#Oh ye furries of the ancient wisdom

[dogboy-willgraham]

Would any furry care to diagnose the cause of my pain?

[tigerkirby215]

5e Rakan, the Charmer build (League of Legends)

(Artwork by Riot Games)

Happy day after Valentine's Day friends. I wrote this build in August, and a lot has happened to my little bird twink during that time. Along with a damn good new skin (and you know: new season) he’s become one of the more sought out supports in pro play. Also I got him to Mastery 5 at time of writing (December 13th, 2020.) Who knows: I might update this little blurb to say I got him to a higher mastery.

Sadly I don’t have a Xayah to duo queue with. But I’m always ready to be the support that you need~ 💓

GOALS

Am I not magnificent? - Rakan’s title is literally “the charmer.” Of course we’re gonna need some charms.

War is in the dance - With an ability called “Battle Dance” we’ll need to be quick on our feat, dashing around our foes and popping them up with a Grand Entrance.

Nothing's fun without risk - While he may not be the best enchanter Rakan has a ton of heals and shields for both himself and his allies.

RACE

Rakan is half bird, but he doesn’t do a lot of flying which leaves Aarakocra out of the picture. He’s also incredibly chatty (holy shit have you seen how many voice lines Xayah and Rakan have?) so Kenku is definitely not an option. So when in Rome as a furry look no further than a Shifter.

All Shifters have Darkvision and their Shifting ability to gain temporary hitpoints, but everything else is determined by their subrace: to be ever quick and ever charming go for a Swiftstride. As a Swiftstride Shifter your Dexterity increases by 2 and your Charisma increases by 1. You are Graceful and have proficiency with the Acrobatics skill, and your Shifting feature lets you get down with The Quickness, moving 10 feet faster and being able to move 10 feet as a reaction if an enemy ends their turn within 5 feet of you, all while not provoking oppertunity attacks!

ABILITY SCORES

15; WISDOM - Rakan is all about the spirit of the wild and the subtle magic of nature. Wait Nature and Arcana are Intelligence skills? Uhhhhh... 

14; INTELLIGENCE - Rakan certainly doesn’t show that he’s smart but Nature and Arcana are Intelligence skills. That, and this is a requirement for a very particular class.

13; CHARISMA - A charmer of course needs to be charming. (Feel free to swap this with CON if you want more health but worse RP.)

12; DEXTERITY - Even if Rakan is normally shirtless this is enough for good ol’ Medium Armor thanks to our Racial stat increases.

10; CONSTITUTION - Even though Rakan plays up close and personal he’s certainly not a tank.

8; STRENGTH - You wouldn’t risk ruffling your feathers by doing heavy lifting.

BACKGROUND

While Rakan didn’t start out a rebel like Xayah he gladly joined her cause, and while a background like Entertainer might make more sense for him he’s without a doubt a Freedom Fighter now... unfortunately there’s no Freedom Fighter background so Faction Agent is the next best thing.

You get proficiency with any Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma ability and naturally we’ll be going for Performance. You also get proficiency in Insight but we’re actually going to be replacing it with Arcana for knowledge of the magic of the wild. Additionally you can learn two languages of your choice: unfortunately Aarakocra isn’t an option but Auran (or rather Primordial) is. And to learn the ancient language of Ionia I’d recommend Sylvan.

As a vastayan rebel you can gain access to a Safe Haven for you and your allies. By using secret signs and passwords you can identify other rebels who can bring you to a safe house, give you a free place to stay, or assist you in finding information. They won’t risk their lives for you but as long as you remember the password they’ll be willing to help. You... did remember the password, right?

(Artwork by Riot Games)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - CLERIC 1

Starting off as a Cleric, the king of supports. As a Cleric you get proficiency in two skills from the Cleric list: this is actually where we’ll be grabbing Insight proficiency from along with Medicine to keep Xayah safe.

Clerics get to choose their subclass at level 1 and there are obviously a lot of options to go for: Peace to bond with Xayah, War to better your battle dance, Nature or Arcana to further your connection to natural magic... Bet you wouldn’t expect the choice to be the Order Domain from Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica! (Also reprinted in Tasha’s Cauldron.) (I’ll go over why Order whenever we get abilities important to the build.)

For a start Order Clerics get proficiency in Heavy Armor as well as either Intimidation or Persuasion; Xayah’s got the scary part down so go for Persuasion, since someone’s gotta be the smooth talker! You also get Voice of Authority, letting you set up for an ally with a Grand Entrance. If you cast a spell with a spell slot and target an ally they can use their reaction to make one weapon attack against a creature of your choice. You have to be able to see the enemy you want them to target, and if you target multiple allies with a spell only one of them can use their reaction to attack. But setting up for friends to cut through foes is what you do best!

