Circle of Black Flame

Druids belonging to the Circle of Black Flame often have a tragic past making them no stranger to death. Rather than being consumed by grief and despair, they understand that nature is cyclic – death is not the end. Moreover, they find solace in promoting that cycle, and to a Black Flame druid, the purest method of fostering life from death is through fire. Whether they are setting a poisoned land ablaze or burning bodies of the dead, they believe that new life will flourish from the ashes of the old.

Most druids of the world maintain a mystical bond with nature and the land, choosing to embrace spirituality rather than the devout worship of a deity. Those that do show devotion to a divine being, typically revere gods or goddesses of nature. Contrarily, druids of the Black Flame often feel strongly connected to the Matron of Death, also known as the Raven Queen. Those that tread fearlessly down her narrow path between life and death, may find themselves fated to usher souls.

CIRCLE OF BLACK FLAME FEATURES

DRUID LEVEL	FEATURE
2nd	Circle Spells, Necrotic Knowledge, Fire Within
3rd	Death Harvester
6th	Necrotic Flame
10th	Blazing Transference
14th	Blessing of the Matron

 

Circle Spells

CIRCLE SPELLS

Beginning at 2nd level, your deep and unique connection to the cycle of life and death has given you the ability to cast certain spells. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to additional 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
2nd	Healing Word, Hellish Rebuke
3rd	Aganazzar’s Scorcher, Gentle Repose
5th	Revivify, Plant Growth
7th	Blight, Death Ward
9th	Immolation, Raise Dead

Necrotic Knowledge

At 2nd level, you’ve gained an innate knowledge of death, including the processes that occur before and after. Through your familiarity, you have learned the Spare the Dying and Decomposing Flame cantrips. They count as druid cantrips for you, and they don’t count against your number of cantrips known.

Additionally, your knowledge has made you comfortable around the dead and dying – you are now immune to being frightened by undead.

Fire Within

Starting at 2nd level, the essence that fuels your fiery magic begins to burn hotter in your chest. Your inner flame is now hot enough to afford you resistance to fire damage, and you’ve harnessed the ability to extend it into your unarmed strikes and weapon attacks. Your attacks now count as magical and deal an additional 1d6 fire damage. As the heat continues to grow, the damage increases to 2d6 at level 10, and to 3d6 at level 14.

Fire Within

Your attacks now count as magical and deal an additional 1d6 fire damage. Damage increases to 2d6 at level 10, and to 3d6 at level 14.

Death Harvester

When you reach 3rd level, you learn to utilize your understanding of necromancy and the dormant life that lingers within the freshly departed. When an enemy creature you can see within 60ft of you dies, you can use your reaction to magically gather its diminishing lifeforce and transfer it to another creature of your choice within 10ft of the body, healing them 2d6 + your spellcasting modifier.

You can use this feature any number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Necrotic Flame

By 6th level, you have spent enough time focusing on your magic that you’ve discovered a way to weave your necromancy into your fire. When you hit a creature with a spell or weapon attack that would normally deal fire damage, you may choose to deal necrotic damage instead. The attack also deals bonus damage equal to your proficiency bonus, and creatures with a resistance to that damage type take normal damage.

Blazing Transference

Your ability to harvest life from the dead has grown more powerful. Starting at 10th level, you can use your reaction to expend a spell slot and cause the dead body of a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you to erupt with flames of vitality. Each creature of your choice within 30 feet of the body then ignites with searing fire. They must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 1d10 (per level of the spell slot expended) + your spellcasting modifier of necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. As they burn, you harness the lifeforce draining from their bodies, and channel it into healing any number of allied creatures equal to your proficiency bonus that are also within 30 feet of the body for the same amount.

You regain use of this feature after a long rest.

Blessing of the Matron

Once you’ve reached 14th level, you have truly proven yourself worthy to the Matron of Ravens. You have been gifted the ability to, as a bonus action, produce wings of black flame that explode from your back. You gain a flying speed equal to your current speed until you choose to withdraw them.

You can call upon your wings any number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended uses after a long rest.

Your scorching magical essence has also fortified your soul against death. When you die, your body is consumed in flame until the start of your next turn. If the flame is not extinguished, you rise from the fire reborn with hit points equal to 3d6 + Spell Attack Modifier.

Once you have been reborn, you are not capable of being so again for 1d8 + 3 days.