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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Druid Archetype: Circle of the Wild Hunt (PEACH)



ASchmidt
2015-02-12, 01:40 PM
Circle of the Wild Hunt

They say some men need to be put down... like an animal. The thing is animals won't do the sick and twisted things that some men will do. An animal won't burn down a forest. An animal won't worship nightmarish horrors and bring them into our world to slake their hunger. Animals aren’t messed up like that.

That's what me and the ones like me are for... to hunt down diseased men and put them down. I am the hunter and these are my prey.

Bonus Proficiencies
When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you gain proficiency with nets, shortbows, and longbows. You also have advantage when making a Wisdom (Survival) check while tracking a creature.

Bonus Spells
Your dedication to the hunt infuses you with the ability to cast certain spells. At 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to circle spells that empower your hunt for those that have defiled nature.

Once you gain access to a circle spell, 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.

2nd level - Find Familiar, Lesser Conjure Animals*
3rd level - Find Steed, Pass without Trace
5th level - Conjure Animals, Fear
7th level - Conjure Woodland Beings, Locate Creature
9th level - Conjure the Wild Hunt*, Scrying
* - New spells provided below

Extra Attack
Beginning at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Focused Conjuration
Beginning at 10th level, while you are concentrating on a conjuration spell, your concentration can’t be broken as a result of taking damage.

Durable Summons
Starting at 14th level, any creature that you summon or create with a conjuration spell has 30 temporary hit points.


Lesser Conjure Animals
1st-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You summon fey spirits that take the form of beasts and appear in unoccupied spaces that you can see within range. Choose one of the following options for what appears:

• One beast of challenge rating 1/2 or lower
• Two beasts of challenge rating 1/4 or lower
• Four beasts of challenge rating 1/8 or lower

Each beast is also considered fey, and it disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or when the spell ends.

The summoned creatures are friendly to you and your companions. Roll initiative for the summoned creatures as a group, which has its own turns. They obey any verbal commands that you issue to them (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any commands to them, they defend themselves from hostile creatures, but otherwise take no actions.

The DM has the creatures’ statistics.


Conjure the Wild Hunt
5th-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You summon fey spirits that take the form of beasts and appear in unoccupied spaces that you can see within range. Choose one of the following options for what appears:

• Two Hell Hounds or Winter Wolves
• Four Displacer Beasts, Perytons, Phase Spiders, or Werewolves
• Six Death Dogs, Dire Wolves, or Giant Hyenas
• Eight Worgs

Each beast is also considered fey, and it disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or when the spell ends.

The summoned creatures are friendly to you and your companions. Roll initiative for the summoned creatures as a group, which has its own turns. They obey any verbal commands that you issue to them (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any commands to them, they defend themselves from hostile creatures, but otherwise take no actions.

The DM has the creatures’ statistics.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using certain higher-level spell slots, you choose one of the summoning options above, and more creatures appear: twice as many with a 7th-level slot and three times as many with a 9th-level slot.

DiBastet
2015-02-13, 08:19 AM
I like the concept of this circle, I really do. I honestly believe that with some work this can turn up pretty good.

Bonus Proficiencies: Fits pretty well. I would go even further; giving the ability to use shillellagh with bows.

Bonus Spells: I really like seeing find steed on the list. Fits and there's precedent. However extra prepared spells always come in two per level, no exceptions. Find something else for 2nd level and ditch one spell for 1st level.

Extra Attack: Extra attack? I don't like this. I really don't like this. You are focusing completly on combat and forgetting about utility. There are many other abilities that could fit fine here; combat isn't everything. IMHO this class should actually have Land's Stride. I mean, the wild hunter who gets bogged down by the vines on the ground?

Focused Conjuration and Durable Summons: I like that you played safe and copy/pasted abilities from another summoner specialist. That said I think that you could create something else for the final ability... I don't have a real reason why, I just think they should have something... else.

In any case as the saying goes what's good for the goose is good for the gander, so you don't have to worry about this too much.


Spells: I don't know about the minor animals... CR 1 and 1/2 critters are pretty hardcore in 5e... many times my campaign's resident land druid prefers using cr 1/2 instead of bigger ones when using conjure animals... I would bring the CR one level down each, one 1/2, two 1/4 or four 1/8. That's still one ape, black bear or croc; or two axe beaks, wolves or elks.

ASchmidt
2015-02-13, 02:24 PM
I like the concept of this circle, I really do. I honestly believe that with some work this can turn up pretty good.

Bonus Proficiencies: Fits pretty well. I would go even further; giving the ability to use shillellagh with bows.

Bonus Spells: I really like seeing find steed on the list. Fits and there's precedent. However extra prepared spells always come in two per level, no exceptions. Find something else for 2nd level and ditch one spell for 1st level.

