Circle of Spores, Variant (5e Subclass)
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 portions of a grand cycle, with one leading to the other and then back again. Death is not 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. However, 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 avoid passing to a final rest, violate the cycle and must be thwarted.
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 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.
| Druid Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 2nd | Chill Touch |
| 3rd | Blindness/Deafness, Gentle Repose |
| 5th | Animate Dead, Gaseous Form |
| 7th | Blight, Confusion |
| 9th | Cloudkill, Contagion |
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 moves into a space within 10 feet of you or starts its turn there, you can use your reaction to deal 1d4 necrotic damage to that creature unless it succeeds on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a successful save, the creature only takes half damage. The necrotic damage increases to 1d6 at 6th level, 1d8 at 10th level, and 1d10 at 14th level. Whether or not the creature succedes their saving throw roll 1d100: if the resulting roll is 50 or higher the enemy is poisoned till the end of your next turn. If the enemy rolled a 1 on their Constitution saving throw treat the roll on the d100 like an automatic 100.
Additionaly you have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
Symbiotic Entity
At 2nd level, you gain the ability to channel magic into your spores. When you hit an enemy with a melee attack, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to awaken those spores, rather than transforming into a beast form. You gain 3 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 attacks deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to any target they hit. This includes the attack triggering Symbiotic Entity. This damage becomes 1d8 at 7th level and 1d10 at 11th level
These benefits last for 1 minute or until you use your Wild Shape again.
Fungal Infestation
At 6th level, your spores gain the ability to infest a corpse and animate it. If a beast or a humanoid that is Small or Medium dies within 10 feet of you, you can use your reaction to animate it, causing it to stand up immediately with 1 hit point. If the creature died as a result of your Halo of Spores damage, you do not need to use your reaction to trigger this effect. The creature uses the zombie stat block in the Monster Manual. It remains animate for 1 hour, after which time it collapses and dies.
In combat, the zombie's turn comes immediately after yours. It obeys your mental commands, and the only action it can take is the Attack action, making one melee attack.
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.
Spreading Spores
Beginning at 10th level the spores within you make you deadlier in battle. When you use the Attack action, you can attack twice. You can use this feature three times. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Fungal Body
At 14th level, the fungal spores in your body alter you: you can't be blinded, deafened, frightened, or poisoned, and any critical hit against you counts as a normal hit instead, unless you're incapacitated. Moreover you gain resistance to necrotic damage.
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