The Circle of the Verdant druids have become one with the flora in their natural state while still harnessing the power of the fauna in their wild shape.

The symbiotic relationship between the druid and the plant life they merge with grant them abilities akin to their chosen plant variety.

Some choose to take on more defensive properties in attempt to preserve themselves and their charges while others adopt abilities better suited to driving away would-be defilers of the peaceful forest. A rare few experiment with the psychotropic properties of various fungi in an attempt to persuade or dissuade unwelcome guests.

No matter the reason or path taken to achieve unity with nature, all Verdant Druids are driven to travel and spread the seeds or spores of their homeland to all corners of the world before they choose a final resting place and allow their bodies to become one with nature, never to leave that spot again.

One With Nature

At level 2, you can gain the benefits of a long rest in half the time needed for your race. To complete this, you must find ground suitable to your symbiotic plant's needs. If such ground is available, you are able to root yourself to the spot and absorb nutrients into your body. Nutrient rich soil is often required but the body of a fallen creature may be sufficient for the druids hosting fungi. However, doing this puts you at risk as the process puts you into a vegetative state and partially restrains you to the ground. Your rest can only be interrupted by being damaged or if another creature uses their action to wake you.

Nature's Touch

Starting at 2nd level, you are able to benefit from the symbiotic relationship you share with your desired plant in combat. Depending on the type of plant you've chosen to host, you gain one of the following benefits. These benefits are able to swapped whenever you gain a level in this class given that you have access to the desired plant type and spend a long rest among the new plant. This allows the original plant to take root in the area and the new plant to take root in you.

These abilities are available while in Wild Shape and are regained after a short or long rest.

• Thorns

  • If a thorny, barbed, or spiny plant is hosted, you gain the ability to protrude long, sharp spikes from your body, injuring those that attack you. As a bonus action, for 1 minute, any creature that attacks you with a melee attack within 5ft takes 1d4 of piercing damage. This damage dice increases as you gain levels in this class (1d6 at lvl5, 1d8 at lvl10, 1d10 and lvl15, and 1d12 at lvl20)

• Vines

  • If a vine based plant is hosted, as a bonus action, you gain a 3rd appendage made of vines for 1 minute that grants you advantage on grapple checks against another creature between one class size smaller or larger than your current form. If the grapple is successful, the 3rd appendage holds your target, freeing your other appendages for other use. The 3rd appendage is unable to wield a weapon effectively and would have disadvantage and not benefit from your proficiency bonus if used as such.

• Spores

  • If a fungus is hosted, you gain the ability to produce continuous spores from your body for 1 minute. As a reaction, you can expel these spores from the pores of your skin. Any creature within a 5ft radius of you must make a Constitution saving throw versus your Spell Save DC. On a failure, the creature's mind becomes clouded and has disadvantage on all attacks until the end of their next turn. On a success, they are unaffected.

Nature's Growth

Starting at 6th level, your time hosting various plant life has given you greater appreciation for all nature has to offer as well as an ability to impose nature's will beyond your physical form. In addition to your chosen benefits from Nature's Touch, you also gain the following:

• Spike Wall

  • While your Thorns are active, as an action, you can retract your Thorns and force them through the ground to emerge as a stationary, spiked wall wall within 30ft of yourself.
  • The wall is enhanced with your druidic magic and takes up a 10ft wide x 10ft high x 5ft thick space with the furthest portion being no more than 30ft of yourself.
  • If the wall is summoned under a creature, they must then make a Dexterity Saving Throw verses your Spell Save DC. On a failed save, the creature takes double the dice damage appropriate for your level designated by your Thorns ability and is immediately forced out of whichever side of the the wall the creature chooses. This ejection does not incur additional damage.
  • The wall counts as full cover but can be passed through at a cost of 3x the amount of movement as normal terrain. Any creature choosing to move through the wall takes 1 damage dice appropriate for your Thorns level per 5 feet of movement.
  • The wall has half of your current AC and half of your of your current HP divided among each 5 foot section, rounded down, minimum 1. Any creatures making a melee attack within 5 feet suffer the damage appropriate for your level of Thorns. Half of the damage taken by your wall is transferred to you, not exceeding the section of wall's max health.
  • Once the wall has been erected, your speed becomes 0 and you have disadvantage on dexterity saving throws. As a reaction, you may sever your link with the wall, thereby ending your Thorns ability early. Otherwise, it takes an action to retract the wall normally.

