Circle of Oaks

Each ancient forest is a sentient entity, always aware of what transpires under its canopy. Although some have developed potent defenses, especially in their Hearts, they have tolerated alliances with those committed to their protection and restoration. Chief among these alliances are the Circle of Oaks druids. As an accident of history, perhaps, some races seem more likely to be members of the Circle of Oaks in certain forests. Though they can be found anywhere, Circle of Oaks druids tend to stay in their forested homelands, binding with particular forests.

Bonus Cantrip

When you choose the Circle of Oaks at 2nd level, you learn the tree heal druid cantrip. Members of your circle often touch each tree they pass as they stroll through a wooded area, just in case the tree may be in need of assistance.

Forest Binding

Starting at 2nd level, you can request to be bound to a specific forest, gaining access to certain spells. This binding is conditional upon the good will of the forest and is never given automatically. Typically, the forest requires a service of you before binding you to it. Such service might include replanting trees in an area destroyed by war or fire, eliminating a great pestilence within the forest, removing certain contaminants from the forest’s borders, or opposing an enemy of the forest.

You can be bound to only one forest at a time. If you later bind yourself to another forest, you lose your connection to the previous one. Most forests will not permit gearforged, dwarves, kobolds, or dragonborn to bind with them; however, exceptions have been made if the candidate performed a great service for the forest.

Circle of Oaks Spells

Your bonded forest infuses you with some of its power, giving you the ability to cast certain spells. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, and 17th level you gain access to spells associated with your bond to the forest. Some of these spells are available to you only while you are bonded to a forest. Such spells have the “forest-bound” qualifier listed next to their school of magic. If you are no longer bonded to a forest you lose the ability to cast forest-bound spells until you renew your bond with your forest or bond with a new forest. You can cast forest-bound spells outside your bound forest, unless the spell specifically states you must be within your bound forest.

Once you gain access to a circle spell, 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. Consult the Circle of Oaks Spells table for the list of circle spells.

Circle of Oaks Spells

Tree Walking

Starting at 6th level, once per turn, you can use half of your movement to step magically into one living tree within your reach and emerge from a second living tree within 60 feet of the first tree, appearing in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the second tree. Both trees must be Large or bigger. Any worn or carried possessions travel with you, but you can’t bring other creatures with you. At 14th level, the second tree can be up to 100 feet away from the first.

Tree Merging

Starting at 10th level, you can merge your spirit with that of a tree within 5 feet of you as an action. While merged, your body resides in the Shadow Realm, petrified and invisible, while your spirit is aware of happenings in the vicinity of the tree. If you spend 6 hours merged with a tree in your bound forest, you gain the benefits of finishing a long rest. You can’t communicate with anyone outside of the tree unless a creature casts tree speak or speak with plants. You can leave the tree as an action and your body reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the tree. If you have been merged with the tree for more than 24 hours, you must succeed on a DC 5 Constitution saving throw to exit the tree. If you have been merged with the tree for more than 48 hours, you have disadvantage on this saving throw. Each month you stay merged with the tree increases this DC by 1. If you fail this saving throw, you must wait 24 hours before you can attempt to exit the tree again. If you fail this saving throw each day for 1 week, you become permanently merged with the tree and can only exit it through powerful magic such as a wish spell or if the tree is destroyed or dies. As they approach the ends of their lives, many Circle of Oaks druids choose to permanently merge with their favorite trees to forever be part of their forest.

Forest Restoration

Starting at 14th level, you can engage in a ritual restoration of a forest that has been destroyed or seed a new forest in an area without one. You must spend at least 8 hours each day for 3 months performing the rites and chants of this ritual, imbuing the land within a half-mile radius with your power. At the end of the first month, you successfully remove any barriers to regrowth such as soil toxins or latent poisonous magic. At the end of the second month, your power reseeds the area with vegetation native to the location. By the end of the third month, the seeds sprout into saplings. As long as new toxins aren’t introduced and the saplings aren’t destroyed, the half-mile radius of saplings grow into a one-mile radius forest after 1 year.