Steel Renegade

Some druids scorn the usual taboos around metal and technology while still drawing upon nature magic. Scorned as heretics or even apostates by many other druids, they can nevertheless bring potent combinations of nature magic and technological advancement to bear.

Taboo Armaments

At 2nd level, when you select this archetype, you cast off the usual druidic taboos around the use of metal armor and technology. You gain proficiency with metal armor, metal shields, heavy armor, simple weapons, three martial weapons of your choice, and one rare ranged weapon.

Verdant Repair

Also at 2nd level, you can meld nature and technology to enact field repairs. You may repair gear, vehicles, and other objects by coaxing vines and other natural materials into temporarily reinforcing them. When making a repair would require you to make a tool check, you may instead take 10 minutes and roll using your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus against the repair DC as though you were using the appropriate tools. On a success, armor and weapons no longer have the Broken condition and a vehicle no longer suffers from any malfunctions and gains hit points equal to your result. These effects last for a number of hours equal to half your druid level (minimum 1).

This feature has no effect on objects that cannot be repaired with tools, such as bone weapons. Once you have used this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, you can’t do so again until you have finished a long rest.

Protective Defiance

Finally, at 2nd level you know some resent your breaking of the taboo against metal and have learned to compensate. You can use your reaction to gain an expertise die on saving throws against spells that target your metal weapons or armor (such as heat metal ) or would force you to roll at disadvantage on account of metal armor (such as Gabal’s conductive lightning bolt ).

Alternatively, you can use your reaction to add this expertise die to your AC if you are the target of a spell would have advantage on attacks against you on account of your metal armor (such as shocking grasp ). Once you have used this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, you can’t use it again until you have finished a long rest.

Alloyed Fangs

At 6th level, any natural weapons you have while in a wild shape gain a strange, metallic sheen. While in a wild shape, any attacks you make deal an additional 1d6 necrotic damage and your natural attacks count as magical.

Armored Beast

At 10th level, when you use your Wild Shape feature, you may choose to spend 1 additional use to have any metal armor you are wearing change shape along with your form. Your total armor class is calculated using the armor’s AC (minus any Dexterity bonus) + 1/4 your druid level instead of the usual 12. Any shield you are using does not count for the purposes of this feature. This effect persists for a number of minutes equal to your druid level, at which point you must spend another use of wild shape to retain your armor. Otherwise it merges with your form as usual.

Harvester

At 14th level, you learn to emulate the harsh machinery of civilization that cuts life down in its prime. When you hit with a metal melee weapon, you may spend a use of wild shape to deal an additional 3d8 points of necrotic damage to your target. Beasts, plants, fey, and creatures proficient with the Nature or Survival skills take an additional 1d8 points of necrotic damage from this ability.