Circle of Blackest Earth
Druid Subclass
These fell druids are the priests of Ergramoq, the Elemental Earth Tyrant, responsible for spreading the worship of the The Mountain that Walks, extending the reach of the insidious Cult of Blackest Earth, increasing the Obsidian One's presence in the world.
Optional Class Features
Druids of this circle do not gain the Wild Companion optional feature, but they do gain the Cantrip Versatility optional feature.
Wild Shape
Your Wild Shape feature is modified, as follows. Starting at 2nd level, when using your Wild Shape feature you may only transform into earth elementals. However, you ignore the Beast Shapes table entirely and can use your Wild Shape to transform into an earth elemental with a challenge rating as high as your druid level divided by 2, rounded down.
Combat Wild Shape
When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you gain the ability to use Wild Shape on your turn as a bonus action, rather than as an action. Additionally, while you are transformed by Wild Shape, you can use a bonus action to expend one spell slot to regain 1d8 hit points per level of the spell slot expended.
Circle Spells
Your connection with the Elemental Plane of Earth grants you access to the following circle spells at 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level. 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.
Some of the spells offered by this feature normally allow a caster the choice of one of the four elements when the spell as cast, but when cast by you earth is automatically chosen. For instance, when you cast Summon Elemental it always summons an elemental earth spirit.
Druid Level | Spells |
|---|---|
2 | Earthen Missile, Earth Tremor |
3 | Earthen Grasp, Spike Growth |
5 | Erupting Earth, Meld into Stone |
7 | Summon Elemental [Earth], Stone Shape |
9 | Conjure Elemental [Earth], Transmute Rock |
Elemental Strike
Starting at 6th level, you are able to invest yourself with primordial power when Wild Shaped. Your unarmed and natural weapon attacks while you are transformed by Wild Shape count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Elemental Transformation
Starting at 10th level, your connection to the primordial allows you to take on certain elemental attributes. You can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to partially transform yourself, retaining your normal form and abilities but temporarily manifesting elemental-like traits for a number of hours equal to half your druid level (rounded down). This is a Wild Shape transformation; thus other class features such as Archdruid, Combat Wild Shape, and Elemental Strike are applicable. While Wild Shaped in this way, you are considered to be an elemental creature in addition to your own normal creature type, and can be targeted by spells and abilities that affect elemental earth creatures. However, your native plane remains the plane you were born on.
Your body takes on the appearance, texture, and durability of stone, and you gain the following benefits:
- Your weight doubles.
- You have disadvantage on Charisma and Dexterity checks and saving throws.
- You have advantage on both Constitution and Strength checks and saving throws.
- You are immune to disease, poison damage, and the petrified and poisoned conditions.
- You have resistance to cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, and thunder damage.
- While you are not wearing any armor, your armor class equals 15 + your Constitution modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
- Your biological processes are suspended; you don't need to eat, drink, breathe, or sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep.
- Your unarmed attacks are considered either unarmed or weapon attacks as you prefer, and deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier.
- If you score a critical hit on a creature when attacking in this way, that creature must succeed on a Strength or Dexterity saving throw (their choice) against a DC equal to 12 + half your class level or be pushed back 5 feet away from you and knocked prone. If the creature cannot be moved back for any reason (an obstruction, an ability, immobility, etc) or is already prone, they instead must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against the same DC, or gain the stunned condition.
Elemental Empowerment
Starting at 14th level, the Earth Tyrant gifts you with sufficient authority to command the obedience of earth elementals in his name. You may cast the spell Dominate Elemental without using a spell slot, and without need of a spellcasting focus or spell components, on any number of earth elementals that you can see within range that have a combined challenge rating equal to or less than your total character level. Affected earth elementals that are evil or neutral have disadvantage on their Wisdom saving throws against this spell when cast by you in this way. You may use this feature once per proficiency bonus per long rest.