Speaking of spells and set-up Clerics get access to Spellcasting! You can learn three cantrips at level 1: for a Gleaming Quill grab Sacred Flame which does Radiant damage (not Fire damage!) to a foe. If you’re getting surrounded however Word of Radiance will let you shine on your foes for more Radiant damage! And to be a good support and help your allies out of combat Guidance lets you add a d4 to ability checks.

You can also prepare a number of spells equal to your Wisdom modifier plus your Cleric level. As an Order Domain Cleric you have Heroism and Command as part of your Domain Spells, meaning that you don’t have to prepare to be the hero and force your enemies in line. For a close range heal look no further than Cure Wounds. For a shield grab Shield of Faith to make it harder for enemies to kill your allies. And to set up for your friends grab Bless, making it easier for them to hit and survive.

LEVEL 2 - CLERIC 2

Second level Clerics can Channel Divinity once per short or long rest, invoking the power of the gods to help them. All Clerics can Turn Undead, forcing undead within 30 feet to make a Wisdom save or run away from you. However Order Clerics can charm their foes with Order’s Demand. You can charm (yes charm!) anyone of your choice within 30 feet until the end of your next turn, or until they take damage. Additionally you can force them to drop whatever they’re holding so they don’t shoot Xayah!

This is one of the many abilities I wanted out of Order Domain. A big AoE charm that also stops enemies from hitting you and your friends is right up Rakan’s alley.

You can also prepare another spell and while Rakan doesn’t have a ranged heal in-game Healing Word is just too good to pass up on as an Order Cleric. Bonus action let your friend whack an enemy!

LEVEL 3 - WIZARD 1

Didn’t take Rakan as the bookish type, did you? Well, he isn’t, but we need some abilities from Wizard that we can’t get elsewhere except Clockwork Sorcerer which makes even less sense for Rakan. Regardless Wizards also get Spellcasting. You learn 3 cantrips from the Wizard list: for a more direct autoattack grab Firebolt because I like having a variety of damaging cantrips, to add some pizzazz to your dance Prestidigitation will let you add a bunch of funky visual effects as you please, and for some coordination in Team Chat grab Message! "Did you notice the sky?" "It's lovely." "Not as beautiful as you."

You can prepare a number of spells equal to your Wizard level plus your Intelligence modifier, but when you multiclass into Wizard you can learn 4 spells to put in your spellbook. You can only prepare spells in your spellbook is the long-and-short of the class. Anyways: to bedazzle your foes grab Color Spray and blind them with your beauty. For a little owl companion take Find Familiar. To run when you need to Expeditious Retreat will help. And finally to detect the magic of the world take... Detect Magic...

Wizards also have Arcane Recovery, letting them recover a spell slots of a combined level equal to half their Wizard level rounded down. In short every spell slot counts the same number of “points” as the spell’s level, and you can recover a number of spell points equal to half your Wizard level. So a third level Wizard can either recover a 2nd level spell or two 1st level spells. Oh and you can’t recover spell slots past 5th level.

LEVEL 4 - WIZARD 2

Second level Wizards can choose their Arcane Tradition, and to protect yourself with Fey Feathers the School of Abjuration is here for you. Along with being an Abjuration Savant (letting you learn Abjuration spells in half the time for half the cost) you have an Arcane Ward to shield you: when you cast a leveled Abjuration spell you can also create a magical ward on yourself that lasts until you finish a long rest. The ward has a hit point maximum equal to twice your Wizard level plus your Intelligence modifier. (So currently 6 HP.)

Whenever you take damage, the ward takes the damage instead. If the damage reduces the ward to 0 hit points, you take any remaining damage. Whenever you cast an abjuration spell of 1st level or higher, the ward regains a number of hit points equal to twice the level of the spell.

You also learn 2 more spells so how about some Abjuration spells? Shield is a reaction Abjuration spell to protect you from melee attacks, while Absorb Elements is a reaction Abjuration spell to protect you from magic. AR and MR!

(Artist unknown. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 5 - WIZARD 3

3rd level Wizards can learn second level spells but I’d actually suggest learning Alarm back at 1st level. Why Alarm? It’s an Abjuration spell you can cast as a Ritual, so you can just cast it continuously to refresh your Arcane Ward even without preparing the spell. For your other spell Mirror Image is a quick and easy way to keep the baddies from whacking you.

