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## CIRCLE OF WAR On the edges of society, there are tribes of people that fight against the extra-planar horrors that bleed into the material plane. They are the unknown defenders of society, and their lives are filled with conflict. Embracing this fact, some tribes have made their home in manifest zones to Shavarath, the Battleground. Living under the influence of the plane of war heightens their senses for battle, and speeds up their training. In these tribes, someone always rises to the top to lead the charge in battle with tenacity and strategy. These druids understand that there is a sliver of every person on every plane, and a sliver of every plane in each person. If this is true, then war and violence are a natural part of the world, and a force they can tap into. They will lead the fight, whether it be from the back commanding units or from the front disrupting the enemy personally. Metal is often incorporated into their armor and weapons, as it is both from the earth and necessary tool of the trade. Because of the planar influence, these druids usually embody the values of either the Legion of Justice or the Legion of Tyranny, the opposing legions of Shavarath.
\columnbreak #### ADVANCED ARMAMENTS _2nd level Circle of War feature_
Your connection to The Battleground allows bonds you with your armor, allowing nature to enhance it. You can bond with one magical or non magical set of armor you are proficient in by performing a special ritual while wearing it. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a Short Rest. You can then dismiss the armor (no action required) while wearing it, shunting it into an extra-dimensional space. While it's dismissed, as an action, you can summon the armor donning it instantly. You can’t affect an artifact or a sentient armor in this way. The armor ceases being bonded to you if you die, if you perform the 1-hour ritual on a different set of armor, or if you use a 1-hour ritual to break your bond to it. The armor appears at your feet if it is in the extra-dimensional space when the bond breaks. When you summon the armor, nature grows around it giving you an extra +2 AC until the next instance of damage you take. You can't benefit from this effect again until you take a Short Rest #### DIVINE CONSCRIPTION _2nd level Circle of War feature_
In addition, the legions at war in Shavarath each seek to recruit you to their cause. Choose one of the following legions to join, gaining an ability upon doing so. **Justice:** You control the battle field through manipulating your spells. When you cast a spell that has concentration, and a continuous area of effect who's shape is a sphere, cube, or cylinder, you can use your bonus action during the duration of the spell to move the area of the spell up to 20 feet. If a creature would make a saving throw only if they are in the area of the spell as it is cast, they instead make the saving thro2 the first time they enter the spell's effect area during the duration of the spell, resisting the effects of the spell till a long rest if they succeed the saving throw.
\pagebreak **Tyranny:** Using a bonus action and expending a use of your wildshape, you merge a melee weapon with your arm. Wood, stone, and metal form around your forearm, merging and replacing your hand with the weapon. This effect lasts for 1 minute, or until you will it to end. The weapon has its reach extended by 10 feet and deals an extra 1d6 force damage. If you hit a creature with an attack from this weapon, you can pull yourself adjacent to the creature, or pull the creature adjacent to you. A creature can make a Strength Save vs your Spell Save DC to avoid being pulled. #### MIND OF WAR _6th level Circle of War feature_
Your ferocity for battle is seen and felt by others. You gain a magical benefit based on the legion you selected at 2nd level. **Justice:** Your control over your spells allows you to cover a wider range. As an action, you can expend a use of your wildshape to target a spell under the effect of your _**Divine Conscription**_ feature, you can split the area of effect of that spell into two areas each half the size of the original. You can control both using your bonus action. You can't use this effect if one side of the area would be smaller then 5 feet. **Tyranny:** When you make a melee weapon attack with a weapon benefiting from your _**Divine Conscription**_ feature, you may expend a spell slot of up to 5th level. If you do, the attack gains a +1 to hit for each level of the spell and deal an extra 1d6 force damage per level of the spell if it hits. In addition, the creature you hit makes a Wisdom saving throw versus your Spell Save DC. For every spell slot above 1st you may either increase this DC by 1, or target another creature within 10 feet of you. Any creature who fails this saving throw is under the effects of the *Confusion* spell until the end of their next turn. >### Switching Sides >In any war there are always defectors. If your DM allows it, you can switch legions, loosing the abilities of your current legion and gaining the abilities of your new legion. Any new abilities you gain will be in the new legion. _**Critical Maneuver**_ is the exception, and should stay the same if you switched legions after gaining it. This is to reflect the complicated nature of war and its grey areas. A player switching sides should discuss with their DM how this effects their character, and if any sort of repercussions, physical or mental, occur. #### CRITICAL MANEUVER _10th level Circle of War feature_
