Druid Subclass Showcase!
over 1 year ago
– Mon, Oct 21, 2024 at 08:09:22 AM
Hey Everyone,
To start this week off, we wanted to give a sneak peek at more of the work we have been doing on Echoes of Renaissance. We’ve already shown you two of our subclasses in the Quickstart Guide - the Art Domain Cleric and the Way of the Marionette Monk.
Check out the Quickstart PDF here if you have not already done so!
Now we want to give you a glimpse at another one of our subclass creations, our druid. This one we’re super excited about, as it taps into local legends and lore from Friuli, a region of northeastern Italy and part of Venice’s Domini di Terraferma, mainland domains, at the time of Echoes of Renaissance.
Introducing...the Circle of the Benandanti Druid!
Note: As we develop the setting and playtest, the details below might change!
Druid - Circle of the Benandanti
You are a member of the circle of “Good Walkers,” Benandanti, gentle yet vigilant folk who travel out of their bodies to struggle against the malandanti, malevolent witches who threaten to destroy the crops and livelihoods of the folk of Friuli, in Northeastern Italy. When the malandanti arrived long ago and began destroying people’s crops and livestock, the Benandanti rose to combat them. As the bad witches rode their sorghum brooms and spread ill fortune, the Benandanti wielded fennel wands and took to the skies, in spirit forms or riding animal spirits, and in so doing kept the evil at bay. Originally, your Circle could only perform these rites while sleeping at night, but over the years, as strife has encircled the land, your community has tapped into more powerful magic and found ways to extend spirit shifts to waking moments as well.
Now the tradition has grown even beyond the borders of Friuli as the specter of evil has metastasized. You may have joined the Benandanti after you were born with a caul and chosen. Perhaps you joined and trained as an apprentice. Or perhaps you were a druid of a different land, and upon arriving in Northern Italy, you saw fit to join a more pressing fight against darkness.
Circle Spells
Your connection to the land and your determination to protect it from evil have granted 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 the Benandanti Spells table.
note: Spells marked with a * will be in the Echoes of Renaissance release.
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.
Level 2 - Spirit Shift
Starting at 2nd level, your power over your spirit is unleashed onto the material world. You gain the ability to temporarily leave your body and act as your spirit or an ethereal version of your Wild Shape. As a bonus action during your turn in combat, you can transport your spirit up to 30 feet away from your body. Your body stays stationary and cannot act independently of your spirit. It may also take damage. In your spirit form, you can attack or cast spells, and your spirit’s health pool is equal to your normal health pool. You can do this a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier + 1 before taking a long rest. If you transport into a Wild Shape form, it does not count against your Wild Shape uses. At the end of your next turn, your spirit must return to your body.
Your attacks in this form are considered magical even if your weapons normally are not.
Level 6 - Spirit Ascendant
Your Spirit Form grows in power as your devotion to protecting the people and the harvest does.
- You can also perform a Dash action in addition to your normal movement and action
- You can now use your spirit shift while in your Wild Shape form
- You can spend a usage of your wildshape to extend the length of your spirit shift to 30 seconds.
In addition, choose from the following options:
Spirit of Reunion:
After you have moved forward and acted as part of your spirit shift, you can transport your body forward to your spirit’s position.
Spirit of Retribution:
When your spirit returns to your body, creatures caught in the line your spirit travels must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d10 force damage, half on a success.
Spirit of Sanctuary:
While your spirit is outside your body, your physical form has a protective caul around it. This makes it harder for enemies to target your physical form, and any enemies who do target it will pay the price.
- Your physical form’s Armor Class is improved by the number of spirit shifts you have remaining.
- If an attacker hits your body, they must make a Wisdom saving throw or take 4d6 psychic damage as your caul attempts to suffocate them.
Spirit of Recovery:
While your spirit goes forth from your body or returns, you can choose any allies within 5 feet of the line you travel and award them 2d8 points of healing.
Level 10 Spirit of Night’s Reach
- You may take another Spirit Form from Level 6 which you have not chosen yet.
- You are now able to pick up small objects while in your spirit shift form.
- Additionally, by tapping into the night visions of your Circle, your powers have become stronger in darkness:
- Your spirit can now travel up to 60 feet from your body.
- You can now choose to stay away from your body for longer periods of time. As a bonus action, you can return. You can stay away from your body for a number of minutes equal to your Wisdom modifier. If you want to extend your time as a spirit beyond that, you run the risk of harming yourself. Once your spirit shift time is expended, you begin taking damage until you return to your body. For the first minute you are not back in your body, you take 1d6 psychic damage, and the damage increases by 1d6 for each passing minute. Healing from another source, such as a party member’s spell or an administered potion
Level 14 Spirit Transcendent
- You can now fly as part of your spirit shift
- You can stay out of your body for a number of days equal to your Wisdom modifier. If you want to extend your time as a spirit beyond that, you run the risk of harming yourself. Once your spirit shift time is expended, you have a number of minutes equal to your Constitution modifier to return, otherwise you risk organ failure and death.
- Your spirit is wreathed in the primordial power of the moon's light in the face of darkness, of spring in the face of a late frost. While in Spirit form, as a bonus action you can erupt in a shimmering caterwaul of energy. Choose a number of creatures equal to your Wisdom modifier within 60 feet of you. These creatures must make a Wisdom saving throw or take 5d10 psychic damage and 5d10 force damage; on a success, they take half damage. Additionally, those creatures who failed the save find their souls have left their bodies momentarily, and they are stunned until the end of their next turn.
Optional Feature for all Druids: You can use your Wild Shape to turn into a specific spirit shape by following the rules of Wild Shape stated in the core rules. Each time their proficiency bonus increases, they can choose one more shape that they can turn into.
Coming Soon - More Sneak Peeks and Updates!
Stay tuned for more glimpses of Echoes of Renaissance, for the results of the Stretch Goal and Future Setting Surveys, and for the Villain Reveal!
