Circle of the Elements
After the Sundering, the surviving Druidic leaders convened to assess the new situation. While the Gods had disappeared, fundamental natural forces remained that could fill niches vacated by the vanished deities - Light and Dark seem to have become much more primal and dominant in the post-Sundering world, and the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water were forces to be respected even with the loss of the elemental planes. A new Circle of the Elements was therefore created, based on the existing Circle of the Land.
Religion and beliefs work more like the modern world, though people now know that there are no real deities to worship or answer their prayers anymore, and clerics cannot draw on divine power. However, elemental and natural forces can still be tapped, and those who respect and study them can draw upon that power. As a result the Circle of the Elements rapidly spread into mainstream society and has rapidly grown into a faith followed by people of all races - the Temple of the Light being the most popular by far among civilised cultures. Some people even anthropomorphise the elemental forces, though they admit that they are fickle and distant at best.
Elemental Speciality
When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you must immediately pick a speciality element from Light, Dark, Earth, Air, Fire, or Water. You will not be able to change this later.
Bonus Cantrip
When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you learn one additional druid cantrip that must be based on your elemental speciality. Choose one cantrip from the appropriate list below. These are also available to Elemental Druids when choosing cantrips at higher levels, though only the cantrips marked with * are available at level 1. Cantrips marked with (EE) are from the Elemental Evil Players Companion:
Elemental Cantrips (choose one)
| Elemental Speciality | Cantrips |
|---|---|
| Light | light, dancing lights, sacred flame |
| Dark | chill touch, spare the dying, extinguish light (see below) |
| Earth | resistance*, magic stone (EE), mold earth (EE) |
| Air | shocking grasp, gust (EE), thunderclap (EE) |
| Fire | produce flame*, create bonfire (EE), control flames (EE) |
| Water | ray of frost, shape water (EE), frostbite (EE) |
Extinguish Light
Transmutation Cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 ft
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
All non-magical light sources (no greater than torches, lanterns or candles) within a 20 ft radius of a targeted point within range are immediately extinguished. This cantrip does not affect magical light sources or Light spells, or any light source more powerful than a torch. The darkness is non-magical - Blindsight, Darkvision and Truesight can see through it as normal - and the light sources can be re-activated straight away (though being plunged into darkness may make them hard to locate!).
Elemental Recovery
Starting at 2nd level, you can regain some of your magical energy by sitting in meditation and communing with the elements. During a short rest, you choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than half your druid level (rounded up), and none of the slots can be 6th level or higher. You cannot use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Circle Spells
Your mystical connection to the elements infuse you with the ability to cast certain spells. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to circle spells connected to the element that you specialise in. Consult the list of spells associated with that element on the next page.
Once you gain access to a circle spell, 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.
Light
| Druid Level | Circle Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Aid, Prayer of Healing |
| 5th | Daylight, Revivify |
| 7th | Death Ward, Mass Healing Word |
| 9th | Raise Dead, Hallow |
Dark
| Druid Level | Circle Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Darkness, Blindness/Deafness |
| 5th | Hunger of Hadar, Speak With Dead |
| 7th | Blight, Evard's Black Tentacles |
| 9th | Anti-Life Shell, Unhallow |
Earth
| Druid Level | Circle Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Hold Person, Spike Growth |
| 5th | Meld into Stone, Erupting Earth (EE) |
| 7th | Stoneshape, Stoneskin |
| 9th | Passwall, Transmute Rock (EE) |
Air
| Druid Level | Circle Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Levitate, Warding Wind (EE) |
| 5th | Lightning Bolt, Haste |
| 7th | Freedom of Movement , Storm Sphere (EE) |
| 9th | Cloudkill, Control Winds (EE) |
Fire
| Druid Level | Circle Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Continual Flame, Pyrotechnics (EE) |
| 5th | Fireball, Protection from Energy |
| 7th | Fire Shield, Wall of Fire |
| 9th | Immolation, Flame Strike |
Water
| Druid Level | Circle Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Misty Step, Snilloc’s snowball swarm (EE) |
| 5th | Water breathing, Water Walk |
| 7th | Control Water, Ice Storm |
| 9th | Cone of Cold, Maelstrom (EE) |
Elemental Stride
Starting at 6th level, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement, and your swimming, crawling and climbing speeds are equal to your walking speed.
You also have advantage on saving throws against magical or non-magical elemental effects that can impede your movement.
Elemental Wild Shape
At 10th level, you can expend two uses of Wild Shape at the same time to transform into a light, dark, air, earth, fire, or water elemental (limited to your speciality). Note that light and dark elementals are have not been seen in nature - the druid becomes a personification of the element itself.
Light Elemental Form
As Fire Elemental, with the following changes:
- Damage Resistances Add Force to Resistances.
- Damage Vulnerabilities Necrotic.
- Damage Immunities Radiant, Fire, Poison.
- Abilities As Fire Elemental, except that initial damage caused is Radiant (not Fire), but objects can still catch fire and take Fire damage. Remove "Water Susceptibilty".
Dark Elemental Form
As Water Elemental, with the following changes:
- Damage Resistances Add Force to Resistances.
- Damage Vulnerabilities Radiant.
- Damage Immunities Necrotic, Cold, Poison.
- Abilities Remove "Freeze".
Actions
Damage from Slam is Necrotic. Replace "Whelm" with "Enshroud", which has the same mechanics but does Necrotic damage instead of bludgeoning. Grappled creatures are still able to breathe (unlike in Whelm).
Elemental Resistance
At 14th level, you are immune to poison and disease, and are resistant to all damage of a type determined by your speciality. This resistance is present in all your forms, and supersedes any prior vulnerabilities (i.e. at 14th level your Light Elemental Form is no longer vulnerable to Necrotic, and is resistant to it instead):
Resistance
| Elemental Speciality | Resistance |
|---|---|
| Light | Necrotic |
| Dark | Radiant |
| Earth | Bludgeoning |
| Air | Lightning |
| Fire | Fire |
| Water | Cold |
Credits
v1.0 by Constantine Thomas, 10/9/17
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