The Druid, revised (WIP, PEACH)

[unbeliever536]

The druid of 5th edition fixes a number of problems that plagued the 3rd edition druid. It no longer has an arbitrarily long wild shape in which to hide, and doesn't carry around a pile of class features that boil down to "what the ranger gets, but better". However, it still carries the basic problem: in many fights, the druid can simply hide in another form, not caring at all about their physical stats. They also have essentially arbitrary scouting capability, and the balance of the class is dependent on future authors not adding broken abilities to their monsters. It also fails to be simple, unlike most parts of the transition from 3rd to 5th: a druid still needs to track entirely separate statistics in multiple forms. Not to mention it has a bunch of abilities that come online with ABIs, unique among PHB classes. I don't think that's actually a bad idea, but unity in design is important, so I'm counting that as something to fix. Oh, and like all 5e casters, it's got a bunch of (semi-) dead levels when it picks up new spell levels. What follows is my attempt to adjust the druid's class features to be simpler and entirely futureproof. For now, I'm leaving the spell list alone. I'm of the opinion that spell power should be tuned downwards a bit and number of spell slots should be pumped up, but that is the domain of a magic fix, not a class fix. The main thing is that I want to bring Wild Shape more in line with 3rd edition's Shapeshift variant, which I think the 5th edition Wild Shape is pretty clearly based on. As there isn't really precedent for direct boosts to ability scores in 5th edition, I'm avoiding that, but many of the other components of the Shapeshift feature can be imported quite easily.

I'm still missing a few class features: I need a high level feature for level 18 (I had another level of beast spells here, but I didn't like it), and I need a capstone. I'd also like to add a third circle, perhaps based on fighting aberrations and undead, but I'm not sure what features to give it. Some sort of way to claim a demesne could be cool and flavorful, but it wouldn't fit all campaigns. In any case, take a look:

The Druid

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+2	Spellcasting, Druidic	2	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2nd	+2	Wild Shape (first form)	2	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3rd	+2	Druid Circle	2	4	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	4	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5th	+3	Wild Shape (second form, enhanced form)	3	4	3	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
6th	+3	Druid Circle feature	3	4	3	3	-	-	-	-	-	-
7th	+3	Wild Shape (third form, enhanced form)	3	4	3	3	1	-	-	-	-	-
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	3	4	3	3	2	-	-	-	-	-
9th	+4	Timeless Body	3	4	3	3	3	1	-	-	-	-
10th	+4	Druid Circle feature	4	4	3	3	3	2	-	-	-	-
11th	+4	Beast Spells (1st level)	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	-	-	-
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	-	-	-
13th	+5	Beast Spells (2nd level)	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	-	-
14th	+5	Druid Circle feature	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	-	-
15th	+5	Beast Spells (3rd level)	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	-
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	-
17th	+6	Beast Spells (4th level)	4	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18th	+6	{???}	4	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20th	+6	Archdruid	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

Class Features

Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8
Hit Points at first level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at higher levels: 5 (or 1d8) + your Constitution modifier for each druid level after 1st.

Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, and shields, excluding those made of metal.
Weapons: Clubs, daggers, darts, javelins, maces, quarterstaffs, scimitars, sickles, slings, spears
Tools: Herbalism kit or poisoner's kit
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, and Survival.

Spoiler

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-Instead of a weird note about how druids don't wear metal armor or use metal shields, they're just not proficient with them, which accomplishes 100% of what the old restriction did (no casting in metal armor) and isn't difficult to interpret.
-I thought about adding shortbows to the druid's weapon list. Haven't done it yet, though.
-Druids who poison people are a great archetype that should be available to players. They are no less valid than healer druids.

Equipment
In addition to the equipment granted by your background, you start with 50 (2d4 x 10) gp worth of equipment, or the following starting gear:

• (a) a scimitar or (b) any simple melee weapon and a wooden shield
• (a) a sling and 20 bullets, (b) 10 darts, or (c) 4 javelins
• Leather armor, an explorer's pack, and a druidic focus

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Did you know a bunch of starting packs in the Players' Handbook give more than average gold worth of gear? I didn't until Friday. The druid's doesn't, actually, but the pack could still stand some adjusting for sensibility.

Spellcasting
Drawing on the power inherent in nature itself, you can cast spells that shape that power to your will. See chapter 10 of the Players' Handbook for general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 of the same for the druid spell list.

Cantrips
At 1st level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the druid spell list. You learn additional druid cantrips at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the druid table.

