Crimson Druid v1.1

by u/Quantext609

Circle of the Crimsonhere many druids believe death to be a natural
part of the cycle of life, a select few believe
death to be an aberration. To these druids, the
pursuit of preserving life is futile without first

Wrejecting the enemy of life: death.
And so these druids tap into a force forbidden
by most druids: The Crimson, a hive mind of
eternal life and flesh connected to every world. They use this
connection to cause cancerous mutations to their own body
and become more powerful. Others may be disgusted with
their ways, believing it to be unnatural and horrific. But they
know that they will one day free the world from the shackles
placed upon it by the gods of the grave and have everything
become Crimson.

Crimson Malformities
Using Crimson magic often results in the user developing
physical malformities due to their body constantly mutating
and defying death.
At your option, you can pick from or roll on the Crimson
Malformities table to give a malformity your character.

d8 Malformity
1 Whenever you transform into an animal with Wild

Shape, you instead have your body contort into the
shape of that beast.
2 You have grown an extra vestigial limb, or three.
3 After not moving for a while, web like patterns of
sinew grow between your limbs that easily break away.
4 Your body is now an amalgamation of various animal
parts replacing your own.
5 Objects on your person start to become more organic,
growing sinew, eyes, and veins.
6 Most of your skin has peeled off revealing muscle
underneath. It is surprisingly painless.
7 Everything you touch becomes stained with blood,
even if you are not injured.
8 A tumor has grown over the mouth you were born
with, but you have grown two other mouths on your
body that you can talk and speak through.

Circle of the Crimson Features

Druid
Level Feature
2nd Limb Restoration, Circle Spells, Gruesome

Transformation, Curse of Flesh, Organic Combat
Training
6th Horrid Mutation, Extra Attack, Volatile Strikes
10th Limb Bequeathal, Perfected Transformation,
Advanced Curses
14th Defy Death

Limb Restoration Your arms mutate into natural weapons which you can
At 2nd level, whenever one of your body parts is severed, it use to make unarmed strikes. They each deal slashing or
grows back in 1d10 days. piercing damage (your choice) equal to 1d6 + your
You may choose to have it grow in the same position and strength modifier instead of the bludgeoning damage
shape it was originally or in a different one of your choice, but normal for an unarmed strike.
it always retains the same properties. These arms are crude and can't wield weapons or shields
Circle spells effectively. If you make an attack roll while holding a
Your connection to the Crimson grants you access to certain weapon or shield, you have disadvantage on that attack
spells. At 2rd level, you learn the Primal Savagery cantrip. At roll.
3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to the spells listed At the start of each of your turns, you gain temporary hit
for that level in the Circle of the Crimson Spells table. points equal to your Constitution modifier + your Druid
level (minimum of 1 temporary hit point).
Druid Level Spell If a creature dies within 5ft of you and it was cursed by a
3rd Alter Self, Enlarge/Reduce Druid feature of yours, you gain temporary hit points
5th Mass Healing Word, Revivify equal to your Constitution modifier + twice your Druid
7th Black Tentacles, Stoneskin level (minimum of 1 temporary hit point).
9th Antilife Shell, Mass Cure Wounds These benefits last for 10 minutes, until you use your Wild
Shape again, or end it as a bonus action.
CRIMSON MAGIC
RULES TIP: UNARMORED DEFENCE
Crimson magic is the rawest form of druidic magic, AND TEMPORARY HIT POINTS DON'T
conjuring and manipulating bones, muscle, skin, STACK
and other raw organic material. When describing
your spellcasting, consider how your Crimson If you would gain unarmored defence or natural
magic affects how your magic manifests. armor from two or more sources, you choose one
to calculate your AC, not both.
An entangle spell may appear as a large tumor Additionally, if you have temporary hit points and
filled with eyes growing out of the ground, receive more of them, you don’t add them
wrapping everything around it in blood-soaked together, unless a rule says you can. Instead, you
tentacles. An erupting earth spell cast using decide which temporary hit points to keep.
Crimson magic could have the druid throw a bone For more information on unarmored defence, see
which then erupts into many larger bone shards. chapter 6 of the Player’s Handbook. For more
information on temporary hit points, see chapter 9
This doesn't limit you or benefit you in any way of the Player’s Handbook.
but can help making your Crimson druid feel
distinct from other magic users. Curse of Flesh
Using the power of the Crimson, you can curse the living to
Gruesome Transformation have their own body turn against them at 2nd level. The first
At 2nd level, you gain the ability to use your Crimson magic to creature that isn't a construct or undead you hit with an
mutate your own body. As an action while outside of a beast unarmed strike from a natural weapon on your turn becomes
form, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to cursed until the start of your next turn. When you apply this
undergo a horrific mutation, rather than transforming into a curse, choose one of the following:
beast form, and force each creature of your choice that can
see you and you can see within 20 feet of you to make a Curse of Tendons. When the cursed creature hits a
Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature becomes creature other than you with an attack, the cursed
frightened of you for 1 minute. The frightened creature can creature has tendons grow out from its body and attempt
repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending to trip it, forcing it to make a Strength save. On a failure,
the effect on itself on a success. the creature is knocked prone. The tendons fall limp and
While this feature is active, you gain the following benefits: are easily removed afterward.
Curse of Migraines. When the cursed creature hits a
You have natural armor in the form of bone like growths creature other than you with an attack, the cursed
all over your body. When you aren’t wearing armor, your creature must make a Wisdom save as the Crimson
AC is 13 + your Constitution modifier. You can use your attempts to attack its mind. On a failure, the creature
natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear takes 1d6 psychic damage. The psychic damage increases
would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply to 2d6 at 6th level, 3d6 at 10th level, and 4d6 at 14th level.
as normal while you use your natural armor.

