Circle of Spores
Druid
[–]
Holding high a gnarled staff wreathed with holly, an elf summons the fury of the storm and calls down explosive bolts of lightning to smite the torch-carrying orcs who threaten her forest.
Crouching out of sight on a high tree branch in the form of a leopard, a human peers out of the jungle at the strange construction of a temple of Evil Elemental Air, keeping a close eye on the cultists' activities.
Swinging a blade formed of pure fire, a half-elf charges into a mass of skeletal soldiers, sundering the unnatural magic that gives the foul creatures the mocking semblance of life.
Whether calling on the elemental forces of nature or emulating the creatures of the animal world, druids are an embodiment of nature's resilience, cunning, and fury. They claim no mastery over nature. Instead, they see themselves as extensions of nature's indomitable will.
Power of Nature [–] Druids revere nature above all, gaining their spells and other magical powers either from the force of nature itself or from a nature deity. Many druids pursue a mystic spirituality of transcendent union with nature rather than devotion to a divine entity, while others serve gods of wild nature, animals, or elemental forces. The ancient druidic traditions are sometimes called the Old Faith, in contrast to the worship of gods in temples and shrines.
Druid spells are oriented toward nature and animals—the power of tooth and claw, of sun and moon, of fire and storm. Druids also gain the ability to take on animal forms, and some druids make a particular study of this practice, even to the point where they prefer animal form to their natural form.
Preserve the Balance [–] For druids, nature exists in a precarious balance. The four elements that make up a world—air, earth, fire, and water—must remain in equilibrium. If one element were to gain power over the others, the world could be destroyed, drawn into one of the elemental planes and broken apart into its component elements. Thus, druids oppose cults of Elemental Evil and others who promote one element to the exclusion of others.
Druids are also concerned with the delicate ecological balance that sustains plant and animal life, and the need for civilized folk to live in harmony with nature, not in opposition to it. Druids accept that which is cruel in nature, and they hate that which is unnatural, including aberrations (such as beholders and mind flayers) and undead (such as zombies and vampires). Druids sometimes lead raids against such creatures, especially when the monsters encroach on the druids' territory.
Druids are often found guarding sacred sites or watching over regions of unspoiled nature. But when a significant danger arises, threatening nature's balance or the lands they protect, druids take on a more active role in combating the threat, as adventurers.
Creating a Druid [–] When making a druid, consider why your character has such a close bond with nature. Perhaps your character lives in a society where the Old Faith still thrives, or was raised by a druid after being abandoned in the depths of a forest. Perhaps your character had a dramatic encounter with the spirits of nature, coming face to face with a giant eagle or dire wolf and surviving the experience. Maybe your character was born during an epic storm or a volcanic eruption, which was interpreted as a sign that becoming a druid was part of your character's destiny.
Have you always been an adventurer as part of your druidic calling, or did you first spend time as a caretaker of a sacred grove or spring? Perhaps your homeland was befouled by evil, and you took up an adventuring life in hopes of finding a new home or purpose.
Quick Build [–] You can make a druid quickly by following these suggestions. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the hermit background.
Sacred Plants and Wood [–] A druid holds certain plants to be sacred, particularly alder, ash, birch, elder, hazel, holly, juniper, mistletoe, oak, rowan, willow, and yew. Druids often use such plants as part of a spellcasting focus, incorporating lengths of oak or yew or sprigs of mistletoe.
Similarly, a druid uses such woods to make other objects, such as weapons and shields. Yew is associated with death and rebirth, so weapon handles for scimitars or sickles might be fashioned from it. Ash is associated with life and oak with strength. These woods make excellent hafts or whole weapons, such as clubs or quarterstaffs, as well as shields. Alder is associated with air, and it might be used for thrown weapons, such as darts or javelins.
Druids from regions that lack the plants described here have chosen other plants to take on similar uses. For instance, a druid of a desert region might value the yucca tree and cactus plants.
Druids and the Gods [–] Some druids venerate the forces of nature themselves, but most druids are devoted to one of the many nature deities worshiped in the multiverse (the lists of gods in appendix B include many such deities). The worship of these deities is often considered a more ancient tradition than the faiths of clerics and urbanized peoples. In fact, in the world of Greyhawk, the druidic faith is called the Old Faith, and it claims many adherents among farmers, foresters, fishers, and others who live closely with nature. This tradition includes the worship of Nature as a primal force beyond personification, but also encompasses the worship of Beory, the Oerth Mother, as well as devotees of Obad-Hai, Ehlonna, and Ulaa.
