Ryoko's Guide to the Yokai Realms, pg 176
Druids belonging to the Circle of the Yokai seek a connection to nature beyond the physical, aligning themselves with the mysterious yokai spirits that embody and inhabit the natural world. This connection allows such druids to assume yokai forms, becoming entities of nature while retaining their own mind and voice. Moreover, such druids can encourage roaming yokai spirits to settle in plants, flames, pebbles, and streams, turning these facets of nature into grasping weeds, furious wildfires, stalwart bastions of rock, or living wyrms of water.
Circle Spells
2nd-Level Circle of the Yokai Feature
You have formed a bond with the yokai, mysterious spirits that populate the land. Your connection to the yokai grants you access to some spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Circle of the Yokai Spells 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.
Circle of the Yokai Spells
| DruidLevel | Spells |
|---|---|
| 2nd | earthen uppercut*, find familiar |
| 3rd | invisibility, wanyudo's fury* |
| 5th | haste, water wyrm* |
| 7th | compulsion, lion's roar* |
| 9th | dominate person, eruption* |
| 10th | animate objects |
*See Chapter 13 - Spells
Yokai Wild Shape
2nd-Level Circle of the Yokai Feature
Your circle’s connection to the realms allows you to assume more powerful, yokai forms. In addition to mundane Beasts, you can use your Wild Shape to transform into any Beast, Celestial, Construct, Fey, Fiend, Monstrosity, or Plant yokai with a CR up to the value in the Circle of the Yokai Wild Shapes table for your druid level. You do not gain access to the legendary actions of a creature you transform into.
In addition, while in any form using your Wild Shape, you retain more of your druidic power, granting the following benefits:
• You can speak as normal.
• You have advantage on Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration on a spell.
• You can cast spells present in the Circle of the Yokai Spells table or in your Wild Shape form’s statistics. When you cast a spell in this way, it doesn’t require material or somatic components, and you use your spell slots and druid spell save DC.
Circle of the Yokai Wild Shapes
| Druid Level | Max CR | Yokai* | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | 1/2 | Bakezori, Bancho-gama**, Betobeto-kun**, Betobeto-san**, Ko-inari**, Kodama Ponderling****, Nueko, Shumongani**** | No flying or swimming speed |
| 4th | 1 | Kamaitachi, Kasha, Kawawappa**, Narigama, Ushi-Oni Moultling | No flying speed |
| 8th | 2 | Anise Starshooter****, Futsu Kabuto****, Hone Karakasa, Kappa, Kodama Muser****, Stone Komainu, Tatsugoi**** | - |
| 12th | 3 | Animate Prcelain Doll****, Animate Robe****, Bitan****, Omukade Spawn, Ryume, Wanyudo | - |
| 16th | 4 | Animate Armor****, Eb'ishi, Hemlock Whipweed****, Jade Komainu, Kabuto Matriarch***, Kappa Tideweaver, Nue | - |
| 20th | 5 | Dodomeki, Kanibozu, Ushi-Oni | - |
*Yokai found in Chapter 14 unless otherwise stated
**Found in Chapter 11
***Found on page 18
****Found in Wrath of the Kaiju
Empowered Transformation
6th-Level Circle of the Yokai Feature
Your connection to the yokai allows you to channel their power when you draw upon your druidic spellcasting. Immediately after you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you can use your Wild Shape feature as a reaction. Once you use this reaction, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
In addition, while you are concentrating on a spell and transformed by your Wild Shape, your weapon attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Beckon the Yokai
10th-Level Circle of the Yokai Feature
You have the power to call upon the Fey yokai that inhabit objects. You can cast the animate objects spell as an action without using a spell slot or material components. When you cast the spell in this way, the effect lasts for the next 10 minutes, after which time the magic ends and the target returns to normal. Once you do so, you must finish a long rest before you can cast it in this way again.
Yokai Fortification
14th-Level Circle of the Yokai Feature
Your yokai forms overflow with magic, fortifying your connection to the spirit realm. If you drop to 0 hit points while transformed into a yokai with your Wild Shape, you can use your reaction to instantly use Wild Shape again (expending a use as normal), and any remaining damage carries over to your new form. Once you use this reaction, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
In addition, while transformed by your Wild Shape, if you use an action to cast a spell, you can use your bonus action on that turn to make one attack.