Druidic Circle: Circle of the Solstice

Ages ago, two orders of druids--one dedicated to summer, one to winter--unified against threats to their woods. Today this alliance persists as the Circle of the Solstice. As an inheritor of their traditions, you use druidic shapeshifting in quick, versatile ways. You might charge into battle on the speedy hooves of an elk, escape a grapple with the strength of a bear, grow eagle's wings to fly over an opponent, and then sink the fangs of a wolf deeply into the flesh of your prey, all within the space of a minute.

Druids of other Circles often find the Solstice druids esoteric, strange, or even insane, yet they also recognize the wisdom and careful precision they show when employing their unique gifts. You are taught to embrace extremes of passion, growth, and change, pushing the far ends of the natural balance. Your rage in battle should be all-consuming, yet so should your passion in love or your joy in the natural world. Hotter than fire, and colder than ice, you find the balance in between.

Fang and Claw

Starting at 2nd level, when you choose this archetype, you can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike, and it inflicts your choice of piercing or slashing damage instead of your normal damage. You can use your choice of either Strength or Dexterity for the attack roll and damage bonus of this attack. You cannot use this feature while in your Wild Shape form.

Shifting Action

Starting at 2nd level, when you choose this archetype, you can call on your tie to a bestial spirit to briefly transform part of your body. If you are not wearing heavy armor, you can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat to gain temporary hit points equal to your druid level + your Wisdom modifier. If you wish, when you do so, you can expend one spell slot to regain 1d8 hit points per level of the spell slot expended instead of gaining temporary hit points.

When you gain this feature, choose one of the following options. Whenever you use your Shifting Action feature during your turn, you also create the chosen effect, as follows:

• Charging Elk. When you use your bonus action on this feature, until the end of your next turn, if you move at least 20 feet straight towards a Large or smaller creature during your turn, the next Strength-based unarmed strike or attack with a natural weapon you make against that creature before the end of that same turn is made at advantage and inflicts extra damage equal to your Wisdom modifier. In addition, as part of this same bonus action, you may immediately move up to 20 feet. * Eagle Wing Leap. When you use your bonus action on this feature, until the end of your next turn, your jumping distance is doubled, and you gain a climb speed equal to your walking speed. In addition, as part of this same bonus action, you may immediately move up to half your speed. * Harrying Wolf. When you use your bonus action on this feature, the next time you hit a creature with a melee attack before the end of your next turn, you can choose one ally within 5 feet of that target. That ally can immediately use its reaction to make one weapon attack against the same target. In addition, as part of this same bonus action, you may immediately make an unarmed strike. * Sinews of the Bear. When you use your bonus action on this feature, until the end of your next turn, you add your Wisdom bonus to Strength checks and Strength saving throws, and add an additional 1d4 to the damage of Strength- based melee attacks. In addition, as part of this same bonus action, you may immediately make an unarmed strike. * Tiger's Pounce. When you use your bonus action on this feature, the next time you hit a creature with a Strength-based melee attack before the end of your next turn, that creature must make a saving throw against your druid spell DC. On a failure, that creature is grappled by you. When you grapple a creature in this way, you must release that creature from your grapple before you can grapple another. In addition, as part of this same bonus action, you may immediately make an unarmed strike.

Once you use your Shifting Action feature, you cannot do so again until after the end of your next turn. You can use this feature while using your Wild Shape as well, provided you are in a beast form that is Small or larger, but any benefits to melee attacks while in your beast form only apply to Strength-based attacks.

Feral Druid

At 6th level, your unarmed strikes and your natural weapon attacks in a beast form assumed with Wild Shape count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Solstice Aspect

At 6th level, you choose what kind of druid of this circle you are going to be, taking on the seasonal aspect of Summer or Winter. You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage that is not silver, but you also gain vulnerability to silver, and you must choose one of the following two aspects, which grants you further abilities.

• Aspect of Summer. You have resistance to fire damage, and you are considered naturally adapted to warm climates. If you are not in a cold climate, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks related to hearing or smell.
• Aspect of Winter. You have resistance to cold damage, and you are considered naturally adapted to cold climates. If you are not in a warm climate, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks related to hearing or smell.

Quickened Unarmed Strike

Beginning at 10th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, as long as one of the two attacks is an unarmed strike or an attack with a natural weapon. You can use this feature while using your Wild Shape as well, provided you are in a beast form that is Small or larger, but you cannot use it if your beast form has the Multiattack feature.

In addition, you increase your walking speed by 10 feet, and whenever you make an unarmed strike while not using your Wild Shape feature, you may roll a d6 in place of your normal unarmed strike damage.

Smite the Unnatural

At 14th level, when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike (or a natural weapon attack while in a beast form you assumed with your Wild Shape feature), you can expend one druid spell slot of 4th-level or lower to inflict extra damage. The extra damage equals 1d8 per level of the spell slot expended. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is a construct or undead. This extra damage is of the same type as the damage to which you gained resistance from your Solstice Aspect feature.