Preparing and Casting Spells
The druid table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these druid spells, you must expend a spell slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

You prepare a list of druid spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the druid spell list. When you do so, choose a number of druid spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + your druid level (minimum one spell). These spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, if you are a 3rd level druid, you have four 1st level slots and two 2nd level slots. With a Wisdom score of 16, you can prepare six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st level spell cure wounds, you can cast it using a 1st or 2nd level slot. Casting a spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can also change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of druid spells requires time spent in meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell you don't already have prepared.

Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your druid spells, since your magic draws on your attunement to nature and the spirits around you. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, your Wisdom modifier is added to spell attacks you make with druid spells and sets the saving throw DCs for the druid spells you cast.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Ritual Casting
You can cast a druid spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.

Spellcasting Focus
You can use a druidic focus (see chapter 5 of the Players' Handbook) as a spellcasting focus for your druid spells.

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-One very minor change: there's no time cost to keep a spell, even if you're changing out other spells. This isn't super meaningful, but it matters to me.

Druidic
You know Druidic, the secret language of druids. You can speak the language and use it to leave hidden messages. You and others who know the language automatically spot such a message. Others spot the message's presence with a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, but can't decipher it without magic.

Your knowledge of Druidic allows you to understand the speech of beasts with ease. You always have the speak with animals spell prepared, and it does not count against your total number of spells prepared.

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Druidic is a cool, evocative class feature nobody uses. Speak with Animals is a cool, evocative spell nobody prepares. Let's stick them together! Now Druidic does something neat that isn't "pass notes to NPCs", and druids can use Speak with Animals without worrying that they're losing out on a better spell that they'll need.

Wild Shape
At 2nd level, you learn to take the form of an animal you are familiar with and take on some of its abilities. You can shift into your animal form as an action. The transformation lasts for half an hour or until you spend an action to shift back. When your transformation would run out, you can immediately expend another use of this ability to extend it by half an hour without spending an action. If you know multiple Wild Shape forms, you can transform between them without shifting back into your humanoid form, but each change to a different Wild Shape form expends an additional use of this ability. If you are reduced to 0 hit points while transformed, you shift back to your regular form. You have a number of uses for this ability equal to your druid level, and regain a number of uses equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum one) each time you finish a long rest.

When you transform, you decide whether your worn and carried gear melds into your new shape or falls to the ground in your space. If you choose for your gear to meld into your body, you can keep attuned magic items from doing so, as long as your new form is capable of wearing or using the item. If your gear is melded into your animal form, it is restored when you transform back, voluntarily or otherwise.

While you are transformed, you can only speak Druidic, though you understand all languages you can speak in your ordinary form. However, you can communicate with anyone who casts speak with animals and you are treated as though you had cast that spell for the duration of your transformation. Each day, you may designate a number of creatures equal to your Wisdom bonus in a special ritual that takes ten minutes. You can perform the ritual on several creatures at once, or in sequence, as you desire. Each creature you so designate can understand you while you are transformed for 24 hours or until you take a long rest, which ever is shorter.

The animal forms listed below do not necessarily represent specific animals - you choose when you learn the form precisely what animal you change into. Each form you know represents a single creature you can transform into, which does not change unless otherwise noted. Your creature type becomes Beast, and your game statistics are otherwise unchanged by your transformation except where specifically stated. You are always proficient with any natural weapons granted by a Wild Shape form. You cannot cast spells while in Wild Shape.

Spoiler: Wild Shape forms

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Aerial Form
You transform into a type of bird that you know, such as an eagle or owl. Your size becomes small, and you gain a fly speed of 40 feet. You also gain a natural weapon that deals 1d4 piercing or slashing damage (your choice when you learn the form), and your armor class becomes 11 + your Dexterity modifier.

When you improve this form, you may either gain the ability to hover while flying as long as you are conscious, or you may increase your fly speed to 60 feet.

Aquatic Form
You transform into an aquatic creature that you know, such as a porpoise or swordfish. Your size becomes medium and you gain a swim speed of 30 feet.You also gain a natural weapon that deals 1d4 piercing or bludgeoning damage (your choice when you learn the form), and your armor class becomes 12 + your Dexterity modifier. While in this form, you can breathe only underwater.

When you improve this form, you may either gain the ability to breath on land and underwater, or you may gain 60 foot darkvision while in this form (if you already have darkvision, it improves by 30 feet instead).

Burrowing Form
You transform into a burrowing creature you know, such as a badger. Your size becomes small and you gain a burrowing speed of 20 feet. You also gain a natural weapon that deals 1d6 piercing or slashing damage (your choice when you learn the form), and your armor class becomes 12 + your Dexterity modifier. Further, you gain 60 foot darkvision if you do not already have darkvision. You can dig through sand, dirt, mud, or ice using your burrow speed. When you dig, you leave behind a tunnel that a small creature can squeeze through or a medium creature can crawl through. you may tunnel down vertically if you wish; climbing the walls of your tunnel after you have dug it requires a DC 15 Strength (athletics) check, which a medium creature makes at advantage.