Organic Combat Training Limb Bequeathal
At 2nd level you've become familiar with how to use the At 10th level, you've learned how to give the gift of the
weapons nature has given you in combat. When you use the Crimson to others. Over the course of 10 minutes, you can
Attack action with an unarmed strike from a natural weapon plant a Crimson seed into a creature's severed body part.
on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike with a That creature's severed body part will grow back in 1d10
natural weapon as a bonus action. For example, if you take days. You may choose to have it grow in the same position
the Attack action and attack with a natural weapon, you can and shape it was originally or in a different one of your
also make an unarmed strike with a natural weapon as a choice, but it always retains the same properties.
bonus action, assuming you haven’t already taken a bonus
action this turn. Perfected Transformation
At 10th level, you've practiced enough with Crimson magic to
Horrid Mutation improve your mutations caused by it. You gain the following
After mutating yourself many times using the Crimson, you've benefits while in your Gruesome Transformation.
grown useful but disturbing mutations. At 6th level, choose
one of the following options: When you make an unarmed strike with a natural weapon
on your turn, your reach for it is 5 feet greater than
Overgrown Physique. You grow two additional arms. normal.
These arms can't wield weapons or shields, but can The damage die of your natural weapons increases to a d8
manipulate equipment, use magic items, make unarmed You may apply two curses to a single target instead of one
strikes, and grapple. whenever you use your Curse of Flesh feature.
Everchanging Flesh. The Crimson has allowed you to Advanced Curses
mold your own flesh into whatever form you wish. At the At 10th level, you've learned more Crimson curses. Whenever
end of a long rest, you can change your appearance and you use your Curse of Flesh feature, you may choose one of
your voice. You determine the specifics of the changes, these curses or one of the options you acquired at 2nd level.
including your coloration, hair length, and sex. You can Curse of Pests. When the cursed creature hits a creature
also adjust your height and weight, but not so much that other than you with an attack, a small glob of Crimson
your size changes. Your race can't be changed, and your attacks its face, forcing it to make a Dexterity save. On a
clothing and equipment aren't changed by this trait. failure, the cursed creature is blinded until the start of its
Unstable Psyche. Your brain becomes mutated to the next turn by the glob covering its eyes.
point where it repels psychic intrusion. Whenever a Curse of Confusion. When the cursed creature attacks a
creature attempts to read your mind or sense your creature other than you, it must make a Wisdom saving
emotions, it instead receives an indecipherable message throw. On a failure, the cursed creature must instead
of squishing meat, grinding bones, and anguished attack you or lose the attack.
screams.
Extra Attack Defy Death
Beginning at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, The unwavering devotion to the Crimson has given you the
whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. ability to deny the gods who desire to divert the world from
its true destiny. At 14th level, you gain an aura that goes out to
Volatile Strikes 20ft. You and friendly creatures in this aura regain hit points
Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes made with natural equal to your Druid level whenever the creature roll an 18, 19,
weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming or 20 when making a death saving throw and require four
resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. death saving throw failures instead of three to die. If a
creature with three death saving throw failures that has 0 or
Images Used: "Grand Karcist Ion" by Osatanelaya and less hit points leaves this aura, it dies as normal.
"Ion Ascendant" by Niram.