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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Festive Druid Circles (Holly and Ivy)



weaseldust
2015-12-24, 07:45 PM
Actually, I didn't plan them to be festive. I was just doing one each for a bunch of kinds of plant and these were the ones I ended up finishing.

Spells marked with '*' are new and are detailed at the end.


The Circle of the Holly


Circle Spells (level 2)

You gain the following circle spells at the levels they are listed against. You always have your circle spells prepared and they do not count against the number of spells you can prepare.

Level 2: Ring of Thorns*

Level 3: Barkskin

Level 5: Speak with Plants

Level 7: Thorn Burst*

Level 9: Woodland Crown*


Holly Form (level 2)

You may expend a use of your Wild Shape to take the form of a Medium holly bush. While in this form, you have an AC of 16 and HP equal to 4 times your Druid level. You may speak and you have a movement speed of 20ft, but you may not take actions (or bonus actions or reactions) except those granted by this archetype. While not moving or speaking, you are indistinguishable from an ordinary holly bush.


Thorny Reach (level 2)

You learn the Thorn Whip cantrip, or another from the Druid list if you already know it. When you hit a creature with Thorn Whip, instead of pulling them towards you, you may instead chose a second creature within 5ft of the first target and deal it d4 piercing damage. The extra damage increases by d4 when you reach levels 5, 11, and 17.

Further, while in holly form, you may use an action to cast Thorn Whip.


Crowned Holly (level 6)

You carry yourself with the regal bearing of the holly. Beasts and plants that are native to the woodland are never hostile to you unless directly harmed by you.


Thorny Hide (level 10)

In the spirit of the holly, you can spout spines to protect yourself from attack. Whenever a creature hits you with a melee attack, you may use your reaction to cause them to take 4d4 piercing damage. Further, any damage you take from their attack is reduced by the amount you rolled on the 4d4. Once you have used this ability, you may not use it again until you have completed a short or long rest.


Holly Nature (level 14)

You may take the form of a holly bush at any time as a bonus action without expending a use of your Wild Shape. However, when you transform in this manner you do not gain any temporary HP (and nor can you be forced to transform back by taking damage) and you do not count as being Wild Shaped for any other purpose (such as the Beast Spells feature). Otherwise, your characteristics in this form are the same as for the Holly Form ability.


Traits

Roll a d6, or choose the one you like best:
1 – You hate to be touched
2 – You never make requests; instead, you give commands
3 – You are exceptionally vain
4 – You only wear green and red
5 – While your hands are otherwise unoccupied, you absent-mindedly sharpen sticks, stones, and other small objects
6 – You have a morbid fascination with the blood of other creatures


The Circle of the Ivy


Circle Spells (level 2)

You gain the following circle spells at the levels they are listed against. You always have your circle spells prepared and they do not count against the number of spells you can prepare.

Level 2: Threadneedle*

Level 3: Hold Person

Level 5: Speak with Plants

Level 7: Tentative Tendril*

Level 9: Servant Creeper*


Ivy Form (level 2)

You may expend a use of your Wild Shape to take the form of a Medium ivy plant. While in this form, you have an AC of 14 and HP equal to 4 times your Druid level. You may speak and you have a movement speed of 30ft, a climb speed of 30ft, and the ability to cling to and climb on any surface. You may not take actions (or bonus actions or reactions) except those granted by this archetype. While not moving or speaking, you are indistinguishable from an ordinary ivy plant.


Twisting Vines (level 2)

You learn the Thorn Whip cantrip, or another from the Druid list if you already know it. When you hit a Medium or smaller creature with Thorn Whip, instead of pulling them towards you by 10ft, you may instead move them up to 10ft in any direction or knock them prone.

Further, while in ivy form, you may use an action to cast Thorn Whip.


Ivy Ascent (level 6)

You can cling to any surface as the ivy clings to its host tree. You have a climb speed equal to your movement speed and can cling to and climb on any naturally-occurring surface without using your hands.


Reticence (level 10)

Just as the ivy does not stand out among the trees of the wood, so do you also seek to avoid attention. Whenever you roll initiative or are the target of an attack or any effect that forces you to make a save, you may use your reaction to move up to 30ft and attempt to hide. If your reaction was triggered by an attack or effect that forces a save, it is resolved after you move and/or hide; if your reaction leaves you an invalid target, you are unaffected by it.

Once you have used this ability, you may not use it again until you have completed a short or long rest.


Ivy Nature (level 14)

You may take the form of an ivy plant at any time as a bonus action without expending a use of your Wild Shape. However, when you transform in this manner you do not gain any temporary HP (and nor can you be forced to transform back by taking damage) and you do not count as being Wild Shaped for any other purpose (such as the Beast Spells feature). Otherwise, your characteristics in this form are the same as for the Ivy Form ability.