LEVEL 6 - WIZARD 4

4th level Wizards get an Ability Score Improvement but I’m actually going to suggest the Observant feat to increase your uneven Wisdom score. Every Support’s gotta pay attention to their wards!

You can also learn another two spells along with a cantrip: take Dancing Lights to set up a stage! As for spells you’re the loud and proud sort so to make a Grand Entrance grab Knock to make way for your party! Meanwhile if you want to keep yourself and your allies safe from ranged harm Warding Wind will do just that and more, but it will also make it harder for Xayah to hit. "What the hell were you thinking?" "Back there?" "Yes." "I wasn't. I never think. Ugh... thinking."

LEVEL 7 - WIZARD 5

5th level Wizards can learn third level spells so it’s time to grab our first mass charm: Hypnotic Pattern, which isn’t an Enchantment spell but in fact an Illusion spell (which will be important later.) If you want to get down with The Quickness however there’s nothing better than some good old-fashioned Haste.

LEVEL 8 - WIZARD 6

6th level Abjuration Wizards can finally protect their party and their girlfriend thanks to Projected Ward, letting you use your reaction to reduce the damage an ally takes with your Arcane Ward. “Thank you honey!”

You can also learn two more spells from the Wizard spell list. Xayah need to call someone? Help her with Sending. Want to go full AP for the traditional D&D Grand Entrance? Fireball.

(Artwork by Riot Games)

LEVEL 9 - CLERIC 3

We’ve spent enough time down in Nerdsville so how about some more Cleric levels? Third level Clerics can prepare second level spells like Aid to boost up your teammates with a Knight’s Vow. Speaking of Knight’s Vow Warding Bond will let you bond with Xayah so you take some damage for her.

Additionally as an Order Domain Cleric you have Hold Person and Zone of Truth innately prepared. Keep enemies at bay and let them know the truth!

LEVEL 10 - CLERIC 4

4th level Clerics get an Ability Score Improvement and I’m going to suggest further increasing your Wisdom, as it’ll help us more with our Cleric abilities which will be important later.

You also learn another cantrip such as Mending to keep your outfit in check. Additionally you can prepare two new spells with your increased Wisdom: Lesser Restoration can give you or Xayah some Tenacity when needed, but I’d suggest holding off on the other slot.

LEVEL 11 - CLERIC 5

5th level Clerics who use Turn Undead now Destroy Undead of CR 1/2 or lower. It’s unlikely that you’ll be fighting CR 1/2 enemies at level 11 but hey: it’s still useful!

What’s more useful however is that you can now prepare third level spells! As an Order Cleric you have Mass Healing Word for Redemption, or Slow to... slow the enemy. Maybe you grabbed Righteous Glory? Who knows.

Regardless the important thing is your charms so grab Fast Friends to charm single targets and Incite Greed to get a whole crowd to follow your Fey Feathers!

You may be asking why we’re grabbing Enchantment Spells of all the spells that Clerics get a third level. Well for one it’s because you’re The Charmer, but more importantly...

LEVEL 12 - CLERIC 6

At 6th level you become an Embodiment of the Law as an Order Domain Cleric. The law of dance that is! If you cast an Enchantment spell of first level or higher you can choose to make that spell a bonus action instead, and can do it a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier. You regain these fast charms after a long rest.

This was the main reason I went into Order Domain. Being able to quickly charm foes is textbook for Rakan, which made this subclass ideal for this build.

You can also prepare another spell at this level: Dispel Magic with Mikael's Crucible in case of any strong debuffs. Also more Abjuration spells for your shield!

(Artwork by Yusuh on DeviantArt. You have no idea how hard it is to find solo artwork for these two.)

LEVEL 13 - WIZARD 7

7th level Wizards can learn 4th level spells like Confusion; something that fills my allies whenever I take Rakan into the jungle. For your other spell I’d actually suggest hopping back to third level for Counterspell to keep your allies safe with more Abjuration. Trust me it’ll be important later.

LEVEL 14 - WIZARD 8

At 8th level you get an Ability Score Improvement and despite being a Wizard we’ve kinda been ignoring Intelligence: let’s fix that with a +2 so our Ward can be stronger as can our Wizard spells.

You can also learn two new spells: more Charms? Charm Monster, so even the mighty Volibear can’t resist you. Other than that there are tons of great Wizard spells but I’m never going to say no to Dimension Door.

LEVEL 15 - WIZARD 9

9th level Wizards can cast 5th level spells like Dominate Person for charms on-par with mind control! (Because it is Mind Control.) For more combative 5th level spells Synaptic Status will let you bedazzle everyone in a 20 foot radius sphere, making it harder to hit as they’re stunned by your beauty. Rakan can have some AP; as a treat.

