Circle of Stars Druid: Wise Children of the Powerful Cosmos
The Circle of Stars druid in 5e seeks to understand the secrets of the night sky and share their knowledge with those around them. They draw power from the stars and constellations, and use this power to guide them on their adventures. This druid archetype is perfect for those who want to take the versatility of druids to the next level and look to the cosmos for guidance and inspiration.
In this article, we will take a closer look at what it means to be a Circle of Stars druid in 5e, as well as some of the abilities they gain access to.
In this guide, we cover:
- What is the Circle of Stars druid in 5e?
- What sets the Circle of Stars druid in 5e apart from other archetypes?
- Abilities and features for the Circle of Stars druid in 5e
- Is the Circle of Stars druid good?
What is the Circle of Stars druid in 5e?
Circle of Stars druids rely on the power of starlight to navigate the Forgotten Realms, support their friends and allies, and vanquish their enemies. They have studied the night skies for countless generations, and know the secrets hidden in the constellations. Circle of Stars druids use this knowledge to tap into the power of the cosmos itself.
They construct magnificent megalithic sites in order to record this knowledge and pass it down to subsequent generations. Circle of Stars druids are responsible for stone circles, massive pyramids, intricate petroglyphs, and complex underground temples found throughout the Forgotten Realms. Like the Ancient Egyptians of our time, they recognize the resilience of stone structures. People come and go, but stone lasts.
What sets the Circle of Stars druid in 5e apart from other archetypes?
The Circle of Stars druid is arguably the most versatile druid archetype. And that says something because druids are already considered to be one of the most versatile classes in Dungeons and Dragons.
The lack of specialization has its downsides. But if your party experiences a TPK because one character wasn’t specialized enough, your party has more important things to worry about.
Thanks to the Circle of Stars druid ability, starry form, your druid can assume a ranged combat role or a supportive healing role. And out of combat, it allows you to excel in your druid proficiencies.
Abilities and Features for the Circle of Stars Druid in 5e
Circle of Stars Druid Features & Abilities
- 3rd Level—Star Map, Starry Form
- 9th Level—Superior Mobility
- 13th Level—Ambush Master
- 17th Level—Sudden Strike
Star Map (2nd Level)
Your studies and observations of the stars reward you with the ability to create a map of the stars on command. The map is considered a Tiny object and you can use the map as a spellcasting focus.
The map itself grants you the following benefits when it’s in your hand:
- You know the guidance cantrip.
- You have the guiding bolt spell prepared. It counts as a druid spell for you, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can have prepared.
- You can cast guiding bolt without expending a spell slot. You can do so a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
You can perform a 1-hour ceremony during a long or short rest to magically create a replacement for the map. This is useful if you leave the map at your mom’s house or in the back of a carriage. Plus, the newly conjured map destroys the old map so there’s no fear of it permanently falling into the hands of your arch-rival.
Determine what form the map takes by rolling a d6 on the table below, or just choose one:
Star Map (d6)
1—A scroll covered with depictions of constellations
2—A stone tablet with fine holes drilled through it
3—A speckled owlbear hide, tooled with raised marks
4—A collection of maps bound in an ebony cover
5—A crystal that projects starry patterns when placed before a light
6—Glass disks that depict constellations
This is a great first ability from flavor, roleplaying, and combat perspectives. The Star Map ability instantly sets the Circle of Stars druid apart from other subclasses by carrying around a cool map of the stars. Use rests to observe the night sky and incorporate some aspects of astronomy or astrology into your roleplaying.
In addition, the guidance spell provides flavor and roleplaying. Work with your DM to incorporate the stars and astral bodies into how the spell guides your party.
And then when it comes to battle, you get a free guiding bolt spell that doesn’t count against your existing spell slots! And the number of times you can use it increases with your proficiency bonus.
Starry Form (2nd Level)
Use your Wild Shape feature to take on a starry form instead of a beast form. And instead of a standard action, Starry Form only requires a bonus action to use.
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), are incapacitated, die, or use this feature again.