In the worlds of Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms, druidic circles are not usually connected to the faith of a single nature deity. Any given circle in the Forgotten Realms, for example, might include druids who revere Silvanus, Mielikki, Eldath, Chauntea, or even the harsh Gods of Fury: Talos, Malar, Auril, and Umberlee. These nature gods are often called the First Circle, the first among the druids, and most druids count them all (even the violent ones) as worthy of veneration.
The druids of Eberron hold animistic beliefs completely unconnected to the Sovereign Host, the Dark Six, or any of the other religions of the world. They believe that every living thing and every natural phenomenon—sun, moon, wind, fire, and the world itself—has a spirit. Their spells, then, are a means to communicate with and command these spirits. Different druidic sects, though, hold different philosophies about the proper relationship of these spirits to each other and to the forces of civilization. The Ashbound, for example, believe that arcane magic is an abomination against nature, the Children of Winter venerate the forces of death, and the Gatekeepers preserve ancient traditions meant to protect the world from the incursion of aberrations.
The following information is from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, page 21.
“Even in death, each creature plays its part in maintaining the Great Balance. But now an imbalance grows, a force that seeks to hold sway over nature. This is the destructive behavior of the mortal races. The farther away from nature their actions take them, the more corrupting their influence becomes. As druids, we seek mainly to protect and educate, to preserve the Great Balance, but there are times when we must rise up against danger and eradicate it.”
— Safhran, archdruid
Druids are the caretakers of the natural world, and it is said that in time a druid becomes the voice of nature, speaking the truth that is too subtle for the general populace to hear. Many who become druids find that they naturally gravitate toward nature; its forces, cycles, and movements fill their minds and spirits with wonder and insight. Many sages and wise folk have studied nature, writing volumes about its mystery and power, but druids are a special kind of being: at some point, they begin to embody these natural forces, producing magical phenomena that link them to the spirit of nature and the flow of life. Because of their strange and mysterious power, druids are often revered, shunned, or considered dangerous by the people around them.
Your druid character might be a true worshiper of nature, one who has always scorned civilization and found solace in the wild. Or your character could be a child of the city who now strives to bring the civilized world into harmony with the wilderness. You can use the sections that follow to flesh out your druid, regardless of how your character came to the profession.
Treasured Item [–] Some druids carry one or more items that are sacred to them or have deep personal significance. Such items are not necessarily magical, but every one is an object whose meaning connects the druid's mind and heart to a profound concept or spiritual outlook.
When you decide what your character's treasured item is, think about giving it an origin story: how did you come by the item, and why is it important to you?
Treasured Item d6 Treasured Item 1 A twig from the meeting tree that stands in the center of your village 2 A vial of water from the source of a sacred river 3 Special herbs tied together in a bundle 4 A small bronze bowl engraved with animal images 5 A rattle made from a dried gourd and holly berries 6 A miniature golden sickle handed down to you by your mentor Guiding Aspects [–] Many druids feel a strong link to a specific aspect of the natural world, such as a body of water, an animal, a type of tree, or some other sort of plant. You identify with your chosen aspect; by its behavior or its very nature, it sets an example that you seek to emulate.
Guiding Aspects d6 Guiding Aspects 1 Yew trees remind you of renewing your mind and spirit, letting the old die and the new spring forth. 2 Oak trees represent strength and vitality. Meditating under an oak fills your body and mind with resolve and fortitude. 3 The river's endless flow reminds you of the great span of the world. You seek to act with the long-term interests of nature in mind. 4 The sea is a constant, churning cauldron of power and chaos. It reminds you that accepting change is necessary to sustain yourself in the world. 5 The birds in the sky are evidence that even the smallest creatures can survive if they remain above the fray. 6 As demonstrated by the actions of the wolf, an individual's strength is nothing compared to the power of the pack. Mentors [–] It's not unusual for would-be druids to seek out (or be sought out by) instructors or elders who teach them the basics of their magical arts. Most druids who learn from a mentor begin their training at a young age, and the mentor has a vital role in shaping a student's attitudes and beliefs.
If your character received training from someone else, who or what was that individual, and what was the nature of your relationship? Did your mentor imbue you with a particular outlook or otherwise influence your approach to achieving the goals of your chosen path?
