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

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Drawing their magical abilities from the heavenly patterns of the night sky itself, the Circle of the Stars is one of the more unusual subclasses when it comes to the DnD 5e Druid. It’s also one of the newer subclasses, having first appeared back in 2020 in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything.

Now, these cosmic casters are back and shooting for the stars in the pages of the new 2024 Player’s Handbook. The updated version of the subclass, however, has seen only a few minor changes to the way they play, with all of their previous core features essentially left intact.

So does the Circle of the Stars Druid still shine in DnD 2024? Below, we map out all the astronomical details.

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

Below are all the changes to the 2024 Circle of the Stars 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 Stars.

Circle of the Stars Druid Feature	Level	Changed from 2020?	Changes to the 2024 Circle of the Stars 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).
Star Map	3	Yes	N/A
Starry Form	3	Yes	N/A
Cosmic Omen	6	Yes	In the 2024 rules, the number of times you can use this feature is equal to your Wisdom modifier (in the 2020 rules, the number of uses was equal to your proficiency bonus). All other 2024 functionality is exactly the same as the 2020 version.
Twinkling Constellations	10	No	N/A
Full of Stars	14	No	N/A

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

Below is 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: Star Map

You’ve created a star chart as part of your heavenly studies. It is a Tiny object, and you can use it as a Spellcasting Focus for your Druid spells. You determine its form by rolling on the Star Map table or by choosing one.

While holding the map, you have the Guidance and Guiding Bolt spells prepared, and you can cast Guiding Bolt without expending a spell slot. You can cast it in that way a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

If you lose the map, you can perform a 1-hour ceremony to magically create a replacement. This ceremony can be performed during a Short or Long Rest, and it destroys the previous map.

1d6	Map Form
1	A scroll bearing depictions of constellations
2	A stone tablet with fine holes drilled through it
3	An owlbear hide tooled with stellar symbols
4	A collection of maps bound in an ebony cover
5	A crystal engraved with starry patterns
6	A glass disk etched with constellations

Level 3: Starry Form

As a Bonus Action, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to take on a starry form rather than shape-shifting.

While in your starry form, you retain your game statistics, but your body becomes luminous, your joints glimmer like stars, and glowing lines connect them as on a star chart. This form sheds Bright Light in a 10-foot radius and Dim Light for an additional 10 feet. The form lasts for 10 minutes. It ends early if you dismiss it (no action required), have the Incapacitated condition, or use this feature again.

Whenever you assume your starry form, choose which of the following constellations glimmers on your body; your choice gives you certain benefits while in the form.

• Archer. A constellation of an archer appears on you. When you activate this form and as a Bonus Action on your subsequent turns while it lasts, you can make a ranged spell attack, hurling a luminous arrow that targets one creature within 60 feet of yourself. On a hit, the attack deals Radiant damage equal to 1d8 plus your Wisdom modifier.
• Chalice. A constellation of a life-giving goblet appears on you. Whenever you cast a spell using a spell slot that restores Hit Points to a creature, you or another creature within 30 feet of you can regain Hit Points equal to 1d8 plus your Wisdom modifier.
• Dragon. A constellation of a wise dragon appears on you. When you make an Intelligence or a Wisdom check or a Constitution saving throw to maintain Concentration, you can treat a roll of 9 or lower on the d20 as a 10.

Level 6: Cosmic Omen

Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can consult your Star Map for omens and roll a die. Until you finish your next Long Rest, you gain access to a special Reaction based on whether you rolled an even or an odd number on the die:

• Weal (Even). Whenever a creature you can see within 30 feet of you is about to make a D20 Test, you can take a Reaction to roll 1d6 and add the number rolled to the total.
• Woe (Odd). Whenever a creature you can see within 30 feet of you is about to make a D20 Test, you can take a Reaction to roll 1d6 and subtract the number rolled from the total.

You can use this Reaction a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Level 10: Twinkling Constellations

The constellations of your Starry Form improve. The 1d8 of the Archer and the Chalice becomes 2d8, and while the Dragon is active, you have a Fly Speed of 20 feet and can hover.

Moreover, at the start of each of your turns while in your Starry Form, you can change which constellation glimmers on your body.

Level 14: Full of Stars

While in your Starry Form, you become partially incorporeal, giving you Resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage.

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

Other than the substantive changes that have been made to the new 2024 Druid class as a whole, the Circle of the Stars subclass has remained virtually untouched from the previous 2020 version we saw in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. That being said, as a core subclass that’s now included in the 2024 PHB, it’s still a solid option and offers a unique blend of storytelling and mechanical elements. In other words, it’s still a stellar option for players looking for a Druid option that’s out of this world.

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 new Circle of the Stars Druid.

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