Chaosium
Caption
Lerex the Justifier
“Steel and magic come and go. Nature abides.”
Druids typically view themselves as caretakers of the natural world, using their magic to maintain the wild realms. Druids of the Circle of the Symbiote take this a step further. They become part of nature, allowing plants to take root in their flesh and become an integral part of their being.
Druids of this circle are sometimes seen as extremists by their brethren. They treat plants and animals as equals, seeing intelligent creatures as no more worthy of respect or protection than other living things. At their most extreme, these Druids wage war against civilization, calling on fang and vine to topple those who would invade the natural world and subvert it.
These Druids, owing to their close bonds to the natural world, are drawn to face the horrid invaders of the Cthulhu Mythos. They see themselves as the wild’s first line of defense against these abominations.
Symbiote Appearance
How does your symbiote appear to others? Is it obvious, or does it remain hidden?
| D6 Roll or Choose | Symbiote Appearance |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your symbiote wishes to remain hidden. It slides into the folds of your clothes and seeks to avoid detection. |
| 2 | To an observer, your symbiote looks like a flower that you have tucked over your ear or into your hair. However, a closer examination reveals roots that have bored through your skull and into your brain. |
| 3 | Your symbiote lives just under the surface of your skin, forming a spiderweb pattern of roots and vines. Those who observe you for a time can see these roots shifting and moving. |
| 4 | Your symbiote has replaced your hair, leaving you with a flowing mass of vines spilling to your shoulders. During the winter, the tendrils wither to a dull brown color. In the summer, they burst with colorful blooms. |
| 5 | Your symbiote has replaced a limb, forming a sinuous tangle of woody roots woven like rope. This limb is as strong and flexible as your original, but it places some strange demands on you. Instead of drinking, you must dip your limb in water to slake your thirst. |
| 6 | Your symbiote grows deep within your chest, its vines looping between your organs and reaching to touch beneath your skin. Short, sharp thorns stud parts of your body. To sustain your symbiote, you must skewer chunks of raw flesh on these thorns. Your symbiote draws nutrients from this meat. |
Level 3: Circle of the Symbiote Spells
When you reach a Druid level specified in the Circle of the Symbiote Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.
| Druid Level | Circle Spells |
|---|---|
| 3 | Barkskin, Entangle, Guidance |
| 5 | Plant Growth |
| 7 | Hallucinatory Terrain |
| 9 | Tree Stride |
Level 3: Primal Symbiote
Vines and roots grow across your body, forming a symbiotic network. As it draws physical and magical nourishment from you, the symbiote grants you a number of benefits.
Fortifying Presence. You have Advantage on Constitution saving throws that you make to maintain Concentration.
Symbiotic Transformation. As a Bonus Action, you can expend one use of Wild Shape to allow your symbiote to transform you into a plant-like brute as fibrous plates and vines cover your skin. For 1 minute, you gain a +2 bonus to AC, you gain a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to 2 plus half your Druid level (round down) at the start of each of your turns, and you gain Advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Level 6: Symbiotic Reflexes
Your plant symbiote empowers you. You always have the Haste spell prepared. Once per active Symbiotic Transformation, you can cast Haste on yourself without a spell slot or components.
Level 10: Survival Instinct
While you are in mortal peril, your symbiote can attempt to move you to safety. While you have the Incapacitated condition, you can take the Dash, Disengage, or Dodge action, and you retain the benefits of the Dodge action while you have the Incapacitated condition.
Level 14: Surge of Sustenance
As a Magic action, you can expend one use of Wild Shape to grant the benefits of finishing a Short Rest to yourself or a creature you touch.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.