Mentors d6 Mentors 1 Your mentor was a wise treant who taught you to think in terms of years and decades rather than days or months. 2 You were tutored by a dryad who watched over a slumbering portal to the Abyss. During your training, you were tasked with watching for hidden threats to the world. 3 Your tutor always interacted with you in the form of a falcon. You never saw the tutor's humanoid form. 4 You were one of several youngsters who were mentored by an old druid, until one of your fellow pupils betrayed your group and killed your master. 5 Your mentor has appeared to you only in visions. You have yet to meet this person, and you are not sure such a person exists in mortal form. 6 Your mentor was a werebear who taught you to treat all living things with equal regard. Learning Beast Shapes [–] The Wild Shape feature in the player's handbook lets you transform into a beast that you've seen. That rule gives you a tremendous amount of flexibility, making it easy to amass an array of beast form options for yourself, but you must abide by the limitations in the Beast Shapes table in that book.
When you gain Wild Shape as a 2nd-level druid, you might wonder which beasts you've already seen. The following tables organize beasts from the monster manual according to the beasts' most likely environments. Consider the environment your druid grew up in, then consult the appropriate table for a list of animals that your druid has probably seen by 2nd level.
These tables can also help you and your DM determine which animals you might see on your travels. In addition, the tables include each beast's challenge rating and note whether a beast has a flying or swimming speed. This information will help you determine whether you qualify to assume that beast's form.
The tables include all the individual beasts that are eligible for Wild Shape (up to a challenge rating of 1) or the Circle Forms feature of the Circle of the Moon (up to a challenge rating of 6).
Arctic CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Owl Fly 1/8 Blood hawk Fly 1/4 Giant owl Fly 1 Brown bear — 2 Polar bear Swim 2 Saber-toothed tiger — 6 Mammoth — Coast CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Crab Swim 0 Eagle Fly 1/8 Blood hawk Fly 1/8 Giant crab Swim 1/8 Poisonous snake Swim 1/8 Stirge Fly 1/4 Giant lizard — 1/4 Giant wolf spider — 1/4 Pteranodon Fly 1 Giant eagle Fly 1 Giant toad Swim 2 Plesiosaurus Swim Desert CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Cat — 0 Hyena — 0 Jackal — 0 Scorpion — 0 Vulture Fly 1/8 Camel — 1/8 Flying snake Fly 1/8 Mule — 1/8 Poisonous snake Swim 1/8 Stirge Fly 1/4 Constrictor snake Swim 1/4 Giant lizard — 1/4 Giant poisonous snake Swim 1/4 Giant wolf spider — 1 Giant hyena — 1 Giant spider — 1 Giant toad Swim 1 Giant vulture Fly 1 Lion — 2 Giant constrictor snake Swim 3 Giant scorpion — Forest CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Baboon — 0 Badger — 0 Cat — 0 Deer — 0 Hyena — 0 Owl Fly 1/8 Blood hawk Fly 1/8 Flying snake Fly 1/8 Giant rat — 1/8 Giant weasel — 1/8 Poisonous snake Swim 1/8 Mastiff — 1/8 Stirge Fly 1/4 Boar — 1/4 Constrictor snake Swim 1/4 Elk — 1/4 Giant badger — 1/4 Giant bat Fly 1/4 Giant frog Swim 1/4 Giant lizard — 1/4 Giant owl Fly 1/4 Giant poisonous snake Swim 1/4 Giant wolf spider — 1/4 Panther — 1/4 Wolf — 1/2 Ape — 1/2 Black bear — 1/2 Giant wasp Fly 1 Brown bear — 1 Dire wolf — 1 Giant hyena — 1 Giant spider — 1 Giant toad Swim 1 Tiger — 2 Giant boar — 2 Giant constrictor snake Swim 2 Giant elk — Grassland CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Cat — 0 Deer — 0 Eagle Fly 0 Goat — 0 Hyena — 0 Jackal — 0 Vulture Fly 1/8 Blood hawk Fly 1/8 Flying snake Fly 1/8 Giant weasel — 1/8 Poisonous snake Swim 1/8 Stirge Fly 1/4 Axe beak — 1/4 Boar — 1/4 Elk — 1/4 Giant poisonous snake Swim 1/4 Giant wolf spider — 1/4 Panther (leopard) — 1/4 Pteranodon Fly 1/4 Riding horse — 1/4 Wolf — 1/2 Giant goat — 1/2 Giant wasp Fly 1 Giant eagle Fly 1 Giant hyena — 1 Giant vulture Fly 1 Lion — 1 Tiger — 2 Allosaurus — 2 Giant boar — 2 Giant