Traits

Roll a d6, or choose the one you like best:
1 – You are always physically leaning on or clinging to your friends
2 – In any conversation or dispute, you will immediately look for an ally to latch onto and support
3 – You hate to be the centre of attention
4 – You sprawl bizarrely across any kind of furniture you sit or lie on
5 – While your hands are otherwise unoccupied, you absent-mindedly twist and knot grass, paper, and similar materials
6 - You have a constant urge to climb onto nearby objects, balconies, and so on


Ring of Thorns
Level 1 Conjuration
Casting time: 1 action
Duration: Concentration (1 minute)
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a sprig of holly)

You touch a willing creature and surround it with a defensive thorny wreath. Until the spell ends, whenever an enemy targets the protected creature with a melee attack, but before the attack is resolved, that enemy takes d4 piercing damage and must make a wisdom save. If it fails, it has disadvantage on melee attacks against the protected creature until the start of its next turn, including the attack that triggered the damage.

When you cast this spell from a slot of level 2 or higher, the damage increases by d4 for every level above 1.


Threadneedle
Level 1 Transmutation
Casting time: 1 action
Duration: Instantaneous
Range: Self
Components: V, S

You briefly take the form of a rope, vine, or trickle of water to move through a tight space. You can move up to 20ft through a passage at least half an inch wide. You stop moving and resume your previous form as soon as you enter a space large enough to hold it. If you do not encouter such a space after moving 20ft, you take 2d6 force damage and return to the place you cast the spell.


Tentative Tendril
Level 4 Conjuration
Casting time: 1 bonus action
Duration: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Components: V, S

A vine sprouts from a surface you touch. For the duration, it spools out behind you as you move. On any subsequent turn before the spell ends, you may use a bonus action to have the vine pull you back towards your starting point. The vine pulls you up to 120ft when you give the order and at the start of every subsequent turn. It follows the path you travelled after you cast the spell, though it attempts to move you around obstacles where possible. You can order it to stop pulling as another bonus action.

Further, for the duration of the spell, whenever you are the target of an attack or an effect that requires you to make a save, you may use your reaction to have the vine pull you up to 120ft back towards its origin.


Thorn Burst
Level 4 Conjuration
Casting time: 1 action
Duration: Instantaneous
Range: Self (20ft cone)
Components: V, S, M (a holly leaf)

A thorny mass of holly springs from your hands. Every creature in a 20ft cone originating from you must make a dexterity save, taking 10d4 piercing damage on a failure and half as much on a success. The holly persists once the spell is cast, with its victims trapped inside. Creatures that took damage when you cast the spell must expend 10ft of movement to free themselves from its thorns, and all creatures must expend 10ft of movement for every 5ft they move through it. For every 5ft of movement it spends in the holly bush, a creature takes 2d4 piercing damage.

When you cast this spell from a slot of level 5 or higher, the initial damage increases by 2d4 and the damage due to movement increases by d4 per 5ft for each level above 4.


Servant Creeper
Level 5 Conjuration
Casting time: 1 minute
Duration: 1 hour
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (an ivy seedling and a miniature watering can)

A creeping plant with 4 vine-like appendages springs up around you. The plant obeys your commands and follows you as you move. The appendages act at the end of your own turn in any order you choose. Each appendage can move freely within 30ft of you at 30ft per round and can drag, lift, and push up to 500 pounds. They can perform simple tasks like sweeping or building a shelter out of branches. They will continue with any task you give them until you command them otherwise.

The appendages cannot attack, but they can attempt to pick up and restrain creatures within 30ft of you as long as they are Large or smaller. An unwilling creature targeted in this way must succeed on a dexterity save; if they fail, they are restrained by the appendage and move with it. A restrained creature may make a strength save at the start of each turn to escape, and an appendage may hold at most one creature restrained at a time.

Each appendage has an AC of 16 and 30HP, with immunity to psychic damage and resistance to all other damage except slashing damage.

When you cast this spell from a slot of level 6 or higher, you gain an additional two appendages for each level above 5.


Woodland Crown
Level 5 Enchantment
Casting time: 1 action
Duration: Concentration (1 hour)
Range: Self
Components: S, M (a crown constructed from rare wood and other natural materials worth at least 200GP)

You assume the royal authority of the holly over the plants and creatures of the forest. For the duration, you are unaffected by difficult terrain formed by plants. Beasts and plant creatures that can hear you and are native to the forest understand your commands. If of CR0, they automatically obey you. Otherwise, they must succeed on a wisdom save to disobey you. Creatures that succeed on the save are immune to the effects of the spell for 1 hour.

Further, for the duration of the spell, you may use a bonus action to issue any of the following commands to inanimate plants:

Make way: Plants move aside to clear a line 100ft long and 10ft wide originating from you in a direction of your choice, or the region within 20ft of a point you can see within 100ft.

Bow down: Any number of plants you can see within 30ft bend low to the ground in a direction of your choice. The plants stiffen so they can take the weight of any creature or object no larger than them.

Convey: Any number of creatures within 30ft that you specify gain a fly speed of 60ft through terrain filled with plants until the start of your next turn.

Obstruct: All terrain within 60ft of you that is occupied by plants becomes difficult terrain for any number of creatures you specify.

You can also end or undo any of these commands as a bonus action.

Talamh
2016-02-07, 12:02 PM
I feel like these are fairly balanced, beautifully thought out and well written. I will be offering them to players in my homebrew campaign setting. Thank you.

On a side note, my campaign world features a gift-giving arctic dwarf who leads a clan of small sized elves who love crafting toys. haha