Otherworldly Patron: Soul of the Woods

Often, a forest is just a forest. However, sometimes the most ancient will develop a consciousness, sometimes remaining disembodied or coalescing into a physical being. Sometimes, an outside being such as a fey or powerful undead can establish their residency in a woodland area and become deeply connected to the forest's essence, becoming that forest's Soul.

A Soul of the Woods can be any powerful entity that spends significant time in a forest or wooded area. This Patron is most often a Fey, such as a powerful dryad, but could also be a Demon, Undead, or a personified avatar of an ancient nature god.

Warlocks with this patron can be spellcasters who have absorbed the primal magics of their patron. However, in some settings there are ingrained traditions of witchcraft, where shamanic members of society will regularly make pacts with a nearby, often friendly nature spirit that grants them the ability to produce magical effects. Often, warlocks involved in traditions such as these learn herbalist, alchemy-adjacent techniques that their pacts imbue with magical effects.

Expanded Spell List

The Soul of the Woods lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.

Spell Level Spells 1st entangle, fog cloud 2nd enhance ability, moonbeam 3rd conjure animals, plant growth 4th conjure woodland beings, giant insect 5th awaken, tree stride

Woodland Skills

Starting when you choose this Patron at 1st level, you learn new skills in your woodland environment. You gain proficiency in the Nature skill, and add a bonus to any check using this proficiency equal to your Charisma modifier.

Additionally, you learn the druidcraft and primal savagery cantrips. These cantrips don't count against the number of cantrips you know.

Primordial Rituals

Beginning at 1st level, you gain the ability to cast certain spells through the use of ritualistic materials. By spending 1 hour searching and making a Nature check, you can attempt to gather materials from a wooded environment (or other area where plants are common) to use for these spells. On a 5 or less, you gather 1 sp worth of materials. On a 6 to 10, you gather 5 sp worth of materials. On an 11 to 15, you gather 1 gp worth of materials. On a 16 or above, you gather 3 gp worth of materials. These materials have no value beyond their use in these rituals.

You may cast any spells on this table of a level for which you have spell slots. By expending 1gp worth of ritual materials per spell level, you can cast one of the following spells as a ritual. You must still expend material components as normal when casting this way.

Spell Level Spells 1st detect magic, detect poison and disease, goodberry, purify food and drink 2nd augury, barkskin, lesser restoration 3rd clairvoyance, dispel magic, speak with plants 4th divination, fabricate 5th commune with nature, hallow, reincarnate

Sheltering Woods

Starting at 6th level, the arms of your patron reach out to defend you when you are in need. As a reaction when you would be dealt damage, magical branches spring up around you granting you temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier plus your Warlock level. You lose these temporary hit points when you move out of the space where you gained them.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Clutching Roots

When you reach 10th level, you begin to actively summon the crushing grasp of your patron. As an action, you choose a number of creatures up to your Charisma modifier that you can see within 60 feet of you. Each of those creatures makes a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, a creature takes bludgeoning damage equal to 1d10 plus your Charisma modifier and is restrained for 1 minute, as long as you maintain concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). A creature restrained this way can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success, it frees itself.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.