elk — 2 Rhinoceros — 3 Ankylosaurus — 4 Elephant — 5 Triceratops — Hill CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Baboon — 0 Eagle Fly 0 Goat — 0 Hyena — 0 Raven Fly 0 Vulture Fly 1/8 Blood hawk Fly 1/8 Giant weasel — 1/8 Mastiff — 1/8 Mule — 1/8 Poisonous snake Swim 1/8 Stirge Fly 1/4 Axe beak — 1/4 Boar — 1/4 Elk — 1/4 Giant owl Fly 1/4 Giant wolf spider — 1/4 Panther (cougar) — 1/4 Wolf — 1/2 Giant goat — 1 Brown bear — 1 Dire wolf — 1 Giant eagle Fly 1 Giant hyena — 1 Lion — 2 Giant boar — 2 Giant elk — Mountain CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Eagle Fly 0 Goat — 1/8 Blood hawk Fly 1/8 Stirge Fly 1/4 Pteranodon Fly 1/2 Giant goat — 1 Giant eagle Fly 1 Lion — 2 Giant elk — 2 Saber-toothed tiger — Swamp CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Rat — 0 Raven Fly 1/8 Giant rat — 1/8 Poisonous snake Swim 1/8 Stirge Fly 1/4 Constrictor snake Swim 1/4 Giant frog Swim 1/4 Giant lizard — 1/4 Giant poisonous snake Swim 1/2 Crocodile Swim 1 Giant spider — 1 Giant toad Swim 2 Giant constrictor snake Swim 5 Giant crocodile Swim Underdark CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Giant fire beetle — 1/8 Giant rat — 1/8 Stirge Fly 1/4 Giant bat Fly 1/4 Giant centipede — 1/4 Giant lizard — 1/4 Giant poisonous snake Swim 1 Giant spider — 1 Giant toad Swim 2 Giant constrictor snake Swim 2 Polar bear (cave bear) Swim Underwater CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Quipper Swim 1/4 Constrictor snake Swim 1/2 Giant sea horse Swim 1/2 Reef shark Swim 1 Giant octopus Swim 2 Giant constrictor snake Swim 2 Hunter shark Swim 2 Plesiosaurus Swim 3 Killer whale Swim 5 Giant shark Swim Circle of Spores TCE p36 [–] Druids of the Circle of 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.
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 TCE p36 [–] Your symbiotic link to fungus and your ability to tap into the cycle of life and death grants you access to certain spells. At 2nd level, you learn the chill touch cantrip. 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.
Circle of Spores Spells Druid Level Circle Spells 3rd blindness/deafness, gentle repose 5th animate dead, gaseous form 7th blight, confusion 9th cloudkill, contagion Halo of Spores TCE p36 [–] Starting at 2nd level, you are surrounded by invisible, necrotic spores that are harmless until you unleash them on a creature nearby. When a creature you can see moves into a space within 10 feet of you or starts its turn there, you can use your reaction to deal 1d4 necrotic damage to that creature unless it succeeds on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. The necrotic damage increases to 1d6 at 6th level, 1d8 at 10th level, and 1d10 at 14th level.
Symbiotic Entity TCE p36 [–] At 2nd level, you gain the ability to channel magic into your spores. As an 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. These benefits last for 10 minutes, until you lose all these temporary hit points, or until you use your Wild Shape again.
Fungal Infestation TCE p36 [–] At 6th level, your spores gain the ability to infest a corpse and animate it. If a beast or a humanoid 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 1 hit point. 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 a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.
Spreading Spores TCE p36 [–] At 10th level, you gain the ability to seed an area with deadly spores. As a bonus action while your Symbiotic Entity feature is active, you can hurl spores up to 30 feet away, where they swirl in a 10-foot cube for 1 minute. The spores disappear early if you use this feature again, if you dismiss them as a bonus action, or if your Symbiotic Entity feature is no longer active.
Whenever a creature moves into the cube or starts its turn there, that creature takes your Halo of Spores damage, unless the creature succeeds on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. A creature can take this damage no more than once per turn.
While the cube of spores persists, you can't use your Halo of Spores reaction.