When you improve this form, you may either learn to burrow through wood and stone (though you still cannot burrow through metal) or you may increase the size of the tunnels you leave behind, so that a small creature can walk freely and a medium creature can squeeze through them. When you dig an expanded tunnel or go through stone, you spend one more foot of movement per foot traveled.

Spoiler: notes

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-No more eliminating your physical ability scores by transforming
-No more free HP buffer on transformation
-You can talk to party members without returning to humanoid form! That was a stupid problem to have anyway.
-Same time progression as normal, but you can subdivide better (ie, at all).
-I'm not sure about some of the form improvements: I worry that burrowing through rock is too strong, that flying at higher speed is not strong enough. I'm also a little worried that flight is overpowered for a level 2 ability, but Aarakocra have it from level 1, so I'm not too concerned.
-Natural attacks are intentionally pretty vague, but my idea was that bites are piercing, claws are slashing, and bludgeoning comes from some kind of slam attack.
-The idea with the enhancements was that each form would have a weak version, a full version, and a partial version. More than two enhancements for a form is reasonable; feel free to propose some others.
-Suggestions for additional forms welcome. Mostly the main sequence forms are for utility; combat forms are reserved for the Circle of Beasts. The burrowing form is a touch stronger in combat because I felt that otherwise it wasn't worth taking. Feel free to correct my intuition in this regard.
-Finally, on the recovery rate: D&D is a resource management game. Oddball resource recovery mechanics add to that. Plus, this way, adventuring can have consequences that go beyond the next day (in the base rules, the only thing that isn't completely reset after a long rest is Hit Dice, which come back after two days).

Druid Circle
At 3rd level, you choose to identify with a circle of druids: the Circle of Beasts, Circle of the Land, or Circle of the Moon, all detailed at the end of this class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. If your GM allows you to take feats, you may take a feat in place of one of the above options.

Timeless Body
Starting at 9th level, the primal magic you wield causes you to age more slowly. For every 10 years you would age normally, your body ages only a single year.

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Gotta love ribbons!

Beast Spells
Beginning at 11th level, you can cast some of your spells while in Wild Shape. You can perform vocal and somatic components while in beast form and you are treated as though you were using a druidic focus, but you cannot provide expensive material components or complete a ritual. At 11th level, you can cast 1st level spells while in beast form. At higher levels you learn to cast more powerful spells while transformed, as shown on the druid table, up to 4th level spells at 17th level.

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Natural spell is a good idea and shouldn't be dropped completely (or shunted off to 18th level oblivion), but it needs to be toned down from the 3rd edition version so that the druid isn't spending every possible moment in Wild Shape. I broke it up into a progression like regular casting, and capped it at 4th level.

Archdruid
You gain an awesome title and a horrible job.

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The main part of the PHB capstone as written is, I think, too much. I've absorbed some of it into the Circle of Beasts level 14 ability, and I'm dropping the rest. I don't know what to replace it with, though. The title is awesome and I'm keeping it.

[unbeliever536]

Druid Circles

Circle of Beasts
Druids of the Circle of Beasts are fierce and often solitary guardians of the wilds. They meet only very occasionally to share news with other druids and rangers in the area, and spend most of their time deep in the forests and mountains where they make their homes. They are most comfortable among the beasts that they become, typically camping in with the companionship of several animals they have befriended. Occasionally, a druid of this Circle will ally with a ranger in the area and pretend to be their animal companion, working in tandem to protect their part of the wilderness.

Some Circle of Beasts abilities will call for a saving throw. The DC for this saving throw is always the same as your spell save DC.

Beast Spirit
When you choose this circle at 3rd level, you may use your Wild Shape ability as a bonus action, rather than as an action. Further, while in Wild Shape, you may expend a spell slot as an action to gain temporary hit points equal to five times the level of the spell slot expended. If you shift back to your humanoid form, these temporary hit pionts are lost. At 6th level, as long as you have temporary hit points remaining, your natural attacks while in Wild Shape count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunities.

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I originally had this ability just grant temp hp while in Wild Shape, but that was hard to reconcile with Master of Flowing Form. I prefer giving temp hp to healing because it provides a better durability boost, and it gives me an excuse to combine it with Primal Strike later.

