Circle of the Cycle

Druids of the Cycle draw their magic from the energy that endlessly flows from life to death, and back again. They see the duality of thriving life and inevitable death in all things, tapping and manipulating the transition of energy between these states. Some Druids of the Cycle adherents focus on vital energies to nurture life and empower others, while others embrace the drain of vitality into decay to sap and strike down their foes.

The Circle of the Cycle may also be known as the Circle of Samsara. Samsara is a word that means "world". It is also the concept of rebirth and "cyclicality of all life, matter, existence", a fundamental belief of many Druids. Popularly, it is the cycle of death and rebirth. Samsara is sometimes referred to with terms or phrases such as transmigration/reincarnation, the karmic cycle, and "cycle of aimless drifting, wandering or mundane existence".

Cycle Adherance

2nd-level Circle of the Cycle feature

A practitioner of the cycles of life and death becomes intimately familiar with the forces that cause growth and destruction. These Druids learn to harness the forces of nature that manipulate these states of existence. Hands of healing and care use Cure Wounds to allow the Druid to heal injuries, hands of death and destruction use Inflict Wounds to allow the Druid to destroy life, while Spare the Dying allows the Druid to suspend both of these states of nature in stasis.

You learn the cantrip Spare the Dying and the 1st level spells Cure Wounds and Inflict Wounds.

Essence Tap

2nd-level Circle of the Cycle feature

As a bonus action, you can draw on a reservoir of life essence to empower yourself for 1 minute, or until you use this feature again. For the duration, you gain one of the following benefits of your choice:

Overgrowth. When you choose this benefit, and as a bonus action on subsequent turns while the benefit lasts, you can expend and roll one Hit Die. You regain a number of hit points equal to the number rolled plus your spellcasting ability modifier.

Withering Strike. When you deal damage, you can change the damage type to necrotic, and you ignore resistance to necrotic damage.

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

Circle Spells

3rd-level Circle of the Cycle feature

At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to the spells listed for that level in the Circle of the Cycle Spells table. Once you gain access to one of these spells, 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.

Circle of the Cycle Spells

Druid Level	Spells
2nd	Spare the Dying, Cure Wounds, Inflict Wounds
3rd	Lesser Restoration, Gentle Repose
5th	Revivify, Vampiric Touch
7th	Blight, Greater Restoration
9th	Antilife Shell, Mass Cure Wounds

Brew of the Botanist

6th-level Circle of the Cycle feature

You gain proficiency with herbalism kits if you don’t already have it.

When you finish a long rest, you can use an herbalism kit and a pot or cauldron to create magical brews. You create a number of brews equal to your proficiency bonus. Each brew requires its own flask. A brew retains its magical potency for 24 hours or until it is used. For each brew, choose one of the following effects:

Fortifying. When you create this brew, choose a damage type from the following list: cold, fire, necrotic, poison, or radiant. A creature can drink this brew or administer it to another creature as an action. The recipient gains resistance to the chosen damage type for 1 hour.

Quickening. A creature can drink this brew or administer it to another creature as an action. The recipient regains 2d6 hit points, and one disease or condition from the following list affecting the recipient ends (brew user’s choice): charmed, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, stunned.

Toxifying. As an action, a creature can apply this brew to a simple or martial weapon. The next time the weapon or a piece of ammunition fired by it hits a creature within 1 hour, the target takes 2d6 poison damage and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or be poisoned for 1 minute.

Samsara Adept

10th-level Circle of the Cycle feature

Your connection to the flow of life force deepens. Once per turn when you deal necrotic damage or restore hit points using a spell, one target of the spell takes additional damage or regains additional hit points equal to your proficiency bonus.

Withering Vortex

14th-level Circle of the Cycle feature

When you cast a spell using a spell slot that deals necrotic damage to any number of creatures that aren’t Undead or Constructs, choose one of the creatures that took damage. You drain an amount of life energy equal to half the damage dealt to the chosen creature. One creature other than yourself that you can see within 30 feet of you regains a number of hit points equal to the life energy drained.

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