Fungal Body TCE p36 [–] At 14th level, 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.
Crouching out of sight on a high tree branch in the form of a leopard, a human peers out of the jungle at the strange construction of a temple of Evil Elemental Air, keeping a close eye on the cultists' activities.
Swinging a blade formed of pure fire, a half-elf charges into a mass of skeletal soldiers, sundering the unnatural magic that gives the foul creatures the mocking semblance of life.
Whether calling on the elemental forces of nature or emulating the creatures of the animal world, druids are an embodiment of nature's resilience, cunning, and fury. They claim no mastery over nature. Instead, they see themselves as extensions of nature's indomitable will.
Power of Nature [–] Druids revere nature above all, gaining their spells and other magical powers either from the force of nature itself or from a nature deity. Many druids pursue a mystic spirituality of transcendent union with nature rather than devotion to a divine entity, while others serve gods of wild nature, animals, or elemental forces. The ancient druidic traditions are sometimes called the Old Faith, in contrast to the worship of gods in temples and shrines.
Druid spells are oriented toward nature and animals—the power of tooth and claw, of sun and moon, of fire and storm. Druids also gain the ability to take on animal forms, and some druids make a particular study of this practice, even to the point where they prefer animal form to their natural form.
Preserve the Balance [–] For druids, nature exists in a precarious balance. The four elements that make up a world—air, earth, fire, and water—must remain in equilibrium. If one element were to gain power over the others, the world could be destroyed, drawn into one of the elemental planes and broken apart into its component elements. Thus, druids oppose cults of Elemental Evil and others who promote one element to the exclusion of others.
Druids are also concerned with the delicate ecological balance that sustains plant and animal life, and the need for civilized folk to live in harmony with nature, not in opposition to it. Druids accept that which is cruel in nature, and they hate that which is unnatural, including aberrations (such as beholders and mind flayers) and undead (such as zombies and vampires). Druids sometimes lead raids against such creatures, especially when the monsters encroach on the druids' territory.
Druids are often found guarding sacred sites or watching over regions of unspoiled nature. But when a significant danger arises, threatening nature's balance or the lands they protect, druids take on a more active role in combating the threat, as adventurers.
Creating a Druid [–] When making a druid, consider why your character has such a close bond with nature. Perhaps your character lives in a society where the Old Faith still thrives, or was raised by a druid after being abandoned in the depths of a forest. Perhaps your character had a dramatic encounter with the spirits of nature, coming face to face with a giant eagle or dire wolf and surviving the experience. Maybe your character was born during an epic storm or a volcanic eruption, which was interpreted as a sign that becoming a druid was part of your character's destiny.
Have you always been an adventurer as part of your druidic calling, or did you first spend time as a caretaker of a sacred grove or spring? Perhaps your homeland was befouled by evil, and you took up an adventuring life in hopes of finding a new home or purpose.
Quick Build [–] You can make a druid quickly by following these suggestions. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the hermit background.
Sacred Plants and Wood [–] A druid holds certain plants to be sacred, particularly alder, ash, birch, elder, hazel, holly, juniper, mistletoe, oak, rowan, willow, and yew. Druids often use such plants as part of a spellcasting focus, incorporating lengths of oak or yew or sprigs of mistletoe.
Similarly, a druid uses such woods to make other objects, such as weapons and shields. Yew is associated with death and rebirth, so weapon handles for scimitars or sickles might be fashioned from it. Ash is associated with life and oak with strength. These woods make excellent hafts or whole weapons, such as clubs or quarterstaffs, as well as shields. Alder is associated with air, and it might be used for thrown weapons, such as darts or javelins.
Druids from regions that lack the plants described here have chosen other plants to take on similar uses. For instance, a druid of a desert region might value the yucca tree and cactus plants.
Druids and the Gods [–] Some druids venerate the forces of nature themselves, but most druids are devoted to one of the many nature deities worshiped in the multiverse (the lists of gods in appendix B include many such deities). The worship of these deities is often considered a more ancient tradition than the faiths of clerics and urbanized peoples. In fact, in the world of Greyhawk, the druidic faith is called the Old Faith, and it claims many adherents among farmers, foresters, fishers, and others who live closely with nature. This tradition includes the worship of Nature as a primal force beyond personification, but also encompasses the worship of Beory, the Oerth Mother, as well as devotees of Obad-Hai, Ehlonna, and Ulaa.
