The Circle of the Sea Druid is the sea witch you’ve been waiting for. This brand new subclass in the 2024 Player’s Handbook sets a course for previously uncharted waters and creates a Druid that unleashes the very fury of the ocean itself. No longer must you stand upon the coast and wonder what it might be like to tame the tides. Prepare to embrace your inner Prospero or Ursula with the Circle of the Sea.

Let’s take a look at what lurks beneath the waves of this new subclass!

• Circle of the Sea Spells — Level 3
• Wrath of the Sea — Level 3
• Aquatic Affinity — Level 6
• Stormborn — Level 10
• Oceanic Gift — Level 14

Wild Shapes Gone Wild

Like other Druid subclasses, Wild Shape is the driving force of the Circle of Sea’s primary feature, Wrath of the Sea. Druid players should rejoice because Wild Shape has seen a huge boost in accessibility in the 2024 Player’s Handbook. One example of this is that starting at level 5 Wild Resurgence allows you to expend a spell slot to gain a usage of Wild Shape if you have no uses of Wild Shape left. This can be done without requiring an action on each of your turns. You can also expend one use of Wild Shape to give yourself a level 1 spell slot, but you can only do this once per Long Rest.

So regardless of your subclass, you have the option of choosing to focus on spellcasting or Wild Shape features. If your character build is focused around Wild Shape, your Wild Shape pool is effectively equal to your number of spell slots.

Circle of the Sea Druid Features

Artist: Riccardo Moscatello

The Circle of the Sea Druid’s always-prepared spells allow you to harness powerful elemental magic with spells like Lightning Bolt and Ice Storm. Plus, you can focus your Wild Shape energy to create a storm around yourself, allowing you to deal Cold damage and fling enemies away from you. Your Circle of the Sea Druid unleashes a tempestuous Emanation that makes you a force to be reckoned with on the decks of a ship, under the tides, or even soaring in the stormy air.

Circle of the Sea Spells — Level 3

The following spells are always prepared for your Circle of the Sea Druid once you reach the specified Druid level in the Circle of the Sea Spells table.

While many of these nature-based spells are already on the Druid spell list, these will now be always prepared, meaning you can more easily tailor your daily spell choices to what you think you'll encounter on your adventures.

It's also worthwhile to point out that the spell list has three potent damage options not normally on the Druid list, Lightning Bolt, Ray of Frost and Shatter, which represent their ability to summon the electrifying power of storms, channel cold from the depths of the sea, and harness the booming force of ocean waves. They also get Hold Monster at level 9, allowing them to catch their foes in the merciless grip of the tides while they drown them in their impressive offensive arsenal.

Wrath of the Sea — Level 3

As a Bonus Action, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape to channel the fury of the sea itself. This manifests as an Emanation that extends 5 feet around you in the form of ocean spray. This Emanation lasts for 10 minutes unless you dismiss it early, manifest it again, or have the Incapacitated condition.

So what does this Emanation do? When you manifest it, and as a Bonus Action on future turns while it remains active, you can choose a target within the spray. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take Cold damage. The damage is determined by a number of d6s equal to your Wisdom modifier, with a minimum of one die in case you’ve decided to dump your spellcasting ability for some reason.

If the creature you targeted is Large or smaller, the force of this self-centered storm also pushes it up to 15 feet away from you if it fails its Constitution save. This means you can either avoid Opportunity Attack risks by pushing enemies away and moving somewhere safer or, in full-fledged sea battles, even have a chance to push foes off the deck of a ship into the murky depths.

What is an Emanation?

Emanation is a new area of effect descriptor in the 2024 core rules. An Emanation extends in straight lines in all directions from a creature or object. The creature or object is not included in the effect unless the creator of the effect chooses to include it. The Emanation moves along with the creature or object at its origin for the duration of the effect. So for your Wrath of the Sea, the Emanation will move with you for 10 minutes, since you’re the Emanation’s point of origin. (When you get Oceanic Gift at level 14, you can choose another creature to be the Emanation’s point of origin—or another creature plus yourself, in which case each of the two Emanations follows its point of origin.)

Melee-Focused Ability

The range of this Emanation at this level is only 5 feet, so you’ll have to get up close and personal for it to be effective. This means the Circle of the Sea Druid is best optimized with features that focus on melee range, so consider leaning into a higher AC by prioritizing Dexterity and maximizing your Hit Points with a high Constitution modifier or through feats like Tough. You may also want to opt for the Primal Order feature’s Warden benefit at level 1 to give your Druid training with Medium armor and proficiency with Martial weapons.

The Push is Optional

It’s also worth noting that Wrath of the Sea lets you push Large or smaller creatures “up to” 15 feet. If you’re looking to lay the beatdown on a specific creature, you can choose to push them 0 feet in order to keep them close and within the area of effect of your Wrath of the Sea.