Predator Form
When you choose this circle at 3rd level, you learn a new Wild Shape form: you can transform into a fast, powerful predator you know, such as a wolf or panther. While in predator form, your size changes to medium and your speed is 40 feet. You gain a natural attack that deals 1d8 piercing or slashing damage (your choice when you learn the form) and your armor class becomes 14 + your Dexterity modifier.

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This is a Beast Circle druid's main fighting form. With Beast Spirit, they can survive in their utility forms, but Predator Form is what they shift to when it's time for a fight. They're worse in combat than a dedicated warrior, but they can do about as well as a cleric, or maybe a bit better with Beast Spirit, as I feel is appropriate for a druid.

Great Beast Form
When you reach 6th level, you learn a new Wild Shape form: you can transform into a great beast of the wilderness that you know, such as a bear or tiger. While in great beast form, your size changes to large and your speed is 20 feet. You gain two natural attacks: one deals 1d8 damage and the other deals 1d6 damage. One of your attacks deals piercing damage and the other deals slashing damage; when you learn the form you decide which attack deals which type of damage. When you take the attack action, you may attack once with each of your natural attacks. Your armor class while in great beast form is 15 + your Dexterity modifier. You have disadvantage on stealth checks while in Great Beast form. While in great beast form, when you use your Beast Spirit ability to gain temporary hit points, add your Wisdom bonus to the level of the spell slot you expended.

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This form mostly obsoletes the Predator Form for combat. It's slow and still not as powerful in a fight as a dedicated warrior, though.

Predator Hybrid Form
When you reach 10th level, you learn to combine your predator form with one of the other beast forms you know. Choose your aquatic, aerial, or burrowing form. You gain some of the basic movement capability of that form when you are in your predator form. If you choose aquatic, you can breath underwater in predator form, and you gain a swim speed of 20 feet. If you choose aerial, you gain a fly speed of 30 feet. If you choose burrowing, you gain a burrow speed of 15 feet.

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I added this ability because I think this supposedly combat druid should be able to hold their own even while in a utility form. Not every druid player is going to like the fluff, though, so I'd like to add an ACF that enhances one of the other forms in some way, rather than combining it with Predator Form.

Enhanced Great Beast Form
When you reach 10th level, choose one of the following traits and apply it to your great beast form:

• Poisonous Strike: Choose one of your great beast's attacks. When you hit a creature with the attack, it takes an extra 2d6 damage and is poisoned for one minute, unless it makes a successful Constitution save.
• Jaws of Steel: Choose one of your great beast's attacks. When you hit a creature with the attack, it must make a Strength save or be grappled by you. Each turn it is grappled, it may use its action to try to break out by making another Strength save. While it is grappled, you gain advantage on your attacks against it, but you may not strike another creature with the attack that induced the grapple.
• Fearsome Roar: As an action while in great beast form, you may roar. Each creature within 60 feet of you must make a Wisdom save or be frightened of you for one minute. Each round, the creature can attempt another Wisdom save to end the effect. A creature becomes immune to your roar when the effect ends, whether because they succeed on the save or because the duration ends.
• Awesome Blow: When you hit a creature with one of your great beast's attacks, you may force it to make a Strength save. If it fails, it is knocked prone.

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Keeping Great Beast relevant, and making it a little unique. Not sure on the balance for these, and I might like to give Awesome Blow some knockback. Also, more ideas are welcome.

Master of Flowing Form
At 14th level, while you are in Wild Shape, you can shift between any of the forms you know as an action without spending another use of your Wild Shape. If you shift back to your humanoid form, you need to expend another use of your Wild Shape ability to return to beast form.

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A better name than Thousand Forms and a better ability. This absorbs the most useful parts of Archdruid without being broken, and keeps it unique to the Beast Circle druid.

Circle of the Moon
. . .

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I have vague ideas about this being a circle for aberration/undead hunter type druids, but I don't really know what to put here. Probably some kind of smite and some defensive abilities?

Circle of the Land
The circle of the land is made up of mystics and sages who safeguard ancient knowledge and rites through a vast oral tradition. These druids meet frequently to discuss the state of their lands and plan actions in their defense. They often coordinate between the druids of other circles, and occasionally hire rangers to perform missions that the druids cannot handle themselves. Druids of this circle sometimes serve as advisiors or chief priests in communities that hew to the old faiths. As a member of this circle, your magic is infused with power specific to the lands you protect, and you are in turn protected by and from those lands.

Enhanced Magic
When you choose this circle at 3rd level, you learn one additional druid cantrip of your choice. Further, you treat find familiar as a druid spell. When you cast find familiar, your familiar's type is always fey.

