Circle of Hextide

Druids of the Circle of the Hextide embrace the darker, more mysterious aspects of nature. Inspired by the legends of witches and hags, these druids weave curses, hexes, and supernatural transformations into their connection with the wilds. Their Wild Shape takes on eerie, magical forms, and their spells and abilities embody the fearsome power of cursed lands and arcane rituals.

Level 3: Curseweaver Magic

Your bond with witchcraft grants you additional spells. These spells count as druid spells for you and don’t count against the number of spells you can prepare.

Druid Level	Spells
3	Hex, Bane
5	Bestow Curse, Phantasmal Force
7	Blight, Confusion
9	Geas, Contagion

 

Additionally, you learn the Vicious Mockery cantrip, flavored as sinister whispers or ominous mutterings. It counts as a druid cantrip for you.

Level 3: Hextide Forms

When you use Wild Shape, you can take on eerie, supernatural forms instead of ordinary beasts. These forms follow the normal rules for Wild Shape but have additional thematic traits:

Cursed Raven: A Small flying form with keen senses and the ability to mimic voices (like Minor Illusion).

Black Cat: A Tiny form with advantage on Stealth checks and the ability to impose disadvantage on an attack roll once per rest.

Pale Toad: A Small form with resistance to poison damage and the ability to grapple with your tongue.

You can also curse your Wild Shape form. When you transform, choose one of the following effects:

Thorned Body: Creatures that strike you with melee attacks take piercing damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Frightful Presence: As a bonus action, you can force creatures within 10 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or become frightened until the start of their next turn.

Shadowed Form: You gain advantage on Dexterity Saving Throws, and you can hide as a bonus action.

Level 6: Cursed Grounds

You can twist the land into a supernatural trap. As an action, create a 20-foot-radius area of cursed ground within 30 feet of you. The area lasts for 1 minute and is considered difficult terrain for your enemies.

When a hostile creature starts its turn in the area or moves into it for the first time on a turn, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or suffer one of the following effects of your choice:

• Slowing Curse: Its movement speed is halved until the start of its next turn.
• Withering Aura: It takes necrotic damage equal to 1d6 + your Wisdom modifier.
• Hexing Presence: It has disadvantage on attack rolls until the start of its next turn.

You can use this feature twice per long rest. At level 13, you can use this feature up to three times per long rest.

Level 10: Hexed Wild Shape

Your Wild Shape becomes a conduit for curses. While in Wild Shape, you can use your bonus action to curse a creature within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or suffer one of the following effects (your choice) for 1 minute.

Weakened Attacks: The creature deals only half damage with weapon attacks.

Lethargic Hex: The creature's movement speed is reduced to 10 feet.

Withering Curse: The creature takes 2d8 necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), regaining all uses after a long rest.

Level 14: Cursed Apex

Your mastery of curses reaches its zenith, allowing you to take on a Cursed Apex Form when you use Wild Shape. Choose one of the following powerful transformations:

Nightmare Stag: A Large form with trampling attacks and the ability to cast Fear once per transformation.

Blighted Treant: A Large form with temporary hit points equal to twice your druid level, enhanced Toughness granting a +1 to AC, and the ability to cast Entangle once per transformation.

Spectral Witch: A Medium, incorporeal form that grants resistance to all damage and the ability to cast Misty Step at will while transformed.

Additionally, once per long rest, you can unleash a Grand Curse as an action. Choose a creature within 60 feet of you. It must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be cursed for 1 minute. Choose one of the following effects:

• The creature is blinded and deafened.
• The creature takes an additional 4d8 necrotic damage each time it takes damage.
• The creature has disadvantage on all saving throws.

This curse ends early if the creature dies, you get incapacitated, or you dismiss it (no action required).