Forest Guardian (5e Class)
Forest Guardian
Forest guardians are beings that have devoted their lives to protect and ward natural forests and their inhabitants. For this protection, nature itself share its power with the guardian. This natural power manifest itself in many ways: as companions that aid the guardian it battle, in elemental power and in natural magic.
Creating a Forest Guardian
To create a forest guardian you must love the forest like yourself and sometimes even more. Think about how you belong to the forest: Where you brought here to be punished or protected by some evil? Are you native to the forest from ancestry? For example you can be a dryad, a forest gnome, a wood elf, or even a Treant!
Class Features
As a Forest Guardian you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Forest Guardian level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Forest Guardian level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: Herbalist's kit
Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom
Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Religion, Perception, or Survival
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a short spear or (b) a quarterstaff
- (a) studded leather armor or (b) leather armor
- (a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- Herbalist's kit and a sling
- If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4 x 10 gp in funds.
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | —Spell Slots per Spell Level— | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | |||
| 1st | +2 | Natural Wanderer, Forest Armament | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Spellcasting, Forest Guardian Archetype | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Natural Replenishment | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Forest Guardian Archetype Feature | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | Natural Armor | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | Natural Rage | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Poison Immunity | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | Forest Guardian Archetype Feature | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | Natural Rage Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 14th | +5 | Forest Guardian Archetype Feature | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 15th | +5 | Herbal Absorption | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 17th | +6 | Natural Rage Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Insightful Warrior | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20th | +6 | Natural Replenishment Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Natural Wanderer
The nature provide you with all the things necessary for your survival. Whenever you are on a natural environment whenever you make a Animal Handling, Nature or Survival check or a check with the Herbalist Kit, if you roll a number under your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus, you can reroll the result.
In addition, you can never be lost on a forest, and always know instinctively where's the north and what time of day while inside a forest. Also, you have a photographic memory in relation to anything you see on a forest, retaining any detail of the environment on your mind for up to a month.
Forest Armament
Starting at 1st level, you can raise from the ground weapons and armor made out of organic material, such as wood, choral or vines, covered in spikes. This could be any type of weapon or armor you are proficient with. The armament have the following properties.
- Armor: The armor summoned have the same properties of the regular armor, and summoning this armor require the same amount of time to don and lasts for 1 hour. Doffing the armor requires an action. Starting at 5th level, you can add your Wisdom modifier, instead of your Dexterity, while using this armor.
- Weapon: You summon a melee weapon as a bonus action. The weapon summoned have the same properties of the normal weapon, it is considered magical for overcoming resistance to nonmagical damage, and lasts for 1 minute. You can use your Wisdom, instead of Dexterity or Constitution when making attacks with this weapon.
Spellcasting
Your connection to the forests and natural environments have granted you the ability to channel its magical power.
- Preparing and Casting Spells
The Forest Guardian table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level or higher. To cast one of these forest guardian spells, you must expend a spell slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You prepare a list of forest guardian spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the forest guardian spell list. When you do so, choose a number of forest guardian spells equal to your Wisdom modifier plus half your forest guardian’s level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
For example, if you are a 5th-level forest guardian, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With an Wisdom of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd-level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell cure wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or 2nd-level slot.
You can change your list of prepared spells whenever you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of forest guardian spells requires time spent reviewing notes and mixing components: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
- Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your forest guardian spells, since you learn your spells through patient study and copious note-taking. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for an forest guardian spell and when making an attack roll for one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
- Ritual Casting
You can cast an forest guardian spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.
- Spellcasting Focus
You can use a druidic focus as your spellcasting focus.
Forest Guardian Archetype
Starting at 2nd level, you choose to focus your attention and research on one branch of advanced studies on which from that point forward—the Science of Creation or the Science of Destruction, both detailed at the end of this class entry. Your studies grant you additional class features at 2nd level, and again at 6th, 11th, and 14th level.
Natural Replenishment
Starting at 3rd level, you can commune with the natural environment once per day during a short rest to regain your access to spells. You regain one spell slot from up to your highest level
At 20th level, you regain up to six spell slots of any level you have available.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 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.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you use the Attack action on your turn.
Natural Armor
Starting at 7th level, you have learned to use your organic armor to absorb the impact of strikes. You can use your reaction and spend one hit die when you take damage. You reduce the damage taken by an amount equal to the number rolled + your Wisdom modifier.
