Druid Subclass (Solare Setting) **Lore:** The Circle of Beasts is not a gathering of druids who study the balance of nature—they are the beasts. Members of this ancient and instinct-driven order walk among the animal kingdom not as protectors, but as siblings, equals, and sometimes as leaders in the primal hierarchy. Their bond is not forged through scholarly meditation or botanical understanding, but through **empathy, shared hunger, and mutual survival**. These druids trace their origin to **Millie**, a wild-hearted barbarian who lived during the time of the First Beasts in Ancient Solare. She was not born into royalty or prophecy—she was born into the wilderness. She did not learn from druids or scholars, but from the claws of snow bears and the calls of canyon owls. She fought not with calculated spells, but with instinct, spirit, and raw love for the creatures who made her their own. In time, her unmatched harmony with the animal world caught the eye of the goddess [[Perserphina]], who transformed Millie into a divine guardian—the **Goddess of Beasts**. Druids of her Circle do not merely revere her; they **follow her footsteps into the dens of wolves, under the wings of hawks, and through the burrows of hibernating beasts**. Their magic is an extension of that primal connection. When they shift into Wild Shape, it is not an imitation—it is a merging. A contest of wills, dominance, or kinship often occurs when they confront foes, channeling Millie’s legacy through the contested instincts of predator and prey. Rather than drawing on fungal decay, symbiosis, or necrotic spores (as other nature circles might), the Circle of Beasts believes in **living vitality**, not rot. Their summoned avatars are spiritual beasts—phantoms of ancient creatures long revered by Millie herself. These manifestations do not rise from death or decomposition, but from memory and divine presence, shaped by the druid’s own emotional bond with nature. Where other circles see Wild Shape as a tool or resource, the Circle of Beasts sees it as a **sacred ritual of merging**. Their bodies may become wolves, bears, or serpents—but it is their minds and instincts that shift even more. They grow territorial, protective, swift to punish those who harm nature, and unwavering in their defense of the animal realm. Above all, the Circle of Beasts is a path of **spiritual wildness**—a druid who follows no law but instinct, no ritual but survival, and no god but Millie, who howls in the night and watches through the eyes of every untamed creature.embodying the predatory side of nature through brutal strikes and unyielding instincts. **Circle Spells (3rd Level):** Starting at 3rd level, you gain additional spells that are always prepared and do not count against your number of prepared spells. - 3rd Level: Beast Bond, Speak with Animals - 5th Level: Summon Beast, Animal Messenger - 7th Level: Dominate Beast, Locate Creature - 9th Level: Commune with Nature, Awaken **Beast Form Bond (3rd Level):** When you use Wild Shape to transform into a beast, you may initiate a contested Wisdom (Insight) check against one creature you can see within 30 feet. If you succeed, that creature is either Frightened or Charmed (your choice) until the end of your next turn. You can use this ability once per turn, and a creature cannot be affected more than once per long rest. In addition, while in Wild Shape: - Your beast form's melee weapon attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks. - You gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier at the start of each of your turns. These temporary hit points vanish when you leave your beast form. **Call of the Wild (6th Level):** As a bonus action, you may summon a spiritual beast avatar. The summoned creature has the statistics of any beast with a challenge rating of 1/2 or lower and remains for 1 minute. It acts on your initiative and has access to the following contested abilities: - Pin Down: Contest Strength (Athletics) vs. target’s Dexterity (Acrobatics). On a success, the target is restrained until the end of its next turn. - Terrifying Roar: Contest Charisma (Intimidation) vs. Wisdom (Insight). On a success, the target is frightened for one round. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier per long rest. However, you can only have one spiritual beast avatar summoned at a time. If you use this feature again while an avatar is already summoned, the previous one vanishes immediately. Additionally, while in Wild Shape, you may use your Wisdom modifier instead of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for attack and damage rolls with your beast form’s natural weapons. Starting at 10th level, your summoned spirit can make one additional claw or bite attack as a bonus action on its turn. **Millie’s Rage (10th Level):** When a beast or summoned animal you can see drops to 0 hit points, you may enter Millie’s Rage as a reaction. For 1 minute, the following effects apply: - You gain advantage on Strength checks and saving throws. - Your Wild Shape forms gain temporary hit points equal to your druid level at the start of each of your turns. - When you hit with a melee attack in beast form, you may force a contested Strength (Athletics) check. On a success, you knock the target prone or push it 10 feet (your choice). - When you take the Attack action, you may make one additional claw or bite attack as a bonus action. - When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack in beast form, you may use a reaction to let out a fearsome roar. All hostile creatures within 10 feet must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier) or become frightened until the end of their next turn. This feature can be used once per long rest. **Embodiment of the Wild (14th Level):** You become a living avatar of Millie’s will. While in Wild Shape: - You can speak all languages you know. - You are under the effects of the Freedom of Movement spell. - Once per round when a creature targets you with an attack or harmful spell, you may make a Wisdom (Insight) check as a contest against their attack roll. If your result is equal or higher, the attack or spell misses or fails. - Your melee weapon attacks in Wild Shape score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. - Once per turn, when you hit with a melee weapon attack in Wild Shape, you may deal an additional 1d6 damage of the same type as the attack. - You regain one expended use of Call of the Wild when you finish a short or long rest. - Your melee weapon attacks in Wild Shape deal additional damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.