Circle of the Sea Druid Subclass for DnD 5e (First Look)
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It’s been a big year for Dungeons & Dragons, with the fifth edition of the game getting a significant rules refresh with the new 2024 Player’s Handbook. Many of the updates are focused on new features for existing DnD 5e classes. At the same time, Wizards of the Coast has also launched three brand new subclasses: The College of Dance for Bards, the Path of the World Tree for Barbarians and the Circle of the Sea for Druids.
This latter subclass marks a major new thematic option for DnD 5e Druids, letting players tap into the power of the sea itself to provide protection, damage enemies, traverse the waves and access new spells.
So just what watery secrets lurk beneath the Circle of the Sea? Below, we get wet and wild and do a dive deep into this new Druid subclass.
What is the Circle of the Sea Druid Subclass?
The Circle of the Sea is a new subclass officially introduced in the 2024 Player’s Handbook that allows the new 2024 Druids to access a variety of abilities themed around the ocean, storms and water. This is a bit of a departure from the traditional Druidic classes that tend to be focused more on wilderness and land-based magic.
First introduced in Unearthed Arcana Players Handbook Playtest 6 (released in June 2023), the Circle of the Sea subclass has been essentially unchanged since the One D&D playtest, with only a few minot tweaks to how they function.
In the official 2024 PHB rules, the subclass’ description is as follows:
Druids of the Circle of the Sea draw on the tempestuous natural forces of the world’s oceans and storms. Some view themselves as embodiments of nature’s wrath, seeking vengeance against those who despoil the natural world. Others seek mystical unity with nature by attuning themselves to the ebb and flow of the tides, following the rush of currents and waves, and listening to the inscrutable whispers and roars of the winds.
As with the other three official Druid subclasses featured in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, characters are able to access the Circle of the Druid when they reach 3rd level.
What Features do Circle of the Sea Druids get?
Druids who follow the Circle of the Sea are able to utilize a range of abilities that allow them to release powerful magical energy infused with the elemental aspect of the sea. Additionally, it offersDruids the ability to move more effectively underwater in both their standard and Wild Shape forms.
Druids are able to access this new subclass’ features at Level 3, 6 and 14 as follows:
Level 3: Circle Spells
Your connection to this circle ensures that you always have certain spells ready. When you reach a Druid level specified in the Circle of the Sea Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.
Circle of the Sea Spells
| Druid Level | Prepared Spells |
| 3rd | Fog Cloud, Gust of Wind, Ray of Frost, Shatter, Thunderwave |
| 5th | Sleet Storm, Lightning Bolt |
| 7th | Control Water, Ice Storm |
| 9th | Conjure Elemental, Hold Monster |
Level 3: Wrath of the Sea
As a Bonus Action, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape to manifest an aura that takes the form of ocean spray that surrounds you. The aura lasts for 10 minutes. It ends early if you have the Incapacitated condition, dismiss it (no action required), or manifest the aura again. At the end of each of your turns, you can choose another creature you can see within 10 feet of yourself. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your Spell Save DC or take Thunder damage and, if the creature is Large or smaller, be pushed up to 15 feet away from you. To determine this damage, roll a number of d6s equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of one die).
Level 7: Aquatic Affinity
You always have the Water Breathing spell prepared. In addition, you gain a Swim Speed equal to your Speed. If you use Wild Shape to assume a form that lacks a Swim Speed, that form gains your Swim Speed.
Level 10: Stormborn
Your Wrath of the Sea confers two more benefits while active:
Flight: You gain a Fly Speed equal to your Speed.
Resistance: You have resistance to Cold, Lighting and Thunder damage.
Level 14: Oceanic Gift
Whenever you use Wrath of the Sea, you can manifest the aura around one willing creature within 60 feet of you rather than manifesting it around yourself. The creature gains all the benefits of the aura and uses your Spell Save DC and Wisdom modifier for it. In addition, you can manifest the aura around both the other creature and yourself if you expend two uses of your Wild Shape, instead of one, when manifesting the aura
Is the Circle of the Sea Druid subclass worth playing?
The Circle of the Sea subclass offers a unique blend of offensive and defensive capabilities, not to mention the ability to actually be able to swim and move beneath the waves for long periods of time. In many ways, it’s surprising that Wizards of the Coast hasn’t released this type of Druid in the past, given that the ocean is such a major element of DnD. It could be a great option for campaigns with a more nautical theme or for larger adventures that take place in underwater settings. As with the other new classes, however, it remains to be seen just how the larger DnD 5e community will react to this new build.
You can find the Circle of the Sea Druid subclass in the new 2024 Player’s Handbook, which is available for pre-order now on D&D Beyond and Amazon.
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Cameron Nichols is a Senior Editor who lives in Boston, Massachusetts, and has been playing D&D since the early 90s, when he was introduced by his older brother and cut his teeth on AD&D 2nd Edition. Since then he’s played virtually every RPG he could get his nerdy little mitts on (including a weird Goth phase in the early 2000s when he rocked Vampire: The Masquerade pretty hard). His favorite D&D campaign setting is the Forgotten Realms and his favorite character to play was a Half-Orc Barbarian named Grug (who was unfortunately devoured by a gelatinous cube).