But that’s not all, folks! When you transform into your Starry Form you can choose a constellation that appears on your body and each constellation grants different benefits.
Archer
A constellation that looks like an archer appears on your body when you activate this form.
Spend your bonus action to make a ranged spell attack to shoot a luminous arrow at one creature within 60 feet. The arrow deals radiant damage equal to 1d8 + your Wisdom modifier.
A free ranged spell attack as a bonus action?! Yes, please.
Chalice
Activate this form and a constellation that looks like a chalice appears on your body.
Expend a spell slot to cast a spell on a creature that restores hit points, and you or another creature within 30 feet of you can regain hit points equal to 1d8 + your Wisdom modifier.
This is obviously a great feature if you want to focus on healing in a battle. Especially if a party member falls unconscious and you still need to heal the tank absorbing the frontline damage.
Dragon
Activate this form and a constellation that looks like a dragon appears on your body.
If you need to make Intelligence and Wisdom checks, you can treat a roll of 9 or lower on the d20 as a 10. This is perfect for situations where you need to make a life-saving Medicine check, navigate through the wilderness with a Nature or Survival check, or a simple Perception check. Having a floor of 10 on d20 checks is powerful stuff.
And on top of that, this applies the same minimum to any Constitution saving throw in case you need to maintain a concentration spell. And since many druid spells require concentration, this is a strong feature.
Cosmic Omen (6th Level)
The Cosmic Omen ability allows you to check your Star Map for omens that affect the world around you. You can check your Star Map for omens at the end of a long rest.
Until you complete the next long rest, you gain a reaction based on the d6 you roll. If you roll an even number, it is called a Weal. And if you roll an odd number, it is called a Woe.
Weal (even). Whenever a creature you can see within 30 feet of you is about to make an attack roll, a saving throw, or an ability check, you can use your reaction to roll a d6 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 an attack roll, a saving throw, or an ability check, you can use your reaction to roll a d6 and subtract the number rolled from the total.
The number of times you can use Cosmic Omen in between long rests is equal to your proficiency bonus.
Twinkling Constellations (10th Level)
Twinkling Constellations improves your Starry Form ability.
For the Archer, you roll 2d8 for damage instead of 1d8. And for the Chalice, you roll 2d8 for healing instead of 1d8.
And while you maintain the Dragon form, you gain a flying speed of 20 and you can hover.
Lastly, as long as Starry Form is active, you can shift from one constellation to the next at the beginning of each turn.
Full of Stars (14th Level)
Your Starry Form now makes you partially incorporeal which grants you resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
Who wouldn’t want free damage resistance?
Is Circle of Stars druid good?
The Circle of Stars druid is a great choice from roleplaying, flavor, and combat perspectives. The Starry Form ability amplifies the druid’s versatility in battle by allowing you to do more ranged damage or buff your healing spells or increase your chances of passing a Constitution saving throw to maintain a concentration spell. Plus you get free spells in addition to your druid spell list that don’t require a spell slot.
The abilities grant you plenty of roleplaying opportunities with how you interact with players, NPC’s, and the world around you. Use Star Map and Cosmic Omen to your advantage to make the game more interesting for everyone. Be the guide who leads your party under the night sky. Perform the Cosmic Omen rituals during every long rest when your fellow adventurers can sit with you in awe of your connection with the infiniteness of the cosmos.
Your Circle of Stars druid might feel overpowered in the beginning, but that’s ok because nothing lasts forever. Twinkling Constellations helps to scale your damage and healing spell potential in Starry Form. And Full of Stars grants you some additional damage resistance, but by the time your 14th level, the dangerous enemies likely won’t be restricted to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
Final Thoughts on the Circle of Stars Druid in 5e
The Circle of Stars druid is a strong archetype in 5e. It’s great for combat and roleplaying, and it provides a lot of flavor for your character. You get plenty of cool abilities that allow you to assume different roles in your party depending on what’s needed
Do you play a Circle of Stars druid? If so, how has it been working out for you? What would you change about it? Let me know in the comments below!
