Talk:Pseudo Druid (5e Subclass)

Balance Question

Anastacio, is it wise to give this subclass the ability to make a bonus action to use a single weapon attack after a cantrip at 3rd level? Eldritch Knight Fighter's single 7th level feature does this exact thing.

I'm torn on that, to be frank. On one hand, it surely feels powerful, and i had doubts about putting this feature. On the other, there's nothing as powerful on the druid list as the cantrips available to the EK (like booming blade and green-flame blade). The highest damaging cantrip for druids is poison spray, but 1d12 + an attack have an av. damage of 14 more or less, and this using a bonus action. A hunter range can get 12 without using a bonus action. Negating ranger bonus action also means that they lose access to the additional damage from hunter's mark. The benefit is even more reduced when you gain an extra attack. What do you think about that? Anastacio (talk) 18:29, 7 September 2022 (MDT)

There is four objectives from this subclass:

• Grant Druid-like feature to make it feel like more of a Druid

This is completed by Druidic Traditions, Wild shapes, and Druidic Circle.

• Grant the ability to cast up to 9th level Druid spells and gain Druid cantrips

Druidic Magic, Druidic Connection, and Magic Fusions achieve this goal

• Keep the identity of a Ranger subclass

This subclass need to fit with the other subclass. It cannot stick out like a sore thumb.

• Balance

Every feature stolen from the Druid class is weaker to prevent over shadowing real druid. The ability to cast higher level spells than normal comes at a great cost. It cannot be stronger than a normal ranger subclass nor stronger than a normal druid class.

With those facts in mind, I got two ideas. These are rough ideas and I desire to hear your feedback.

All 3rd level ranger's subclass has a feature to increase damage. In order to keep the ranger subclass theme, we would have to add a new feature to improve damage out put. This is in line of your idea. Here are ideas to increase damage:

Idea 1 More Damaging Cantrip

Add wisdom modifier to cantrips.

This encourages to cantrips and it is balanced as Warlocks can do this with Invocations at 2nd level. This allows a reasonable way to attack like a some druid, with cantrips. This is a simple fix.

Idea 2 Copy a damaging feature from a druid subclass

Mother Nature's Form (name pending)

As a bonus action, you can take form of mother nature.

While in your Mother Nature form, you retain your game statistics, but your body becomes tree-like; your skin becomes bark-like, and hair is replaced with leaves and flowers. This form grants you a natural armor of 13. The form lasts for 10 minutes. It ends early if you dismiss it (no action required), are incapacitated, die, or use this feature again.

When you activate this form, and as a bonus action on your subsequent turns while it lasts, you can make a ranged spell attack, hurling a seed, thorn, or fruit that targets one creature within 60 feet of you. On a hit, the attack deals poison? or necrotic? (damage type is undecided) damage equal to 1d8 + your Wisdom modifier.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until short or long rest.

This is modification of Star Druid's Starry form. This idea takes the druid's theme of transformation and apply it to this subclass. It may be too complex.

levelnom1 (talk) 15:51, 8 September 2022 (MDT)

Maybe we should just flip the level in which you gain the benefits. We could give the ranger Wild Shape + Circle 2nd-level feature at ranger's 3rd level. Druid connection could be given at 7th, matching the eldritch knight feature. This would allow the ranger to be a proper gish too. What do you think about that? Simple, elegant and easy to do. Anastacio (talk) 19:46, 8 September 2022 (MDT)