Circle of the Wild Flock (Shepherd Variant)

Druids of the Circle of the Wild Flock 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.

Circle Spells

At 2nd Level, your ties to the spirits of nature grant you access to some spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Circle of the Wild Flock Spells table below. 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 Wild Flock Spells

Druid Level	Spells
2nd	Find Familiar, Animal Friendship
3rd	Find Steed, Pass Without Trace
5th	Conjure Animals, Spirit Guardians
7th	Conjure Woodland Beings, Polymorph
9th	Awaken, Mass Cure Wounds

Voice of the Shepherd

At 2nd level, you gain the ability to converse with the wild things of nature as well as imbue your melodic voice with a soothing harmony.

You learn to speak, read, and write Sylvan. 

As an Action, you can enter a state of communion with the nature spirits around you, causing their voices to harmonize with your own whenever you speak in Sylvan. This state lasts for 1 hour or until you are incapacitated or die. When you speak in Sylvan while in this state, beasts can understand your speech, and you gain the ability to decipher their noises, motions, and other communication behaviors, which are all telepathically translated to you in Sylvan. 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. However, speaking to a beast in this way does not instantly grant you friendship with it.

Furthermore, while in this state, when a spell you cast of 1st level or higher would heal a target with its effect and it also requires a verbal component to be cast, the spell is amplified throughout its duration if the verbal component conducted during its casting is spoken in Sylvan. When a spell is amplified in this way and its effect heals a target, any creature of your choice within 30 ft. of you (including yourself) is healed for an amount of hit points equal to half your Druid level (rounded down). The target of your spell still receives this additional healing even when it is not within 30 ft. of you.
For instance, if you are in this state of communion as a 6th level Druid, you know and cast the Aura of Vitality spell, and you amplify it in this way, any creature you choose within 30 ft. of you is healed for 3 hit points whenever you use a Bonus Action within the spell's duration to heal a target.

You can enter this state up to an amount of times per long rest equal to your Wisdom Modifier.

Menagerie of Guardians

At 2nd level, you can call forth nature spirits to aid you in a multitude of ways.

As a Bonus Action, you can expend one use of your Wild Shape feature in order to magically summon a flock of bestial guardian spirits. The spirits appear as a 30 ft. radius spherical aura that is centered around a point you can see within 60 ft. of you. When summoned, this aura takes on one of the forms described below and immediately uses the effect of that form. On subsequent turns of the aura's presence, you can use a Bonus Action to move its centerpoint up to 60 ft. into a space you can see. As part of moving it in this way, you can either use the effect of its current form again or change its form. Changing the form in this way causes the effect of the new form to occur. 

The forms that the aura can take and the effect of each of those forms are as follows:

Horde of the Hunters. The spirits within the aura take on the form of many predatory beasts, such as hawks, wolves, or sharks. In this form, they lend to you and your allies a superb hunting prowess. The effect of this form is as follows:
Select one creature within the aura. Your target has advantage on one attack roll it makes on its next turn. When an attack roll granted advantage in this way scores a hit, the target hit by it is dealt an additional amount of magical piercing or slashing damage (your choice) equal to 1d6 + your Druid level.

Myriad of the Meek. The spirits within the aura take on the form of many unassuming beasts, such as squirrels, canaries, or butterflies. In this form, they lend to you and your allies a swarm of protection against oncoming danger. The effect of this form is as follows:
Select up to two creatures within the aura. Your targets must make and succeed a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or else become restrained. A creature restrained in this way remains so as long as it is within the aura (in this form) or until it uses an Action on its turn to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success, it frees itself.

Stampede of the Stubborn. The spirits within the aura take on the form of many massive or headstrong beasts, such as oxes, bears, or elephants. In this form, they lend to you and your allies a relentless fortitude. The effect of this form is as follows:
Select up to three creatures within the aura. Your targets gain an amount of temporary hit points equal to your Druid level, each. These temporary hit points last so long as your target is within the aura (in this form).

The aura persists for 1 minute or until you are incapacitated or die. 

Might of the Wild

At 6th level, your ability to call upon the wild flourishes in power. 

Any beast or fey summoned or created by a spell that you had cast gains a bonus to its attack and damage rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1), and ignores immunity and resistance to nonmagical attacks and damage when making attacks with its natural weapons. 

Additionally, while you are in your "Voice of the Shepherd" state, your Menagerie of Guardians aura gains the following additional benefits: 

• While the aura is present in its Horde of the Hunters form, any creature targeted by its effect also gains a +10 ft. bonus to its movement speeds until the start of your next turn. While a creature has this movement speed bonus, its movements do not provoke opportunity attacks. 
• While the aura is present in its Myriad of the Meek form, any creature targeted by its effect must also spend 4 feet of movement for every 1 feet it moves and is dealt 1d4 magical piercing damage whenever it moves 5 ft. in distance. This occurs so long as it is within the aura and regardless of whether or not it succeeds the Strength saving throw imposed by the effect. 
• While the aura is present in its Stampede of the Stubborn form, any creature targeted by its effect also becomes immune to being grappled, being forcibly shoved, or being knocked prone when it has the granted temporary hit points. Furthermore, when a creature with the granted temporary hit points subjects another creature to a check or saving throw that would cause the target to be grappled, shoved, or knocked prone, the other creature rolls with disadvantage. 

Sylvan Harmonies

At 10th level, as your deepening kinship with wildlife prospers, your primal-attuned powers are further strengthened by the harmony of Sylvan forces.

When you cast the Conjure Animals or Conjure Woodland Beings spells while you are in your "Voice of the Shepherd" state, the spell can be amplified if you so choose. When either spell is amplified in this way, you do not need to maintain concentration on it, and you can select the creatures you want to summon instead of having the DM decide. However, you cannot cast either spell again for the duration, and you must also forgo the "Eight [beasts or fey] of challenge rating 1/4 or lower" option that the spells provide, even when casting the spells at higher levels.

Additionally, while you are in your "Voice of the Shepherd" state, any beast or fey summoned or created by a spell that you had cast gains the following benefits:

• The creature gains an AC bonus equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1). 
• The creature gains a bonus to its hit points and hit point maximum equal to double your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +2).  
• The creature can become one size category bigger than its normal size. When enlarged in this way to become Large or bigger, the range of its melee attacks increase by 5 ft. in distance. 

Keeper of the Flock

At 14th level, the beasts and fey of the wild deem you as one of them, causing you yourself to become a guardian spirit.

While your Menagerie of Guardians aura is present, a second 15 ft. radius spherical aura is centered around you, moving as you move. Any creature of your choice within the aura you emit (including yourself) is treated as though it is within your Menagerie of Guardians aura. Furthermore, when an effect of your Menagerie of Guardians aura occurs, two additional creatures of your choice (including yourself) can be selected for the ensuing effect.

Additionally, while you are in your "Voice of the Shepherd" state, your Menagerie of Guardians aura gains the following additional benefits: 

• When a creature of your choice (including yourself) ends its turn within your Menagerie of Guardians aura while having 1 or more hit points, it is healed for 1d4 hit points. If a creature healed in this way is also a beast or fey that you summoned or created by a spell, it is further healed for an additional amount of hit points equal to half your Druid level (rounded down). 
• When the hit points of a beast or fey that you summoned or created by a spell are brought to 0 while it is within your Menagerie of Guardians aura, its hit points are brought to 1 instead. Each of your summoned or created creatures can benefit from this effect only once.
• Any beast or fey that you summoned or created by a spell can use a Bonus Action on its turn to teleport into an unoccupied space that it can see that is also within your Menagerie of Guardians aura.