Grove Warden

Overview & Creation

Grove wardens make a pact with nature not unlike druids. But their connection stems from their sacred compact with their grove and their tree. They undergo a ritual that transforms a simple tree into a battle companion that fights alongside them against the forces of destructive expansion. Elder grove wardens are ferocious combatants that defend their sacred sites with unbridled fury.   Grove wardens set out for adventure to defend the weak and to sow seeds of peace throughout the land. Grove wardens only prefer combat when absolutely necessary but are incredible combatants. They tend to yield towards unarmed combat utilizing primal savagery and their tree in ferocious frontline attacks. They develop characteristics from the creatures they surround themselves with and adapt to their abilities. How this is done is unknown to any outsider but it seems more of a magic mutation than natural happenstance.   A grove warden focuses on dexterity, wisdom, and con as their main ability scores. They yield towards a simple life and have no need for luxuries but don't shun magic items.

Class Features

1st Level: Nature’s Bounty You add your Dex + Wis when determining armor class while not wearing armor. You gain +1 hp per level on top of your normal hit die.   Natural Explorer You are a master of navigating the natural world, and you react with swift and decisive action when attacked. This grants you the following benefits while within a forest or plains. • You ignore difficult terrain. • You have advantage on initiative rolls. • On your first turn during combat, you have advantage on attack rolls against creatures that have not yet acted. In addition, you are skilled at navigating the wilderness. You gain the following benefits when traveling for an hour or more: • Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel. • Your group can’t become lost except by magical means. • Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger. • If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace. • When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would. • While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.   2nd Level: Primal Knowledge You gain proficiency in the nature skill and if you already have the nature skill you gain expertise in the nature skill. You can cast the spell speak with animals once per long rest. At level 5 you can cast the spell speak with plants once per long rest   Spellcasting You gain druid cantrips as per the cantrip table above and you gain the ability to cast entangle once per long rest At 6th Level this spell no longer requires concentration   3rd Level Ritual of Awakening   As part of learning this ritual you acquire sylvan as a language. After several days of prayer and meditation, you have gained the service of an Awakened Tree (Modified) which will develop as you level. It’s hit die is d8 its attack damage is 2d6.   Your plant companion has abilities and game statistics determined in part by your level. Your companion uses your proficiency bonus rather than its own. In addition to the areas where it normally uses its proficiency bonus, your companion also adds it’s proficiency bonus to its AC. It also becomes proficient with three saving throws of your choice.   For every level, after 3rd your awakened tree gains an additional hit die and increases its hit points accordingly. The hit die for the awakened tree is d8 The Awakened Tree’s hit die increases to d10 at 10th Level and becomes huge (Attack Damage 3d6) This Awakened Tree’s hit die increases to d12 at 15th level and the Tree becomes Gargantuan (Attack Damage becomes 4d6) Every time you gain an ability score improvement your awakened tree receives a +1 to an ability score and a trait from the following list.   The tree needs fertile ground to regain hit points and must spend 8 hours resting to regain hit points   If your tree dies you may repeat the ritual to regain your companion.   Ironbark Your awakened tree has developed an iron hardened bark from your natural bond. Your awakened tree gains resistance to fire in place of its vulnerability and +1 to it’s AC   Nimble Limbs Your awakened tree has become more advanced in the ways of movement. +10 to it’s speed and it gains proficiency in acrobatics.   Needle Spines Your Awakened tree has developed spiny ridges along it’s bark it gains the ability to throw spines at creatures within 30 feet.. Make a ranged attack roll against the target’s AC. 2d6+Str (Increases with size 3d6 at huge 4d6 at gargantuan) This feature benefits from wrath of the forest   Vine-like Tendrils Your awakened tree has developed vine-like tendrils that can choke out nearby creatures Your awakened tree gains proficiency in the athletics skill and can grapple creatures.. While a creature is grappled this way your tree cannot take actions and the creature grappled is restrained.   Advanced Ironbark Your Awakened tree has developed a bark almost as hard as mithral Your awakened tree gains resistance to slashing damage, necrotic, and one elemental damage type of your choice.   Advanced Nimble Limbs Your awakened tree has mastered the art of movement. Your awakened tree gains an additional +10 to movement speed and advantage on dexterity saving throws.   Advanced Needle Spines Your awakened tree has developed even sharper spines along its bark. The ranged damage becomes 2d8+str (Increases with size 3d8 huge 4d8 Gargantuan) Also any creature that attacks your awakened tree in combat with a melee weapon takes 3 piercing damage from the sharp bark   Advanced Vine-like Tendrils The Awakened tree can now act normally while grappling allowing a minimum of one attack per turn and when moving the creature that is grappled moves with the tree. The tree gains expertise in athletics.         