Leshen Traits

Your Leshen character has a variety of natural abilities

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2 and your Strength score
increases by 1.

Age. Leshens age differently from the other races occupying the world. Typically ancient
leshens can be just as old as the forests they reside in, or even older. Theoretically they
could live forever, but they are often hunted down once they are found.

Alignment. True neutral. Leshens are cold, self serving individuals with a singular
purpose: to defend their forests. Some can break this mindset, but it is a very rare
occurrence.

Size. Leshens are roughly man-sized, they tower over most humanoid creatures but are
not substantially larger. They can range anywhere from 7-8 feet tall including their horns.
Your size is medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Weakness to Fire. Due to their bark-like skin, leshens are naturally weak to fire. You have
vulnerability to fire damage and cannot cast spells that deal fire damage.

One with Nature. You can command birds within a 1 mile radius around you to your side
as an action, the amount summoned is limited to 20. While these birds are around you,
you can take the dash action as a bonus action. Whenever you have summoned birds
and you take the dash action, instead of using your movement normally you can
dissipate into a black smoke and reform in a location within your movement. You also
gain the ability to pacify and communicate with most animals and beasts.

Darkvision. Accustomed to prowling dark forests and caves, you have superior vision in
dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were
bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness,
only shades of gray.
Abnormal Figure. Due to the abnormal figure of a leshen, they cannot use most
weapons and armor unless it is custom made for them. Your claws are natural
weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes that you are proficient with. If you
hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier, instead
of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Languages. You are fluent in both Common and Primordial

Circle of The Ancients
Custom Druid Circle
The circle of the ancients is a druid circle unknown to all except the leshens themselves.
All leshens are a part of this circle and practice its magic often. Most leshens are born
with a great deal of knowledge about this circle, and can begin using intermediate
techniques and magics right off the bat.

Restriction: Leshens Only

Only leshens can choose the circle of the ancients druid circle. Leshens are sworn to
never share the secrets of the circle with outsiders.

Changes to Base Druid

Circle of the ancients changes each of the druid class features to the following

Wild Shape -> Shape of the Forest

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your action to begin channeling the true power of a
leshen, forcing you into your true form. This state can last for up to 1 hour. You can end
this effect earlier as a bonus action. This effect automatically ends if you fall
unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.
- You can use this feature two times. You regain all uses of it when you finish a
short or long rest.

Shape of the Forest Features

While empowered you gain the following features:

Claws of the Forest. You gain a +1 to unarmed melee damage rolls. This bonus
increases by 1 at 11th and 18th level. Additionally, you can choose to use your Strength
or Dexterity mod when rolling to hit or calculating damage for unarmed attacks.

At 5th level, you gain an extra attack while Shape of the Forest is active.

Hide of the Forest. You gain the effects of the spell Barkskin for the duration of this
feature. You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from
nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons.

Embodiment of Nature. You gain the ability to use your Nature Manipulation abilities.
You gain the Crow Swarm Nature Manipulation ability. Details listed later on.
Wild Shape Improvement -> Shape of the Forest Improvement
At 4th level, you gain the Bramble Wave and Bramble Eruption Nature Manipulation
abilities. Additionally, unarmed strikes while Shape of the Forest is active count as
magical for purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks
and damage.

Wild Shape Improvement -> Shape of the Forest Improvement

At 8th level, you gain the Bramble Wall and Bramble Grip Nature Manipulation abilities.
Additionally, damage from your Nature Manipulation abilities count as magical for
purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Damage from Nature Manipulation now also ignores resistance and immunity to
piercing and bludgeoning damage.

Timeless Body
Starting at 18th level, the primal magic that you wield causes you to age more slowly.
For every 10 years that pass, your body ages only 1 year.

Beast Spells -> Enhanced Manipulation

At 18th level, all spells and Nature Manipulation abilities deal an extra 1d8 damage
while Shape of the Forest is active. Your Nature Manipulation abilities also gain
additional range and effects as listed on their description.

Archdruid -> Ancient Ascension

At 20th level, you are granted the title of Ancient Leshen and can use Shape of the
Forest an unlimited number of times. You also gain the following bonuses:
- Your AC cannot be reduced below 18, even if you are wearing armor
- Your unarmed melee damage is increased to 2d8
- You can control most beasts and animals, even if they are hostile towards you
- You gain the Crow Shield Nature Manipulation ability

Circle of The Ancients Features

Quickened Shaping
At 2nd level, you gain the ability to use Shape of the Forest as a bonus action, instead of
an action. Additionally, you gain temporary hit points equal to your druid level when you
activate Shape of the Forest.

