Druidic Circle: Circle of Monsters

by StandardShallot

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Druidic Circle: Circle of Monsters

Druids who have been cursed to the Circle of Monsters, often have broke the bond between man and nature, they may have summoned something in this world that can cause harm to the planet and animals, or they may have directly harmed the animals, some haven't done anything wrong, just squabbled with the wrong witch and got unlucky, these druids often are unwelcome in a druids traditional home, animals tend to fear or distrust these druids. These druids tend to have a curse mark showing, such as an area with scales or maybe one of your hands or feet is now a talon or claw, maybe your eye is that of another creature or you now have a tail.

Instead of druidic your player can speak to monstrosities with an Int score of 6 or higher if the creature speaks at least 1 language. (Note this does not give you control over the creature it just allows you to talk to it, if you are already hostile saying hi will not make it friendly.) At 7th level you can speak to aberrations as well, and at 15th level you can speak to these Monstrosities and aberrations telepathically instead of verbally.
When your druid gets to pick their cantrips they may also pick cantrips from the warlock cantrip list.

Monster Shape

Starting at 2nd level you can use your action to magically assume the shape of a monstrosity that you have seen before. You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Your druid level determines the monstrosity you can transform into, as shown in the monstrosity Shapes table. At 2nd level, for example, you can transform into any monstrosity that has a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower that doesn't have a flying or swimming speed.

Monstrosity Shapes Table
  • 2nd Level - Max CR 1/4 - No flying/Swimming speed
  • 4th Level - Max CR 1/2 - No Flying Speed
  • 8th Level -Max CR 2 - No Flying speed
  • 16th Level - Max CR 5.

You can stay in a Monstrosity shape for a number of hours equal to half your druid level (rounded up). You then revert to your normal form unless you expend another use of this feature. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn. You automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die. While you are transformed, the following rules apply:

  • Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores.

  • You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the monster. If the monster has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature's bonus instead of yours.

  • If the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can't use them.

  • When you transform, you assume the Monstrosities hit points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. however if you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. For example, if you take 10 damage in monster form and have only 1 hit point left, you revert and take 9 damage. As long as the excess damage doesn't reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren't knocked unconscious.

  • You can't cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your monster form. Transforming doesn't break your concentration on a spell you've already cast, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell, such as call lightning, that you've already cast.

  • You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can't use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.

  • You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the monsters shape and size. Your equipment doesn't change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

Monster Companion

2nd-level druid optional feature

You gain the ability to summon a Shadow spirit: as an action, you can expend a use of your Monster Shape feature to cast the Summon Shadowspawn spell, without material components. When you cast the spell in this way, the Shadow Spirit is an Aberration instead of a Monstrosity, and the Shadow Spirit disappears after a number of hours equal to half your druid level.

Fear from a Curse

At 2nd Level you gain the ability to imbue fear into your enemies. You can use this ability a number of times equal to half your druid level. Fear from a Curse, allows the player to imbue fear into a number of enemies equal to your druid level divided by 3 (Minimum of 2) (Rounded up) choose targets within 60 feet and those targets must make a wisdom saving throw DC of 9 plus your charisma modifier or be frightened until they make the saving throw or spend 2 turns 120 ft or more from you.

Monster Monster Shape Improvement
At 4th level your Monster Shape improves as shown in the Monster Shape Table
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature or you may take a feat if the Dm deems it acceptable.

Part Monstrosity

Your curse has gotten stronger in the time you've had it, starting at 6th level you can now morph individual parts of your body into monstrositys (CR up to half your druid level) instead of your whole body at once and gain a partial ability relating to the morphed part (At the DM's Discretion). You can keep the part of your body morphed for up to 1 hour. You can use this ability an amount of times equal to your Wisdom Modifer per short rest.

But Beware

this power doesnt come without a cost, when morphing parts of your body to benefit from monsters abilities can be painful, the more powerful the creature the greater the pain, take damage equal to the Cr of the monster whose body you partially morphed into

Example
  • Turning your legs into a Mermaid tail to get its swimming speed (Note: You cant breath under water you only get the Mermaids tail)
  • Turning your hand into an Owlbears claw to get its slashing attack
  • Turning your Eyes into a Death Dogs to get its Darkvision =======================================
Monster Monster Shape Improvement
At 8th level your Monster Shape improves as shown in the Monster Shape Table
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 8th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature or you may take a feat if the Dm deems it acceptable.

