Circle of Frost

"The Children of Winter venerate the forces of death."                PHB p. 69

Druids of the Circle of Frost come from the Frozenfar, the Spine of the World mountains, and places like Icewind Dale. They are reclusive and protective, only occasionally venturing out into the wider world of the South. 

Their spells articulate the climate they call home and they shy away from living things in favor of the power of cold so biting that it brings life to a dead stop.

Also part and parcel of this Circle is the preservation of beings who fall to the elements or in battle and their reanimation. Necromancy is not frowned upon in the bitter North where life is too scarce a commodity to be wasted on natural death. 

Druids of the Circle of Frost are an odd bunch amongst their kind. The North is an unforgiving place where you often fight or die. Where you must kill or starve. These druids in their white fur capes and polar bear skull headdresses aren't afraid to wear metal armor or wield metal for killing. If it's you or the environment, do you simply let the environment win? Not if you're of the North. Not if you're of the ice. 

Bonus Cantrips

Starting at 3rd level, Circle of Frost druids gain the following cantrips to be used at will: Chill Touch, Frostbite, Ice Knife, and Ray of Frost.

Arctic Wild Shape

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your action to magically assume the shape of a beast native to the icy North that you have seen before. You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

A Circle of Frost druid can only assume the shape of a creature suited for frozen climes, i. e. winter wolf, snow leopard, polar bear, or snowy owl. 

See PHB pp. 66-7 for more information on Wild Shape. 

Bonus Proficiencies

Druids of the Circle of Frost have no compunction about using metal or wearing metal. It may be inorganic but it's still of the land. And in the cold northern mountains, trees are much more rare than metal.

Therefore, you gain proficiency with medium armor and shields made of metal as well as with martial weapons that have a wooden or leather element to them, i. e. a wooden haft on a spear, a wood and leather grip on a sword. 

Circle of Frost Spells

Your mystical connection to the land imbues you with the ability to cast certain spells. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to circle spells connected to the frozen lands of the North. 

Once you gain access to a circle spell, 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.

CIRCLE OF FROST

Druid Level         Circle Spells

       3rd          False Life, Fog Cloud

5th          Misty Step, Shatter

7th          Animate Dead, Sleet Storm

9th          Ice Storm, Cone of Cold 

Cold Resistance

You gain resistance to natural and magical cold damage

Whiteout

Once per long or short rest, you can create a 60 ft. diameter globe of biting cold, wind, and whiteout conditions that lasts for 1 minute or until you elect to end it. The globe can be placed with an epicenter up to 120 ft. away from you.

Any creature caught in the area of effect has their movement speed reduced to 20 until they can escape the effect. They also can't see more than what's in a 5 ft. radius of them. While in the globe, they take 6d6 cold damage per round unless they make a CON saving throw. On a successful roll, the creature takes half damage. 

Life Siphon

Starting at 6th level, you gain the ability to get temporary hit points when you kill a creature in battle. When this happens, you receive temporary hit points equal to half the creature's maximum hit points rounded down. These hit points last until they are reduced by damage taken or until you take a long or short rest. You can exercise this option if you get the killing blow on a creature and not if you don't. 

Speak with Dead

Starting at 10th level, you can cast the Speak with Dead spell at will. This doesn't count as a known spell or use a spell slot. 

Ice Tempest

Starting at 10th level, you can create two temporary, magical swords of ice and gain the ability to dual wield them.

The blades look like longswords and, for one minute, give you the dual wielder feat, two-weapon fighting style, allow two attacks per round, and do an additional 2d8 cold damage on a successful hit.

You can use this ability a number of times equal to your WIS modifier per long rest. The blades are treated as +2 magical weapons. 

Freezing Sphere

Starting at 14th level, you can cast Freezing Sphere once per long rest. 

Create Undead

Starting at 10th level, you gain the ability to cast the Create Undead spell once per day. 

Cold Immunity

Starting at level 14, you have immunity to natural and magical cold damage.