Circle of Life Druid

[cashew]

Creating a subclsss for druids in D&D because reasons.

Circle of Life

Druids in the Circle of Life understand that the cycle of nature is one in which an overabundance of life leads to death and from death new life arise. These Druids do not worry about their current roles and instead seek to find their niche in the great Circle of Life, walking through life and death as though passing through the seasons. They are the naturalists who observe the world and only intervene when something has thrown the balance askew.

Level 3: Circle of Life Spells

When you reach a Druid level specified in the Circle of Life Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared. These spells do not count against the number of Druid spells you can prepare and cantrips known.

Druid Level	Prepared Spells
3rd	Mending, Toll the Dead Arcane Vigor, Create or Destroy Water, Lesser Restoration, Shield
5th	Revivify, Spirit Guardians
7th	Conjure Woodland Beings, Mordekainen's Faithful Hound
9th	Greater Restoration, Raise Dead

Level 3: Hakunana Matata

As a Bonus Action, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape to conjure a nature spirit in a location within 60 feet of you to aid you. The spirit shares your turn initiative in combat and moves immediately after you. The spirit cannot take any action except the Dodge action and movement actions. The spirit cannot be damaged or targeted in combat and is immune to all conditions. The spirit has a walk, swim and fly speed of 30 feet and can hover.

The spirit lasts for 1 hour or until dismissed. Dismissing the spirit is a free action. Conjuring a second spirit while the first spirit is present will cause the first spirit to be dismissed.

The spirit obeys your commands and you can telepathically order it to move up to its movement speed in any direction. Because the spirit is spectral, it can move through solid objects as if it where empty space. If the spirit is within 60 feet of you, you can swap positions with the spirit via teleportation as part of the Bonus Action used to conjure the spirit and as a Bonus Action on subsequent turns. If the spirit is in a space you cannot occupy, the teleportation fails.

When the spirit is conjured, it manifests a 15-feet Emanation originating from itself. When an enemy enters the Emanation, the enemy loses 1d6 Hit Points for each allied creature inside the Emanation. Hit Points lost by the enemy this way are transferred to allied creatures within the Emanation equally rounded up. If there are no allied creatures in the Emanation, the enemy does not lose any Hit Points.

The spirit can take the appearance of any naturally occurring creature or plant that you choose. It is classified as a spirit and is not an object, creature, or plant for gameplay purposes.

Level 6: Wimoweh

Whenever an enemy enters the nature spirit's Emanation, they must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spellcasting DC or gain the Frightened condition with the spirit as the source of fear. Frightened condition ends if the enemy moves more than 30 feet from the spirit.

You gain a special Wild Shape form: Lion King. This form does not count against Known Forms.

Lion King stat block:

Large Beast
AC 16, Initiative +3, Proficiency Bonus +5

      Mod Sav       Mod Sav       Mod Sav
  STR +5  +5    DEX +3  +7    CON +5  +9

Skills: Intimidation +10, Stealth +13
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 20
Speed: 60 ft.

TRAITS

Pack Tactics.
You have Advantage on an attack roll against a 
creature if at least one of your allies is within
5 feet of the creature and the ally doesn't have
the Incapacitated condition.

Natural Armor.
Your mane provides extra protection. When you
aren't wearing armor, your base AC is
13 + Dexterity modifier.

Running Leap.
With a 10-foot running start, you can Long Jump
up to 25 feet.

ACTIONS

Multiattack.
You make two Claw attacks and one Bite attack.
You can replace one attack with a use of Roar.

Claw.
Melee Attack Roll: +10, reach 10 ft.
Damage on hit: your druid level (start at 6).
               Forcibly move the target up to
               5 ft in any direction.
               Slashing.

Bite.
Melee Attack Roll: +10, reach 5 ft.
Damage on hit: 2x your druid level (start at 12).
               Piercing.

Roar.
Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 18, one creature
                     within 15 feet.
Failure: The target has the Frightened condition
         until the start of your next turn.

REACTION

Feline Reflexes.
When an enemy targets you with an attack, you
can take the Dodge action as a Reaction.

Level 10: Asante sana

When enemies enter the nature spirit's Emanation, Hit Points lost is increased to 1d8 for each allied creature within the Emanation. While enemies are in the Emanation, they have -2 penalty to AC for every allied creature inside the Emanation. Allied creatures inside the Emanation gain +2 bonus to AC for every enemy inside the Emanation.

While the nature spirit is within 60 feet of you, you gain Resistance to Acid, Poison, and Necrotic damage.

Level 14: We Are One

You and allied creatures within the nature spirit's Emanation can add your Proficiency Bonus to any D20 test. If the ally already adds their Proficiency Bonus to the D20 test, your Proficiency Bonus is added in addition to their Proficiency Bonus for the D20 test.

If the spirit is within 60 feet of a willing creature, you can use an action to swap the spirit and the creature's position via teleportation.

You can Wild Shape into Lion King form without consuming a use of Wild Shape.

Comments

[bluapapilio]

Hello, I don't know if you're aware but that photo is AI!

[cashew]

I do know the art is AI. I intentionally looked for AI art because AI art is not under copyright protection (and also have no creativity to infringe upon). Given I'm making a homebrew hack that isn't truly original content, I want to avoid using a real artist's art to avoid copyright issues.

I don't really have an ethical problem with using AI art in something that's just meant to be silly hobby writing and is not for commercial purposes. The fact that AI re-mixes actual artists' works without permission doesn't really get addressed by my boycotting of AI generated art. That's something that will need to be addressed by actual artists with AI companies.