Its Monster is mine Now

The curse has spread deeper into you as a whole, allowing you to access additional abilities of the monstrosities, starting at level 10, you can use your monster shapes to gain an ability of an monstrosity with a CR equal to your druid level.

  • This ability lasts a number of rounds = 20 - Monster CR

Monsters with a CR under 10 require one Monster Shape to use while monsters with a CR over 10 require both Monster Shapes.

When using this ability while "Part Monstrosity" is in effect, you cannot use this ability with a Monstrosity that has a CR over the CR of the "Part Monstrosity" ability.

Example
  • Displacer Beasts Displacement
  • Kamadan Sleep Breath
  • Phase Spider Ethereal Jaunt
  • and even a spirit nagas Rejuvenation.

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Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 12th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature or you may take a feat if the Dm deems it acceptable.

My Lair

Starting at 14th level you gain the ability to cast a 1 hour ritual in a place that you have completed a long rest at, after doing this you will have lair actions you can perform in a 50 foot radius of where you performed the ritual. You must take a long rest after using your lair actions to regain this ability, if you long rest in a different location your lair ritual disappears and you have to re cast it at your new place of rest.

Lair actions
  • You may take an action to heal you or a total number of creature equal to your wisdom modifier + 2 for a total number of hitpoints equal to half your health + your druid level without exceeding the creatures total health, a creature must have at least 1 hitpoint to receive the healing and not have more than half its total hitpoints, you can do this a number of times equal to your level divided by 5 (rounded down)
  • You can choose to succeed 1 saving throw or ability check with a Dc equal to your druid level + Wis Modifier. You can do this twice per long rest.
  • While in your Lair you can cast a modified version of Zone of truth, Magic Circle, Circle of death or Teleportation Circle listed below.

Zone of Truth

Lair Action


  • Casting Time: Bonus Action
  • Range: Lair
  • Components: V
  • Duration: 1 hour

While in your lair you can cast zone of truth and any non friendly beings must make a Charisma saving throw Dc your druid level + wisdom modifier.

Magic Circle

Lair Action


  • Casting Time: Bonus Action
  • Range: Lair
  • Components: V
  • Duration: 1 hour

You may cast Magic Circle while in your lair, this circle is your lair and 20 feet tall. when you cast this choose two of the following creature types; aberrations, monstrosities, fiends, celestials or undead.

  • The creature can't willingly enter the cylinder by nonmagical means. If the creature tries to use teleportation or interplanar travel to do so, it must first succeed on a Charisma saving throw. (DC Druid Level + Wisdom Modifer)
  • The creature has disadvantage on attack rolls against targets within the cylinder.
  • Targets within the cylinder can't be charmed, frightened, or possessed by the creature.

Circle of Death

Lair Action


  • Casting Time: Bonus Action
  • Range: Lair
  • Components: V
  • Duration: 1 hour

When you cast circle of death in your lair, choose 3 other people and you and them wont take this damage, all other targets not chosen must make a constitution saving throw equal to your druid level + wisdom modifier, any creature who fails the roll takes 6d6 necrotic damage and half as much on a success.

Teleportation Circle

Lair Action


  • Casting Time: Bonus Action
  • Range: Lair
  • Components: V
  • Duration: 1 hour

You may choose up to a number of creatures equal to your wisdom modifier + 2. If any of those creatures are unwilling they must make a wisdom saving throw to not go, DC equal to your druid level + Wisdom modifier. You and the creature you have chosen can teleport to any location you have made a lair in within the last 6 months that is on the same plane as you. For every month after the 6 month mark make a history check to remember the location, Dc 12 + every additional month.

Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 16th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature or you may take a feat if the Dm deems it acceptable.

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Eternal Curse

Starting at 18th level, your curse begins to cause you to age slower, so you can endure your suffering for longer, for every 20 years you only age 1 year physically.

Monster Magic

Beginning at 18th level, you can cast many of your druid spells in any shape you assume using Monster Shape. You can perform the somatic and verbal components of a druid spell while in a Monster shape, but you aren’t able to provide material components.

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Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature or you may take a feat if the Dm deems it acceptable.

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Cursed Druid

At 20th level, you can use your Monster Shape a total number of times equal to your druid level divided by 3 (Rounded down) + your wisdom modifier, you can regain a number of Monster shapes equal to your wisdom modifier every short rest and all of them every long rest. Additionally, you can ignore the verbal and somatic components of your druid spells, as well as any material components that lack a cost and aren’t consumed by a spell. You gain this benefit in both your normal shape and your beast shape from Monster Shape.

 

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