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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Druid - Circle of Flame [PEACH]



nickl_2000
2019-03-21, 10:32 AM
My take on an in close and person Druid. As a side note, this class could very, very easily be modified to be an elemental Druid of one of the other elements (change the language learned, fire to other element and re-fluff the flavour of destructive wildshaping).



Druid - Circle of Flame
Druids of the circle of flame see both the beauty and the destructive forces of flames. They know that fire provides safety, warmth, and light; it provides life. They also know that fire kills and destroys. Still even in its destruction, it consumes the old and the broken and leaves room for new life to take hold.

Burning Shillelagh
At second level, you gain the spell Shillelagh if you don’t already know it. The spell is modified slightly, so that when you cast it, your weapon is wreathed in flames. Now, instead of doing bludgeoning damage, it causes fire damage and gives off light (20/40)

Fire Adept
Also at second level, you an adept the element of fire. Damage you deal ignores resistance to fire. Additionally, you learn the Ignan language.

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

Destructive Wildshaping
At 10th level, you may use both your uses of wildshapes to shape yourself into a pure explosion of fire. Use a both your uses of wildshape form to transfigure into the elemental form of fire, your physical body disappears in an explosion of fire, until the start of your next turn. Fire radiates around your form in 30 foot radius sphere. Any creature who ends their turn in that sphere must make a Dexterity save or take 10d6 fire damage, half on a successful save). Until the start of your next turn, you are immune to all damage.
The flames can be immediately quenched with the tidal wave or tsunami spell. If that happens, you are stunned until the end of your next turn.

Fire Mastery
At level 14 you master the element of fire. As such, you are immune to fire damage and other creatures immune to fire damage are only considered resistant for fire damage you deal (this cannot be reduced further by any means). Additionally, you may use an action to cause your burning Shillelagh to flare up. When you hit with a melee weapon attack, each attack does an additional 3d6 fire damage.
This feature stays active until your Shillelagh spell end and you may use this feature two times per long rest.




Druid - Circle of Flame
Druids of the circle of flame see both the beauty and the destructive forces of flames. They know that fire provides safety, warmth, and light; it provides life. They also know that fire kills and destroys. Still even in its destruction, it consumes the old and the broken and leaves room for new life to take hold.

Burning Shillelagh
At second level, you gain the spell Shillelagh if you don’t already know know it. The spell is modified slightly, so that when you cast it, your weapon is wreathed in flames. Now, instead of doing bludgeoning damage, it causes fire damage and gives off light (20/40)

Fire Adept
Additionally at second level, you an adept the element of fire. Damage you deal ignores resistance to fire and immunity to fire becomes resistance.

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

Destructive Wildshaping
At 10th level, you may use both your uses of wildshapes to shape yourself into a pure explosion of fire. Use a both your uses of wildshape form to transfigure into the elemental form of fire, your physical body disappears in an explosion of fire, until the start of your next turn. Fire radiants around your form in 30 foot radius sphere. Any creature who ends their turn in that sphere must make a Dexterity save or take 10d6 fire damage, half on a successful save). Until the start of your next turn, you are immune to all damage.
The flames can be immediately quenched with the tidal wave or tsunami spell. If that happens, you are stunned until the end of your next turn.

Fire Mastery
At level 14 you master the element of fire. As such, you are immune to fire damage and learn the Ignan language. Additionally, you may use an action to cause your burning Shillelagh to flare up. When you hit with a melee weapon attack, each attack does an additional 3d6 fire damage.
This feature stays active until your Shillelagh spell end and you may use this feature two times per long rest.

Rukelnikov
2019-03-21, 11:25 AM
I like the idea of the elemental Druid, and most of the features I think are fitting. However, I also think you should switch the levels at which you gain the features.

Bypassing Immunity at lvl 2 is definitely a no-go for me. I can't picture a lvl 2 character dealing fire damage to an elemental prince of fire. This is stronger than the go to feat for any element focused caster and you are getting it 2 (or more) lvls earlier than the vast majority of them.

On the other hand, Ignan language at lvl 14 is kind of a bummer. Languages are largely flavorful, getting the language of your element at 14th means most fire druids will never know how to speak it, or will gain it thru other means. You should get the language at lvl 2.

nickl_2000
2019-03-21, 11:30 AM
I like the idea of the elemental Druid, and most of the features I think are fitting. However, I also think you should switch the levels at which you gain the features.

Bypassing Immunity at lvl 2 is definitely a no-go for me. I can't picture a lvl 2 character dealing fire damage to an elemental prince of fire. This is stronger than the go to feat for any element focused caster and you are getting it 2 (or more) lvls earlier than the vast majority of them.

On the other hand, Ignan language at lvl 14 is kind of a bummer. Languages are largely flavorful, getting the language of your element at 14th means most fire druids will never know how to speak it, or will gain it thru other means. You should get the language at lvl 2.

How about this instead

Level 2:: get ignan and ignore fire resistance?
Level 14: fire immunity becomes fire resistance, you are immune to fire, and you can do more fire damage on your weapon 2 times per long rest.


Also, do you feel that this is active enough of a class? I worry that the skills are pretty passive, but then I also remember that Druids are full spellcasters as well.

Rukelnikov
2019-03-21, 11:59 AM
How about this instead

Level 2:: get ignan and ignore fire resistance?

Level 14: fire immunity becomes fire resistance, you are immune to fire, and you can do more fire damage on your weapon 2 times per long rest.

Looks better, I'd add the clause that turning immunity to resistance doesn't stack with Elemental Adept to go from Immunity to nothing.

It looks to me that the subclass does a lot of things when I compare it with the other Druid subclasses. I'd drop some things that are not core to the idea of the subclass.

For example, you want a Fire Druid that is a viable melee. You could mesh both extra attack and flare up into an equivalent of clerics Divine Strike, making your melee attacks remain viable, 1d8 at 6th 2d8 at 14th.

Alternatively, since you were already limiting the flare up, you could maybe tie that to wildshape uses, something like "whenever you cast shillelagh you can spend a use of wildshape to make it a burning shillelagh instead, this turns its damage type into fire and deals an extra 1d8 damage on every hit, this increases to an extra 2d8 at 14th". I don't completely like this last version, it feels somewhat underpowered since tbh, you could just cast Flame Blade, since you are a druid, and it would deal more damage. this is non-conc so it may compensate.

I dunno, these are jsut some ideas, thing is I feel your subclass just does a lot of things when I compare it to the other druids.

nickl_2000
2019-03-21, 12:08 PM
Looks better, I'd add the clause that turning immunity to resistance doesn't stack with Elemental Adept to go from Immunity to nothing.

It looks to me that the subclass does a lot of things when I compare it with the other Druid subclasses. I'd drop some things that are not core to the idea of the subclass.

For example, you want a Fire Druid that is a viable melee. You could mesh both extra attack and flare up into an equivalent of clerics Divine Strike, making your melee attacks remain viable, 1d8 at 6th 2d8 at 14th.

Alternatively, since you were already limiting the flare up, you could maybe tie that to wildshape uses, something like "whenever you cast shillelagh you can spend a use of wildshape to make it a burning shillelagh instead, this turns its damage type into fire and deals an extra 1d8 damage on every hit, this increases to an extra 2d8 at 14th". I don't completely like this last version, it feels somewhat underpowered since tbh, you could just cast Flame Blade, since you are a druid, and it would deal more damage. this is non-conc so it may compensate.

I dunno, these are jsut some ideas, thing is I feel your subclass just does a lot of things when I compare it to the other druids.

Thanks for the thoughts. I will consider them and adjust accordingly.