Shrine of the Ancients

At 6th level, you gain the ability to place a shrine of the ancients. A shrine takes 1 hour
to craft, and requires sticks and access to suitable bones from creatures that live in the
area to create. Shrines cannot be placed in combat, and require one minute to activate.
Only two shrines can be placed at a time. If a shrine is active within a 3 mile radius of
you, you may enter the Shape of the Forest without consuming a use of it. Additionally,
you gain knowledge of the entire 3 mile radius as if using the Commune with Nature
spell, and can travel through trees in it as if you were under the effects of the Tree Stride
spell. If the shrine is destroyed, you sense its destruction and its effects dissipate over a
1 minute period.

Enhanced Shrines
At 10th level, the effects of your shrines are enhanced. Your shrines can now be placed
in combat. They take 1 action to place and will activate at the start of your next turn.
You can also now cast the Transport via Plants spell as long as the destination is
somewhere within the radius of an active shrine you have placed.
- Once you have used this feature to cast Transport via Plants you cannot do so
again until you finish a short or long rest.

Essence Mark
At 14th level, you can now infuse your essence into a creature, causing a piece of you to
exist within them. You can decide to place one of these marks on a creature within the
radius of one of your shrines by performing an 8 hour ritual at the location of the shrine.
The affected creature can be anywhere within the radius of the shrine. A willing creature
can allow this mark to take hold, while an unwilling creature will make a Wisdom saving
throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save the mark takes hold on them, while
on a success they are unaware of the ritual but they are immune to the effects of this
ritual for the next 24 hours. If you die while you have a creature that is marked, you will
return to life at the location of the shrine where you performed the ritual after 1 week,
even if the shrine has been destroyed. You can only have one active mark at a time, and
if a marked creature dies the mark will dissipate. A mark counts as a 9th level spell for
the purpose of Dispel Magic and you will sense if the mark dissipates in any way.

Nature Manipulation
Crow Swarm
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Duration: Instantaneous

You can consume a first level spell slot to cause the birds following you to attack a
creature. Make a ranged spell attack, on hit the target takes 4d6 piercing damage.

At 18th level every creature of your choice within 5 feet of the original target must make
a Dexterity saving throw. They take the full damage of this ability on a failed save, and
half as much on a success.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the
damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.

Bramble Wave
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (500 ft area line)
Duration: Instantaneous

You can consume a second level spell slot to plant your arms into the ground and cause
a wave of roots to erupt from the ground in an area in front of you. Choose a line in with
an area of 500 feet at most. Each creature within the line makes a Dexterity saving
throw. They take 4d8 piercing damage on a failed save, and half as much on a success.

At 18th level the area of the line can be up to 1000 ft instead of 500 ft.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the
damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.
Bramble Eruption
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (30 ft radius around you)
Duration: Instantaneous

You can consume a third level spell slot to plant your arms into the ground and cause an
eruption of roots in the area around you. Each creature of your choice within 30 ft of you
must make a Dexterity saving throw. They take 7d8 piercing damage on a failed save,
and half as much on a success. At 18th level, you can cause the eruption to be centered
on a point within 60 ft of you.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the
damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 1st.

Bramble Wall
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You can expend a 4th level spell slot to plant your arms into the ground and create a
wall of tough roots. The wall appears within range on a solid surface and lasts for the
duration. You choose to make the wall up to 60 feet long, 10 feet high, and 6 inches
thick or a circle that has a 20-foot diameter and is up to 20 feet high and 6 inches thick.
The wall blocks line of sight.
When the wall appears, each creature within its area must make a Dexterity saving
throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 4d8 piercing damage, or half as much damage
on a successful save.

If the wall cuts through a creature's space when it appears, the creature is pushed to
one side of the wall (your choice).

The wall is an object made of roots that can be damaged and thus breached. A 5 ft wide
portion of the wall has AC 13 and 10 hit points per inch of thickness. Reducing a portion
to 0 hit points destroys it and might cause connected portions to collapse at the GM's
discretion.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the
damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 5th.
Bramble Grip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You can expend a 6th level spell slot to plant your arms into the ground and cause roots
to grip at a target you can see within range. The target must make a Strength saving
throw. On a failed save, the target takes 4d8 piercing damage and 4d8 bludgeoning
damage and is restrained for the spell’s duration.

As an action, you can cause the roots to crush the restrained target, which must make a
Strength saving throw. The target takes 4d8 piercing damage and 4d8 bludgeoning
damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
To break out, the restrained target can use its action to make a Strength check against
your spell save DC. On a success, the target escapes and is no longer restrained by the
roots.

As an action, you can cause the roots to reach for a different creature within the spell’s
range. The roots release a restrained target if you do cause the root to do this.

Crow Shield
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Duration: 1 minute

You can expend a 1st level spell slot to call the birds following you to violently fly around
you. The first time a creature makes a melee attack on you they take 1d10 piercing
damage and must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save they have
disadvantage on the attack roll, and must remake the saving throw before each
subsequent attack roll. On a success they no longer need to make the saving throw until
the start of their next turn.

If you are within the area of an area of effect attack or spell, 1d12 birds will die to the
damage. The effects of this ability end when you have less than 8 birds following you.