In the worlds of Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms, druidic circles are not usually connected to the faith of a single nature deity. Any given circle in the Forgotten Realms, for example, might include druids who revere Silvanus, Mielikki, Eldath, Chauntea, or even the harsh Gods of Fury: Talos, Malar, Auril, and Umberlee. These nature gods are often called the First Circle, the first among the druids, and most druids count them all (even the violent ones) as worthy of veneration.
The druids of Eberron hold animistic beliefs completely unconnected to the Sovereign Host, the Dark Six, or any of the other religions of the world. They believe that every living thing and every natural phenomenon—sun, moon, wind, fire, and the world itself—has a spirit. Their spells, then, are a means to communicate with and command these spirits. Different druidic sects, though, hold different philosophies about the proper relationship of these spirits to each other and to the forces of civilization. The Ashbound, for example, believe that arcane magic is an abomination against nature, the Children of Winter venerate the forces of death, and the Gatekeepers preserve ancient traditions meant to protect the world from the incursion of aberrations.
The following information is from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, page 21.
“Even in death, each creature plays its part in maintaining the Great Balance. But now an imbalance grows, a force that seeks to hold sway over nature. This is the destructive behavior of the mortal races. The farther away from nature their actions take them, the more corrupting their influence becomes. As druids, we seek mainly to protect and educate, to preserve the Great Balance, but there are times when we must rise up against danger and eradicate it.”
— Safhran, archdruid
Druids are the caretakers of the natural world, and it is said that in time a druid becomes the voice of nature, speaking the truth that is too subtle for the general populace to hear. Many who become druids find that they naturally gravitate toward nature; its forces, cycles, and movements fill their minds and spirits with wonder and insight. Many sages and wise folk have studied nature, writing volumes about its mystery and power, but druids are a special kind of being: at some point, they begin to embody these natural forces, producing magical phenomena that link them to the spirit of nature and the flow of life. Because of their strange and mysterious power, druids are often revered, shunned, or considered dangerous by the people around them.
Your druid character might be a true worshiper of nature, one who has always scorned civilization and found solace in the wild. Or your character could be a child of the city who now strives to bring the civilized world into harmony with the wilderness. You can use the sections that follow to flesh out your druid, regardless of how your character came to the profession.
Treasured Item [–] Some druids carry one or more items that are sacred to them or have deep personal significance. Such items are not necessarily magical, but every one is an object whose meaning connects the druid's mind and heart to a profound concept or spiritual outlook.
When you decide what your character's treasured item is, think about giving it an origin story: how did you come by the item, and why is it important to you?
Treasured Item d6 Treasured Item 1 A twig from the meeting tree that stands in the center of your village 2 A vial of water from the source of a sacred river 3 Special herbs tied together in a bundle 4 A small bronze bowl engraved with animal images 5 A rattle made from a dried gourd and holly berries 6 A miniature golden sickle handed down to you by your mentor Guiding Aspects [–] Many druids feel a strong link to a specific aspect of the natural world, such as a body of water, an animal, a type of tree, or some other sort of plant. You identify with your chosen aspect; by its behavior or its very nature, it sets an example that you seek to emulate.
Guiding Aspects d6 Guiding Aspects 1 Yew trees remind you of renewing your mind and spirit, letting the old die and the new spring forth. 2 Oak trees represent strength and vitality. Meditating under an oak fills your body and mind with resolve and fortitude. 3 The river's endless flow reminds you of the great span of the world. You seek to act with the long-term interests of nature in mind. 4 The sea is a constant, churning cauldron of power and chaos. It reminds you that accepting change is necessary to sustain yourself in the world. 5 The birds in the sky are evidence that even the smallest creatures can survive if they remain above the fray. 6 As demonstrated by the actions of the wolf, an individual's strength is nothing compared to the power of the pack. Mentors [–] It's not unusual for would-be druids to seek out (or be sought out by) instructors or elders who teach them the basics of their magical arts. Most druids who learn from a mentor begin their training at a young age, and the mentor has a vital role in shaping a student's attitudes and beliefs.
If your character received training from someone else, who or what was that individual, and what was the nature of your relationship? Did your mentor imbue you with a particular outlook or otherwise influence your approach to achieving the goals of your chosen path?
