Pointy Hat_ Circle of the City - a Druid Subclass

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The Circle of the City

A Pointy Hat Druid Subclass

“Druids belonging to the Circle of the City go against what most think of when they envision a
druid. Instead of protecting nature by seeking to preserve the spaces untouched by civilization,
they bring nature to the spaces where people live, and seek to establish a symbiotic relationship
between mankind and the natural world. They see villages, towns, and cities as ecosystems in
their own right, no different from a forest, jungle, or desert. These druids forgo the secrecy and
reclusiveness that most druidic circles hold dear and sacred, and replace it by what they see as
a stronger force better able to enact long-lasting change: Community. They are pillars of these
communities, establishing and preserving green spaces that not only bring nature into the
day-to-day lives of the city’s inhabitants, but also double as useful tools for the residents.
The work on the urban druid is not done in isolated, magical forests, but in parks, communal
gardens, and city orchards. They are not only concerned with the lives of wolves, bears, and
other majestic wild animals, but also the lives of street dogs, abandoned cats, and what most
see as vermin. Their mission is not to create a space for nature inside of a city, but to erase the
line between nature and city completely.
Some Circle of the City druids remain in one city, making it their life's mission to tend to it like a
garden and becoming a political force in their places of residence; some travel, bringing some of
their primal magic to every settlement they visit; and some embark on pilgrimages to abandoned
temples, castle ruins, poisonous swamps, and other places where nature has overtaken the
living spaces of people, bringing balance to these sites and making them habitable for new
people to breathe life into them once more.”

Overview:

The Circle of the City subclass is meant to give those who wish to play a non-conventional druid
a completely new flavor for their character. It puts the focus on urban and man-made
environments rather than natural landscapes untouched by civilization, and is intrinsically tied to
settlements and the people living in them, allowing you to create a druid that thrives on
communal efforts rather than hermitism. Gameplay-wise, the subclass has been designed to
take advantage of the druid’s unorthodox tanking abilities, giving it a completely different use of
the signature wild shape ability as well as the capacity to don metallic armor. The trademark
feature of this subclass is its dual approach to its main features: Terrain Tactician and Wild
Shaper. Depending on the terrain the city druid is standing on, the effects of these features will
change. This allows you to change your strategies and approach to combat depending on the
terrain you stand on, which works with the flavor of the subclass and keeps fights interesting
and unique. We strongly advise talking to your GM before choosing this subclass to ensure that
they are aware of this core feature so that they may plan fights with it in mind, allowing you to
take advantage of clever positioning to get the desired effect.

2nd Level: Primal Fortress

When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you are able to benefit from mankind’s innovations
without losing your connection to nature. You gain proficiency with heavy armor, and are able to
don armor and use shields made of metal.

2nd Level: Terrain Tactician

At 2nd level, you are able to call on the power of nature and harness its effects. The effects you
gain depend on whether you are standing on “natural” or “constructed” terrain. Natural terrain is
any ground that has not been significantly shaped by civilization, such as soil, grass, or snow.
Constructed terrain is the opposite: ground that has been fabricated or shaped by mankind’s
hands, such as cut stone, metal sheets, or wooden boards. Standing on a rock in the forest
would be considered Natural Terrain, whereas standing on stone bricks on a castle’s ramparts
would be considered Constructed Terrain. Whether a terrain is considered natural or
constructed does not depend on if the materials used are “natural” or not, but rather the amount
of people’s involvement in giving it its current shape. If it is ambiguous, which ground you are
standing on is at the GM’s discretion.

● While standing on Natural Terrain, you harness the healing energy of nature and
become attuned to its consciousness:
○ You gain 1d4 temporary healing at the beginning of each turn.
○ You gain proficiency with the Perception skill.

● While standing on Constructed Terrain, you strengthen your body against harmful
effects and are able to harness the wisdom of mankind:
○ You add 1d6 to all dexterity saves you make.
○ You gain proficiency with the Insight skill.

2nd Level: Wild Shaper

Also at 2nd level, you can strengthen your pull on the natural energies you gain from your
environment. As an action, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to embolden the
effects you gain from the terrain you’re standing on, rather than transforming into a beast form.
While this feature is active, you gain the following benefits:

● While standing on Natural Terrain, you add your wisdom modifier to the temporary hit
points you gain at the beginning of each turn.

● While standing on Constructed Terrain, choose one damage type between acid, cold,
fire, lightning, or poison. You are now resistant to that damage type until the start of your
next turn, upon which you may choose the same damage resistance or a different one.

These benefits last for 10 minutes or until you use your Wild Shape again.

6th Level: Land’s Spoils

At 6th level, your influence over the terrain you walk on extends past yourself, allowing you to
share the gifts of the land with your allies and encumber those who go against your vision. Any
space within 10 feet of you becomes difficult terrain for any creature of your choice. Additionally,
while your Wild Shaper feature is active, you can use a bonus action to choose a creature within
10 feet of you. While that creature is within 10 feet of you, they enjoy the same bonuses you
derive from the Terrain Tactician feature.

10th Level: Teeming Terrain

At 10th level, your influence over the environment surrounding you grows, harvesting stronger
fruits from its effects. The temporary hit points and bonuses to saving throws given by the
Terrain Tactician feature increase, rolling a d6 instead of a d4 for the temporary hit points gained
when standing on Natural Terrain, and rolling a d8 instead of a d6 to add to Dexterity saving
throws when standing on Constructed Terrain.

14th Level: Terraformer

At 14th level, you are no longer constrained by the terrain you stand on, now able to change its
nature to your will. When you expend a use of Wild Shape to gain the benefits of your Wild
Shaper feature, you choose whether the terrain within 10 feet of you is considered Natural or
Constructed, and transform it to match. For example, wooden floorboards grow vines and roots,
or dirt covered in sand and rock turns to a cobblestone road. You can change the terrain around
you again at the beginning of each subsequent turn as a free action for as long as your Wild
Shaper feature is active.