D&D 5E Xanathar's Guide to Everything: What subclasses made the cut?

[GarrettKP]

There is still some cool possible Archtypes for Druids, Circle of the Lycanthropes, Circle of Cities, Circle of the Shadowfell (Blight druid), Circle of the Elements for example.

Not to rain on any idea parades, but I feel like these options aren't good ones.

"Lycanthrope" and "Elements" seem like they are covered in Circle of the Moon already (Between Combat Wildshape, Thousand Forms and Primal Strike you have plenty to cover the shifting aspect of lycans, and Elemental Wild Shape covers a main feature of an elemental Druid).

"Cities" and "Blight" Druids seem counter intuitive to the Druids design intent (protect nature from societal advancement and from corruption that causes blights.)

 

[gyor]

Not to rain on any idea parades, but I feel like these options aren't good ones.

"Lycanthrope" and "Elements" seem like they are covered in Circle of the Moon already (Between Combat Wildshape, Thousand Forms and Primal Strike you have plenty to cover the shifting aspect of lycans, and Elemental Wild Shape covers a main feature of an elemental Druid).

"Cities" and "Blight" Druids seem counter intuitive to the Druids design intent (protect nature from societal advancement and from corruption that causes blights.)

The Urbane Druid has been around since 3.5e days, they view the city as another ecosystem which is what makes them so compelling.

I shouldn't have mixed the idea of Blight Druid and Shadowfell Druid, as they would be totally different (one is the Druids of Blight , Poisons, and Diseases which are natural, which tend to follow Talona in FR).

My idea for the Shadowfell Druid was based on the realization on just how different a Druid raised in the Shadowfell would have of nature compared to a material plane druid.

Like Undead are unnatural horrors in the Material Plane and Feywild, but in the Shadowfell they naturally occur, so a Shadowfell Druid who have no problem with undead, as long as they stay put. This Druid would take care of the Shadowfell ecosystem, but also make sure that toxic things like Undead or invasive species stayed in the Shadowfell and did not leak out into other planes. They wouldn't nessasarily be evil, but they'd weird out most other Druids.

The Lycanthrope Druid would be based on a previous Druid Kit from 2e I remembered from Baldur's Gate.

They traded regular Wild Shape for the ability to turn into a Werewolf (including hybrid form), they WERE Lycanthropes.

In 5e they wouldn't give up regular wildshape, but instead gain the Lycanthrope Disease, although no alignment change. That includes not just the shape shifting ability, but also the other effects like being able to spread Lycanthropy. Might need tweeling for balance.

For Circle of Elements I'm think of a more Darksun style Druid or one devoted to the Elemental Gods of FR.

 

[Parmandur]

The Urbane Druid has been around since 3.5e days, they view the city as another ecosystem which is what makes them so compelling.

I shouldn't have mixed the idea of Blight Druid and Shadowfell Druid, as they would be totally different (one is the Druids of Blight , Poisons, and Diseases which are natural, which tend to follow Talona in FR).

My idea for the Shadowfell Druid was based on the realization on just how different a Druid raised in the Shadowfell would have of nature compared to a material plane druid.

Like Undead are unnatural horrors in the Material Plane and Feywild, but in the Shadowfell they naturally occur, so a Shadowfell Druid who have no problem with undead, as long as they stay put. This Druid would take care of the Shadowfell ecosystem, but also make sure that toxic things like Undead or invasive species stayed in the Shadowfell and did not leak out into other planes. They wouldn't nessasarily be evil, but they'd weird out most other Druids.

The Lycanthrope Druid would be based on a previous Druid Kit from 2e I remembered from Baldur's Gate.

They traded regular Wild Shape for the ability to turn into a Werewolf (including hybrid form), they WERE Lycanthropes.

In 5e they wouldn't give up regular wildshape, but instead gain the Lycanthrope Disease, although no alignment change. That includes not just the shape shifting ability, but also the other effects like being able to spread Lycanthropy. Might need tweeling for balance.

For Circle of Elements I'm think of a more Darksun style Druid or one devoted to the Elemental Gods of FR.

Eeeh, those are all fairly fringe concepts. Doable, but what fictional archetype do they fill?

 

[Zardnaar]

We played the Elemental Druid from EN5ider, we like it. See what WotC version is like.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Eeeh, those are all fairly fringe concepts. Doable, but what fictional archetype do they fill?

I could see a city Druid, they are more of a Modern Fantasy trope where someone uses the old ideas of druidic magic in the "urban jungle" of a city like New York or Chicago, but with the possibilities of Eberron and other more technologically advanced settings it could be good to get a solid option for it.

There even was an interesting d20 Modern UA for 5e way back when.

 

[Guest 6801328]

Fungal Druid ("Circle of the Spore"?) would be great. And creepy.

 

[Mecheon]

Eeeh, those are all fairly fringe concepts. Doable, but what fictional archetype do they fill?

City druid is easy. Cityspeaker, rat king, weird guy in the park who listens to the pigeons and can understand them. He knows the hidden paths the dwellers have forgotten. He runs with the packs of abandoned dogs that fill the city every night. The animals in the city, dogs, rats, cats, birds, insects, spiders, are his companions and his charge

Blight druids are very much "Turning the magic of nature towards evil". They're all over the place in Warcraft at the moment so they're not an unknown archetype, that's for sure

 

[Parmandur]

City druid is easy. Cityspeaker, rat king, weird guy in the park who listens to the pigeons and can understand them. He knows the hidden paths the dwellers have forgotten. He runs with the packs of abandoned dogs that fill the city every night. The animals in the city, dogs, rats, cats, birds, insects, spiders, are his companions and his charge

Blight druids are very much "Turning the magic of nature towards evil". They're all over the place in Warcraft at the moment so they're not an unknown archetype, that's for sure

Neither of those seems very interesting, at least compared to splitting up Land Druid into more specific subclasses.

 

[Mecheon]

Neither of those seems very interesting, at least compared to splitting up Land Druid into more specific subclasses.

Really? You don't like the concept of shepherding animals in the environment people attempt to remove them? You don't think a druid who has chosen the darker path of nature to protect it is interesting?

 

[Parmandur]

Really? You don't like the concept of shepherding animals in the environment people attempt to remove them? You don't think a druid who has chosen the darker path of nature to protect it is interesting?

Nope, not really; those both sound like monsters, not PCs...