Natural Rage
Starting at 9th level, you can use your action to awaken living plants in a place within 20 feet of you. All creatures within 10 feet of the chosen place must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d10 damage. This damage increases to 2d10 at 13th level. The damage type can be either bludgeoning, slashing or piercing, depending on the types of plants around (DM's discretion).
At 17th level, the area affected increases to 30 feet.
Poison Immunity
At 10th, you become immune to poison and to the poisoned condition.
Herbal Absorption
Starting at 15th level, you become resistant to radiant damage. Whenever you take radiant or poison damage, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to the damage taken. This temporary hit points replace any current temporary hit points you already have.
While you have this temporary hit points, when you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can choose to convert these temporary hit points in additional radiant damage.
Insightful Warrior
At 18th level, your Wisdom score increases by 2, to a maximum of 22.
Greenwood Shepard
Greenwood shepards are the guardians of the forests, protecting animals and plants from the harms of the civilized world. Sometimes, they also act as ambassadors, bridging the gaps in communication between civilization and wild, trying to create harmony between these two worlds.
- Forest Emissary
You know how to speak with the denizens of the wild. You know how to speak, write and read sylvian, if you don't already know it, and you can cast "speak with animals at will, without spending a spell slot.
Finally, whenever you make a Charisma check against a plant, fey or beast, you can use your Wisdom modifier instead of your Charisma.
- Natural Companion
At 2nd level, you can command the nature to fight by your side. Choose a beast or plant that has a challenge rating of 1/4 or less as your companion. The challenge rating increases to 1/2 at 6th level.
The abilities of your natural companion are in part defined by your character level. The companion add your proficiency bonus to its AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls. Its hit point maximum equals half your own, and it gain one hit die for each one you have. The Intelligence score of your companion equals 6, if it is lower.
The companion obeys your commands as best as it can. It takes its turn on your initiative, but it doesn’t take an action unless you command it to. As a bonus action on your turn, you can mentally command the companion to move, and direct it to take the Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Help action.
Over the course of a long rest, you can choose to replace your companion for another one. If your companion is slain, you may resurrect it or summon another one by spending 8 hours performing a ritual and 50 gp in materials. If you die, your companion becomes a regular animal or plant.
- Magic Connection
Starting at 6th level, whenever you cast a spell targeting yourself, you can choose to affect your companion instead, as long as both of you are in the same plane.
In addition, whenever you cast a spell that causes you to regain hit points, your companion regain half the amount you regain.
- Forest Ambassador
Starting at 6th level, you can cast speak with plants without spending a spell slot, a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain your ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
- Empower Companion
Starting at 11th level, you can use your action to empower your companion. When you do so, your movement speed is reduced to 0 and you are unable to take actions or reactions until you drop this ability as a bonus action on your turn.
When doing so, your companion can make three Attacks as part of its attack action and deal additional damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.
During this time, your companion can take actions on its own, but using your commands, and you can use your bonus action to allow your companion to cast your spells, using your spell slots, as an action.
- Superior Companion
Starting at 14th level, you can choose also a fey or elemental as your natural companion. In addition, if your companion is ever slain, you can use a spell slot of 2nd level or higher to bring it back.
Once you do this, you must wait 1 hour before doing it again.
Primordial Warden
Emissaries of the primordial planes, primordial wardens use their connection with the elements to protect the natural world, bringing destruction in the shape of energy blasts upon their enemies.
- Elemental Strike
Starting at 2nd level, you can channel elemental power and deliver magical attacks. Whenever you make an attack with your forest armament or natural rage feature, you can use your bonus action and spend one spell slot to increase damage of that attack in 1d8 plus 1d8 for each level of the spell slot spent, up to 5d8.
You can choose from the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lighting or thunder.
At 15th level, you can also deal poison and radiant damage.
- Raw Primordial Energy
Starting at 6th level, you can use your bonus action to change the damage type of any spell you know that deals acid, cold, fire, lighting or thunder damage for any other damage type of that list. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, and regain all uses after completing a long rest.
- Elemental Wrath
At 14th level, you can use your action and cast one of the following spells: investiture of flame, investiture of ice, investiture of stone, investiture of wind.
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells, and you can cast them without spending a spell slot, and without needing to keep concentration. You still can't cast another concentration spell at the same time.
Once you cast any of these spells, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest.
1st Level
2nd Level
3rd Level
Multiclassing
To qualify for new class levels as an forest guardian, you must have Wisdom 13 or better.