Druid, Circle of Glass

Overview & Creation

Druids in the desert had to get smart with their magic to protect the creatures that call it home, their wares and goods for trade, and themselves. Xïyadh is a dangerous continent, reliant on a valuable exotic trade route criss crossing a desert of scavenging parties of bandits, sandstorms, and creatures hungry for slim pickings. This is a tough place for a spellcaster to live, but a teeming landscape of intense natural magical energy results in many a druid in the region. To combat the up-close-n-personal scimitar-wielding bandits, Druids got crafty.

Based on the Circle of The Land druids connected to the Desert, with a melee twist. Using their natural magic, these druids use melted desert sands to form weapons of sturdy, magically-imbued glass to wield along with their spells. Weapons can take many forms, and do damage based on the weapon they take the shape of.

Circle of Glass Druids take pride in their very personalized weaponry, and consider each called weapon to be a work of art. Weapons are individual to each Druid and many will stick with just one weapon type to call over and over. Though choosing this class gives the Druid Improvised Weapon proficiency, the recurring use of a certain weapon, like a shortsword or a spear, will eventually grant the Druid proficiency with that specific weapon. Calling a weapon and attacking with it within one turn is looped in with the attack itself, as the creation of the weapon is generally instantaneous. For example, a Druid could call a throwing knife and throw in one action, and call another and throw for a bonus action, giving them two attacks. Releasing a weapon back to the Earth is a free action.

Glass weapons can be used as a spellcasting focus to null any melee-range disadvantages a Druid spell may have, but a weapon must be called as a bonus action, because focusing to cast a spell and summoning a weapon are two separate thought processes. Any Druid spell that does not have an area affect or a multiple-creature effect can be cast through the glass weapon, and any further rulings are up to DM Discretion.

Class Features

2nd Level feat, Call Upon the Sands: Create a weapon of choice from sand or rock and gain proficiency with this weapon. It cannot be shattered unless concentration is broken on the spell or you are knocked unconscious. This weapon deals the typical damage a weapon of this form would, with an additional die of fire damage, the same die as the typical weapon damage, and is considered magical. All weapons add 1d4 Fire to their damage roll, which is doubled in the instance of a critical hit. These created weapons are considered a concentration spell. If the user casts a spell that requires concentration the weapon's form will be dropped. Alternatively, if the user is hit, they must make a Concentration (CON) save to keep the weapon's form.   6th Level feat, Scorching Critical: Only when using a conjured glass weapon, your attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. Add an additional die of fire damage for the next 3 attacks.   10th Level feat, Heat of Battle: Gain the Two Weapon Fighting fighting style from the fighter class and the ability to conjure a secondary Glass Weapon. Both weapons forged must be one-handed weapons and able to dual wield with for this to take place. Only one weapon can be considered/imbued with your Spellcasting focus, and the other functions only as a magical weapon with the additional fire damage. If concentration is lost, both weapons are dropped and must be recast. One free action casting creates both weapons, and the secondary weapon can be attacked with once on a bonus action.   14th Level feat, Step With the Sandstorm: As a bonus action on your turn, you can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see in a small gust of scorching air and sand. Alternatively, you can use your action to teleport one willing creature you touch up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Starting Equipment

(a) a wooden shield or (b) any simple weapon

(a) a scimitar or (b) any simple melee weapon

Leather armor, an explorer’s pack, and a druidic focus

Spellcasting

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Aura modifier  

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Aura modifier  

Ritual Casting

You can cast a druid spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.  

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a druidic focus (see the Adventuring Gear section) as a spellcasting focus for your druid spells.  

Wild Shape

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your action to magically assume the shape of a beast that you have seen before. You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.  

Your druid level determines the beasts you can transform into, as shown in the Beast Shapes table.

At 2nd level, for example, you can transform into any beast that has a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower that doesn’t have a flying or swimming speed.

Subclass Options

Circle Additions

At 2nd Level, you gain the ability to Call Upon the Sands and create a weapon of your choice out of melted sand or chipped rock based on your current terrain.

- Characters get the Improvised Weapon proficiency involving all glass weapons, but you do not add your Proficiency bonus until a certain kind of weapon proficiency is gained. Any melee weapon can be forged provided the character has seen it and how it is wielded before.

- Sand/Rock weapons can only be summoned when an ample amount of resource is available on or directly below the surface.

- Ex. A druid could still make a glass weapon in the water because of the sand beneath the water’s surface, provided they aren’t treading water in a deep ocean. Ultimately, this is up to DM Discretion.

When you learn Wild Shape, transforming into any creature found in the desert grants you a +2 bonus to attack rolls, and any heat or land-based attack does +2 to damage.

Gain all the Circle Spells from the Desert Circle of the Land subclass, plus Spike Growth at level 3, Daylight at level 5, and Commune with Nature at level 9

Proficiency with Improvised Weapons (limited to sand/glass weapons)

Gain the Ranger's favored Desert Terrain