LEVEL 16 - WIZARD 10

10th level Abjuration Wizards get Improved Abjuration, letting them add their proficiency bonus to any ability check to Dispel Magic (such as with Dispel Magic or Counterspell.) If you wish you can also have Bless active on yourself for a d4 + 5 to any counterspell check. When you consider that the DC is equal to 10 plus the spell’s level and you have up to a +9 to the check it’s more than likely that you can be a Guardian against any dangerous spells!

You also get another cantrip at this level: do you already have too many cantrips? Yeah probably, but to get more props for your dance take Minor Illusion.

As for your two new Wizard spells Hold Monster is like Hold Person, but it works on Baron! And how about something to keep Zoe in her dimension? Banishment is a 4th level spell that works like a super CC that knocks an enemy out of the fight completely. You can’t attack them while they’re on another plane, but if they’re not native to the plane and spend a full minute Banished they go back to their original plane.

(Artwork by Riot Games)

LEVEL 17 - WIZARD 11

11th Wizards can prepare 6th level spells. Want to keep Xayah safe from a falling temple and shadow ninjas? Globe of Invulnerability blocks all spells of one level lower than you used to cast the spell. In general. The globe surrounds you but you can dive in to protect Xayah. But what if you just want to dance? Look no further than Otto's Irresistible Dance! It’s a spell that forces everyone to dance; that’s all you need to know! But seriously read the description of your spells.

LEVEL 18 - WIZARD 12

12th level Wizards get another Ability Score Improvement: seeing as we are going deep down the Wizard path it only makes sense to get a bit more Intelligence.

You can also learn 2 more spells: Contingency will let you cast a spell in case of emergency. Choose a spell of 5th level or lower that can target yourself and a trigger for the spell: when the trigger happens the spell activates. Backup plans are more of Xayah’s thing, but something like “Banish myself if I’m about to die because Xayah would kill herself if I died” is a good plan.

There are tons of other good Wizard spells; so many that I can’t choose any that would particularly fit Rakan or the build as a whole. You have a limited number of prepared spells anyways so take something you think will be useful.

LEVEL 19 - WIZARD 13

13th level Wizards can prepare 7th level spells: want to do a conjoined recall? Teleport will let you and up to 8 willing creates teleport to a location, such as your fountain. There’s a table of places you can end up which I suggest looking at for the full details of the spell, because it’s a rather overwhelming spell to explain without copy-pasting the description. But because I further suffer with what spells to give you in a high leveled Wizard build how about a fancy light show? Crown of Stars lets seven stars orbit your head which you can shoot out at enemies or light up the night!

LEVEL 20 - WIZARD 14

Our capstone is the 14th level of Abjuration Wizard for some much needed MR. Spell Resistance lets you resist all damage coming from spells and have advantage on all saving throws against spells!

Speaking of spells you can learn your final two but... pick for yourself this time! Xayah will love you despite all your faults, and I’m sure that you can make a choice for yourself. This is my way of saying I’m sick of picking Wizard spells.

FINAL BUILD

PROS

You will see my dance - You are the master of keeping your friends safe with charms to keep fights from happening and both shields and heals to keep your allies from being hurt.

Look at me now! - You are incredibly elusive: 18 AC (Scale Mail + Shield) you can bump up with the Shield spell, a 32 HP ward to protect you and your allies, and even Shifting for Temp HP and more dodging.

You put us in a cage? I put you in the ground - And of course as a caster with full caster levels you are more than capable of putting down the hurt, especially due to the added efficiency of being able to cast two spells in a turn (well a leveled spell and a cantrip) thanks to Embodiment of the Law.

CONS

I don't have to remember the plan if you do - You are essentially mixing two spellcasters who want you to use extremely dedicated spell lists. Abjuration spells to make Abjuration Wizard work and Enchantment Spells to make Order Cleric work. Sure you don’t only need to cast Enchantment and Abjuration spells but there also aren’t that many Abjuration spells to power up your ward.

I can't die looking this good! - The vast majority of your levels being in Wizard combined with a 0 Constitution score results in a health bar that’s easily under 100. You may have advantage on all saving throws but Power Word Kill has no save.

Woo! You animals are dumb! - The other problem with mixing two full casters together is that you can’t get the best of both worlds. You aren’t getting 9th level spells in general (even if you get the slots for ‘em) and both your Wisdom and your Intelligence aren’t maxed out. Sure if you aren’t using Standard Array that isn’t an issue but you’re bound to drop something.