Mentors d6 Mentors 1 Your mentor was a wise treant who taught you to think in terms of years and decades rather than days or months. 2 You were tutored by a dryad who watched over a slumbering portal to the Abyss. During your training, you were tasked with watching for hidden threats to the world. 3 Your tutor always interacted with you in the form of a falcon. You never saw the tutor's humanoid form. 4 You were one of several youngsters who were mentored by an old druid, until one of your fellow pupils betrayed your group and killed your master. 5 Your mentor has appeared to you only in visions. You have yet to meet this person, and you are not sure such a person exists in mortal form. 6 Your mentor was a werebear who taught you to treat all living things with equal regard. Learning Beast Shapes [–] The Wild Shape feature in the player's handbook lets you transform into a beast that you've seen. That rule gives you a tremendous amount of flexibility, making it easy to amass an array of beast form options for yourself, but you must abide by the limitations in the Beast Shapes table in that book.
When you gain Wild Shape as a 2nd-level druid, you might wonder which beasts you've already seen. The following tables organize beasts from the monster manual according to the beasts' most likely environments. Consider the environment your druid grew up in, then consult the appropriate table for a list of animals that your druid has probably seen by 2nd level.
These tables can also help you and your DM determine which animals you might see on your travels. In addition, the tables include each beast's challenge rating and note whether a beast has a flying or swimming speed. This information will help you determine whether you qualify to assume that beast's form.
The tables include all the individual beasts that are eligible for Wild Shape (up to a challenge rating of 1) or the Circle Forms feature of the Circle of the Moon (up to a challenge rating of 6).
Arctic CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Owl Fly 1/8 Blood hawk Fly 1/4 Giant owl Fly 1 Brown bear — 2 Polar bear Swim 2 Saber-toothed tiger — 6 Mammoth — Coast CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Crab Swim 0 Eagle Fly 1/8 Blood hawk Fly 1/8 Giant crab Swim 1/8 Poisonous snake Swim 1/8 Stirge Fly 1/4 Giant lizard — 1/4 Giant wolf spider — 1/4 Pteranodon Fly 1 Giant eagle Fly 1 Giant toad Swim 2 Plesiosaurus Swim Desert CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Cat — 0 Hyena — 0 Jackal — 0 Scorpion — 0 Vulture Fly 1/8 Camel — 1/8 Flying snake Fly 1/8 Mule — 1/8 Poisonous snake Swim 1/8 Stirge Fly 1/4 Constrictor snake Swim 1/4 Giant lizard — 1/4 Giant poisonous snake Swim 1/4 Giant wolf spider — 1 Giant hyena — 1 Giant spider — 1 Giant toad Swim 1 Giant vulture Fly 1 Lion — 2 Giant constrictor snake Swim 3 Giant scorpion — Forest CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Baboon — 0 Badger — 0 Cat — 0 Deer — 0 Hyena — 0 Owl Fly 1/8 Blood hawk Fly 1/8 Flying snake Fly 1/8 Giant rat — 1/8 Giant weasel — 1/8 Poisonous snake Swim 1/8 Mastiff — 1/8 Stirge Fly 1/4 Boar — 1/4 Constrictor snake Swim 1/4 Elk — 1/4 Giant badger — 1/4 Giant bat Fly 1/4 Giant frog Swim 1/4 Giant lizard — 1/4 Giant owl Fly 1/4 Giant poisonous snake Swim 1/4 Giant wolf spider — 1/4 Panther — 1/4 Wolf — 1/2 Ape — 1/2 Black bear — 1/2 Giant wasp Fly 1 Brown bear — 1 Dire wolf — 1 Giant hyena — 1 Giant spider — 1 Giant toad Swim 1 Tiger — 2 Giant boar — 2 Giant constrictor snake Swim 2 Giant elk — Grassland CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Cat — 0 Deer — 0 Eagle Fly 0 Goat — 0 Hyena — 0 Jackal — 0 Vulture Fly 1/8 Blood hawk Fly 1/8 Flying snake Fly 1/8 Giant weasel — 1/8 Poisonous snake Swim 1/8 Stirge Fly 1/4 Axe beak — 1/4 Boar — 1/4 Elk — 1/4 Giant poisonous snake Swim 1/4 Giant wolf spider — 1/4 Panther (leopard) — 1/4 Pteranodon Fly 1/4 Riding horse — 1/4 Wolf — 1/2 Giant goat — 1/2 Giant wasp Fly 1 Giant eagle Fly 1 Giant hyena — 1 Giant vulture Fly 1 Lion — 1 Tiger — 2 Allosaurus — 2 Giant boar — 2 Giant elk — 2 Rhinoceros — 3 