Path of the Verdant Guardian

Those that walk the path of the Verdant Guardian are more connected to nature than most barbarians. Maybe it's a cultural connection, born and raised in the woods alongside your fellow firbolgs, goliaths or wood elves; or perhaps it is a magical one, as an elemental of almost divine power and might dedicated to the preservation and growth of the natural world has blessed you as its champion.

Whatever the case may be, these barbarians are often found fighting alongside their Oath of the Ancients Paladin cousins and rangers, capable of harnessing druidic magic and raging with the ferocity of the most fearsome beasts found in the wilds. These barbarians walk with a sense of belonging and purpose, knowing that there is no cause that is more noble than the protection of nature.

Spellcasting

When you choose this path at 3rd level, your connection to nature grants you the ability to cast spells. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the druid spell list.

Cantrips

You learn two cantrips of your choice from the druid spell list. You learn an additional druid cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots

The Path of the Verdant Guardian Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your druid spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell Goodberry and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Goodberry using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level druid spells of your choice. The Spells Known column of the Way of the Verdant Sage Spellcasting table shows when you learn more druid spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the druid spells you know with another spell of your choice from the druid spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your druid spells, since you use your magic through your connection to nature. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a druid spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Path of the Verdant Guardian Spellcasting

Verdant Surge

Also at 3rd level, you have learnt to channel your magic even while in your primal rage. You may cast a spell from your Path of the Verdant Guardian Spellcasting feature while raging. If that spell requires concentration, you can concentrate on it, but any concentration checks you make are made with disadvantage.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down, minimum of 1), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Form of the Wilds

Starting at 6th level, you learn how to use connection to nature to summon a companion to aid you when needed. 

Once per short or long rest, as an action, you can cast the Find Familiar spell, without material components. When you cast the spell in this way, the familiar is a beast, and it disappears after a number of hours equal to half your barbarian level.

Alternativly, you can expend a use of this feature to magically assume the shape of a beast that you could summon with the Find Familiar spell. You can stay in this beast shape a number of hours equal to half your barbarian level (rounded down). You then revert to your normal form unless you use this feature again. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn. You automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.

While you are transformed, the following rules apply:

• Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature's bonus instead of yours. If the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can't use them.

• When you transform, you assume the beast's hit points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. However, if you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form, For example, if you take 10 damage in animal form and have only 1 hit point left, you revert and take 9 damage. As long as the excess damage doesn't reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren't knocked unconscious.

• You can't cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form. Transforming doesn't break your concentration on a spell you've already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell, such as Call Lightning, that you've already cast.

• You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can't use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.

• You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature's shape and size. Your equipment doesn't change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

Harmonic Aura

At 10th level, while raging, you emanate an aura of harmonic druidic magic around you, becoming an avatar for both the nurturing and withering aspects of the natural world. Your skin may harden into thick bark, your hair turns to leaves or blades of grass, and your very footsteps stir the natural life around you. Your rage has the following effects:

• Any creature within 10 feet of you while raging that deals damage to a Plant or Beast immediately takes psychic damage equal to twice the damage dealt.
• Hostile creatures within 10 feet of you have their speed reduced by 10 feet.
• When you first enter your rage and as a bonus action on any subsequent turns, you may emit a burst of restoring druidic energy: Plants, Beasts and allied creatures regain hit points equal to half your Barbarian level + your Wisdom modifier.

Emerald Champion

By the time you've reached 14th level, your connection to the natural world is at its most powerful. You may cast the Speak with Animals and Speak with Plants spells at will, without expending a spell slot.

Additionally, your rage calls the energy of life around you, drawing it into you in times of peril. When you begin your turn while raging, if you have no more than half your hit points left, or if you have no more than two-thirds of your hit points left and you are in direct sunlight or within 30 feet of a living plant or beast, you regain hit points equal to 5 + your Constitution modifier.