But if you were perfect why would you need Xayah? She completes you, and you complete her. Fight along side her and together you’ll be unstoppable. There’s nothing you can’t defeat with the power of love... But a plan would also probably be good. "I think Xayah told me to improvise. At least, that's the only part of the plan I remember."

(Artwork by Riot Games)

[tigerkirby215]

5e Lillia, the Bashful Bloom build (League of Legends)

(Artwork by Riot Games)

I’m waiting for the Neeko x Hecarim OTP short story, Riot.

Memes aside Lillia is a fairly simplistic champ in-terms of abilities, and she’s new so of course I’m going to try to recreate her as accurately as possible before she even comes out!

Oh and she’s also EXTREMELY SCOTTISH despite being from the Japan region of Runeterra. I mean... okay then Riot.

GOALS

Every flower blooms to be seen! - Lillia has many a nature-themed spell at her disposal. You’ll never guess what class we’re going to be...

Every time I hold my branch... - Lillia literally has an ability where she runs at you and bonks you on the head with her branch. And it’s called “Watch Out! Eep!” Goddammit Riot and your Japanimes...

Where are you little lost dreams? - Despite dreams and sleeping and what-not kinda being Lillia’s thing she doesn’t really have that much sleeping ability to her. Still: sleep is sleep.

RACE

Four legs? Human body? Sounds like a Centaur to me! As a Centaur your Strength increases by 2 and your Wisdom increases by 1. Your movement speed is 40, which is good because if you Charge 30 feet and hit an enemy with your weapon you can then strike them with your Hooves, which do a d4 + Strength bludgeoning damage.

Your creature type is considered Fey rather than humanoid, which gives you some indirect counterplay to spells like Charm Person and Hold Person. And your Equine Build doubles your carrying capacity at the cost of making it a lot harder for you to climb.

Finally you can speak both Common and Sylvan, and get proficiency in either Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, or Survival thanks to the Survivor trait. This may come as a surprise to you but the character who was literally born from a flower and lived their entire life in a garden should be proficient in Nature.

ABILITY SCORES

15; WISDOM - You are literally a being of dreams, and can go into people’s subconcious to see what they think.

14; DEXTERITY - You have the body of a fawn to hop, skip, and jump around the battlefield. That, and 14 DEX is enough for Medium Armor, even if Lillia doesn’t wear armor in-game.

13; CONSTITUTION - I can’t make a testament to Lillia’s stats in-game since she’s... you know... not in-game yet, but she’s a very close-range champ who no doubt needs a bit of bulk to survive.

12; CHARISMA - You’re a cute little deer lady who I’m going to say right now... furry bait.

10; INTELLIGENCE - You spent your entire life in a garden where I doubt you got to read many books.

8; STRENGTH - Lillia is a deer and deer are not strong. The +2 from our race helps this out a bit but still.

BACKGROUND

If you want the most accurate choice of background Outlander would fit Lillia perfectly. However Lillia doesn’t exactly know her way around or how to find water so we’ll be going for the next most logical background which is Far Traveler. This is because the feature of Far Traveler “All Eyes on You” makes it obvious that you’re not from around these parts, based on your mannerisms, figures of speech, appearance (what? A deer centaur isn’t common?) and your accent. Some people might be interested in meeting you, and you might be interested in meeting them! You might even be able to distract them or get some information from them with stories of your garden!

Along with your feature you get proficiency in the Insight and Perception skills, to see the dreams and see the dreams. You also learn one language of your choice (Quori is the language of the Kalashtar, who are dream people, but if your setting doesn’t have Eberron races just pick a language that will be more useful) and either a musical instrument or gaming set. Lillia just sings for her dance emote so I’d pick whatever instrument you want since it’s not like you had much time to play chess with Mother Tree. I opted for a Pan Flute but you can choose whatever you want.

(Artwork by Riot Games)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - DRUID 1

wOw WhO wOuLd’Ve GuEsSeD tHaT tHe NaTuRe ChArAcTeR wHo’S bAsEd EnTiReLy ArOuNd NaTuRe WoUlD bE a DrUiD? Regardless Druids can pick two skills from the Druid list: Arcana would be good to know about the magic of dreams but none of the other skills really stick out to me. I opted for Survival for one that made the most sense.

As a Druid you know Druidic, an ancient language only spoken by Druids which no doubt has a massive Scottish accent to it. The message is hidden to non-Druids unless they succeed on a DC 15 Perception check, but even if they see it they can’t decipher it without magic.

