The Circle of the Vulture

Most druidic circles reject necromancy as a defilement of the natural order. An atrocity and an abomination. Not the Circle of the Vulture, an enigmatic order which regards undeath as merely another aspect of the growth that comes from death and decay. Many druids reject the Circle of the Vulture as fallen, perverters of their teachings, but elders admit there is a certain strange logic to their teachings. The secrets they hold attract esoteric scholars and disciplined guardians as well as the power-hungry madmen and desperate souls usually associated with the necromantic arts.

Left to its own devices, nature "defiles" corpses eagerly; scavengers feast on what predators leave behnd, maggots burrow through rotting carcasses. Why should druids not do likewise with the empty vessels of the world? They delay "natural" decay, but only for a time, and only to put the resources to (what they deem) good use.

Consume Essence

Starting at 2nd level, you gain a pool of d6s equal to your druid level. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can increase that damage by spending dice from the pool. You can spend a number of dice equal to half your druid level or less. Roll the spent dice and add them to the damage as necrotic damage. You regain hitpoints equal to half the damage done.

Starting at 6th level, as a bonus action, you may also allow an undead under your control to use this ability, using your die pool, on their turn. If you do, you may choose whether you or the undead making the attack regains the hit points.

You regain the expended dice when you finish a long rest.

Vulture's Stomach

Starting at 2nd level, the scent of blood, rot and decay becomes appetizing; you can consume raw meat and spoiled food without penalty. Other foods may begin to taste bland in comparison, though they still provide sustenance and other benefits.

Spell List

The Circle of the Vulture knows much lore about life, death, and the often-vague border between the two. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to the spells listed for that level in the Circle of the Vulture table.

Once you gain access to one of these spells, you always have it prepared, and it doesn't count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. If you gain access to a spell that doesn't appear on the druid spell list, the spell is nonetheless a druid spell for you.

Druid Level Circle Spells 3rd gentle repose, Maximilian's earthen grasp 5th animate dead, conjure animals 7th blight, conjure woodland beings 9th contagion, reincarnate

Conjure Effigy

At 6th level, any beast you summon with Conjure Animals gains the "undead" type instead of the "fey" type, immunity to poison damage, and immunity to the poisoned and frightened conditions. When you learn Conjure Woodland Beings, the fey you summon with the spell lose the "fey" type and gain the "undead" type, as well as the immunities listed above. Additionally, you can use Animate Dead on small or medium beast corpses and bones, though the animated dead is twisted into a humanoid form and uses the stats of a humanoid zombie or skeleton as appropriate.

Mocking the Fey Most druidic circles are, to some extent, associated with the Fey and the Feywild. But such eternal, pure, and capricious creatures are anathema to the grim practicality of the Circle of the Vulture, whose conjuration spells create effigies of fey and beasts instead. These effigies are not animated corpses, though they look the part. They are created from the dead and rotten things in ripe earth, infused with negative energies. These effigies give the fey great offense, and unsettle most of the living.

Devour

At 10th level, you can draw power from a minion as an action, feasting on their flesh and essence for vitality. You can destroy an undead under your control within 5 feet, and gain temporary hit points equal to the undead's current hit point total or twice your druid level, whichever is lower.

Awaken Carrion

At 14th level, you can implant the corpse of a beast of CR 3, two beasts of CR 2, or five beasts of CR 1 or lower with seeds of dark energy and perform an hour-long ritual, raising the beasts as undead. The beasts raised have the same stats as they did in life, but gain the undead type, immunity to poison damage, and immunity to the poisoned and frightened conditions. The beasts remain under your control until they are destroyed or you use this ability again.

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