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The archetypal druid pictured in the PHB clearly has a familiar. A druid doesn't have too many touch spells, so they don't necessarily gain a lot by acquiring a familiar (certainly they never approach the point where the beastmaster should be), but it's appropriate.

Circle Spells
When you gain your other circle features, you also gain certain spells based on the land you are associated with. Every time you gain a feature for this circle, choose an environment from the following list that you have spent time in. You gain access to the listed spells for that level, and always have them prepared. Circle spells never count against your total number of spells prepared. If you gain access to a spell that doesn't appear on the druid spell list, the spell is nonetheless a druid spell for you. Your choice of environment sometimes affects the class feature you gain at that level. You will often gain a circle spell of a level for which you do not yet have spell slots. If you do, you know the spell but cannot cast it yet. You can cast the spell if you have increased spell slots due to multiclassing, though.

Spoiler: Circle Spells

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Arctic

Druid Level	Circle Spells
3rd	ice knife (PoA), ray of enfeeblement
6th	sleet storm, ice storm
10th	cone of cold, investure of ice
14th	???,???

Coast

Druid Level	Circle Spells
3rd	create or destroy water, misty step
6th	water breathing, control water
10th	maelstrom, ???
14th	???, tsunami

Desert

Druid Level	Circle Spells
3rd	create or destroy water, blur
6th	create food and water, hallucinatory terrain
10th	insect plague, investure of flame
14th	mirage arcane, Abi-Dalzim's horrid wilting

Forest

Druid Level	Circle Spells
3rd	entangle, barkskin
6th	plant growth, conjure woodland beings
10th	tree stride, find the path
14th	???, ???

Grassland

Druid Level	Circle Spells
3rd	???, pass without trace
6th	haste, freedom of movement
10th	dream, investure of wind
14th	whirlwind, ???

Mountain

Druid Level	Circle Spells
3rd	earth tremor, earthbind
6th
meld into stone, stoneskin	10th
stone shape, investure of stone	14th
???, earthquake

Swamp

Druid Level	Circle Spells
3rd	ray of sickness, Melf's acid arrow
6th	water walk, vitriolic sphere
10th	cloudkill, find the path
14th	???, ???

Underdark

Druid Level	Circle Spells
3rd	earth tremor, spider climb
6th	gaseous form, blight
10th	wall of stone, move earth
14th	???, earthquake

Spoiler: notes

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I want an environment spell for every spell level from 1st through 8th, because that's elegant. It doesn't quite fit when the environment features are gained, though, so I dunno. I considered bumping the later circle features up a level, but that breaks the rhythm of mainline Wild Shape and Beast Spells, two major class features. Not sure what to do. The current rule is an exception to the general rule that you can only learn spells of a level you would have access to in the the class, no matter what your highest level spell slot is.

I feel like I've probably given the druid too many powerful spells. On the other hand, a lot of these spells were already druid spells, so there's that.

On specific spells:
-I considered Snilloc's Snowball Storm over Ray of Enfeeblement for the 2nd level arctic spell, but there's so many snow/ice attacks on that list already, I felt like they could use a thematic debuff spell.
-I thought about darkness, darkvision, and blindness/deafness for the 2nd level underdark spell, but ultimately left it at spider climb. Any of the four would really be appropriate.
-There are very few thematically appropriate 6th-8th level spells, unfortunately. That's a gap that could be filled by time or homebrew.

Natural Recovery
Starting at 3rd level, you can regain some of your magical energy by sitting in meditation and communing with nature spirits you are familiar with. When you take a short rest in your chosen environment, you can spend 10 minutes meditating to recover some of your spell slots. The spell slots can have a combined level equal to or less than half your druid level (rounded up), and none of the slots can be of 6th level or higher. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

For example, when you are a 4th level druid, you can recover up to two levels worth of spells. You could regain one 2nd level spell slot or two 1st level spell slots.

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I like the idea of abilities taking some time during rests. If there were enough different abilities like this, players might find that they couldn't do everything at once, which adds to the game in my view.

This makes the Circle of Land druid more closely tied to their chosen environment and limits their power a bit. It might cause some trouble in campaigns that involve tromping all over the world; that clause should just be dropped if it proves to be an issue.

One with the Wilds
When you are in your chosen environment, you have advantage perception checks, and you and anyone you travel with has advantage on stealth checks. Further, you gain an ability based on the environment you choose:

• Arctic: You have resistance to cold damage. You have advantage on saving throws for extreme cold.
• Coast: You have advantage on saving throws to avoid exhaustion while swimming. You treat water as though it were half as deep when determining pressure effects. You can see twice as far as a normal character underwater.
• Desert: You have resistance to fire damage. You have advangate on saving throws for extreme heat.
• Forest: ???
• Grassland: ???
• Mountain: You are always aclimated to high altitudes. {more}
• Swamp: You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and resistance to poison damage.
• Underdark: You gain darkvision out to 60 feet, or your darkvision improves by 30 feet. Your darkvision penetrates magical darkness.

