D&D 5E Looking for a "Nature Wizard" Subclass [+]

[LordEntrails]

What about Graviturgy from Wildemount? Druids are all about what binds nature together right? Gravity it is!

Conjuration - being able to make things out of natural components. To draw objects from the aether...

Illusion, easy to see how this could be used by a druid to protect through misleading adversaries.

Divination makes me think of crones and druidic circles. So yea.

Chronurgy could be an interesting aspect to have a druid work with. Think of not only being able to manipulate nature, but time as well.

IMO, it's more about how they play the wizard aspects than what powers they get. Wizard gives them access to great powers, but are they going to use those powers for the benefit of nature, or be tempted "by the dark side"?

 

[Corinnguard]

Since your player is a Wildfire Druid, how about an Elementalist Wizard? https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-MCs1aX0K58sNP6KEhjV As a Fire Elementalist Wizard, your player would recognize that fire plays an important part in nature. It removes old growth and helps make space for new growth to grow and thrive. Air, Earth and Water play their own respective parts in nature too (dispersal of some plant seeds, providing a nutrient source).

 

[Indagare Nogitsune]

Yep, and I agree. I tried to talk the player into Cleric, Paladin, even Warlock--but the player chose Wizard. Now we're just trying to settle on the subclass and spells, and figure out what a Nature Wizard is going to look like.


Sorry, you're right--that would be helpful information!

This character is a Firbolg Druid, Circle of Wildfire. He is the party's healer and buffer, and he would like to branch out a bit into other styles of magic...but the play focus is on the story. I get the feeling that the player isn't looking for something powerful, or looking to fill any kind of gap...he just wants his sister's gift to impact his character in a noticeable way. He will be the only druid who can cast certain spells, reskinning them to look like wilderness magic (his firebolt smells like a campfire, and hold person looks like a tangle of vines, for example), and that will help him stand out in the world. "The druid with the familiar? Oh yeah, I've heard of him..."

So anything that would make his wizard unique would be appreciated.

Well, you've already listed some ways that are more fluff than crunch. Does the player intend his character to take up more of the Druid class?

In any case, some subclasses that could work with reflavoring:
http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wizard:lore-mastery-ua : instead of bookishness, the character's druidic connection to nature allows him to see the connection of arcane magic to nature and thus do some really interesting things.

http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/multisubclass:mage-of-prismari-ua : he's already in tune with nature, now his arcane studies allow him to manipulate it in new and interesting ways.

http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wizard:runecrafter-ua : Druids are already known for their secret language. This could easily incorporate into a knowledge of runes (especially if his sister was interested in such).

http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wizard:theurgy-ua : though he rejected the religious classes, there are deities of nature, so it's possible he could connect with a deity of nature and magic, perhaps some sort of trickster.

http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wizard:order-of-scribes-ua : a bit unusual, but if he really values the spellbook that much, it could cause him to make it very important to him, and thus grant him this subclass based on his sentimental attachment.

http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wizard:invention-ua : Wildfire Druids already focus on creation and destruction, why not invention? If this doesn't feel quite right (though I think the spell list fits well), there's always the artificer: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wizard:artificer-ua

 

[Remathilis]

My first thought for a druid/wizard is some variant of witch. Witchcraft staddles the line between arcane and primal magic and there are plenty of witch subclasses around.

 

[Corinnguard]

Though this is a 5e thread, I find myself musing about a Level Up synergy feat chain involving the Druid and Wizard classes.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Here are a couple other Wizard subclasses whose ideas might run parallel to the interests of a druid.

From Heroes And Villains of Theros: The School of Fate

The workings of fate are a mystery to most. Those who follow the arcane tradition of the School of Fate seek to unravel these mysteries, peering into the workings that even the gods cannot deny. The School of Fate blends principles of divination with the esoteric magic of destiny and teaches techniques that allow a wizard to either deny or reinforce fate.

These wizards have the ability to peer into the workings of fate and see its woven threads that allows them to have a better grasp on the individual fates of the people around them and the destinies that fate calls them towards. If they are so inclined, wizards of this school can tie destinies together, binding their own fate to those of the people around them, either to help allies actualize their potential or to hinder enemies in realizing their own.

Followers of this tradition are often known as seers or prophets, though some do take a more academic bent. However, the docile presentation of these wizards poorly reflects the true power they learn to wield, manipulating reality itself even with a simple tug of a thread.

From Morgrave Miscellany: The School of Antiquities

True seekers of knowledge, wizards of the school of antiquities learn the civics, ethics, and philosophies of a bygone era, and how best to prevent such follies. Heralded as cataclysm mages by many, these scholars focus their studies on the fall of ancient civilizations from varied sources across the multiverse, and specifically, the events that culminated their demise. Perhaps by design, they often find the parallel weaknesses of those antiquated societies, learning to use their studies against those who might cause such a cataclysm to befall the world once more.

Usually the choice of anthropologists, archaeologists, and linguists, their magical studies parallel what they learn through etymology, ancient ruin dig sites, or in the field among the tribal remnants of once dominant societies plagued by disaster that lay an age to rest, self-inflicted or otherwise.

 

[CleverNickName]

Thanks for all the links, everyone! I'm going to have dinner with the player tomorrow night (not a gaming session, just hanging out) and I'm going to pitch some of these to him.

• @EzekielRaiden I'm going to run your homebrew past the player and see what he thinks.
• How could I have forgotten about Graviturgy from Wildemount? (hat tip @LordEntrails )
• The Elementalist looks very interesting, especially if I can talk him out of just spamming Fire over and over again (hat tip @Corinnguard )
• The Rune Crafter is probably the best fit for the campaign setting...sort of a part-artificer, part-wizard (hat tip @Indagare Nogitsune )
• The School of Fate looks really good (hat tip @DEFCON 1 )

 

[le Redoutable]

note that Elementalists were introduced in the 1st Unearthed Arcana ( from 1st Ed Ad&d ) as Druids of Levels 15 to 23 ( if my memory recalls correctly )

 

[Blue]

A "too late" option, but since you were mentioning looking for anything that wasn't multiclassing, I have a suggestion for that.

Simply the book grants the Ritual Caster feat, and is an already partially filled in book of Wizard rituals, not just the two you start with. Basically, the "book value" snirk of the gift would be a feat granting item and a bunch of spells copied in at the 50gp per level.

 

[CleverNickName]

A "too late" option, but since you were mentioning looking for anything that wasn't multiclassing, I have a suggestion for that.

Simply the book grants the Ritual Caster feat, and is an already partially filled in book of Wizard rituals, not just the two you start with. Basically, the "book value" snirk of the gift would be a feat granting item and a bunch of spells copied in at the 50gp per level.

Dang, that's a good idea. I'll pitch it to the player tomorrow as well.