Extra Attack: Extra attack? I don't like this. I really don't like this. You are focusing completly on combat and forgetting about utility. There are many other abilities that could fit fine here; combat isn't everything. IMHO this class should actually have Land's Stride. I mean, the wild hunter who gets bogged down by the vines on the ground?

Focused Conjuration and Durable Summons: I like that you played safe and copy/pasted abilities from another summoner specialist. That said I think that you could create something else for the final ability... I don't have a real reason why, I just think they should have something... else.

In any case as the saying goes what's good for the goose is good for the gander, so you don't have to worry about this too much.


Spells: I don't know about the minor animals... CR 1 and 1/2 critters are pretty hardcore in 5e... many times my campaign's resident land druid prefers using cr 1/2 instead of bigger ones when using conjure animals... I would bring the CR one level down each, one 1/2, two 1/4 or four 1/8. That's still one ape, black bear or croc; or two axe beaks, wolves or elks.

Bonus Proficiencies: Hurm... Shillelagh with bows, very interesting idea.

Bonus Spells: Yeah... I've been having a really hard time with the three 1st level spells. The Lesser summon is pretty core to the idea of a summoner (and yes, I'm going to tone down the Lesser Conjure Animals spell). The Find Familiar spell really works in getting the scout that aids the hunt as it were. And Hunter's Mark... that may be the one to go (or get moved to 3rd).

Extra Attack: The idea here is to encourage a more melee approach to combat. Summon up some assistance and then wade in and with the Hunters Mark from the bonus spells, you're doing respectable damage in combination with your summoned animals. I need to run the numbers to really make sure that it's not too far one way or the other. That being said, you're making a very valid point about the ability to traverse difficult ground and the need for something that is more of a non-combat ability. I'd also been looking at Speak with Animals and Animal Friendship as ideas worth looking into.

Focused Conjuration and Durable Summons: Yep, I completely lifted them from the Conjurer. They fit... being very summon focused means that not constantly having to deal with concentration checks to keep your summons in play is a really useful thing. And the bonus to hit points is so useful I considered adding it earlier. I even toyed around with the idea of replacing the 10th level enhancement with a bonus of 2 HP per druid level as a bonus to your summoned creatures just to give it a little earlier and let it scale. But your point is well taken... I'll take another pass on those abilities and look for something perhaps a bit more unique.

ASchmidt
2015-02-13, 03:36 PM
Ok, I've done an initial round of updates.

- The conjured animals for both Lesser Conjure Animals and Conjure the Wild Hunt have been adjusted. LCA has been toned down and should better reflect the power of a 1st level spell. CtWH has had the available list of summonable creatures changed to better fit "the Wild Hunt" and to remove creatures that could be overpowered for a 5th level spell.

- The Circle Spells have been adjusted, in particular those available at 2nd and 3rd level. The bonus 1st level spells made available upon taking up the Circle at 2nd level have been changed to have only Find Familiar and Lesser Conjure Animals thus dropping Hunter's Mark. This was a rough one to drop but frankly if you're wanting to get it that badly, there are ways... feat, multiclassing, etc... The bonus 2nd level spells made available at 3rd level now have two spells... Find Steed and Pass without Trace which seem a good fit for the concept. With these changes, there are now only two bonus spells at each level.

I haven't changed any of the rest yet but based on input I'm still looking at them and considering options, possibly including making a couple of abilities available at 6, 10 and 14 and allowing the player to choose between them.

aspekt
2015-02-14, 04:06 AM
I like the concept. Will there be a pdf?

ASchmidt
2015-02-16, 10:58 AM
I like the concept. Will there be a pdf?

Honestly, I hadn't really thought about doing a PDF. At the very least, I'm not going to do anything in that direction at all until there's an OGL to work with.

Tawny
2016-12-08, 07:11 PM
I really love this concept for a Circle but think that it is a little overpowered. Especially the Lesser Conjure animals spell!
Compare it to these beast related 1st level spells- Animal friendship, Beast Bond, find familiar. You have much more from this spell imo..
Compare it to the higher level spells Find steed and Phantom Steed. You can get a flying mount (giant owl) at lvl 1 with this spell...
Compare it to Ranger 3rd level ability- Animal companion- you can gain a similar CR rated animal at 1st level.

I think this spell should be lvl2, or toned down to be more in alignment with other lvl 1 abilities..
Maybe make it more Hunt specific- ie can only summon Mastiffs, Hawks, Bloodhawks, Wolves (or other similar hunting pack animals?)
and/or reduce the max CR rating to 1/4 rather than 1/2
and/or restrict to non-flying creatures
and/or restrict the time length further (10 mins?)
and/or randomise the summons?