Circle of Anima

Among the druids, the Circle of Anima revere the creatures of nature more, and see the fauna being of greater significance to nature than the flora. These druids ritually tether the souls of the creatures they revere to their body through tattoos, body paint, piercings, and other adornments made from the animals (such as a headdress made from feathers) Then, when they feel the communion with the beasts, they can use their magic to bring forth that soul to shift these depictions into being part of the creatures.

Druids of the Circle of Anima do not wear shoes, gloves, or helmets, as they would cover their ritual tethers.

Other druids, revering life, frown upon the nature of the connection the Circle of Anima have with the beasts, as to bring forth the power, they must kill the animal itself and trap its soul into their body. This is often done as a coming of age ceremony. But the Circle of Anima do not view it as unwonton slaughter, but a hallowed ritual and a spiritual connection. All creatures die, and this is a way to preserve the creatures soul at the prime of their lives. 

Test

Homebrew Content

Taught by Beasts

(Level 2 Circle of Anima Feature)

Children of the Circle of Anima grow up playing among the animals, and learning from them. This constant time has taught them some different characteristics that beasts have, and they have learned how to mimic the creatures actions to gain benefits.

• You know the spell Enhance Ability, without it counting towards your spells known.
• You can cast Enhance Ability on yourself without consuming a spell slot a number of times per long rest equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Soul Emergence

 (Level 2 Circle of Anima Feature)

You have often watched your chosen creature, and have discovered a characteristic trait that you revere: Hardheaded, Merciful or Ferocious. After seeing the essence of the creatures soul, you ritually slay it and in a ceremony bring its carcass to a shaman who pulls the soul out and into your body, while simultaneously painting, etching, tattooing, or piercing a portrayal of both that creature and its chosen trait in your body. 

You can expend a use of wild shape in order to partially transform the part of your body portraying the creature into part of the creature itself, gaining a special attack depending on your trait. Additionally, you gain another use of wild shape that can be only used for partially transforming (3 per rest) While partially wild shaped you retain your game statistics and can still perform spells.

Hardheaded: When you expend a wild shape to partially transform, you gain the following: Charge - When you take the Shove action, add your wisdom modifier to your Strength check and deal 1d4 damage. The creature you choose determines the damage type.

Ram: You pierce your ears both in the lobe and in the top with a single curved bone, to signify ram's horns. When you expend a wild shape your ears and the back of your head shift into a rams, growing their horns. The Charge damage is bludgeoning.

Boar: You pierce your lower lip with two sharp bones to signify a boar's tusks. When you expend a  wild shape, your jaw and nose form into a boars snout, growing tusks. The Charge damage is slashing.

Stag: You shave your head and embed pointed bones into the flesh on either side of your crown. When you expend a wild shape, the top of your head and ears form a Stag's antlers and ears. The Charge damage is piercing.

Merciful: When you expend your wild shape to partially transform, you gain the following: Bite - While you have a creature grappled, you can use a bonus action to make a special melee attack with a +5 to attack dealing 1d8 damage. The creature you choose determines the damage type.

Snake: If you have hair, you shave it off, and you pierce your upper lip with two sharp bones. When you expend a wild shape, you gain a mouth of a snake, including fangs and a forked tongue. The Bite damage is poison.

Lion: You weave your hair and beard together to create a semblance of a mane. If your race is hairless, instead you gain tattoos all around your head, cheeks, and neck in a semblance of a mane. When you expend a wild shape, the mane becomes real and your jaw and nose turns into a lions. The Bite damage is piercing. (alternatively you could choose another big cat, and create a ritual form based on that cat's appearance.)

Piranha: You pierce both your lips with multiple sharp bones much like a piranha's teeth. You also file your teeth into points. When you expend a wild shape, your whole mouth and jaw becomes like a piranha's. The Bite damage is cold.

Ferocious: When you expend your wild shape to partially transform, you gain the following: Claw - While not holding anything in y our hands you can use an action to make 2 claw attacks, one with each hand. Add your strength modifier to your attack roll with both hands. The damage is 1d6 per hand, and the creature you choose determines the damage type.

Tiger: You gain body paint or tattoos along your arms in the shape of stripes. When you expend a wild shape, your entire arms and hands become like a tiger's. The Claw damage is piercing. (alternatively you could choose another big cat, and create a ritual form based on that cat's appearance such as spots instead of stripes)

Crab: You embed bones into your fingers, signifying the ridges on a crabs claw. In addition you embed a crab's shell into your shoulder. When you expend a wild shape, your entire arms and hands become like a crab's. The Claw damage is force. (alternatively you could choose a scorpion)

Bear: You tattoo your entire arms with swirling forms that signify a bear's hair. When you expend a wild shape, your entire arms and hands become like a bear's. The Claw damage is slashing.

Aspect of Nature

(Level 6 Circle of Anima Feature)

Your journeys have shown you animals you hadn't encountered before. Choose another creature as presented below, you ritualistically sacrifice the animal and perform the depiction ceremony yourself. You gain another use of wild shape only for partial shaping. (4/rest)

Eagle's Eye: You fashion a headdress of feathers. When you expend a wild shape, you can turn your upper head and eyes into an eagles. While wild shaped this way, you gain advantage on all your perception and investigation checks and a +3 to passive perception.

Panther's Tread: You tattoo your feet with a depiction of claws. When you expend a wild shape, you can turn your lower legs into a panther's. While wild shaped this way, you gain advantage on all your stealth and acrobatics checks and you gain 5ft of movement.

Gorilla's Grip: You tattoo your hands with swirls to depict hair. When you expend a wild shape, you can transform your arm into a gorilla's. You can still have a Ferocious trait from your Soul Essence wild shaped with this one, but it will only be the hands, and your arms will be a gorilla's. While wild shaped this way, you gain advantage on all your Athletics and Intimidation checks, as well as +2 to hit with any melee weapon.

 Bat Sense: You bind your ears so they end in a point. When you expend a wild shape, you can transform your ears into a bat's. While wild shaped this way, you gain advantage on Insight check and a blindsight of 10ft.

 

Improved Soul Emergence

(Lvl 10 Circle of Anima Feature)

Your ritual sacrifices have given you much, and still you continue to grow. Choose a creature from a different trait from your Soul Emergence feature, and gain its ability or you may choose from a new trait: Momentum.

Momentum: 

Falcon - You tattoo feathers into your shoulders and shoulder blades. When you expend a wild shape, you sprout wings and gain a flying speed of 20ft, as long as you end your turn solid terrain. 

Frog - You tattoo gills into your neck and large circles around your eyes. When you expend a wild shape, you grow gills and the hands and toes of your feet become webbed. You gain a swim speed of 20 ft and can breathe underwater.

Monkey - You tattoo a curved line onto your back like monkey's tail. When you expend a wild shape, you grow a monkeys tail, and gain a climb speed of 20 ft as long as you end your turn on solid terrain.

Chimeral Form

(Lvl 14 Circle of Anima Feature)

Your communion with the animal souls in your body has deepened, allowing you to feel their connection even without the ritual tether to your body.

While fully wild shaped (when you have the beasts game stats) you can expend a wild shape to partially wild shape your current beast's form. Follow the rules for a normal wild shape, but you also gain the effect granted by the partial wild shape (i.e. no casting spells).