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Not sure what to do with forest/grassland. Those abilities should be good; their spell lists aren't as great as those of other environments. I'm a little worried that I was too free with the resistances.

Nature's Ward
When you reach 10th level, you can't be charmed or frightened by elementals, fey, or beasts, and you are immune to nonmagical diseases.

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Added beasts to the list of things you can't be charmed/frightened by. Not sure why they weren't there in the first place, unless there aren't beasts with charm/frighten abilities? But I guarantee you there will be in the future. Land Circle druids no longer get auto-immunity to poison because I want to make that part of One with the Wilds for some environment(s).

Nature's Sanctuary
When you reach 14th level, creatures of the natural world sense your connection to nature and become hesitant to attack you. You may designate a number of creatures equal to half your Wisdom bonus (rounded down) to gain this benefit as well. You may extend your protection as an action by expending a spell slot, or by performing a 10 minute ritual for each creature protected. You may revoke your protection in the same way; it otherwise lasts as long as the creature is within five miles of you. Creatures you protect are aware of the protection and its revocation, and you know when they move out of range of the effect. Beast and plant creatures that you or those you protect encounter are never hostile by default. Attacking them can still provoke hostility.

[Michael7123]

Thoughts as I read:

1. The bit about druidic is a nice touch. I approve.

2. Only regaining your wild shape uses equal to wisdom modifier while having a maximum of wild shape uses equal to druid level is an interesting concept. It sounds like it would work, and I'd be willing to try it.

3. The ritual that lets other people understand you while wild shaped is a great idea. Approved.

4. One thing that I feel that the three druid forms you can choose from are missing is a form designed for pretty much nothing but ground combat. Something like transforming into a tiger. Ah, you have the circle of beasts that gives you a more combat focused form. Got it. Not the way I would have done it, but it works. Nice job.

5. I'm not sure timeless body is something that should be given out at level 9. I know it doesn't have much power in terms of regular game play, but for an actual character, it would be HUGE. You've effectively multiplied your lifespan by 1.

6. I like the idea of casting fewer spells in wild shape, but I feel like limiting spells that require a physical component to be more annoying than anything else. If the limitation was only on costly material components, I would feel better about that as a player.

7. If I think of a cool ability for the archdruid, I'll let you know. Maybe some sort of ability to pick an elemental as a form? IDK.

On to the circles:

8. Beast Spirit Seems good.

9.Prediter form is alright.

10. You might want to give great beast disadvantage on stealth checks, and maybe give predator form advantage. Make there be a bit of difference between the two forms rather than one being better than the other. Up to you though.

11. Predator hybrid seems alright.

12. Enhanced great beast form seems alright.

13. Master of Flowing forms seems like way too much, even at level 14. Maybe have it take up one wild shape use per two shifts?

14. Bonus cantrip is fine.

15. You messed up the chart for the circle spells. But I LOVE the ability. \

16. Natural recovery seems good.

17. I would axe the bonus on stealth checks, but keep the bonus to perception checks.

18. Nature's ward seems alright.

19. Nature's sanctuary is both thematically fitting and very usefull.

20. I'd love to see the equivalent of an oathbreaker druid circle, filled with abilities related to undeath.

Now roll a d20. Implement 1 ability and one ability only accordingly. Just kidding, of course. I didn't plan for twenty comments, it just turned out that way.

[Ninja_Prawn]

At first I wondered why you would bother with this; WotC's druid is mostly fine... but I really like what you've done with Wildshape. Making it into generic categories of beasts fits perfectly. Getting a fixed number of forms at fixed levels is much better that what we had before. I still feel like some of the transformations should change stats... perhaps Strength only? +1 for predator & predator hybrid, +2 for great beast? That way, when a scrawny druid turns into a bear, they're still kinda scrawny, but there is some acknowledgement that they're now a bear.