5th Level Blessing of the Fae Your awakened tree can cast faerie fire once per short rest. At 7th Level, your awakened tree may cast Spike Growth once per Long rest At 9th Level, your awakened tree may cast Plant Growth once per Long rest. At 12th Level, your awakened tree may cast Enlarge/Reduce at will. The spell save DC is your own   Extra Attack You gain an additional Extra Attack at 11th Level   Natural Gateway Your connection to nature grants you the ability to cast druidic magic but it has limitations. You may use this feature once per long rest. This increases to twice per long rest at 11th level, and thrice per long rest at 15th level When you acquire this feature at 5th level you gain the ability to cast conjure animals. At 7th Level, you gain the ability to cast conjure woodland beings and all spells gained through this feature can be cast at 4th Level. At 9th Level, you gain the ability to cast conjure elementals and all spells gained through this feature can be cast at 5th level. At 11th Level, you gain the ability to use this feature twice, cast conjure fey, and all spells gained through this feature can be cast at 6th level At 13th Level, you gain the ability to cast all spells gained through this feature at 7th level At 15th Level, you gain the ability to use this feature thrice per long rest, cast Animal Shapes, and all spells gained through this feature can be cast at 8th Level At 17th Level, you gain the ability to cast Shapechange and all spells gained through this feature can be cast at 9th Level   6th Level Primal Savagery You gain proficiency with unarmed attacks as well as a 1d6 with unarmed strikes you make. You develop claws similar to that of a panther or wolf. Your unarmed strikes deal slashing damage. Both unarmed strikes benefit from your dex or str mod. You may attack with your off-hand as a bonus action. Choose one of the three beasts below you gain one of their traits.   Panther You gain the ability to pounce on a target knocking it prone if it fails a strength save(spell dc) you must move 20 feet before making this attack. You must hit with a savagery attack for this effect to take place.. If you knock it prone you can make an additional attack against it this turn.   Wolf You and your Awakened tree get a +2 to attack and damage rolls while within 5 feet of an ally that isn’t incapacitated.   Rhino You gain resistance to one elemental damage type and one physical damage type.   9th Level Primal Savagery II Your primal savagery damage die is now 1d8 your attacks are now considered magical.   Choose one of the three beasts below you gain one of their traits   Monkey You gain a climb speed equal to your speed and can jump twice your normal capacity. Crocodile You can hold your breath underwater indefinitely and gain a swim speed equal to your speed. Horse You gain +10 to movement speed and can dash as a bonus action once per short rest.   10th Level Wrath of the Forest Your awakened tree now adds 1 ½ your proficiency bonus to its attack rolls and gains multi-attack allowing it to attack twice in a turn.   12th Level Primal Savagery III Your Primal Savagery die is now 1d10. Choose one of the three beasts below.   Mole Tremorsense up to 30ft and a burrow speed of 10ft (not through solid rock)   Boar When you charge 20ft or more in a straight line before attacking you roll twice as much primal savagery dies on that attack.. (1d10 becomes 2d10, 2d6 becomes 4d6 )   Armadillo You gain a +2 bonus to AC while not wearing armor.   14th Level Nature’s Boon You become immune to poison, disease, and no longer age as long as your grove is intact.   15th level Primal Savagery IV Your primal savagery attacks pierce through all resistances involving slashing damage. Your primal savagery die is now 1d12 Choose one of the three beasts below you gain one of their traits.   Eagle You gain a fly speed equal to your movement speed as massive eagle wings appear behind your shoulder blades   Falcon You gain the ability to see 5x the normal range of your race. You gain advantage on perception and investigation rolls involving sight. As well as proficiency in the skills listed if not already obtained.   Elephant You count as one size category larger for determining lifting and carrying. You also gain proficiency in constitution saving throws.   18th Level Primal Savagery V Your primal savagery die is now 2d6. Choose one of the creatures below you gain one of their traits   Poisonous Snake You gain the ability to hide as a bonus action while within favored terrains, advantage on checks made to grapple opponents, as well as +1d4 poison damage on primal savagery dies.   Winter Wolf You gain resistance to cold damage and +1d4 cold damage on primal savagery dies.   Fire Beetle You gain resistance to fire damage and +1d4 fire damage on primal savagery dies.   Ram You gain resistance to bludgeoning damage and gain the slow fall monk feature.   Giant Lizard You gain the ability to walk on walls as part of your movement and +10 movement speed. +1d4 slashing damage on primal savagery dies.   Turtle You gain a swim speed equal to your movement speed +20. +1d4 force damage on primal savagery dies   20th Level Primal Sanctuary You can cast two druid spells of 3rd level or lower once per short rest Your dex and wisdom scores increase by 2 and the maximum of those scores increases to 22. While within uncivilized lands you gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls. In addition, you may take one additional animal in each primal savagery category.

Starting Equipment

Any simple weapon or a Shortbow with 20 arrows Dungeoneer's Pack or Explorer's Pack

Spellcasting

A grove warden uses their sacred ties with their grove to cast their limited magic. Grove wardens use their wisdom as their spellcasting ability. Spell Save DC= (8+prof bonus+ wisdom mod)   Grove wardens are known to carry a branch from their sacred grove or a pouch of ashes from profane burnings but it is not needed for spellcasting. All grove wardens have a respect for nature but go about it in different ways and as such their spells can manifest as gnarled and tree-like or burnt from forest fires. If grove wardens of varying dispositions cast summon animals it may manifest wolves with moss along their back or scorch marks and blackened fur.