BreaktheStatue
2018-03-24, 05:18 AM
BLUF:Replace the ability to cast the spells Conjure Animals and Conjure Woodland Beings, with what essentially amounts to one, permanent fey companion, who can manifest as either a beast or fey, depending on your character level, and who, for all other intents and purposes, would have the same powers and other limitations that it would have if produced by those spells. The new companion requires no slots to summon or concentration.
I'm a relatively new DnD player, but I've fallen in love with the flavor of "natural" builds - druids, rangers, forest anything, etc. The Circle of the Shepherd druid sounds awesome to me. The only problem is, it seems like one of the Circle's main strengths/exploits is to spam and buff low-CR summons to basically zerg rush whomever you want - and that you're handicapping yourself if you *don't* do this.
That seems like a recipe for bookkeeping hell, and annoying everyone else at the table by gumming-up initiative (“Hey, I’m casting this as a 5th Level spell, so here are 16 of whatever to deal with”).
So my proposal is this:
At Druid Level 5, instead of gaining the “Conjure Animals” spell, you get one CR 2 (or less) fey (in the form of an animal) to be your permanent magical fey/animal companion. You don’t need slots or concentration to summon it, and if it drops to zero, it disappears, and you can summon it again later. It wouldn’t get special powers beyond anything described in the spell, nor would it function as a familiar (no casting spells through it, seeing through it, etc.), although you still apply the Circle of the Shepherd buffs to it.
At Druid Level 7, your magical companion can take the form of a CR 2 or less fey, if you want (For RP purposes, this could be the same fey who revealed themselves to you as an animal at Level 5).
I wouldn’t change the way the Conjure (Minor) Elementals or Conjure Fey spells. Those stay as is.
As a player, I get a decently strong, but not overpowered, summon - and free-up slots and concentration - but sacrifice the versatility of the spell, and the potential to zerg. The DM gets predictability (and potential for plot hooks, depending on how fleshed-out the fey companion becomes).
I’m not married to the CR rating of the summons. I think that, and deciding what form the companion takes, would be up to the DM.
Would you, as a DM, consider allowing this?
I'm a relatively new DnD player, but I've fallen in love with the flavor of "natural" builds - druids, rangers, forest anything, etc. The Circle of the Shepherd druid sounds awesome to me. The only problem is, it seems like one of the Circle's main strengths/exploits is to spam and buff low-CR summons to basically zerg rush whomever you want - and that you're handicapping yourself if you *don't* do this.
That seems like a recipe for bookkeeping hell, and annoying everyone else at the table by gumming-up initiative (“Hey, I’m casting this as a 5th Level spell, so here are 16 of whatever to deal with”).
So my proposal is this:
At Druid Level 5, instead of gaining the “Conjure Animals” spell, you get one CR 2 (or less) fey (in the form of an animal) to be your permanent magical fey/animal companion. You don’t need slots or concentration to summon it, and if it drops to zero, it disappears, and you can summon it again later. It wouldn’t get special powers beyond anything described in the spell, nor would it function as a familiar (no casting spells through it, seeing through it, etc.), although you still apply the Circle of the Shepherd buffs to it.
At Druid Level 7, your magical companion can take the form of a CR 2 or less fey, if you want (For RP purposes, this could be the same fey who revealed themselves to you as an animal at Level 5).
I wouldn’t change the way the Conjure (Minor) Elementals or Conjure Fey spells. Those stay as is.
As a player, I get a decently strong, but not overpowered, summon - and free-up slots and concentration - but sacrifice the versatility of the spell, and the potential to zerg. The DM gets predictability (and potential for plot hooks, depending on how fleshed-out the fey companion becomes).
I’m not married to the CR rating of the summons. I think that, and deciding what form the companion takes, would be up to the DM.
Would you, as a DM, consider allowing this?