Thoughts:

• Enhanced Great Beast Form NEEDS to have "your natural weapons are now finesse" as an option.
• Predator Hybrid could be described as being specific predatory animals, like Eagles (Aerial form should just be like raves and pigeons), Sharks and... Sand Worms?
• You could give Land Circle druids a Tiny form, with stealth/perception bonuses. Maybe.
• Nature's Sanctuary is way overcomplicated. It's clear the the point of it is "wild beast encounters no longer bother you or your friends". So make it do that. I once tried to homebrew a feat along similar lines; I started out complicated and was eventually convinced to strip it down to (relevant section bolded):
  
  Spoiler: Wilderness Spirit

  Show

  Wilderness Spirit (fey creatures only)
  
  You are at one with the wilderness, with an unparalleled natural empathy and instinctive bond with wild creatures of all kinds. Choose two terrain types from the following list: arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, jungle, mountain, swamp, Underdark. While in one of your chosen terrain types, you gain the following benefits:
  
  

  • You and anyone travelling with you can ignore all non-magical difficult terrain when travelling in your chosen terrain type.
  • You can never become lost, except by magical means.
  • You may attempt to hide even if you are only lightly obscured.
  • Wild creatures can sense that you are a friend to be trusted. No wild beasts, monstrosities, or plants are ever hostile to you or your companions, unless they are magically compelled or you or your companions attack them first.

  
  

[Gr7mm Bobb]

This reminds me of the alternate shape shifting feature that the PHB2 from 3.5 presented as far as the set forms. It was neat because it offered fixed shapes that offered base bonuses, but there were so many limitations to it and it didn't allow you to hide in a forest as a natural looking animal. Long made short, it had some neat ideas but the limitations and arbitrary pee-pee slaps made it undesirable. Will take a look into your OP further, but the parts I've managed to groggily read through I've enjoyed. If I see any real issues i'll be sure to let you know either by editing this or with a later post.

[unbeliever536]

When I have time later today, I'll go through and make changes to the circles. At the moment I'm just fiddling with the common abilities.

Thoughts as I read:

Spoiler

Show

1. The bit about druidic is a nice touch. I approve.

2. Only regaining your wild shape uses equal to wisdom modifier while having a maximum of wild shape uses equal to druid level is an interesting concept. It sounds like it would work, and I'd be willing to try it.

3. The ritual that lets other people understand you while wild shaped is a great idea. Approved.

4. One thing that I feel that the three druid forms you can choose from are missing is a form designed for pretty much nothing but ground combat. Something like transforming into a tiger. Ah, you have the circle of beasts that gives you a more combat focused form. Got it. Not the way I would have done it, but it works. Nice job.

5. I'm not sure timeless body is something that should be given out at level 9. I know it doesn't have much power in terms of regular game play, but for an actual character, it would be HUGE. You've effectively multiplied your lifespan by 1.

6. I like the idea of casting fewer spells in wild shape, but I feel like limiting spells that require a physical component to be more annoying than anything else. If the limitation was only on costly material components, I would feel better about that as a player.

7. If I think of a cool ability for the archdruid, I'll let you know. Maybe some sort of ability to pick an elemental as a form? IDK.

On to the circles:

8. Beast Spirit Seems good.

9.Prediter form is alright.

10. You might want to give great beast disadvantage on stealth checks, and maybe give predator form advantage. Make there be a bit of difference between the two forms rather than one being better than the other. Up to you though.

11. Predator hybrid seems alright.

12. Enhanced great beast form seems alright.

13. Master of Flowing forms seems like way too much, even at level 14. Maybe have it take up one wild shape use per two shifts?

14. Bonus cantrip is fine.

15. You messed up the chart for the circle spells. But I LOVE the ability. \

16. Natural recovery seems good.

17. I would axe the bonus on stealth checks, but keep the bonus to perception checks.

18. Nature's ward seems alright.

19. Nature's sanctuary is both thematically fitting and very usefull.

20. I'd love to see the equivalent of an oathbreaker druid circle, filled with abilities related to undeath.

Now roll a d20. Implement 1 ability and one ability only accordingly. Just kidding, of course. I didn't plan for twenty comments, it just turned out that way.

You're right about the components; I think that was intended to be a nerf compared to full druid casting, but capping by level does a better job fixing that anyway. If it really is too much for the druid to get a lifespan boost at 9th level I'll kick it back to 18th (or maybe delete it entirely), but 9th level really is the perfect time for the ability. At 9th level, you get a boost to your proficiency bonus, a whole new spell level, and an extra spell slot in what is now your second highest spell level. At level 18 you get... an extra spell slot 4 levels down from your max. I'd rather have a mechanically significant ability at level 18 and a ribbon at 9 than the other way around.

Spoiler

Show

At first I wondered why you would bother with this; WotC's druid is mostly fine... but I really like what you've done with Wildshape. Making it into generic categories of beasts fits perfectly. Getting a fixed number of forms at fixed levels is much better that what we had before. I still feel like some of the transformations should change stats... perhaps Strength only? +1 for predator & predator hybrid, +2 for great beast? That way, when a scrawny druid turns into a bear, they're still kinda scrawny, but there is some acknowledgement that they're now a bear.

