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InDungeons & Dragons, Druids are some of the most versatile class out there. Whether you want to call on spirits to hone your party’s strengths, jump into the fray whilst transformed into a bear, or be equal parts healer and burn-everything-to-the-ground-er. There are many circles to choose from.
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Circle of Wildfire druids are amazing support characters that providing solid damage, strong healing, and a wide range of utility spells. With your trusty wildfire spirit on call and great adaptability, you’ll get along with any party like a house on fire… Please don’t light the house on fire, your DM worked hard to build that.
A Circle Of Wildfire Druid Features
you may choose Circle of Wildfire at level two and gain access to your first features –circle spellsandsummon wildfire spirit.
Circle spells are always prepared and aren’t included in the number of spells you can prepare each day. At level two, you learnCure WoundsandBurning Hands– for all your healing and damaging needs.
You gain access tonew spells at levels two, three, five, and nine. Peaking withFlame Strikefor huge damage output, andMass Cure Woundsto heal multiple targets quickly.
As one of the fifth level spells,Revivifyis the star of the show. Bringing a recently deceased party member back from death is huge, and whilst it requires 300 gold pieces of diamonds to cast each time, it isliterallythe difference between life and death.
The wildfire spirit is the bread and butter of the subclass. Youexpend one Wild Shape charge to summonit, where it can immediately deal fire damage to anyone around it. From then on, itacts straight after youin the initiative orderbut willalways dodge unless you use your bonus action to command it.
Despite having only 13 AC and mediocre HP, thespirit can fly at 30 feet per turn, hasdarkvision, isimmune to firedamage, andcan teleport itself and any willing creaturewithin five feet of it – great for pulling your barbarian or rogue out of a losing fight. If that isn’t selling it, you also choose the spirit’s appearance.
At level six, you get the incredibleEnhanced Bondfeature. So long as your wildfire spirit is summoned, then whenever you cast a spell that deals fire damage or restores hit points, you deal an extra d8 of damage or healing respectively.
Moreover, whenever you cast a spell that doesn’t target yourself, the spell can originate from you or your wildfire spirit instead, letting you stay safe in the backline and getting the most out of your spells.
Cauterizing Flamesis unlocked at level ten and adds even more flexibility to your druid. Any small or larger creature that dies within 30 feet of you or your spirit leaves a harmless flame in the space for one minute. If someone enters the space with the flame, you can use your reaction to damage or heal it for 2d10 plus your wisdom modifier.
Finally, you unlock theBlazing Revivalfeature at level 14. So long as yourwildfire spirit is within 120 feet of you, whenever you drop to zero hit points and fall unconscious, you can instead cause thespirit to disappear and stand back up with half your health restored.
You only get to use this feature once per long rest, but you do get to live to die another day and potentially resummon your wildfire spirit again.
What Are The Best Ability Scores For A Circle Of Wildfire Druid?
As with any Druid,Wisdom is your spell casting abilityand, as such, is ourgo-to highest stat. Since you’ll mostly be casting spells,Constitution should be your next highest ability score, not just for those sweet, sweet hit points but also for making those all-important concentration saving throws.
You’ll want toput a few points in Dexterity. Since Druids have proficiency in non-metal medium armour which caps the Dexterity bonus at two, youcan get away with a 14 minimum Dexterity scorefor the rest of your game.
Dexterity saves make up a big part of many spells and traps, so it’s worth putting something there at least.
Lastly, if you’ve got some good numbers to spare, give it toIntelligence for boosting our Nature checks. Strength doesn’t play any role in a Circle of Wildfire Druid setup (unless you’re dead-set on wearing heavy armour) and as for Charisma… we’re good with animals, not people.
If you’re usingD&D’s Point Buy system, a good ability score set would look something like this:
8 (-1)
14 (+2)
15 (+2)
10 (0)
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What Is The Best Species For A Circle Of Wildfire Druid?
Thematically, there are plenty of species in D&D that share a bond with flora and fauna, many of whom are imbued with natural powers that make them especially potent as Circle of Wildfire Druids. Some examples are:
Description
Fairy
The big selling point here isflight. Trading out rare, non-metal, medium armour for light armour and the ability to fly is a no-brainer, as Druids are quite low on hit points - so staying out of harm’s way is the next best thing. Plus, getting theDruidcraftcantrip and first level spellsFaerie FireandEnlarge/Reducefor free is a nice benefit.
Firbolg
You gain access toDetect MagicandDisguise Selfright from the bat, two great spells that always find use – even in higher levels. On top of that, youcan turn invisible for a short periodshould an enemy get too close, and youcan talk to beasts, plants, and vegetation(though you might not understand their response).
Fire Genasi
Genasi each represent one of the four elements of the Material Plane which gives them an immediate narrative tie with nature and druidic arts. Fire Genasi are very appropriate here because they not only haveDarkvision, but also haveresistance to fire damage. Moreover, you get theProduce Flamecantrip and later receive theBurning HandsandFlame Bladespells too.
The beauty of Dungeons & Dragons is that anyone can be anything. So whilst the examples above have certain advantages that make them particularly strong as a Circle of Wildfire Druid, don’t let it put you off choosing something else. And as always, consult your DM on whether your ancestry fits the setting.
What Are The Best Spells For A Circle Of Wildfire Druid?
Since we’ve already got a very nice selection of spells through ourCircle Spells feature, there’s a lot of freedom to explore here. However, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Firstly, theCircle Spells featuregrants you a lot of fire damage that’s already prepared, so focusing on other damage types is a wiser choice. Next, because of how powerful theEnhanced Bond featureis, we should aim for healing spells to make use of that extra d8, and spells that have a range greater than ‘self’ to utilise the ‘cast originating from spirit’ ability. Finally, we should grab a few utility spells to round out the build.
Be careful with spells that use a Bonus Action, as you’ll mostly want to use it for commanding your wildfire spirit.
Ninth
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What Are The Best Feats For A Circle Of Wildfire Druid?
While feats aren’t unlocked until fourth level (or chosen when creating a variant human), they provide you and your party withhuge utility, survivability,anddamagepotential. Some excellent choices to round out any Circle of Wildfire Druid are:
Chef
At only two Wild Shape charges, you’ll be looking for short rests regularly. Now you heal the party even more while you wait, and the Constitution or Wisdom boost is a nice boon too.
Elemental Adept (Fire)
Fire resistance is common in fifth edition D&D and ignoring the resistances is right up our street. Add in the extra damage is a nice addition too.
Fey Touched
The Misty Step spell is a superb get-out-of-jail card when the fighting gets too close, while spells like Bless or Command help to support the party - not to mention the ability score buff.
Metamagic Adept
There are some great uses for metamagic in our kit. Twinned Spell is especially useful for cure wounds and revivify, while Extended Spells can prolong the effects of Aura of Vitality and Wall of Fire
Skill Expert
One word: Perception. It plays such a large part in most encounters both on and off the battlefield, and you’re able to add your proficiency bonus twice to it. The ability score is a nice sweetener too.
War Caster
As a caster, two of your biggest nightmares are having your concentration broken and letting opportunity attacks slip by. Not. Any. More!
