Play Your Next 5E D&D Game as a Champion of the Wild

Over at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted get wild with another fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons character. When we were working on a video about what classes are best for an aasimar character we noticed their traits like Healing Hands and Radiant Soul would work while Wild Shaped. So we got the idea for this Champion of the Wild 5E D&D character as a divine guardian of nature ready to lay down the hurt on those that would despoil the land. Let’s get into it.

Behind the CBG — Champion of the Wild

Every CBG we create considers the journey as much as the final outcome. We aim to present a guide suitable for any level of 5E D&D play whether you’re pursuing an epic campaign from start to finish, starting beyond 1st level or choosing a character for a one shot. Then we take those concepts and develop an NPC or creature version of the character build for DMs to incorporate into their games. All of this gets packaged up and laid out in a PDF you can find over at Dungeon Master’s Guild. We’ve got dozens of pay what you want products at DMG, many of them best sellers so if you want to check those out start with the Champion of the Wild here.

All about the character story

Each CBG starts with a character concept sticking to a particular schtick, from the Mind Breaker’s psyche crushing smites to the Champion of the Wild’s elemental angelic beat downs. Sometimes puns and pop culture references instigate the creation of a CBG too. The Champion of the Wild might start out as a student of life but their interest in the flow of life takes a dark turn and they learn to manipulate that flow.

For us it’s important to consider who these characters are as individuals and why they follow these particular paths. One special thing to note with this CBG is while we always aim to make the journey to 20th level as practical as possible — none of these characters “come online” after an awkward slog through many levels — the Champion of the Wild lives up to the title by 10th level with a cherry on top by 12th level. Although this character remains effective the whole time including earlier levels the real treat comes at 16th level.

Primeval Guardian NPC for 5E D&D

Full disclosure — the NPCs and creatures we make in CBGs are some of my favorite bits of 5E D&D content to create. We step back and look at the character build to find the standout features that feel like signature abilities. The juice! From there we consider what sort of person or people would possess or gain these abilities and build a stat block around them. More often than not the section of a CBG For Dungeon Masters presents a generic creature.

Incorporating the concept of a lair for any 5E D&D creature creates terrific options and dynamic components. If this creature is a guardian it’s got to have something special to guard, right? Primeval guardians lair where the natural world is most threatened, acting as a bulwark against despoiling the land. Primeval guardians are equipped with very special protection and weapons by the druids that create it. Ironwood plate armor and shield are grown and made from special trees kept secret by druids, and the primeval guardian wields a stout shillelagh, letting the Wisdom of the natural world guide its strike.

Natural Law. A primeval guardian is created when the land itself cries out in anguish to the gods. A Circle of Druids cultivate a special plant that grows into a humanoid shape, imbued with divine and natural energies. When the plant blossoms, it is plucked from the vine and set to a task of guarding a particular area.

“Natural Retaliation. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the primeval guardian can take one lair action to awaken the land itself to batter at the primeval guardian’s enemies. The primeval guardian can target a single creature it can see within 90 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage.”

If your next 5E D&D game needs a character who is ready to combat any threat to nature — whether you’re the DM or a player — check out the Champion of the Wild Character Build Guide here.

*Featured image — The Green Knight is an epic medieval fantasy film based on the legend of King Arthur’s headstrong nephew Sir Gawain who embarks on a quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight, a gigantic tree-like creature.

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