Circle of the Shepherd (variant)

Druids of the Circle of the Shepherd commune with the spirits of nature, especially the spirits of beasts and the fey, and call to those spirits for aid. These druids recognize that all living things play a role in the natural world, yet they focus on protecting animals and fey creatures that have difficulty defending themselves. Shepherds, as they are known, see such creatures as their charges. They ward off monsters that threaten them, rebuke hunters who kill more prey than necessary, and prevent civilization from encroaching on rare animal habitats and on sites sacred to the fey.

Many of these druids are happiest far from cities and towns, content to spend their days in the company of animals and the fey creatures of the wilds. Members of this circle become adventurers to oppose forces that threaten their charges or to seek knowledge and power that will help them safeguard their charges better. Wherever these druids go, the spirits of the wilderness are with them.

Speech of the Woods

At 2nd level, you gain the ability to converse with beasts and many fey.

You learn to speak, read, and write Sylvan. In addition, beasts can understand your speech, and you gain the ability to decipher their noises and motions. Most beasts lack the intelligence to convey or understand sophisticated concepts, but a friendly beast could relay what it has seen or heard in the recent past. This ability doesn’t grant you friendship with beasts, though you can combine this ability with gifts to curry favor with them as you would with any nonplayer character.

Spirit Totem

Starting at 2nd level, you can call forth nature spirits to influence the world around you. As a bonus action, you can magically summon an incorporeal spirit in the shape of a large or smaller beast or celestial (that resembles a beast) to a point you can see within 60 feet of you. The spirit creates an aura in a 20-foot radius around that point. It counts as neither a creature nor an object, though it has the spectral appearance of the creature it represents. As an action or bonus action, you can move the spirit up to 60 feet to a point you can see. The spirit persists for 1 minute or until you’re incapacitated.

The spirit persists for 1 minute. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

The effect of the spirit’s aura depends on the type of spirit you summon from the options below.

Protector Spirit. The protector spirit grants you and your allies greater protection and resilience. Each creature of your choice in the aura when the spirit appears gains temporary hit points equal to 5 + your druid level. In addition, whenever you or allies within the spirit’s aura must make a saving throw, you can grant those creatures a bonus on the roll equal to 1/3rd your druid level, rounded down (minimum 1).

Hunter Spirit. The hunter spirit aids you and your allies with its keen perception. When a creature makes an attack roll against a target in the spirit’s aura, you can use your reaction to grant advantage to that attack roll. In addition, you and your allies have advantage on all ability checks made to detect creatures in the spirit’s aura.

Noble Spirit. The noble spirit lends its aid to those under it's care and acts as a guide. If you cast a spell using a spell slot that restores hit points to any creature inside or outside the aura, each creature of your choice in the aura also regains hit points equal to your druid level plus a number equal to that spell's level. In addition, you and your allies have advantage on Wisdom (Animal Handling) or Charisma checks when it comes to interacting with beasts within the spirit's aura.

Expanded Herd

At 6th level, your affinity with the natural world grants you the ability to extend the benefits of your druidic blessing onto creatures that represent nature at its apex form.

Choose from dragon, elemental, or plant. When you cast a spell that would summon or create a creature of that chosen creature type that creature will have the statistics of their  form, though they are considered fey for the purpose of benefiting from your class features.

Dragon

You can understand Draconic, but cannot speak it. Also, dragons you summon or create by a spell are considered fey for the purpose of benefiting from your class features. 

Elemental

You understand Elemental but cannot speak it. Also, elementals you summon or create by a spell are considered fey for the purpose of benefiting from your class features. 

Plant

Plants you summon or create by a spell are considered fey for the purpose of benefiting from your class features. 

Mighty Summoner

At 6th level, beasts and fey you conjure are more resilient than normal. Any beast or fey summoned or created by a spell that you cast gains two benefits:

• The creature(s) appears with 3 extra hit points per level of the spell.
• The damage from their natural weapons is considered magical for the purpose of overcoming immunity and resistance to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Beast Whisperer

At 10th level, you gain expertise in (Animal Handling).

Also, if you would use a charisma check to interact with a fey or beast, you gain a bonus to the roll equal to your proficiency bonus. This bonus can also be used for creatures that match the creature type you selected for your Expanded Herd feature.

Guardian Spirit

Beginning at 10th level, your Spirit Totem has become an extension of your Druidic essence. You can expend 1 use of your wild shape to conjure a Totem Spirit as a bonus action. You can only have 1 Totem Spirit active at any time, regardless of this feature and which form the spirit takes.

Secondly, as an action, you can expend 1 use of your wild shape to dismiss your current Totem Spirit to conjure another. The new spirit appears at the point where the previous spirit disappeared. Also, the new spirit retains the previous spirit's remaining duration.

Wonderous Summoner

Starting at 14th level, your connection to nature's wildlife allows you to enhance their conjured forms or be protected by them in your time of need. Choose one of the following features.

Once you use one of these features, you can’t use either again until you finish a long rest.

Nature's Caller

When you conjure a single beast or fey by expending a spell slot, you can expend two uses of your wild shape to gain the following benefits. The conjured beast or fey is friendly to you for the duration of the spell. Also, that spell lasts for its listed duration, requiring no concentration, or until you dismiss it (no action required). Also, until the spell ends, you and your conjured creature can't cast spells or use features that would summon or create creatures. 

Nature's Ward

If you are reduced to 0 hit points or are incapacitated against your will, you can immediately gain the benefits of Conjure Animals as if it were cast with an 5th-level spell slot. It summons four beasts of your choice that are challenge rating 1 or lower. The conjured beasts appear within 20 feet of you. If they receive no commands from you, they protect you from harm and attack foes within their reach foes. The spell lasts for 1 hour, requiring no concentration, or until you dismiss it (no action required). Also, until the spell ends, you can't cast spells or use features that would summon or create creatures.