Introduction
A bloodcurdling howl pierced the midnight air as the werewolf pack closed in on the campsite. Valna swiftly grasped her mistletoe talisman, uttering an incantation of protection. An ethereal bear spirit manifested in front of her companions, its spectral claws swiping at the advancing lycanthropes. The ghostly guardian let out an earth-shaking roar, making the werewolves cower back momentarily. Valna seized this chance to summon a volley of thorny vines, entangling the monsters within the camp.
“Quickly, we must flee!” Valna urged the merchants. As they gathered their belongings, the druid led them swiftly into the night, the bear spirit fading behind them. Its intervention had bought them precious time to escape the werewolves' bloodthirsty hunt.
As a follower of the Circle of the Shepherd, Valna had forged a deep connection with the primal spirits of the wilderness. In times of need, these entities would manifest to shield both her and her allies from harm. But what ancient secrets had Valna unlocked to gain such mastery over the spirit world? What other incredible powers did the Shepherds possess? Read on to discover everything there is to know about Dungeons & Dragons' mystical summoners of the supernatural!
The Shepherd's Ethos
Druids of the Shepherd tradition share an unbreakable bond with the natural spirits of the worlds. Their mystic understanding allows them to call upon entities such as animal totems, fey guardians, ancestral ghosts and elemental protectors.
In return for this gift, the Shepherds take on a solemn duty – to safeguard those under their guidance, both mortal and supernatural alike. They spend their lives striving to maintain harmony between civilization and the untamed wilderness. The Shepherds' mystical abilities are not for selfish ends but for keeping the great balance.
Wielding an array of summoning spells, they conjure mighty spiritual allies into the mortal plane. With techniques honed over centuries, the Shepherds augment their summons into truly formidable guardians of life itself. Wherever dark forces threaten the equilibrium, the Shepherds are never far behind, ready to usher forth spectral defenders!
A Closer Look at Their Features
The key subclass features of the Circle of the Shepherd grant them an assortment of powerful capabilities:
Speech of the Woods (2nd Level):
The Shepherd gains the innate ability to communicate with all natural wildlife and fey entities by learning Sylvan, the fey tongue. This opens up a world of reconnaissance, information gathering and social potential through these creatures. A Shepherd is never truly alone in the wilderness.
Spirit Totem (2nd Level):
Starting at 2nd level, the Shepherd can summon an intangible 30ft totem aura as a bonus action. Lasting 1 minute, the spirit grants buffs to any allies within the aura. The options are:
- Bear: Temp HP equal to 5 + druid level and advantage on Strength checks/saves. Ideal when fortification is needed.
- Hawk: Use your reaction to grant an ally advantage on one attack roll while in the aura. Also grants advantage to allies on Perception checks, enabling precise strikes against hidden enemies.
- Unicorn: Advantage on checks to detect creatures in the aura. Whenever the Shepherd casts a healing spell, all allies in the aura additionally heal for the druid's level. Perfect for post-combat recovery.
The versatility of this feature means a Shepherd will use it practically every encounter. Choose the most suitable totem for the situation at hand – and position it wisely!
Mighty Summoner (6th Level):
Starting at 6th level, all of the Shepherd's conjured beasts and fey gain two major benefits:
- Extra hit points equal to 2 per Hit Die of the summoned creature. This makes Shepherd summons far more durable and able to absorb damage. A beast with 5 Hit Dice now has 10 extra HP for increased survivability.
- Natural weapon attacks count as magical, bypassing nonmagical damage immunity. This prevents summon effectiveness from dropping off against later-game foes.
Combined with the level 10 Guardian Spirit feature below, the Shepherd is a summoner without equal, capable of fielding armies of spectral entities to confound their foes. A clever Shepherd will leverage this power judiciously.
Guardian Spirit (10th Level):
At 10th level, the Shepherd's Guardian Spirit ability further empowers their summoned creatures. Any beast or fey summoned by the Shepherd now heals for half the Shepherd's druid level at the end of its turn if within the Spirit Totem's aura. This regeneration keeps summons alive far longer, able to soak tremendous damage.
Faithful Summons (14th Level):
Upon being reduced to 0 hit points, the Shepherd calls forth four CR 2 spectral beasts who obey their commands unquestioningly. These loyal entities remain on the field for a full hour, requiring no concentration. This ability activates once per long rest, serving as powerful insurance in life-or-death scenarios. The Shepherd can continue issuing orders telepathically even while unconscious!
Optimizing for Combat Impact
With their features covered, let's discuss how a Shepherd can optimize their abilities and spell selection to achieve maximum impact when the swords are drawn and spells start flying!
Choosing the Right Spells:
The Shepherd's spell choices heavily emphasize summoning and conjuration. Some go-to picks include:
- Level 1: Entangle (battlefield control), Faerie Fire (advantage), Healing Word (with Unicorn Totem)
- Level 2: Spike Growth (control), Healing Spirit (Unicorn synergy)
- Level 3: Conjure Animals, Plant Growth (difficult terrain)
- Level 5: Conjure Elemental
- Level 7: Conjure Celestial, Divine Word
- Level 9: Conjure Elemental Monolith
Crowd control options like Entangle, Spike Growth and Plant Growth help corral enemies within the Shepherd's Spirit Totem auras for maximum efficiency.
Meanwhile, direct damage options are avoided in favor of primordial summons. The additional HP and magical attacks granted by subclass features keep these summons relevant at higher tiers of play when enemies could normally crush them with impunity. A level 9 Shepherd casting Conjure Animals remains a devastating force on the battlefield.
Action Economy Tips:
Managing their action economy well is key to success as a Shepherd. Here are some tips:
- Open combat by summoning your Spirit Totem – this only costs a bonus action each time. Offers huge value for a minimal action investment.
- Use your Action to concentrate on an important spell like Conjure Animals or Plant Growth, controlling the battlefield. Maintain concentration at all costs!
- Once your main summon/control spell is up, pelt enemies with cantrips like Produce Flame while repositioning your Spirit Totem as needed. You want to avoid leaving the frontlines.
- Don't be afraid to have your summons take the Help action to grant allies advantage on attacks when you don't need them dealing direct damage. A little help can mean a lot!
- The level 10 Guardian Spirit feature saves you precious actions since your summons passively heal each turn near your Spirit Totem. Leverage this time savings for more cantrips!
Proper spell and action economy optimization allows the Shepherd to act as a powerful force multiplier for the entire party.
Optimizing Gear:
A Shepherd's equipment should enhance their core strengths: concentration, spellcasting and summon longevity. Helpful magic items include:
- Amulet of the Devout (Rare): +1 to spell attack rolls and ignore concentration check penalties from taking damage. Helps ensure your key spells stay active.
- Staff of the Woodlands (Rare): Generates extra uses of Plant Growth and Conjure Animals. More summons and battlefield control!
- Pearl of Power (Uncommon): Recover an expended spell slot for more casts of conjurations, healing and control spells.
- Ring of Spell Storing (Rare): Stock away some buffs, debuffs or healing spells to grant extra actions in combat at opportune moments.
- Robe of the Archmagi (Legendary): The ultimate Shepherd garb, boosting AC, saves, spell attack rolls and granting a free Dimension Door to reposition your Spirit Totem when enemies try to escape its influence!
With the right strategies and gear, the Shepherd can rise to the occasion as a commander of primordial forces, able to turn the tide of any battle through rigorous optimization!
