Part 2 of “playing the warrior druid.” 5th ed druid option

The traveling Druid.
Part 2 of “playing the warrior druid.”
A while back I wrote a post about druids. In particular I had a guest poster and player from the games I run, Russ write about druids. Russ plays druids and he knows more about druids while he is sleeping than I know about them while I am awake.

My contention is this. An actual druid has no reason to leave the grove and the lands that he or she is protecting. I can’t see any reason why a druid in the traditional sense would ever wonder away from the grove and go delving into a tomb with a bunch of adventurer types. In my own game I had to go back into the archives of what has happened over the years in my campaign and give the druid a quest to reestablish lay lines all over the place. In effect he has to move around to get this done.

The 2^ndedition druid had that whole, you have to challenge a higher level druid to go up levels aspect. This is a good way to get the upstart druid out of the grove and into the world, which is good. Though in my mind it also hems in the group to having to do the druids “thing” for at least one game at lower levels. At higher levels finding and beating the highest level druid of the lands might be a whole quest in it’s self. It kind of paints the group into a leafy corner.

A player character druid in most D&d games would be more of a traveling druid which has yet to establish a grove. An adventurer druid as it were, with a personal quest.
Given that information I’m going to write up my image of this sort of druid as a glass for D&D 5^th edition.

The Warrior Druid:

The embodiment of the balancing forces found in nature, the warrior druid travels the lands fulfilling an oath made to the highest of powers.

Class Features:
Hit points: 1d8 per level

Hit Points at first level: 8 + Your constitution bonus

Hit points at higher levels: 1d8 or (5 + your constitution modifier pr druid level after first.)

Proficiency:

Armor: Light armor Medium armor and shields, any non metallic armor.
Weapons: Any weapon that is non metallic. Druids may only use metallic balded weapons that were originally built for harvesting (Scythe, Sickle, Pitchfork)

Tool: Herbalist kit,
Saving Throws: Constitution, Wisdom

Skills: (Choose two from the following)
Arcana, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, religion, and Survival.

Equipment:
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment grated by your background.

(a) A simple weapon or (b) a wooden shield.

(a) a scythe or (b) any simple weapon.

Leather Armour, and a druid focus.

Wild Signs:
You know the secret language of the Druids and Rangers. Used to leave trail marks that anyone else who knows the language will notice the marks automatically. Others spot the signs on a Wisdom (Perception) check of 15 or better, however others can’t decipher the signs without the use of magic.

Spell-casting:
Druids call on the energy found in nature. Players hand books chapters 10 and 11 for spell casting and druid spells respectively.

Cantrips:
At first level, you know 2 cantrips from the druids spell list.

Choose a number of druid spells:
Choose a number of spells from the druids spell list equal to your Wisdom modifier + your druid level (minimum of one spell.) The spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

You may change you list of spells after a long rest.

Spell Save DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + you Wisdom Modifier.

Spell Attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Ritual Casting:
You can cast any druid spell as a ritual as long as the you have the spell prepared and it has the ritual tag.

Spell casting focus:

You may choose one of the following items:

Hazel, Adler, Ash, Oak, or, birch staff.
Holly, or mistletoe Sprigs.

As a focus this item my be worked into your clothing or weapons and acts as a physical component to any druid spell cast.

Druid Circle:

At level 2 

You may Become a wandering druid: 

Level 2 abilities:
Innate cartographer: During a long rest you may  create maps of any area you have traveled during the past 12 hours. These maps can be used to guide the party back to a location or though hazardous terrain with a check against DC12 - (character wisdom  + Proficiency bonus)

Attune: Once per long rest you may meditate For a turn to attune yourself to your natural surroundings. You gain a 1d6 which may be rolled and added to any saving throw while you're in the area (with in 1 mile.) (This D6 does not stack with  Bardic inspiration dice.)

Druids Brand: At level 2 you may choose any druid weapon or any one single handed melee weapon, even if it is outside of the  normal druid  limitations. You gain this weapon at level 2 and are not proficient with this class of weapons but only this particular weapon. It is known as your druid's brand. your brand is an individual often named item. If it is ever lost or destroyed it can not be replaced.

At level 6:

Sustaining magic:

You gain the ability to cast the following cleric spells once per day for free and at will:
Purify Food and drink.

Find Traps: (Only in natural settings)

Create Food And Water: As per the spell on page 229 PHB except the weight of food and gallons of water is equal only to the druids proficiency bonus.

Brand Augment 1:

Choose 1You may  add +2 damage to attacks with your druids Brand 

or

You may cast any touch spells though the druids Brand.

Land Stride: As defined on Page 69 of the PHB.

Level 10:

Primal Augment:
The effects of land stride also effect you animal forms.
You may also expend 1 spell slot of any level to add 1d6 to any damage rolled when attacking in an animal form. While in wild form you are immune to all poisons and disease.

Brand Augment 2:

Choose 1:

Your druids brand now acts as a spell focus.

or

You may use your wisdom bonus when attacking with your druids Brand

Level 14:

Wise Traveler:

You gain an innate knowledge of the areas you travel. This knowledge manifests in a deep understanding of your  surroundings.

On a roll vs DC 12 - Wisdom bonus you may do the following a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

Know the weakness: You grant all allies +1d6 to damage rolls against any one native creature or creature type for the duration of their current encounter.

Mix a Herbal cure: To any poison from the surrounding area.

Charm animals: Any example of a mundane animal native to the area will accept simple non-combat related commands from the druid.

Sheltered traveler: You can guide a group of individuals numbering up to your  proficiency bonus though any area you have already traveled. This group will not leave a trace, will move silently, and will moves as if hidden with a DC equal to your original roll. 

Wild call: You may call mundane animals to you. Up to 1d6, local and native animals of a chosen type will move to your location as quickly as the train allows.

Brand Augment 3:

You may present the druids brand to foes once per day casting one of the following effects:

Fear: as described on page 239 of the players hand book.
Aura of Purity: As described on page 216 of the players hand book. 

Ability score improvements: (as defined in PHB page (67))

Wild shape: you may use wild shape (As defined in the PHB 66 to 67.)

Timeless Body: (As defined in PHB (67))

Beast spells: (As defined in PHB (67))

Arch Druid: (As defined in PHB (67))

Thank you for reading
-Mark.