Coven Conclave

Source: Hexbound

There are spirits that rule over nature, protecting the wilderness from outside threats. They are stewards of forests, deserts, snow-capped mountains, and all things that fall under the domain of nature, and their power is immeasurable. Like all spirits, though, the power they can exert upon the world of the living is limited. In order to enact their will upon the material world, these spirits lend their power to very unique witches to make them strong enough to safeguard the spirits’ domains. These witches are called guardian rangers.
Guardian rangers use the spirits that preside over nature as a source for their power and magic. The nature spirits guide them, emboldening their strikes and granting them abilities that no other witch has access to. The most powerful guardians can even briefly summon these incredibly powerful nature spirits to assist them in battle, making them an immeasurable threat to whoever dares oppose the will of the wild.
It is said that when the most powerful guardian rangers die, their own spirits transform into nature spirits — granting their powers to younger, more inexperienced ranger witches, perpetuating the cycle, and protecting the domain of nature across generations.

Witchmark

A guardian ranger’s witchmark changes based on which guardian the ranger has formed a connection with. A devotee of the Tree-Horned Stag will traditionally have a witchmark in the shape of a tree on their forehead, while a devotee of the Snake of Many Faces will sport a witchmark in the shape of scales along their arms and legs, or a jewel in their forehead. As for devotees of the Six-Legged Wolf, their witchmarks often take the form of fangs at the corners of their mouth.

Devotee of the Guardians

Starting at 3rd level, when you become part of this conclave, you devote yourself to protecting and serving the guardian spirits that rule over nature’s different aspects. Choose one spirit in whose domain you have spent a long rest. Places where nature has been replaced by construction, such as in dungeons and towns, are no longer part of a spirit’s domain. For example, a castle in a forest, a city in a desert, or a dungeon in a mountain are not part of a spirit’s domain.

There are three different nature spirits you can serve. You or your GM can, however, adapt these spirits to the setting you’re playing in. For example, you could choose the Many-Tailed Scorpion in place of the Snake of Many Faces, or the Coral-Crowned Whale instead of the Tree-Horned Stag.

The Tree-Horned Stag:

  • Domain: Forests and Jungles
  • Specialties: Healing and Magic
  • The Tree-Horned Stag takes the form of a white deer whose antlers grow into tree branches, which seem to constantly move through the four seasons in a never-ending cycle. The leaves from its branches are teeming with magic that can heal any sickness.

The Snake of Many Faces:

  • Domain: Deserts and Caves
  • Specialties: Fortitude and Mirage
  • The Snake of Many Faces takes the form of a snake with seven heads, each of them crowned with a sparkling jewel on its forehead. Its white scales glow with an opalescent shine that shifts with the light. Its scaly hide is thicker than any armor, and its jewels create and dispel the mirages of the desert.

The Six-Legged Wolf:

  • Domain: Tundras and Mountains
  • Specialties: Combat and Family
  • The Six-Legged Wolf takes the form of a snow white wolf with three pairs of legs and an impossibly long tail. Snowflakes flutter around its form, regardless of the weather. Any creature of nature under its domain is part of the wolf’s pack, and it will fight to the death to protect them.

Once you’ve chosen a nature spirit, it grants you a boon. The boon depends on the guardian chosen. Your witchmark evolves with your boons: the shape of antlers appears on your forehead if you choose the Tree-Horned Stag, the shape of scales on your skin if you choose the Snake of Many Faces, or the shape of fangs at the corners of your mouth if you choose the Six-Legged Wolf.

  • Tree-Horned Stag: The Tree-Horned Stag hastens your magical abilities while in combat. When you use an action to cast a spell, you can use your bonus action to make a weapon attack. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
  • Snake of Many Faces: The Snake of Many Faces protects you by covering you with spectral, opalescent scales. While your HP is below 50% of your total HP, rounding down, your AC increases by 1. While your HP is below 15%, your AC increases by 1 again.
  • Six-Legged Wolf: The Six-Legged Wolf guides your attacks as you pounce on your enemies with supernatural strength. While in combat, if you use at least 10 feet of your movement to move towards a creature you are attacking, you have advantage on your attacks against that creature.