You become accustomed to the very nature of pain. No war is black and white though, and to reflect this conflict, pick from any option: **Justice:** As a reaction to taking damage, you half the damage you would have taken. Once you use this ability, you must wait until you finish a long rest before you use it again. **Tyranny:** As a reaction to dealing damage to a single target, you cause that target to become vulnerable to the damage it takes. Once you use this ability, you must wait until you finish a long rest before you use it again. #### ASPECT OF WAR _14th level Circle of War feature_
You fully embody an aspect of the plane of war based on the legion you choose at 2nd level. **Justice:** Your mastery of the battlefield leaves no escape route. You know the _Blade Barrier_ spell. In addition, your _**Divine Conscription**_ feature now extends to spells that create walls. As a bonus action, you can move any wall you created through a spell, as long as no portion of the wall moves more then 20 feet or into another creature's space. **Tyranny:** You become a typhoon of death, bringing dread to your enemies. As part of expending a use of your wildshape for any reason, you conjure a whirlwind of blades that attack adjacent enemies. Until the feature or ability using your wildshape ends, creatures of your choice that enter, or start their turn, within 5 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw vs your Spell Save DC or take 2d6 force damage, or half on a success. If a creature fails this saving throw, and was under the effects of the confusion spell from your **Mind of War** feature, that effect is extended to the end of the creatures next turn.
##### Circle of War: V3.2 **Mechanics:** u/tsotomusic on GMBinder
Special thanks to u/The-Thane for all his help workshopping this subclass!
**Art:** "Kloysa of the Endless Hunt" by u/RikaRini
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## SHAVARATH DRUID COMMUNITIES
Druid communities under the influence of Shavarath manifest zones tend to live on the outskirts of civilization, forgoing modern advancements for a connection to nature. This goes doubly for those connected with the plane of war, as their naturally violent tendencies often clash with orderly society. To combat this, populations don't often grow too big in order to maintain a sense of interconnectedness, and to support each other against the negative effects of the planar energies. Below are some general descriptions of these communities to help you design your own. There is also an example of a community, _The Endless Hunt_ that you can use if you want.
### THE MISSION Each community has a communal mission. This mission acts as a lighting rod for the people, allowing them to channel the violent planar energies in a safe manner. Without it, people will fall to infighting and violence. Consider what your community's goal is. Do they exist to safeguard an important relic or location? Are they charged with eliminating fiends or aberrations from the plane? The community can have other interests in the world at large, but this goal should be the primary anchor for the community. These goals don't usually stray too far towards the values of Justice or Tyranny. How a tribe accomplishes their goals is another matter and can depend on the character of the leader. ### TRIBAL LEADERSHIP The leader of a community is determined through a ritual contest of violence. This could be anything ranging from a fist fight, to the hunt of a dangerous creature, to a duel with subterfuge and poison. The winner can also range from victory to who displays their community's values best. Anyone may officially challenge the leader for the right to rule. This can happen at any time except for during a battle, during which the leader must be free to lead. The character of the leader has a strong impact on how the manifest zone affects the community at large. An overly cruel leader may see petty crime and selfish violence spike. An aggressively virtuous leader may see unnecessary deaths and injuries in the name of justice and mercy. Balancing these virtues in themselves, and in the community, dampens the effects of the plane, and is therefore one of the responsibilities of the leader. While being the primary source of authority, their power and influence is kept in check by The Speakers of the Legions
### THE ENDLESS HUNT *The Endless Hunt* lives in a northern, temperate, portion of the Eldeen Reaches forest. Their core tenants are Strength and Control. What good is power if you don't have the finesse to use it?