Ankylosaurus — 4 Elephant — 5 Triceratops — Hill CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Baboon — 0 Eagle Fly 0 Goat — 0 Hyena — 0 Raven Fly 0 Vulture Fly 1/8 Blood hawk Fly 1/8 Giant weasel — 1/8 Mastiff — 1/8 Mule — 1/8 Poisonous snake Swim 1/8 Stirge Fly 1/4 Axe beak — 1/4 Boar — 1/4 Elk — 1/4 Giant owl Fly 1/4 Giant wolf spider — 1/4 Panther (cougar) — 1/4 Wolf — 1/2 Giant goat — 1 Brown bear — 1 Dire wolf — 1 Giant eagle Fly 1 Giant hyena — 1 Lion — 2 Giant boar — 2 Giant elk — Mountain CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Eagle Fly 0 Goat — 1/8 Blood hawk Fly 1/8 Stirge Fly 1/4 Pteranodon Fly 1/2 Giant goat — 1 Giant eagle Fly 1 Lion — 2 Giant elk — 2 Saber-toothed tiger — Swamp CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Rat — 0 Raven Fly 1/8 Giant rat — 1/8 Poisonous snake Swim 1/8 Stirge Fly 1/4 Constrictor snake Swim 1/4 Giant frog Swim 1/4 Giant lizard — 1/4 Giant poisonous snake Swim 1/2 Crocodile Swim 1 Giant spider — 1 Giant toad Swim 2 Giant constrictor snake Swim 5 Giant crocodile Swim Underdark CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Giant fire beetle — 1/8 Giant rat — 1/8 Stirge Fly 1/4 Giant bat Fly 1/4 Giant centipede — 1/4 Giant lizard — 1/4 Giant poisonous snake Swim 1 Giant spider — 1 Giant toad Swim 2 Giant constrictor snake Swim 2 Polar bear (cave bear) Swim Underwater CR Beast Fly/Swim 0 Quipper Swim 1/4 Constrictor snake Swim 1/2 Giant sea horse Swim 1/2 Reef shark Swim 1 Giant octopus Swim 2 Giant constrictor snake Swim 2 Hunter shark Swim 2 Plesiosaurus Swim 3 Killer whale Swim 5 Giant shark Swim Circle of Spores TCE p36 [–] Druids of the Circle of 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.
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 TCE p36 [–] Your symbiotic link to fungus and your ability to tap into the cycle of life and death grants you access to certain spells. At 2nd level, you learn the chill touch cantrip. 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.
Circle of Spores Spells Druid Level Circle Spells 3rd blindness/deafness, gentle repose 5th animate dead, gaseous form 7th blight, confusion 9th cloudkill, contagion Halo of Spores TCE p36 [–] Starting at 2nd level, you are surrounded by invisible, necrotic spores that are harmless until you unleash them on a creature nearby. When a creature you can see moves into a space within 10 feet of you or starts its turn there, you can use your reaction to deal 1d4 necrotic damage to that creature unless it succeeds on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. The necrotic damage increases to 1d6 at 6th level, 1d8 at 10th level, and 1d10 at 14th level.
Symbiotic Entity TCE p36 [–] At 2nd level, you gain the ability to channel magic into your spores. As an 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. These benefits last for 10 minutes, until you lose all these temporary hit points, or until you use your Wild Shape again.
Fungal Infestation TCE p36 [–] At 6th level, your spores gain the ability to infest a corpse and animate it. If a beast or a humanoid 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 1 hit point. 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 a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.
Spreading Spores TCE p36 [–] At 10th level, you gain the ability to seed an area with deadly spores. As a bonus action while your Symbiotic Entity feature is active, you can hurl spores up to 30 feet away, where they swirl in a 10-foot cube for 1 minute. The spores disappear early if you use this feature again, if you dismiss them as a bonus action, or if your Symbiotic Entity feature is no longer active.
Whenever a creature moves into the cube or starts its turn there, that creature takes your Halo of Spores damage, unless the creature succeeds on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. A creature can take this damage no more than once per turn.
While the cube of spores persists, you can't use your Halo of Spores reaction.
Fungal Body TCE p36 [–] At 14th level, 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.