The New DnD 2024 Circle of the Moon Druid (Subclass Deep Dive)

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Able to tap into powerful lunar magic to cast spells and transform into animal forms, the Circle of the Moon Druid has become one of the most popular subclasses when it comes to the DnD 5e Druid.

Now, the Circle of the Moon is back and ready to run wild again in the pages of the 2024 Player’s Handbook. The new version of these shape shifting magic users including a number of major revisions, including new uses of circle forms, enhanced access to spells, a new teleportation ability and a powerful new lunar form.

So is the Circle of the Moon Druid waxing or waning in the new DnD 2024 rules? Below, we shine a light on all the details.

What’s changed with the new 2024 Circle of the Moon Druid?

Below are all the changes to the 2024 Circle of the Moon Druid in DnD 5e. For ease of reference we’ve included the level of each feature and whether or not it’s changed from the 2014 legacy Circle of the Moon. It’s also worth noting that the new Wild Shape feature has been significantly overhauled from the 2014 version, which applies to all Druid subclasses, but is particularly impactful to the Circle of the Moon.

Circle of the Moon Druid Feature	Level	Changed from 2014?	Changes to the 2024 Circle of the Moon Druid
Subclass Access	3	Yes	One of the biggest changes in 2024 is that Druids now access their subclass at Level 3 (in the 2014 rules you accessed Druid subclasses at Level 2).
Circle Forms	3	Yes	In the 2024 rules you can Wild Shape into any creature with a Challenge Rating (CR) equal to 1/3 your Druid level (rounded down). Your Armor Class (AC) is also 13 + your Wisdom modifier (if higher than the animal form’s AC) and you gain a number of Temporary Hit Points (HP) equal to three times your Druid level. (In 2014 your Wild Shape was dictated by a table, which included only CR and did not include any increases to AC or temporary HP).
.Circle of the Moon Spells	3	Yes	This is a new 2024 feature (the 2014 Circle of the Moon Druid did not get access to any subclass-specific spells).
Improved Circle Forms	6	Yes	In the 2024 rules, your Wild Shape can now deal radiant damage and lets you add your Wisdom modifier to your Constitution saving throws. (In 2014, as part of the Circle Forms feature, at 6th level you could transform into a beast with a CR of 1/3 your current Druid level – rounded down).
Primal Strike	6	Yes	This 2014 feature has been removed. It previously allowed attacks in beast form to count as magical for the purposes of non-magical resistance/immunities.
Elemental Wild Shape	10	Yes	This 2014 feature has been removed. It previously allowed you to expend two uses of Wild Shape to transform into an air, earth, fire or water elemental.
Moonlight Step	10	Yes	This is a new feature of the 2024 Circle of the Moon Druid.
Thousand Forms	14	Yes	This 2014 feature has been removed. It previously allowed you to cast the Alter Self spell at will.
Lunar Form	14	Yes	This is a new feature of the 2024 Circle of the Moon Druid.

What are the Circle of the Moon Druid features for 2024 DnD 5e?

Below are the full list of all the features using the new 2024 core rules. You’re able to access these features only at Level 3 when you choose the subclass (notably this is a new universal rule that applies to all subclasses in the 2024 Player’s Handbook).

Level 3: Circle Forms

You can channel lunar magic when you assume a Wild Shape form, granting you the following benefits:

• Challenge Rating: The maximum Challenge Rating for the form equals your Druid level divided by 3 (round down).
• Armor Class: Until you leave the form, your AC equals 13 plus your Wisdom modifier if that total is higher than the Beast’s AC.
• Temporary Hit Points: You gain a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to three times your Druid level.

Level 3: Circle of the Moon Spells

When you reach a Druid level specified in the Circle of the Moon Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared. In addition, you can cast the spells from this feature while you’re in a Wild Shape form.

Druid Level	Prepared Spells
3	Cure Wounds, Moonbeam, Starry Wisp
5	Conjure Animals
7	Fount of Moonlight
9	Mass Cure Wounds

Level 6: Improved Circle Forms

While in a Wild Shape form, you gain the following benefits:

• Lunar Radiance: Each of your attacks in a Wild Shape form can deal its normal damage type or Radiant damage. You make this choice each time you hit with those attacks.
• Increased Toughness: You can add your Wisdom modifier to your Constitution saving throws.

Level 10: Moonlight Step

You magically transport yourself, reappearing amid a burst of moonlight. As a Bonus Action, you teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see, and you have Advantage on the next attack roll you make before the end of this turn. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest. You can also regain uses by expending a level 2+ spell slot for each use you want to restore (no action required).

Level 14: Lunar Form

The power of the moon suffuses you, granting you the following benefits.

• Improved Lunar Radiance: Once per turn, you can deal an extra 2d10 Radiant damage to a target you hit with a Wild Shape form’s attack.
• Shared Moonlight: Whenever you use Moonlight Step, you can also teleport one willing creature. That creature must be within 10 feet of you, and you teleport it to an unoccupied space you can see within 10 feet of your destination space.

Is the New 2024 Circle of the Moon Druid worth playing?

The updated Circle of the Moon remains a solid option for the new 2024 Druid and it’s definitely far more powerful than the 2014 variant. In particular, the new use of Wild Shape offers a lot more flexibilityin terms of the types of creatures youn can transform into and their durability and damage output in combat. The inclusion of new subclass spells, the Moonlight Step ability and the Lunar Form feature are also significant upgrades. If you’re looking for a Druid subclass that really taps into the full power of Wild Shape, then the Circle of the Moon has you covered.

You can find the complete rules for all the new Druid subclasses in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, which is available for pre-order now on D&D Beyond and Amazon.

Below is also a video from the official Dungeons & Dragons YouTube channel, with DnD lead designer Jeremy Crawford discussing the key changes to the Circle of the Moon.

More D&D Rules Coverage

For more from the world of Wizards of the Coast, visit our D&D Rules page.