit respect for the natural world and expect the same of others.

 

Circle of Root and Branch Features

Blessed Nectar

At 2nd level, during short rests you can perform a ritual to magically ferment berries created by the goodberry spell and condense its healing properties into vial(s) of nectar.

When you drink this beverage, you gain temporary hit points equal to twice the number of berries used during its creation and your hunger and thirst are completely satiated. This boon lasts until you finish a long rest and drinking another vial has no effect while you still benefit from the blessing. As is the case with the goodberry spell, this concoction also loses its potency if not consumed within 24 hours of this ritual.

Mandragora

Starting at 2nd level, you learn a ritual to grow a mandragora. The ritual takes an hour to complete and at its conclusion a mandragora seedling digs itself out of the ground before you. The seedling functions as your familiar as if by the find familiar spell. If your mandragora can cast a spell it uses your spell attack and spell save DC. 

The mandragora are friendly to you and your companions and obey your commands. See this creature’s game statistics in the Mandragora stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places.

In combat, the mandragora shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. The only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, the spirit can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.

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Mandragora

Small plant

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)

Hit Points 5 + five times your druid level

Speed 20 ft.

Skills Nature +1, Stealth +4

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities charmed, blinded, deafened, frightened

Senses Blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 9

Languages understands the languages you speak

Challenge — Proficiency Bonus (PB) equals your bonus

Actions

Vine Lash. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + PB slashing damage.

Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit:  2d6 + PB bludgeoning damage, and a Medium or smaller target is grappled (escape DC 15). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the mandragora can’t constrict another target.

Entangling Plants (Planted). The mandragora plants itself permanently into the ground. Grasping roots and vines sprout in a 15-foot radius centered on the mandragora, withering away after 1 minute. For the duration, that area is difficult terrain for nonplant creatures. In addition, each creature of the mandragora’s choice in that area when the plants appear must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or become restrained. A creature can use its action to make a DC 15 Strength check, freeing itself or another entangled creature within reach on a success. This causes you to lose your mandragora until you take the time to create a new one. 

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Starting at 6th level, the bond with your mandragora enhances them with the ability to cast a few spells. They can now cast 2 first level spells between long rests. These spells are chosen from your spell list, and the spell attack or spell DC equals your own. In addition, when you cast a spell with a range other than self, the spell can originate from you or your mandragora.

Circle Spells

Your mystical connection to the land infuses you with the ability to cast certain spells. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to circle spells. 

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.

Druid Level	Spells
3rd	[Tooltip Not Found], spike growth
5th	erupting earth, plant growth
7th	conjure woodland beings, hallucinatory terrain
9th	commune with nature, tree stride

 

Wild Overgrowth

Beginning at 6th level, you may cause a group of plants up to 60 feet away from you to grow rapidly while simultaneously controlling the direction of their growth. This can take one of three forms.

• Creation: When you use the plants to create something they grow into a specific shape. This might be used to create a bridge or vines to climb a wall or even a chair, but cannot be used to attack an enemy. The structure you create is permanent.
• Attack: You may cause the plants to grow and attack a single creature in their space. The plant makes an attack roll using your proficiency bonus and wisdom modifier. If the plant is successful you can grapple, trip, push, or pull the creature in addition to dealing 2d10 damage. This plant will continue to attack a creature in its space once a round on your turn for 1 minute.
• Defense: If you choose defense you can have the plants around you grow onto your body and form armor. This armor gives you resistance to bludgeoning, slashing, piercing, and lightning damage. In addition it grants you a +2 bonus to your armor class. The plant armor will remain for as long as you stay in that plant’s space or until 1 minute has passed after you’ve left the space.

You may use this ability your proficiency modifier times and you regain your use of it after completing a long rest.

At 9th level you regain the use of this ability after a short rest or a long rest.

Animate Plants

Plants come to life at your command. Choose up to ten nonmagical plants within range that are not being worn or carried. Tiny targets count as a swarm, Small targets count as one plant, Medium targets count as two plants, Large targets count as four plants, Huge targets count as eight plants. You can't animate any plant larger than Huge. Each target animates and becomes a creature under your control until the spell ends or until reduced to 0 hit points.

As a bonus action, you can mentally command any creature you made with this spell if the creature is within 500 feet of you (if you control multiple creatures, you can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the creature only defends itself against hostile creatures. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until its task is complete.

Animated Plant Statistics

SIZE	HP	AC	STR	DEX	ATTACK
Tiny	10	18	4	18	+8 to hit, 10d4 damage
Small	15	16	6	16	+7 to hit, 1d4 damage
Medium	40	15	10	14	+6 to hit, 1d10 damage
Large	115	14	16	10	+7 to hit, 2d10 damage
Huge	260	13	18	6	+8 to hit, 4d10 damage

 

An animated plant is a creature with AC, hit points, attacks, Strength, and Dexterity determined by its size. Its Constitution is 10 and its Intelligence and Wisdom are 3, and its Charisma is 1. It has a flying speed of 30 feet and can hover. If the plant is securely attached to a surface or a larger object, such as a chain bolted to a wall, its speed is 0, unless it takes an action to dislodge itself. It has blindsight with a radius of 30 feet and is blind beyond that distance. When the animated plant drops to 0 hit points, it reverts to its original plant form, and any remaining damage carries over to its original plant form. 

If you command a plant to attack, it can make a single melee attack against a creature within 5 feet of it. It makes a slam attack with an attack bonus and bludgeoning damage determined by its size. The GM might rule that a specific plant inflicts slashing or piercing damage based on its form.

Verdant Master

At 14th level, you can understand and command plants as easily as a powerful dryad or treant. You can cast speak with plants at-will, without expending a spell slot. The spell lasts for the duration or until you cast speak with plants again using this feature.

In addition, when you cast the awaken spell targeting a plant, you do so without the need of material components.