Circle of Bones
Traditionally, druids are thought of as forest-dwellers, protectors of woodland animals. Followers of the Circle of Bones, however, find themselves more at home in dark crypts and dig sites, hoping to uncover relics of ancient life. Members of this relatively recent circle will often travel the land in small groups, setting up camp wherever rumors of fossils can be found. This isn't strictly an academic pursuit, however; studying the remains of ancient beasts can augment a druid's magic in powerful and terrifying ways.
Combat Wild Shape
When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you gain the ability to use Wild Shape on your turn as a bonus action, rather than as an action.
Additionally, while you are transformed by Wild Shape, you can use a bonus action to expend one spell slot to regain 1d8 hit points per level of the spell slot expended.
Ancient Research
Starting at 2nd level, during a short rest spent outdoors or underground, you can search the surrounding area for fossils or animal remains. On a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) check, you find 1d4 fossils or other bones of a beast determined by your DM. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
During a long rest, you can research one fossil you’ve gathered. On a successful Intelligence (History) check, you learn what creature this bone came from, which counts as you having seen the creature. The DC of this check is 12 + half the CR of the beast being researched, rounded down. If your History check ends up 3 or lower, you end up destroying the fossil.
Ancient Forms
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Wild Shape to transform into a beast with a challenge rating as high as 1, but must abide by the other limitations there.
Starting at 6th level, you can transform into a beast with a challenge rating as high as your druid level divided by 3, rounded down.
Primal Strike
Starting at 6th level, your attacks in beast form count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Ancient Terrors
At 10th level, you can expend two uses of Wild Shape at the same time to transform into one of the following: Spinosaurus (fire elemental equiv.) - brutal, fast and reckless Mbielu (earth elemental equiv.) - tanky with toxic skin and high HP Liopleurodon (water elemental equiv.) - great at diving & water transport, can also grapple Changyraptor (air elemental equiv.) - small, fast flying, good at scouting and harassment
Roar of the Primeval
Starting at 14th level, you can use an action to summon a skeletal version of a beast you’ve successfully studied with Ancient Research. Bones rise from the ground in an unoccupied space you can see to form the creature, which disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or after one minute. The skeletal beast has the following stat block:
Skeletal Beast
Undead, Lawful Evil
- Armor Class -2 of base creature's AC
- Hit Points 1/2 of base creature's HP
- Speed same as base creature
- Size same as base creature
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA * * 15 (+2) 6 (-2) 8 (-1) 5 (-3) *: same as base creature
- Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning
- Damage Immunities poison
- Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned
- Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 9
Traits: Any physical (non-cognitive) ability possessed by base creature
Actions: Any melee/missile weapon or natural attack possessed by base creature
The skeletal beast is friendly to you and your companions for the duration and has its own initiative directly after your turn. It obeys any mental commands you issue to it, no action required. If you don’t issue any commands, it just defends itself from hostile creatures.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Utahraptor
Large beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 14
- Hit Points 90 (12d10 + 24)
- Speed 50 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 20 (+5) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 2 (-4) 12 (+1) 5 (-3)
- Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-magical weapons
- Senses passive Perception 11
- Challenge 5 (1000 XP)
Charge. If the Utahraptor moves at least 20 feet straight towards a creature and then hits it with a Claw attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the Utahraptor can make one bite attack against it as a bonus action.
Actions
Multiattack. The Utahraptor makes one bite and one claw attack.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) piercing damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of the Utahraptor' choice that is within 120 feet of the Utahraptor and aware of it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become Frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the Utahraptor' Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
Mbielu
Large beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 126 (12d10 + 60)
- Speed 50 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 18 (+4) 6 (-2) 20 (+5) 2 (-4) 10 (+0) 6 (-2)
- Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-magical weapons
- Damage Immunities poison
- Condition Immunities poisoned
- Senses tremorsense 30ft., passive Perception 10
- Challenge 5 (1000 XP)
Toxic Skin. A creature that touches the mbielu or hits it with a melee attack exposes itself to the mbielu's poisonous skin. The creature must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute.
Siege Monster. The Mbielu deals double damage to objects and structures.
Actions
Multiattack. The Mbielu makes two stomp attacks.
Stomp. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage.
Liopleurodon
Huge beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 14
- Hit Points 114 (12d12 + 36)
- Speed 20 ft., swim 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 2 (-4) 12 (+1) 6 (-2)
- Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-magical weapons
- Senses darkvision 120ft., passive Perception 11
- Challenge 5 (1000 XP)
Hold Breath. The Liopleurodon can hold its breath for 1 hour.
Actions
Multiattack. The Liopleurodon makes two Bite attacks, each of which it can replace with one use of Crush.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 11 (2d8 + 2) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 15). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained.
Crush. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ht., one grappled target. Hit: 20 (4d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
Changyuraptor
Small beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 17
- Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16)
- Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 (-2) 22 (+6) 12 (+1) 2 (-4) 12 (+1) 5 (-3)
- Skills Perception +3, Stealth +2
- Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-magical weapons
- Condition Immunities grappled
- Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 111
- Challenge 5 (1000 XP)
Keen Hearing and Sight. The Changyuraptor has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or sight.
Flyby. The Changyuraptor doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.
Actions
Multiattack. The Changyuraptor makes two attacks, one with its beak and one with its talons.
Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) piercing damage.
Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ht., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) slashing damage.
Thank You!
I'm a new DM with a kobold Druid who didn't feel like any of the published Circles fit his character. We worked together on an idea for his archaeologist kobold, to give him a way to research ancient fossils and benefit from it!
Please, don't hesitate to reach out if you have any feedback on design or flavor for the subclass, this is an early (unplaytested) build and I'm eager to learn!
Credits
u/Limonium's thread on stat blocks for the four CR5 dinosaurs (The post's pictures are broken, I recreated them as best I could)
u/DieGiantMonsterDie's template for skeletal versions of creatures