Druid - Circle of Nightmares

by KibblesTasty

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Circle of Nightmares

Druids are often thought of as the guardians of the natural order and having a deep connection to the creatures of the land. Sometimes that connection goes horribly wrong. A druid of this circle has found their mind entangled with the horrors of the beyond, their natural connection to nature and its beasts becoming warped by the dark dreams.

Druids of this circle may be haunted by the horrifying terrors they see, but many simple find the minds innoculated to it (perhaps by a touch of a madness) and treat horrifying and twisted aberrations and abominations with the same approach other druids might take to vicious and wild animals, treating them with pragmatic understanding and empathy.

Sometimes their connection even seems to be mutual.

Circle Spells

At 2nd level, you learn the message cantrip. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to the spells listed for that level in the Circle of the Nightmares Spells table. Once you gain access to a circle spell, you always have it prepared, and it doesn't count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.

Druid Level Circle Spells
3rd alter self
5th mutateK
7th black tentacles
9th contact other plane

Eldritch Mutation

When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature as a bonus action to take on an eldritch mutation born of your twisted nightmares, rendering a piece of them into reality through the warping of your flesh.

When you use this feature, select between Eye Stalk or Grasping Tentacle. This Eldritch Mutation selected lasts for 10 minutes. It ends early if you dismiss it as an action, are incapacitated, or use this feature again.

Eye Stalk

When you take on this mutation, and as a bonus action on your subsequent turns while it lasts, you can target a creature you can see within 60 feet and make a roll on the following table to shoot a random eye ray at them.

1d6 Effect
1. Fear Ray The targeted creature must make a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the start of your next turn.
2. Telekinetic Ray The target creature must make a Strength saving throw or be moved 10 feet in a direction of your choice.
3. Slowing Ray The targets movement speed is halved until the start of your next turn.
4. Petrification Ray The target must succeed a Constitution saving throw or be effected by the slow spell until the start of your next turn.
5. Enervation Ray The target must succeed a Constitution saving throw or take 1d8 + your Wisdom modifier necrotic damage.
6. Disintegration Ray The target must succeed a Constitution saving throw or take 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier force damage.

Each time you use a use of Wild Shape to assume this mutation, you can select the effect of the eye ray instead of rolling a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus.

Grasping Tentacle

When you take this mutation, and as a bonus action on your subsequent turns, you can lash out with this tentacle. You can make a melee spell attack against a creature within 10 feet. On hit, the target takes 1d6 + your Wisdom modifier bludgeoning. As an action or in place of making this attack, you can initiate a grapple against making a Wisdom (Athletic) check with a range of 10 feet. If the check succeeds, you can continue to use Wisdom (Athletics) to maintain and contest grapples targeting that creature.

Note: Vulnerable Limbs!

As per the Sages, a creature you are grappling can attack you regardless if you are in its normal attack range by attacking the limb grappling you.

Abherrant Mutations

Starting at 6th level, you cast mutate without expending a spell slot. You can do this a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus, and regain all uses when you finish a long rest.

Faceted Forms

Starting at 10th level, you can gain both an Eye Stalk and a Grasping Tentacle when expending a use of Wild Shape on Eldritch Mutation.

Additionally, The damage of Enervation Ray, Disintegration Ray, and the Grasping Tentacle increases to 2d8.

Piercing Eyes

Starting at 14th level, while you have an Eye Stalk from Eldritch Mutation, you have truesight with range of 60 feet.

Spells

Mutate

3rd-level transmutation


  • Classes: Druid, Occutlist, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
  • Casting Time: 1 Action
  • Range: Self
  • Components: V, S, M (something from an extinct animal)
  • Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes.

You manipulate the nature of your body with magic temporarily giving it new properties. You can select three of the following properties:

  • Your body becomes malleable and amorphous. You have advantage on saves and checks against grapples and the restrained condition, you do not suffer disadvantage from squeezing into smaller spaces, and you can squeeze through openings two sizes smaller than you.
  • You grow one additional appendage. This appendage serves as arm and a hand, though it can take the shape an arm, tentacle, or similar appendage.
  • You spout antenna that give you tremorsense with a range of 30 feet.
  • You extend the length of your limbs, giving you a 10 foot reach on melee attacks, touch spells, and object interactions.
  • Your flesh hardens, your base AC becomes 13 + your dexterity modifier if it is not already higher.
  • You grow a vicious natural weapon; this weapon can have the statistics of any martial melee weapon and takes on a form vaguely reminiscent of it. You have proficiency with this weapon, and are considered holding it. You can use your spellcasting modifier in place of your Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls with this natural weapon.
  • You grow more resilient, adapting against one external threat. You gain advantage on one type of saving throw fo your choice.
  • You can gain any of the effects of the alter self spell. You can select this multiple times to gain multiple benefits of the alter self spell.
  • You can gain either of the effects of the enlarge/reduce spell.
  • You gain the effect of the spiderclimb spell.

For the duration of the spell, you can use an action to change one or all of the properties, losing the benefits of your previously select properties and gaining the benefits of the new selected properties.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th or higher, you can select additional properties from the list of options.

 

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