Homebrew:Circle of Wicker
(OOC: This is an implementation of the Circle of the Old Ways subclass from The Crooked Moon)
Base Class: Druid
Favoring the heart of the darkest forests, druids of the Circle of the Old Ways commune with ancient, forgotten entities that lurk within, calling forth truly primeval power to serve as defenders of the oldest and wildest of places.
They harness the power of the Elderwood trees, which are home to the souls of long-dead feyfolk and share their primordial wisdom and might when called upon.
The Old Ways Sacred Sites table offers examples to choose or use as inspiration to create places steeped in the Old Ways where your circle might congregate or where you may commune with primeval powers.
| 1d6 | Sacred Site |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ring of standing stones atop a remote hilltop, each one marked with runes and symbols representing animal spirits |
| 2 | Perpetually frozen river at the bottom of a deep ravine with a plethora of oversized and seemingly intelligent fish beneath the ice |
| 3 | Hidden cave buried beneath a scorched dune, revealed by the shifting sands for a single night four times a year |
| 4 | Turbulent tidepool by the coast with bottomless waters filled with glowing flora, fauna, and crystalline outcroppings |
| 5 | Circle of ancient trees with ghost-white bark and blood-red leaves, each one bearing the face of a long-dead druid |
| 6 | Massive barrow in the deep woods which contains the spirits of countless fey folk and the old gods of the natural world |
Circle Spells
2nd-level Circle of Wicker feature
You learn the shillelagh cantrip if you don't know it already, and your study of the Old Ways gives you access to certain spells as listed in the Circle of the Old Ways Spells table for your level and lower. You always have the spells prepared, and they don't count against the number spells you can prepare each day. These spells are druid spells for you.
| Druid Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 2nd | ancestral communion, shield of faith |
| 3rd | barkskin, spike growth |
| 5th | magic circle, plant growth |
| 7th | freedom of movement, private sanctum |
| 9th | awaken, tree stride |
Bough and Branch
2nd-level Circle of Wicker feature
Even the humblest of your weapons channels the might of the old forest. When you cast shillelagh, you can cause a shield made of gnarled wood to grow into your free hand if you have one (no action required to don it), and it vanishes when the spell ends. You can't be forced to drop the affected weapon or shield unless you are incapacitated.
Additionally, for the duration of the spell, you ignore somatic components of your druid spells, and the weapon enhanced by the spell becomes a druidic focus for you.
Wood Wose
2nd-level Circle of Wicker feature
As a bonus action, or as part of casting shillelagh, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape to suffuse yourself with the power of the primordial woods, gaining the following benefits.
- Bark Bulwark.
- While you aren't wearing armor, your base Armor Class is 10 plus your Dexterity and Wisdom modifiers.
- Elderwood Sap.
- When you hit a creature with an attack roll, the target is coated in Elderwood sap until the start of your next turn. While coated, the target has disadvantage on attack rolls against targets other than you.
- Oaken Resolve.
- You have advantage on Strength and Constitution saving throws.
This effect lasts for 10 minutes. It ends early if you dismiss it (no action required), are incapacitated, or die.
Oak and Thorn
6th-level Circle of Wicker feature
The wrath of the Elderwoods drives you and punishes your foes. When you activate your Wood Wose, you gain the following additional benefits for the duration.
- Oakenfist.
- You can attack twice instead of once whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
- Gnarled Thorns.
- Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a melee attack roll using a weapon, the target takes an extra 1d6 piercing damage.
Deepwood Elder
10th-level Circle of Wicker feature
Your connection to the Elderwood grows stronger. When you activate your Wood Wose, you now gain additional benefits for the duration.
- Primeval Wrath.
- Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can force the target to succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or be knocked prone.
- Bramblebark.
- When a creature within 5 feet of you hits you with a melee attack, the attacker takes 1d8 piercing damage. A creature takes this damage only once per turn.
- Rampant Growth.
- When you activate Wood Wose and at the start of each of your subsequent turns, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier plus your proficiency bonus.
Ancient Protector
14th-level Circle of Wicker feature
When you awaken your connection to the Elderwood, you now become an incarnation of its ancient might. When you activate your Wood Wose, you now gain additional benefits for the duration.
- Old Growth.
- Your size increases to Large (along with anything you're wearing or carrying) if there is space to accommodate your growth, and your reach increases by 5 feet.
- Mighty Trunk.
- You gain resistance to bludgeoning and piercing damage.
- Vengeance of the Elders.
- When a creature that is covered in Elderwood Sap and is within your reach makes an attack roll, you can use your reaction to make a melee attack against that creature.