Replacement for Wild Shape

[dreast]

Hey all,

My wife wants to play a nature-caster druid, and has no interest in the Wild Shape ability, wanting a more plant-based design. I made up a replacement, and I want thoughts on power level. It should be self-evident that moon druids won't be taking this.

Nature's Call

Once per short rest, when a druid who takes this option casts a spell that requires concentration and has a duration of no more than one minute, the druid may remove the concentration requirement from that spell. The maximum level of the spell cast in this manner depends on the druid's level.

At second level, this ability can be used on spells of 1st level or lower. (Replaces Wild Shape)

At fourth level, this ability can be used on spells of 2nd level or lower. (Replaces Wild Shape Improvement)

At eighth level, this ability can be used on spells of 3rd level or lower. (Replaces Wild Shape Improvement)

At eighteenth level, this ability can be used on spells of 5th level or lower. (Replaces Beast Spells)

At twentieth level, this ability can be used an unlimited number of times, but using it on a spell will immediately end the duration of any previous spell this ability has been used on.

[NecessaryWeevil]

Far too powerful in my opinion.

My shepherd druid will be fifth level soon. With this feature I could summon a pack of wolves, AND blanket the battlefield with crowd control spells, AND buff an ally, all at the same time.

[nickl_2000]

This is more powerful than the Wildshape for a non-moon druid. Part of what limits a Druids overall power is concentration, to remove that mechanism once per short rest is a fairly significant power boost.

Truthfully, the Wildshape mechanism for any druid other than a Moon Druid is more useful for scouting than it is in giving direct bonuses to combat (yes I know you can turn into a bird and fly above the battle to keep concentration, but it still only takes one turn you back into your caster form and have you falling).

I would look into using both Wildshape uses to summon an animal friend that functions similar to the find familiar spell instead. The CR you can summon, the movement types allowed, and the length of the time they are around follows the same progression as Wildshape.

[micahaphone]

How do you/your wife feel about the option from the recent Class Variant UA, where you can expend wildshape charges to summon temporary familiars? It keeps with the utility focus of wildshape, feels thematic enough to a druid, and doesn't require you to be the one turning into animals.

[dreast]

Far too powerful in my opinion.

My shepherd druid will be fifth level soon. With this feature I could summon a pack of wolves, AND blanket the battlefield with crowd control spells, AND buff an ally, all at the same time.

How? That's three concentration spells at once. This thing limits you to two at most.

And two is achievable with a huge variety of magical items that'll store and recast spells (ring of spell storing, ioun stone, shield guardian, etc.), so it's not like it's something that doesn't already exist in-game.

[dreast]

How do you/your wife feel about the option from the recent Class Variant UA, where you can expend wildshape charges to summon temporary familiars? It keeps with the utility focus of wildshape, feels thematic enough to a druid, and doesn't require you to be the one turning into animals.

She doesn't want animals involved at all.

[NecessaryWeevil]

How? That's three concentration spells at once. This thing limits you to two at most.

And two is achievable with a huge variety of magical items that'll store and recast spells (ring of spell storing, ioun stone, shield guardian, etc.), so it's not like it's something that doesn't already exist in-game.

Apologies, I misread your post. I still agree with nickl_2000 that it's more powerful than Wildshape, although not as egregiously so as I first thought.

[Fable Wright]

Absolutely busted. Being able to Entangle PLUS <insert any Concentration spell here> starting from level 2 is terrifying beyond measure, even without getting to Shepherd shenanigans. And it only gets stronger from there.

EDIT: Casting from a ring of spell storing/ioun stone is still YOU casting it, and still takes your concentration. Shield guardian is both the only way around it and not even in the DMG.

[micahaphone]

She doesn't want animals involved at all.

What's the cool feel she gets from druid? I want to know more about what she's excited about, then maybe we could tailor this a bit better.

Skipping concentration seems like a purely in-combat buff, when for non-moon druids wildshape is more of an out-of-combat scouting and utility power.

[Buji]

As others mentioned, removing concentration makes the caster a bit over powered.

If your wife wants something natured focus and doesn't want animals, this is what I would recommend:

1. Change it from Wild Shape to Nature Shape. Similar thing but instead of changing into an animal, she can transform into like an Ent, Treant, or something similar, or she can use the feature to gain tree, plant, dirt, nature stuff, as parts of her body.

These are ideas, not what she could do altogether (unless you want her to)
When she transforms, she can gain like, +1 or 2 AC (or gain barkskin, or resistance to slashing), lose the ability to use spells (similar to wild shape) but gain something else she can use, such as Grasping Vine as a level 3 spell rather than level 4, Thorn Whip as a bonus action.

Can cast Entangled upon transforming.
Would reduce movement speed by half (she's turning into a tree and would probably be rooted to the ground a bit) and vulnerable to fire

This is more along the lines of what I would do. I feel like there was a UA thing similar to this, or maybe I'm thinking of something else.

And the other option:
2. Beast Shape, but make them look like plants.


edit: I'm still pretty noob at D&D so I'm not sure how well this would work, so if anyone could give feedback on that or add to it would be appreciated

[nickl_2000]

She doesn't want animals involved at all.

Has she considered Nature Cleric then? Just throwing it out there.


Otherwise (just spitballing here):

Use it to cast speak with plants or locate plants.
Use it to get the Ranger Land's Stride ability for 10 minutes.
Trade the entire feature for an extra cantrip
Nature Cleric's Charm Animals and Plants
Instead of turning into animals you give a listing of plant shapes that she can wildshape into.
Instantly grow a plant from a seed to maturity.
Still summon a familiar, but choose a plant friend instead of an animal.
Can mutate a plant in nature to turn it into a mount for certain periods of time.

[Theaitetos]

I agree, knowing more about what exactly she wants would be beneficial in giving good answers.

If it's the "nature" theme, nickl_2000's Nature Cleric might be a good idea. One could also try an Archfey Warlock with a nature themed spell list, or how about a Nature Sorcerer: take a sorcerer subclass like Divine Soul or Storm Sorcerer, but add the Druid spell list instead of the cleric/additional spell list?

I prefer mixing things like this over creating entirely new things: it's easier and more well-rounded/balanced.

[AHF]

How about using the Recent UA Ranger Primal Awareness? Gives you free spells including speak with plants, locate plants, commune with nature, etc. You could replace speak with animals and beast sense with nature spells like entangle. Gives you a feature that increases in utility as you level up without breaking basic spellcasting concentration.

[stoutstien]

Why not use the nature cleric channel Divinity as a swap out?

[Damon_Tor]

Nature's Call

Starting at second level, you can expend one use of wildshape as a bonus action to create a Heart Tree in an unoccupied space within 30 feet of you. The Heart Tree is a medium plant creature with an AC of 10, Attribute scores of 10 (+0), and a number of hitpoints equal to your wisdom modifier plus five times your druid level. It lasts 10 minutes, and it takes no actions except when a spell allows or requires it to do so.

When you cast a druid spell (taking actions and expending slots as required), you can choose to cast it through the Heart Tree instead. The spell oringinates from the Heart Tree's space and the Heart Tree concentrates on it if required. If the spell allows or requires further actions, such as Heat Metal, the Heart Tree takes those actions when you mentally direct it to do so (no action required)


This gives you what you want: a way to get an extra concentration spell going with a plant theme. The tradeoff is, the Heart Tree isn't very good at concentration checks, so your enemies will be inclined to toss an attack its way to try to shut it down.