Weapon (Quarterstaff) - Artifact (requires attunement by a Circle of the Shepherd Druid)
"A staff birthed in dreams and given form by Faunus, the Heartwood Staff was wielded by Brónach, a firbolg bound by friendship and duty. He fought alongside the Fraternity of Harmony to banish the encroaching evil. But unlike others, his journey ended not in reprieve but in transformation—an unintended merging with the forest he so loved. Though revered as an avatar by his own kin, he is bound in wooden form, denied the release of true death, Heartwood Staff in hand."
This staff appears as if it were a living tree branch. Small plants rest on the top of the staff, and it has a comforting, earthy smell. The orb pulses gently with a warm, soothing energy when the staff is held.
- Arcane Infusion: The Heartwood Staff gives it's wielder a +3 bonus to spell attack rolls and save DCs.
- Acidic Strikes: When used as a weapon, the staff uses the spellcasting modifier of the wielder for attack and damage rolls, and deals 3d6 extra acid damage on a hit.
- Whispering Leaves: The wielder gains the ability to converse with plants as if under the effect of Speak with Plants at all times.
- Beast Whisperer: The staff allows the druid to be more in touch with nature, granting advantage on all Animal Handling checks used to influence beasts.
- Woodland Staff: The staff has 10 charges. It regains 1d6 + 4 expended charges daily at dawn. You can use an action to expend 1 or more of the staff's charges to cast one of the following spells from it, using your spell save DC:
- awaken (5 charges)
- wall of thorns (6 charges)
- pass without trace (1 charge)
- barkskin (2 charges)
- plant growth (3 charges)
- Shepherd's Command: The staff now enhances the Shepherd's Totems in the following way:
- Wild Fuel: You can use a wild shape charge to place a new totem before you take a long rest. If another totem is already active, it replaces the oldest one with the new totem. Note: a creature cannot benefit from the temporary hitpoints from the bear totem more than once per short or long rest.
- Hawk's Precision: When you create a Hawk Spirit, you no longer need to use your reaction to grant advantage for an attack roll; it becomes automatic for the first attack roll made by each ally during their turn within the aura. Allies in the aura also gain the ability to ignore half cover when making ranged attacks.
- Bear's Fortitude: The temporary hit points granted by the Bear Spirit are now doubled (10 + 2×druid level). Allies in the area are also immune to being frightened.
- Unicorn's Sanctuary: The unicorn spirit lends its protection to those nearby. You and your allies gain advantage on all ability checks made to detect creatures in the spirit’s aura, as well as advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. In addition, if you cast a spell using a spell slot that restores hit points to any creature inside or outside the aura, each creature of your choice in the aura also regains hit points equal to your druid level.