Speaking of magic: Spellcasting! You learn two cantrips from the Druid list and of course to whack people with a stick Shillelagh will let you do so very hard. For the spell’s duration your weapon becomes a d8 and uses your spellcasting modifier to attack. For your second cantrip Druidcraft will let you make flowers bloom and petals fall; it has a bunch of effects detailed in the spell’s description which I suggest you read.

Druids are prepared spellcasters, meaning they can choose what spells to have ready. You can prepare a number of spells equal to your Wisdom modifier plus your Druid level. Anyways for a Booming Blooming Blows Thunderwave will hit everyone within 15 feet of you. For a bit of dreaming magic Charm Person will make your target think they’re in a dream for awhile. To light an enemy up with Dream Dust Faerie Fire will illuminate them and make them easier for your allies to hit. And finally when in Rome take Healing Word to help in a pinch.

LEVEL 2 - DRUID 2

Second level Druids can Wild Shape, allowing them to turn into a Beast of CR 1/4 or lower. You spend your action to gain all the statistics of the chosen beast, and you gain their health as Temporary Hitpoints. You can stay in a beast shape for a number of hours equal to half your druid level (rounded down) or until you lose all the health of your beast form. There’s a lot of other factors to Wild Shape that I recommend reading into, even if Lillia doesn’t really shapeshift. But hey instead of being a half-deer you can turn into a full deer (or rather an Elk since that has a higher CR.) Dreams are weird, you know. “I’m not wearing any pants!”

And with “the big Druid ability” out of the way it’s time to talk about your subclass, or rather your Druidic Circle. Surprisingly we won’t be going for the Circle of Dreams, or even the Circle of Stars, but rather the Circle of the Land. You can choose a type of land to connect with and despite the fact that you lived in a Forest I’m going to instead suggest Grassland as your land of choice. This will come into play next level but it’s still good to mention it now.

As a Circle of the Land Druid you get an Extra Cantrip, and I’d be remissed not to mention Guidance. Free d4 to ability checks? Absolutely! You also get Natural Recovery, allowing you to recover spell slots during a short rest. The combined level of all the spells you recover can equal no more than half your Druid level (rounded up) and none of the spells can be above 6th level. Is this just the Wizard’s Arcane Recovery feature tacked onto a Druid? Yup! Even down to the fact that you can only use it once per Long Rest, so use it wisely!

And all that talk of spells reminds me that you can prepare another spell such as Entagle, to keep your foes wrapped up in their dreams.

LEVEL 3 - DRUID 3

I’m going to instead suggest Grassland as your land of choice. This will come into play next level but it’s still good to mention it now.

Third level Druids can cast second level spells, and as a Grasslands Druid you know Invisibility and Pass without Trace innately. These spells don’t count against your total spells prepared, nor do you have to prepare them. They’re great spells to keep hidden from the world.

Additionally you can prepare another spell such as Moonbeam to force your foes to sleep, one way or another.

LEVEL 4 - DRUID 4

4th level Druids get Wildshape Improvements to transform into beasts of CR 1/2 or lower, and can turn into a beast with a swim speed! But more importantly for us you get an Ability Score Improvement, or rather a Feat. And because Magic Initiate smells here comes Aberrant Dragon Mark from Eberron!

Along with an increase to your Constitution by 1 the Aberrant Dragon Mark lets you cast one cantrip and one spell from the Sorcerer list. For cantrip I’d suggest anything with range, though seeing as Swirlseed slows I’d recommend Ray of Frost. For your leveled spell this may be shocking but you’re going to want Sleep to put foes to... sleep. Your Sleep spell can only be used once per short rest, so use it wisely!

Additionally when you cast Sleep you can expend one of your Hit Dice. If you roll an even number, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to the number rolled. If you roll an odd number, one random creature within 30 feet of you takes force damage equal to the number rolled. If no other creatures are in range, you take the damage. I’d personally say that the damage is done before the effects of sleep, so that you don’t accidentally wake your enemy up. Do use this ability wisely though, as your hit die are limited as the random force damage can be quite chaotic!

Oh and finally you also get the ability to prepare one more spell, and learn one more cantrip! For your cantrip of choice Mending will help if you ever see a crack in your staff, and for your spell Hold Person will force your foe to do a little more than just sleep.

(Artwork by M-LukaART on DeviantArt)

LEVEL 5 - DRUID 5

5th level Druids get third level spells. As a Grasslands Druid you get Daylight and Haste innately: bright lights and fast movement aren’t typical for a dream, but Haste is a really good spell and Lillia moves faster when hitting her abilities. (Probably better to give Haste to someone else though.)

You can also prepare third level spells like Speak with Plants to speak with Mother Tree. Is this spell highly situational? Yes. Can you swap out spells as you please as a Druid? Also yes. Do you have to follow this guide point-for-point? No; make your own Lillia!

