Circle of the Spores

Circle of the Spores

Druids of the Circle of the Spores find beauty in decay. They see within mold and other fungi the ability to transform lifeless material into abundant, albeit somewhat strange, life.

These druids believe that life and death are parts of a grand cycle, with one leading to the other and then back again. Death isn’t the end of life, but instead a change of state that sees life shift into a new form. These druids are often found wandering through the aftermath of battles and natural disaters, spreading their spores to bring about new life from death.

Druids of this circle have a complex relationship with the undead. Unlike most other druids, they see nothing inherently wrong with undeath, which they consider to be a companion to life and death. But these druids believe that the natural cycle is healthiest when each segment of it is vibrant and changing. Undead that seek to replace all life with undeath, or that try to avoid passing to a final rest, violate the cycle and must be thwarted.

Circle Spells

3nd-level Circle of Spores feature

Your symbiotic link to fungi and your ability to tap into the cycle of life and death grants you access to certain spells.

At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to the spells listed for that level in the Circle of Spores 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.

Symbiotic Nature

3rd-level Circle of Spores feature
You gain the ability to channel magic into your spores. As a bonus action, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to awaken those spores, rather than transforming into a beast form, and you gain 4 temporary hit points for each level you have in this class. While this feature is active, you gain the following benefits:

• When you deal your Halo of Spores damage, roll the damage die a second time and add it to the total.
• Your melee weapon attacks deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to any target they hit. The necrotic damage increases to 2d6 at 11th level.

These benefits last for 10 minutes, until you no longer have any temporary hit points, or until you use your Wild Shape again. You can activate your Symbiotic Nature a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier. 

Additionally, your connection to the fungal network that connects all plants allows you to tap into the knowledge to Wild Shape into plants.

Challenge Rating. The maximum Challenge Rating for your plantforms equals your Druid level divided by 3 (round down).

 

Halo of Spores

3rd-level Circle of Spores feature

You are surrounded by invisible, necrotic spores that are harmless until you unleash them on creatures nearby. As an action you deal 1d4 necrotic damage to a number of creatures that you can see within 10 feet of you equal to your proficiency bonus, unless they succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. The necrotic damage increases to 1d6 at 7th level, 1d8 at 11th level, and 1d10 at 15th level.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your druid level and regain all charges at the end of a long rest, or half at the end of a short rest rounded up. 

Fungal Warrior

6th-level Circle of Spores feature

You gain the ability to infuse a corpse with your spores and reanimate it. If a corporeal creature that is not an elemental or construct that is Small or Medium dies within 10 feet of you, you can use your reaction to animate it, causing it to stand up immediately with hit points equal to 5 + half your druid level rounded down. The creature uses the zombie stat block in the Monster Manual. It remains animate for 1 hour, after which time it collapses and dies.

In combat, the zombie’s turn comes immediately after yours. It obeys your mental commands, and the only action it can take is the Attack action, making one melee attack.

You can use this feature by expending 1 charge of your Halo of Spores. The maximum number of zombies you can control in this manner equals your proficiency modifier.

Additionally, as your connection with the fungal network strengthens and imparts upon you the knowledge of fallen warriors who have succumbed to the slow decay of mushrooms and mold you gain the ability to don heavier armor. You gain proficiency in Medium Armor if you had previously chosen magician or Heavy Armor if you had chosen Warden. 

Fungal Magician

The fungal network that spreads throughout battlefields and brings the slow creeping decomposition of corpses imparts the knowledge of how to don medium armor.

Fungal Warden

The fungal network that spreads throughout battlefields and brings the slow creeping decomposition of corpses imparts the knowledge of how to don heavy armor.

Infesting Spores

10th-level Cirlce of Spores feature

You direct the spores assaulting a creature to temporarily infest its body causing it to suffer physical and psychological afflictions.

Whenever a creature takes damage from your Halo of Spores or Symbiotic Nature, you may spend a use of your Halo of Spores to cause the creature to be blinded, deafened, frightened, or poisoned until the start of your next turn. 

Fungal Body

14th-level Circle of Spores feature

The fungal spores in your body alter you: you can’t be blinded, deafened, frightened, or poisoned, and any critical hit against you counts as a normal hit instead, unless you’re incapacitated.