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Circle of the Beast

By May 21, 2015September 20th, 2022Druid

Druid Circle
Comments from the Thumb: As with all class archetypes, the druid circles focus on specializing in specific functions of that class. Druids have three distinct things they can do: fighting, spellcasting, and wild shape. Of the circles presented in the PHB, the Circle of the Land covers casting and the Circle of the Moon covers wild shape. This circle fills the absence of a fighting-specific druid.

Circle of the Beast

Growling, snarling, and howling at the moon, druids of the Circle of the Beast most often convene for their terrifying blood hunts. Druids of this circle embrace their animalistic side, forsaking civilization of man and often any foods that are not red meat. The most powerful of their Circle are more beast than man, and fight like savage monsters, howling through the carnage in a flurry of teeth, claws, and fur.

Beast Form
When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you gain some of the physical aspects of a beast. Your features become more bestial and you grow your choice of claws, fangs, spines, or horns. Your unarmed strikes deal 1d8 bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, as appropriate to the natural weapon you choose, and are considered Light Finesse weapons and may be used for Two Weapon Fighting. You are proficient with your unarmed strikes. As an action, you may conceal your bestial traits and revert to your original appearance. This change lasts as long as you maintain concentration on it, or until you choose to end it.

Bestial Senses
At 2nd level, your senses sharpen to an inhuman degree. You gain the ability to see in dim light within 30 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. If you already have darkvision, your range increases by 30 feet. You also gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Able Hunter
When you reach 6th level, you have become adept at navigating wilderness using your beast form. You have advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) and Strength (Athletics) checks made to climb, jump, swim, or otherwise navigate natural terrain.

Beast’s Fury
Beginning at 10th level, you can attack twice when you take the Attack action on your turn. At least one of these attacks must be made with an unarmed strike.

Primal Healing
At 14th level, you gain the ability to close wounds on your body as they appear. When another creature damages you with an attack, you may use your reaction to reduce the damage by 1d8 + your druid level. If this reduces the attack’s damage to 0, you regain the difference in hit points, up to your hit point maximum. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

The Finger: Changelog: 5/24/15: Total overhaul! This class needed a little more teeth, so we gave it some. Added Able Hunter at level 6, incorperated Multiattack into Morphic Reach, and added smell to Darkvision.

The Thumb: Changelog: 5/25/2015: Fixed balance issues. Unarmed strikes no longer level, morphic reach replaced with an extra attack feature, and morphic healing renamed to primal healing.
     The Finger: This is the last time we’re touching this class! We’re sick of it!

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