I should also mention that by this point your cantrips start to scale, but Shillelagh doesn’t. So now would be a good time for me to tell you about our Lord and Savior Primal Savagery. (As well as its more well-known cousin Thunderclap, which is loud as hell but hits in an AoE.)

LEVEL 6 - DRUID 6

6th level Land Druids get Land’s Stride, allowing them to move through difficult terrain without expending extra movement and move through nonmagical plants without taking damage. Additionally you gain advantage against magical plants made to slow you down. Isn’t this literally the Ranger’s 8th level ability? Yes it is; good thing we won’t be taking levels in Ranger.

You can also prepare another spell and I’m going to hop back to second level for Healing Spirit, which is just a really good spell even after its eratta nerfs. Maybe you picked up a Redemption? Who knows.

LEVEL 7 - DRUID 7

7th level Druids can prepare 4th level spells. As a Grasslands Druid you get Divination and Freedom of Movement innately, to see around the world in your dreams and to be able to pop a Quicksilver Sash in a pinch.

You can also invoke Mother Tree with the spell Guardian of Nature. If you take the form of a Great Tree you gain 10 temporary hitpoints, you make Constitution saves (such as Concentration checks!) with Advantage, you make Dexterity and Wisdom-based attacks with Advantage (such as literally all your attacks!), and the area within 15 feet of you is difficult terrain.

You could also take the form of a Primal Beast for +10 movement speed, greater Darkvision, advantage on Strength attacks, and more damage with your melee attacks. Now would be a good time to mention that spells carry over even if you Wildshape, so you can use them to boost your combat skills as an animal if you so desire.

LEVEL 8 - DRUID 8

Speaking of Wildshape: 8th level Druids get Wildshape Improvements, allowing them to turn into a beast of CR 1 with no restrictions on the Beast’s ability to run, swim, or fly! There aren’t many deer at CR 1, but you could dream that you’re a Dire Wolf. Or a Giant Eagle!

You also get an Ability Score Improvement and now would be a good time to increase your Wisdom for stronger spells. You’ve gotten some practice so you can’t be meek anymore!

With the Wisdom increase you can now prepare two more spells! Hallucinatory Terrain will let you send your foes to a dreamscape, where things aren’t always as they seem. For your other spell there isn’t much to take at 4th level, so I’m going to suggest hopping all the way back to first level for a good old-fashioned Cure Wounds.

LEVEL 9 - DRUID 9

At 9th level you can prepare 5th level spells, and as a Grasslands Druid you learn the Insect Plague spell innately as well as the spell Dream; finally another spell to sleep on! This is honestly the main reason we opted for Grassland Druid, but the other innate spells we got are good to.

You can also prepare a spell such as Commune with Nature to ask Mother Tree for guidance. Even though this is a 5th level spell it is a Ritual, so you can spend some time to speak to the trees if need-be.

LEVEL 10 - DRUID 10

10th level Land Druids get Nature’s Ward, making them immune to Charming or Frightening effects from Elementals or Fae, and making them immune to poison and disease. You’re a dream blossom that was brought to life so naturally you can’t catch a cold. But don’t let it stop you from sneezing adorably!

You can also prepare another spell and we’ll be taking Wrath of Nature from 5th level for all sorts of powerful effects when Mother Tree gets angry! You can also learn another cantrip but at this point we’ve gotten most of the cantrips we would need. Perhaps Gust to choose where the wind blows the dream petals?

LEVEL 11 - DRUID 11

11th level Druids can prepare 6th level spells and while you stop gaining innate spells as a Land Druid you can still make a garden on the fly with Druid Grove. There’s a lot to the spell that I highly recommend reading yourself because if I copy-pasted everything this one level would be huge.

LEVEL 12 - DRUID 12

12th level Druids get another Ability Score Improvement: increase your Wisdom further for the strongest connection to Mother Tree possible.

You can also prepare another two spells thanks to the Wisdom increase and the level increase: Sunbeam is a bit of a rude wake-up call, forcing creatures in a 60 foot line to make a Constitution save or take 6d8 Radiant Damage.

Heroes’ Feast meanwhile lets everyone sit down and enjoy themselves during the Blossom Festival! You conjure a feast that takes an hour to eat, and those who partake are cured of all poisons / diseases, becomes immune to poison and being frightened, and makes all Wisdom saving throws with advantage. Their hit point maximum also increases by 2d10, and it gains the same number of hit points. These benefits last for 24 hours, so if you all have a nice dinner before going to bed it guarantees sweet dreams and a great day to come tomorrow!