Shavarath has caused the creatures of the forest around the tribe to grow large and violent, mutating new features designed for carnage. Normally peaceful creatures have turned violent and dangerous. _The Endless Hunt_ has settled here with the mission of keeping these creatures in check. Many of their ceremonies and celebrations involve competitive hunting for the most dangerous creatures. ### KLOYSA OF THE ENDLESS HUNT **Kloysa** has been the leader of _The Endless Hunt_ for over a decade. She is both feared and respected, a reputation very much earned. When she was a young adult, she challenged the former leader, the contest being hunting a dangerous creature while showing both strength and control. Their target was a particularly aggressive and mutated bear that had been causing trouble. During the challenge, the Speakers lost sight of the two when the bear knocked over a tree, kicking up debris in the air. When the foliage settled, she was left standing over the corpses of both the bear and the former leader. No one is exactly sure what happened in the forest that day, but since then her reign has been unchallenged. She values personal strength and responsibility above all else, and is constantly looking for new outlets to channel the community's violent urges. This is both to counter the effects of the manifest zone, and to keep an eye on those who would challenge her reign.
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## SPEAKERS OF THE LEGIONS The Speakers of the Legions have unique connections with the legions of their namesake in Shavarath. They act as voices for the ideals they represent, and provide wisdom to the leader and community at large. They act as a balance against the leader, and hold great sway over the community. Speakers are barred from becoming leaders, and vise versa, in order to keep the leadership, and therefore the planar energies, balanced. Good speakers exemplify their legion, but do not let it fully define them. They are the pillar of that legion's values in the community, and are often used as guideposts for people who hold that virtue in high regard. Speakers are chosen by their predecessors. A child who is sensed to be blessed by a particular Legion will be selected and trained in their philosophy, and the history of their community. There are two Speakers: The Speaker of Justice and the Speaker of Tyranny.
#### JUSTICE The Speaker of Justice is the representative of the Legion of Justice. A Speaker of Justice may settle a dispute in a community, chastise a leader for dehumanizing their enemy, or take charge of a criminal's rehabilitation. Their core tenants are: * __Be Impartial:__ Justice is for all, not just those you sympathize with. Judge all fairly and keep an open mind. * __The Spirit of the Law:__ Society is made for people. Don't get so caught up in right and wrong that you forget about the soul affected by your actions. * __Strength in Virtue:__ Your values must be strong and unwavering. Your responsibility isn't to look at both sides, but to be the voice of Justice. #### Tyranny The Speaker of Tyranny is the representative of the Legion of Tyranny. A Speaker of Tyranny may support a morally ambiguous decision that ensures the survival of the community, torture an enemy for information, or encourage violence to quickly dissipate an internal issue. Their core tenants are: * __The Ends Justify the Means:__ Any act is justifiable if it does enough good. You must not be afraid to get your hands dirty if it means a positive outcome for the community. * __The Letter of the Law:__ Societies are designed to achieve results. Use laws and systems to manipulate people and circumstances to desirable outcomes. * __Strength in Virtue:__ Your values must be strong and unwavering. Your responsibility isn't to look at both sides, but to be the voice of Tyranny. \columnbreak
### SPEAKER ISOL Speaker Isol is a wise, calculating, and loyal Speaker of Justice. As a master negotiator, he is able to diffuse any internal conflict with minimal injury to self or property. Before he was a Speaker, Isol was the leader of one of the best hunting teams in the tribe, taking down some of the toughest monsters the tribe had seen. Known not for his strength but for his tactical mind, there was no creature he couldn't devise a plan to take down. He didn't have a perfect record though, and would often call a retreat if members of his team were injured. He valued the lives of his tribemates over a quicker victory, and this priority, while respected by many, are why he has lost some favor with Kloysa. ### SPEAKER OSKIM Speaker Oskim will do anything to achieve victory, and he will do it alone. Oskim believes in the strength of the tribe and Kloysa, and will often push for more aggressive action from her. Few are willing to question his judgement, and there is no more successful hunter you could learn from. Before becoming a Speaker, Oskim was a solo hunter. He would disappear into the woods for days, only to return covered in blood carrying the corpse of some monster equally butchered. While extremely strong in his own right, he would defeat legendary monsters using guerilla tactics, bleeding them slowly till they were exhausted enough for him to take, though by no means easy. The thrill of the hunt satiated him. Many thought he would challenge for leadership, until he was selected as the next Speaker of Tyranny. Rumors of Kloysa leaving the previous speaker's tent the day before selection are just that.