Thoughts:

• Enhanced Great Beast Form NEEDS to have "your natural weapons are now finesse" as an option.
• Predator Hybrid could be described as being specific predatory animals, like Eagles (Aerial form should just be like raves and pigeons), Sharks and... Sand Worms?
• You could give Land Circle druids a Tiny form, with stealth/perception bonuses. Maybe.
• Nature's Sanctuary is way overcomplicated. It's clear the the point of it is "wild beast encounters no longer bother you or your friends". So make it do that. I once tried to homebrew a feat along similar lines; I started out complicated and was eventually convinced to strip it down to (relevant section bolded):
  
  Spoiler: Wilderness Spirit

  Show

  Wilderness Spirit (fey creatures only)
  
  You are at one with the wilderness, with an unparalleled natural empathy and instinctive bond with wild creatures of all kinds. Choose two terrain types from the following list: arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, jungle, mountain, swamp, Underdark. While in one of your chosen terrain types, you gain the following benefits:
  
  

  • You and anyone travelling with you can ignore all non-magical difficult terrain when travelling in your chosen terrain type.
  • You can never become lost, except by magical means.
  • You may attempt to hide even if you are only lightly obscured.
  • Wild creatures can sense that you are a friend to be trusted. No wild beasts, monstrosities, or plants are ever hostile to you or your companions, unless they are magically compelled or you or your companions attack them first.

  
  

That's a nice feat, mind if I steal it when I get to the ranger ? I like your bolded bit as well; I'll change Nature's Sanctuary to be more in line with that when I get around to the circles. As to the wildshape stuff, I think I want to stick to just giving enhanced or extra forms to the Circle of Beasts. That's their schtick, it should remain such. I might add a tiny stealth form as an alternative to Great Beast, though. I wanted to have finesse somewhere in there, but couldn't find a good place for it. I'd probably put it on Predator form, rather than Great Beast. When I was originally thinking about this rewrite, I considered having some kind of point-based build your own wild shape form section, or just letting that be the ability, but that's getting pretty far away from the design goal of simplicity. Maybe I'll write something like that up when I'm done with the class.

I would have the different forms give stat bonuses, but those are pretty strongly outside the norm for 5e design. I mean, the only "you gain points in [stat]" available outside of regular ABIs is the barbarian's capstone, and I don't want to be handing out the barbarian's capstone to lower level non-barbarians, even in a temporary and reduced form.

This reminds me of the alternate shape shifting feature that the PHB2 from 3.5 presented as far as the set forms. It was neat because it offered fixed shapes that offered base bonuses, but there were so many limitations to it and it didn't allow you to hide in a forest as a natural looking animal. Long made short, it had some neat ideas but the limitations and arbitrary pee-pee slaps made it undesirable. Will take a look into your OP further, but the parts I've managed to groggily read through I've enjoyed. If I see any real issues i'll be sure to let you know either by editing this or with a later post.

Well, ya know:

The main thing is that I want to bring Wild Shape more in line with 3rd edition's Shapeshift variant, which I think the 5th edition Wild Shape is pretty clearly based on.

[Gr7mm Bobb]

whoops... Ok, yep makes sense. Feel kinda lame now.

[Ninja_Prawn]

That's a nice feat, mind if I steal it when I get to the ranger ?

You're welcome to use whatever you like; that's why I post stuff here. If people enjoy my work, I'm happy.

Giving the Predator form finesse is fine, as long as it carries over to the Hybrid form.

[unbeliever536]

Made some changes to circles. Circle of the Moon is still to come. For now, though: Circle of the Land is closely tied to the environments they choose, and gets some nice buffs in them. I'm worried I made them a bit too powerful, actually. Most notably, the circle spells have been heavily modified (and I fixed the tables!). They're still incomplete, mostly due to a lack of interesting spells at high levels. Most One with the Wilds abilities are up; still missing grasslands and forest abilities. Still no finesse on wild shape weapons because I don't know where to put it and I don't know whether I actually want it.

I'm starting to like the idea of the 18th level ability being the right to claim a demesne; not quite sure what it would mean, but the druid would be powerful and (more to the point) very aware in their demesne. Might give them a version of the old 2e hibernate ability while in the demesne as well.

[Bjarkmundur]

Found this through the compendium, and im impressed!


Now that some time has passed, is there anything you feel like you need to tweak further?

[Peelee]

The Mod on the Silver Mountain: The revised Druid still does not favor Necromancy.