(Artwork by HazielWishmaster on DeviantArt)

LEVEL 13 - DRUID 13

13th level Druids can prepare 7th level spells, and while there are a lot of fun ones feel free to Reverse Gravity since the laws of physics can be weird in a dream. This spell makes everyone fall upwards which is pretty straightforward in my opinion, but feel free to read the spell over to figure out how exactly it works.

LEVEL 14 - DRUID 14

14th level Land Druids are protected by Nature’s Sanctuary. When a beast or plant creature attacks you, they must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Druid spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature must choose a different target, or the attack automatically misses. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours. The creature knows that you are Mother Tree’s chosen before it attacks you, however.

You can also prepare another spell but I’d actually suggest going back to earlier levels for a hop, skip, and a Jump to triple your jump distance. Am I just suggesting this because you get a boat load of spells and not nearly enough spell slots? Yup, but you’re a prepared caster so pick what you want!

LEVEL 15 - DRUID 15

15th level Druids can cast 8th level spells. There are a lot of great ones at this level but Antipathy/Sympathy is your best choice to keep your garden safe. I suggest reading the spell over in full to see what it can do because it’s rather hard to explain without copy-pasting the description.

LEVEL 16 - DRUID 16

16th level Druids get an Ability Score Improvement: you can either increase your Constitution for better health and a better Ray of Frost, or invest in some Feats if you so desire.

You can also prepare another spell and you know that moment that your dad opens the curtains even though you could get another 10 minutes of sleep in? Well you can recreate that with Sunburst, a bright flash of light that does a hella-lot of damage to everyone’s eyes.

LEVEL 17 - DRUID 17

17th level Druids can prepare the mighty 9th level spell! Shapechange will let your dreams shape you into whatever creature you want to be. Want to be a dragon? Go ahead! A god? That’s an option! (Well, a Celestial anyways.) An ooze? Weird choice, but sure!

LEVEL 18 - DRUID 18

18th level Druids get Beast Spells, allowing them to cast spells while in Wild Shape! Yeah it’s kinda dumb that you have to wait until 18th level to use your core class feature while using your other core class feature, but now there’s practically no downside to Wildshaping! (Except that you can’t provide Material components to cast spells while Wildshaped.) Additionally time moves slower in your dreams as you gain a Timeless Body, only aging 1 year for every 10 years that pass. That way you can spend as much time as possible with Mother Tree!

You can also prepare another spell at this level but at this point you can prepare so many spells I’m inclined to just tell you to pick what you want. You have every Druid spell at your disposal I’m sure you’ll find something.

LEVEL 19 - DRUID 19

19th level Druids get another Ability Score Improvement and again: CON if you want health, Feats if you want feats.

LEVEL 20 - DRUID 20

At level 20 you officially become an Archdruid. As an Archdruid you can Wildshape an infinite number of times, and you ignore all the components of a spell unless they have a gold cost.

FINAL BUILD

PROS

The magic is within you - You essentially chose “the Wizard” subclass for Druid, giving you access to tons of spells and the ability to refresh your spells akin to a Wizard.

Oh! Hello bird! - You are a friend of the forest. Plants and animals will be careful when attacking you, and no manipulation of nature can slow you down! And as a centaur spells meant to stop humans don’t affect you either!

Look who's blooming now - So let’s talk about the Archdruid capstone... Firstly: Wildshaping gives you Temporary hitpoints, and you can Wildshape an infinite number of times. Henceforth you have infinite hitpoints? Secondly the fact that you ignore the components when casting a spell means no one can counterspell you!

CONS

Better a sleepy head than a sleepy heart - You have 25 prepared spells and 10 extra innate spells from your subclass, but only a limited number of spell slots to cast them with. There’s such a thing as too much of a good thing.

Eeeep! I mean... eep. - While none of them are negative (thankfully) your stats other than your Wisdom are rather lacking. Your Strength in particular is very lacking which makes your centaur hooves rather unappealing.

It's the dream's turn to sleep - Much like in League your ability to actually put people to sleep as “the dream champion” is extremely limited. You gain the ability to cast it again on a short rest yes, but you can only cast the sleep spell at level 1, and it will quickly lose its potency.

But yes: one of your downsides is literally “you are too good.” You’re basically a Wizard who doesn’t have to do anything to cast their spells, and can turn into a bear; what a dream that would be! Be the blossom that blooms into a fully grown tree, and connect the world with their dreams again. Just watch out for ganks and stay away from e621; eep!

(Artwork by kukuruyo - WARNING: NSFW ARTIST)