# Varn's Greater Circle of Spores Druids of the Circle of Spores find beauty in decay. They see within mold and other fungi the ability to transform lifeless material into abundant, albeit somewhat strange, life. These druids believe that life and death are parts of a grand cycle, with one leading to the other and then back again. Death isn't the end of life, but instead a change of state that sees life shift into a new form. Druids of this circle have a complex relationship with the undead. Unlike most other druids, they see nothing inherently wrong with undeath, which they consider to be a companion to life and death. But these druids believe that the natural cycle is healthiest when each segment of it is vibrant and changing. Undead that seek to replace all life with undeath, or that try to avoid passing # Class Features ### Circle Spells Your symbiotic link to fungus and your ability to tap into the cycle of life and death grants you access to certain spells. At 2nd level, you learn the Chill Touch and Dancing Lights cantrip. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to the spells listed for that level in the Circle of Spores Spells table. Once you gain access to one of these spells, you always have it prepared, and it doesn't count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. 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. - 3rd level: blindness/deafness, gentle repose - 5th level: animate dead, gaseous form - 7th level: blight, confusion - 9th level: cloudkill, contagion ### THE SHROOM-WOOD SHOVEL At Level 2 you gain proficiency with the Shroom-Wood Shovel, a specialized Battleaxe made out of a symbiotic fungus colony. The Shovel can benefit from the Shillelagh cantrip and can deliver the Primal Savagery cantrip's corrosive attack instead of your teeth or fingernails (You do not add the Shovel's damage to the Primal Savagery cantrip if you choose to do so). Additonaly you can't be disarmed of the shovel unless you are incapacitated. While your Symbiotic Entity feature is active, if it is on the same plane of existence, you can summon the shovel as a bonus action on your turn, causing it to teleport instantly to your hand. \columnbreak ### HALO OF SPORES Starting at 2nd level, you are surrounded by invisible, necrotic spores that are harmless until you unleash them on a creature nearby. When a creature you can see is within a space of 10 feet of you, moves into the space or starts its turn there, you can use your reaction or bonus action to deal 2d4 necrotic damage to that creature unless it succeeds on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. The necrotic damage increases to 2d6 at 6th level, 2d8 at 10th level, and 2dlO at 14th level. ### SYMBIOTIC ENTITY At 2nd level, you gain the ability to channel magic into your spores. As an bonus action, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to awaken those spores, rather than transforming into a beast form, and you gain 4 temporary hit points for each level you have in this class. While this feature is active, you gain the following benefits: - When you deal your Halo of Spores damage, roll the damage die a second time and add it to the total. - Your melee weapon attacks deal an extra ld10 necrotic damage to any target they hit. - You gain +1 to your AC - Beginning from 5th level, you can Attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on Your Turn. These benefits last for 10 minutes. until you lose all these temporary hit points, or until you use your Wild Shape again. \pagebreakNum ### MYCELIAL INFESTATION At 6th level, your spores gain the ability to infest corpses and animate them. If beasts or humanoids that are Small or Medium die within 20 feet of you, you can use your reaction to animate them, causing them to stand up immediately with 1 hit point. The creatures use the zombie stat block in the Monster Manual in addition to the following features: - Spore Carrier: When the Zombie is reduced to O hit points, it explodes, and any creature within 10 feet of it must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature takes your Halo of Spores damage alongside your spell damage modifier. - Fungal Detonation: The Zombie can use its action to reduces itself to 0 hit points, triggering its Spore Carrier trait. - Seek Fertile Soil: As a bonus action, the Zombie can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. They remain animate for 1 hour, after which time they collapse and die. In combat, the zombies' turn come immediately after yours. They obey your mental commands, and they lack the undead fortitude feature they normally have. You can animate a number of corpses equal to your wisdom modifier (minimum of one). You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest. ### MUSHROOM CLOUD At 10th level, you gain the ability to seed an area with deadly spores. As a bonus action while your Symbiotic Entity feature is active, you can hurl spores up to 30 feet away. where they swirl in a 10-foot sphere for 1 minute. The spores disappear early if you use this feature again, if you dismiss them as a bonus action, or if your Symbiotic Entity feature is no longer active. Whenever a creature moves into the sphere or starts its turn there, that creature takes your Halo of Spores damage, unless the creature succeeds on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC which causes it to take half as much. You can cast spells as though you were in the Sphere's space, but you must use your own senses. While the sphere of spores persists, you can't use your Halo of Spores reaction. \columnbreak ### FUNGAL BODY At 14th level, the fungal spores in your body alter you: you can't be blinded, deafened or frightened, are immune to poison damage, and any critical hit against you counts as a normal hit instead, unless you're incapacitated. Additionally, while your Symbiotic Entity feature is active if you put a severed body part of yours back in place the part reattaches.