Druid: Circle of the Old Ways
Druid Circle
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.
Level 2
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 plethoraa 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. |
Your study of the Old Ways grants you access to certain spells. You gain access to the following spells at the specified levels. You always have them prepared, and they do not count against the number of spells you can prepare:
| Druid level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 2nd | ancestral communion, shield of faith, shillelagh |
| 3rd | barkskin, spike growth |
| 5th | magic circle, plant growth |
| 7th | freedom of movement, private sanctum |
| 9th | awaken, tree stride |
Even the humblest of your weapons channels the might of the old forest. Whenever you cast the shillelagh spell, you may cause a shield made of gnarled wood to grow into your free hand if you have one, no action required to don it. It vanishes when the spell ends. You cannot be forced to drop the affected weapon or shield unless you are incapacitated. Additionally, for the duration of the spell, you may ignore somatic components of your druid spells, and the weapon enhanced by the spell becomes a druidic focus for you.
As a bonus action, or as part of casting the shillelagh spell, you may expend a use of your wild shape feature to suffuse yourself with the power of the primordial woods, gaining the following benefits. The effects last for 10 minutes. It ends early if you dismiss it as a free action, are incapacitated, or die.
Bark Bulwark. While you are not wearing armor, your base AC is 10 + DEX + WIS.
Elderwood Sap. Whenever you hit a creature with an attack roll, the target is coated in Elderwood sap until your next turn. While coated, the target gains disadvantage on attack rolls against targets other than you.
Oaken Resolve. You gain advantage on STR and CON saving throws.
Level 6
The wrath of the Elderwoods drives you, and punishes your foes. Whenever you activate your wood wose feature, you gain the following additional benefits for the duration.
Oakenfist. You may 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 weapon attack, the target takes an extra 1d6 piercing damage.
Level 10
Your connection to the Elderwood grows stronger. Whenever you activate your wood wose feature, you gain the following additional benefits for the duration.
Primeval Wrath. Once per turn when you hit a creature with a melee attack, you may force the target to succeed on a STR saving throw, or be knocked prone.
Bramblebark. Whenever a creature within 5ft. of you hits you with a melee attack, the attacker takes 1d8 piercing damage. A creature may take this damage only once per turn.
Rampant Growth. Whenever you activate your wood wose feature, and at the start of each of your subsequent turns, you gain a number of temporary hitpoints equal to WIS + proficiency.
Level 14
When you awaken your connection to the Elderwood, you now become an incarnation of its ancient might. Whenever you activate your wood wose feature, you gain the following additional benefits for the duration.
Old Growth. If you are smaller than Large, you become Large, along with anything you are wearing or carrying. If there is not enough room to accomodate the size change, your size doesn't change. You gain 5ft. of reach.
Mighty Trunk. You gain resistance to bludgeoning and piercing damage.
Rampant Growth. As a reaction whenever a creature that is covered in Elderwood sap within your reach makes an attack roll, you may make a melee attack against that creature.
Source: The Crooked Moon