Circle of the Depths

Druids who follow the Circle of the Depths derive their powers from the deepest reaches of the ocean floor. This extreme environment poses unique challenges to its dwellers, from navigating in utter darkness to the crushing pressures of the sea. As such, precious little is known about what – or who – might be waiting for the right moment to emerge.

Circle Spells

When you join this circle at 2nd level, you have formed a bond with a dweller of the depths, allowing you to channel their magics. Your link with this creature grants you access to some spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Circle of the Depths Spells table.

Once you gain access to one of these spells, 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.

(For legal reasons, Hadar's spells and Dissonant Whispers can't be added to this homebrew. Add them yourself, replace them with appropriate spells, or use the "DNDBeyond Won't Let Me Use Illegal Spell Lists" feat.)

Circle Spells

Druid Level	Spells
2nd	arms of Hadar, dissonant whispers
3rd	darkness, darkvision
5th	hunger of hadar, water breathing
7th	black tentacles, compulsion
9th	dominate person, telepathic bond

Anglerlight

As an action, you can expend a use of your Wild shape to create an ethereal lantern above yourself. It shines with an eerie light, shedding bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. The light can be colored as you like. Completely covering the lantern with something opaque blocks the light.

This light pierces magical darkness, but you can choose whether or not an object within its radius is illuminated by it.

When you summon your Anglerlight, you can force creatures of your choice that can see the bright light to make a Wisdom saving throw. Creatures make this saving throw with advantage if they are hostile to you.

Creatures that fail this save are charmed, and as a bonus action you can direct a charmed creature within its light to use its action to move towards yourself on its turn. A charmed creature will not move through obviously dangerous terrain, and repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. The effect ends on a charmed creature if it takes damage or is no longer within the light at the end of its turn.

Plegian Darkness

As an action, you can subject an area in a 20 foot radius within 60 feet to the crushing pressure of the abyss for 1 minute, or until you end the effect as a bonus action. This area counts as difficult terrain. Creatures moving into this area or ending their turn within it are forced to make a Constitution saving throw. Creatures that fail this save take 3d6 bludgeoning damage and are blinded until the start of their next turn. Creatures that succeed on this save take half as much damage and are not blinded.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

Deepwater Denizen

Your body adapts much like the denizens of the depths have evolved to suit their environment. You gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed, and can breathe underwater. In addition, you gain resistance to cold damage, as well as immunity to the pressure and salinity of the deep ocean.

Blinding Faith

The allure of your light drowns out other sensations, leaving targets vulnerable to attack. Any hit scored against a creature that is charmed by your Anglerlight is a critical hit.

Black Smoker

The magma vents of the ocean’s deepest reaches grant unimaginable power to those able to withstand it. Creatures that fail their saving throw against your Plegian Darkness also take 3d6 fire damage, which cannot be resisted by being underwater. In addition, submerged creatures have disadvantage on their saving throws against your Anglerlight and Plegian Darkness.