• Encroaching Vine

  • When using your Vines ability, as an action, you can extend your reach beyond your immediate area and attempt to grapple a creature within 30 feet of you. If the grapple is successful, you can then chose to root the creature to the spot and impose the restrained condition on them or pull them 15ft towards you while maintaining the grapple. The creature can attempt to cut their restraints if not within 5ft of you. Your vine appendage has half of your current AC and a quarter of your current HP. If the vine is damaged, half of the damage is transferred to you, not exceeding the vine's max HP. If the vine is cut, the remaining duration of the ability is reduced by half but the vine is still functional.

• Psychotropic Spray

  • While your Spores are active, as an action, you can temporarily halt your 5ft radius effect and instead exhale a cloud of concentrated spores into a 15ft cone in-front of you. Creatures caught in this cone must make a Constitution Saving Throw vs your Spell Save DC. On a success, the creatures still suffer disadvantage on their attacks until the end of their next turn. On a failure, the creature is haunted with twisted images and acts unpredictably.
  • Roll 1d4 on the table below to determine their action on their next turn:

1. The creature stares off into the distances and is stunned until the end of their next turn.
2. The creature screams and uses their full movement to run in a random direction. The DM will decide the direction.
3. The creature becomes enraged and uses its turn to indiscriminately attack the nearest creature to it. This is done with disadvantage.
4. The creature falls prone and begins vomiting, taking 1d6 of poison damage.
   • Once this spray is used, the remaining duration of your Spore ability is reduced by half. If this ability is not used by the end of your next turn, the original Spore radius returns.

Nature's Bounty

Starting at lvl10, you gain the ability to cast the spell Goodberry and Speak with Plants as a ritual once per long rest. Lastly, you gain the benefits of your symbiotic plant's relationship with sunlight or lack of. For those hosting plants capable of photosynthesis, as long as they were able to enjoy direct sunlight for at least 3 hours that day, you regain all spent hit die when using your One With Nature ability during a long rest. Alternatively, those hosting fungi can only be exposed to direct sunlight for a max of 3 hours. If they are successful, they too gain the same benefits from One With Nature.

Nature's Wonder

Starting at lvl14, your merging with nature is almost complete. Your skin and hair have taken on the properties of your hosted plant and make you nearly indistinguishable from the flora around you, given you're hosting plants of a similar type. Any stealth checks made while among your hosted plant is done with advantage.

You also gain the following abilities from your hosted plant.

Phalanx

• Your Spike Wall is no longer stationary. As a bonus action, you are able to move your wall up to 10ft in any direction as long as it's furthest point doesn't exceed your 30ft range. Rotating the wall costs 5ft of movement per 45 degrees when rotating around it's center point.
• Your Spike Wall no longer fully restricts your movements. As long as both feet don't leave the ground at the same time, you are able to move up to half your movement speed.
• Your Spike Wall is able to allow creatures and projectiles you specify and are aware of to move through without difficulty or risk of damage.

Overtake

• Your Vines ability now gives you two separate, extra appendages capable of grappling, pulling, or restraining two targets at once.
• In the event that two targets are restrained from range, you may still move as long as this movement doesn't pull you more than 30ft away from either target.
• With these two vines, you can use their combined strength to grapple a create of up to two size classes larger than your current form.

Cordyceps

• You are now able to create a spore cluster within your body that, when attached to a target, is able to temporarily impose your own will upon them. As an action, you can halt your Spores ability and make a ranged or melee spell attack to attach a spore cluster to a target. If struck, the target must make a Constitution Saving Throw vs your Spell Save DC. Upon a failure, the target acts as if they were under the Suggestion spell. Upon initial control, you may give a command. Any turn afterwards requires you to use a bonus action to give a new command. Commands do not require speech or a common language. Control over this creature last for the remaining duration of your ability and can be ended early. At the end of each of the creature's turns or when it takes damage, it can make another Constitution Saving Throw to resist the effects. On a successful save, the creature resists the effects and instead suffers the basic effects of your Spores ability and your Spores remaining duration is reduced by half.
• While a creature is under your control, you no longer produce Spores. The ability resumes if the effects are resisted or you relinquish control early.
• Creatures under the effect of Cordyceps act strangely. Effects include twitching/jerky movement, blank stare, incomprehensible speech, and drooling.