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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Druidic Circle of the Spirit (and some Land Druid spell lists)



hellspawnfish
2015-12-14, 06:14 AM
This is something I've been brewing up for my tribal-themed campaign, so more of a "Spirit Shaman" feel. It is supposed to hover somewhere between Land Druid (a bit lackluster) and Moon Druid (overwhelmingly the better option) in power-level, but this is my first time homebrewing things for 5e. I probably done messed up somewhere here, so I will welcome any comments.

This is still a work in progress, and I'm still flailing around about it. I'll write the flaily comments like this.

Circle of the Spirit

The Circle of the Spirit members live in between the world of the living and the world of the dead, preserving balance in both. They serve communities as sages and seers, or watch over places where the border between the worlds of man and spirit is weak. They form special bonds with spirits they protect, gaining the service of a spirit companion.

Spirit Guide
When you choose this circle on 2nd level you gain an aid of a spirit that accompanies you everywhere and serves as adviser, messenger and friend. You learn the Summon Familiar spell and can use it to summon your spirit guide to your side, compelling it to take corporeal form. You can change the form the familiar takes during a short rest without casting the spell again.

Circle Magic
The knowledge the spirits possess is vast, and studying them can reveal many secrets. Whenever you gain a spell level, you can add two spells from any spell list to your spell list. The spells have to be from Abjuration, Divination, or Necromancy school, and have to be of a spell level you can cast.

I'm really not sure about this one. Is 2 spell every level too many? Too few? Should I limit it to spells below 6th level? Should I give the bonuses only on Land Druid levels but make those spells always prepared?

Knowledge of the Ancestors
At 6th level you have absorbed the knowledge of the spirits you shepherd. You gain proficiency in two of your choice of the following skills: Arcane, History, Nature, Religion. Once per long(short?) rest, you can use your connection to the spirit world to gain advantage on one of those checks.

Yep, this is basically the Knowledge domain feature. I wonder if this is too weak for the level. At one point this level had the druid gain advantage on Concentration checks to maintain a spell, but I think that might be a swing in another direction.

Ghostly Guide
At level 10 your spirit guide is no longer bound to corporeal form while it’s serving you. It can become incorporeal for up to 1 minute. It cannot use this feature again until after a long (short?) rest.

I'm not sure about the duration on this one. An incorporeal helper/scout might be very useful but also 1 minute might be too short. Or maybe it's just a useless feature that will never get used...

Spirit Magic
At level 14 your spirit guide has grown incredibly powerful. It can maintain a concentration spell for you, allowing you to ignore the Concentration requirement of one spell. The guide has to be within 30 feet of you and corporeal to perform this function. However, your magical energies are very tightly entwined when you do it. Whenever either of you is damaged, roll Concentration checks for both spells (use your own concentration modifier). If either of you becomes unable to concentrate on a spell (becomes incapacitated or dies), both spells end.

So yes, this was a major decision to make. It's a big power boost, but it's also pretty late in-game. I'm not sure if I should leave it or do some sort of tanky Can't Touch This ability that has to do with the druid being not wholly of this world. S/he'd gain immunity to poison and disease, advantage on concentration checks and maybe resistance to nonmagical and/or necrotic damage? Not sure. Flailing.

Land Druid Circle Spell Lists: Jungle and Spirit

These are for that same campaign, for people who don't really want to playtest stuff. I know Spirit isn't a land, but I still wanted a way to give a Land Druid that Spirit Druid feel.

Jungle
3: protection from poison, spike growth
5: hypnotic pattern, plant growth
7: grasping vine, hallucinatory terrain
9: mislead, tree stride

Spirit
3: augury, see invisibility
5: clairvoyance, speak with dead
7: banishment, death ward
9: raise dead, legend lore