If you do want to go this route and lean into keeping your enemies close so you can deal extra damage each round, consider taking the Sentinel feat when you hit level 4 or a later level that offers General feats. With Sentinel, if a creature tries to Disengage and move out of your swirling splash zone, you can still take an Opportunity Attack against them and reduce their Speed to 0 if you hit.

Aquatic Affinity — Level 6

You’re truly being welcomed as an emissary of the depth. The area of effect for your Wrath of the Sea Emanation is extended to 10 feet, allowing you a little bit more leeway in your movement than at earlier levels. In addition, you gain a Swim Speed equal to your Speed.

The extension to your Emanation can come in handy in combat with multiple enemies because it allows you to have a chance to strike at an opponent without moving into melee range with another nearby enemy and risk Opportunity Attacks.

Sea Witch

Since Wrath of the Sea is activated as a Bonus Action, you can take your regular action to perform an Attack or Magic action and then still deal damage with your Wrath of the Sea Emanation. The 10-foot radius to your Emanation means being able to utilize your Wrath of the Sea while also staying at a more useful spellcasting range.

Wrath of the Sea does not require Concentration. Your Emanation only ends if you dismiss it, manifest it again, or have the Incapacitated condition. So, when you get Aquatic Affinity at level 6, you could maintain your Wrath of the Sea and have the Call Lightning spell active. This would allow you to drop bolts down on your enemies every turn by using a Magic action, then, as your Bonus Action, slap a nearby enemy with some Cold damage without moving into melee range with them, plus knock them another 15 feet away. It’s like the magical version of whipping a perfectly rolled wet towel at any who would dare approach you.

Elemental Affinity

Taking the Elemental Adept feat and choosing Cold, Lightning, or Thunder damage will pair well with the always-prepared spells you gain with your Circle of the Sea Druid, because you can ignore Resistance to the damage type you chose as well as consider any 1 on the damage die as a 2. Unfortunately, this doesn't apply to your Wrath of the Sea Bonus Action, but that won't matter much once you fry your foes with a Lightning Bolt or freeze them with an Ice Storm.

Take a Dip

Druids in the 2024 Player's Handbook no longer have a level restriction on Beast forms with Swim Speeds. But this isn't quite the same as having a native Swim Speed in your regular form. When combined with the Water Breathing spell (which you have always prepared and is available as a Ritual), Circle of the Sea Druids can traverse the murky depths as easily as a Reef Shark and still have access to all their usual features.

The biggest upside here is you can cast spells in your regular form, whereas you can't in Beast form. Hop in, the water's warm!

Stormborn — Level 10

The tempest is your ally! Starting at level 10, when your Wrath of the Sea is active, you gain a Fly Speed and Resistance to Cold, Lightning, and Thunder damage!

This further adds to your Druid’s tanking abilities and can help you navigate the battlefield to go where damage needs dealing. A simple pickup of the Speedy feat not only boosts your Speed but gives Opportunity Attacks against you Disadvantage, allowing you to soar about the battlefield with ease.

It also really adds to the dramatic ambiance that oozes from this subclass. Imagine your Druid being lifted up on a torrent of air as waves crash and lightning crackles from your fingertips. A force of nature indeed.

Oceanic Gift — Level 14

You’ve connected so much with the primordial fury of the sea that now you can share your Wrath of the Sea with others. Instead of having yourself be the origin point of the Emanation, you can select a willing creature within 60 feet to gain the benefits instead. This creature still uses your spell save DC and Wisdom modifier for the Cold damage.

Don’t feel left out, though! If you choose to expend two uses of Wild Shape instead of one when manifesting your Wrath of the Sea, you can have it manifest around both yourself and the other creature.

Give the Gift of Nature

Oceanic Gift really opens up the possibilities of Wrath of the Sea. You can choose to remain the eye of a living storm and reap all the benefits we’ve discussed so far. Or you could bestow those benefits to another frontline warrior in your party, like a Barbarian or Fighter, which means they’d get to use their respective attacks and then potentially fling enemies away when they’re done. They also gain the Fly Speed and Resistances from your Stormborn feature, making them even more formidable.

At the same time, you can also choose to have your own Wrath of the Sea activated. This lets you hang back and focus on spellcasting, rush into the fray in your regular Druid form, or even expend another use of your Wild Shape to transform into a Beast form.

The Bounty of the Sea

The 2024 Player’s Handbook is now available on the D&D Beyond marketplace, which means it's time to set out on new adventures with fresh or familiar characters!

The 2024 Druid sees a variety of new combat options and quality-of-life changes. Now you can fuel your Druidic powers with your spell slots or tap into unique Druidic powers for each subclass. Druids have gazed at the stars, drawn power from the land, and roared with the might of primal creatures. Now, finally, Druids not content to simply wade along the shore can unleash the primordial power of the ocean itself.

We’re delighted to share with you the changes to fifth edition D&D that appear in the 2024 Player’s Handbook. Make sure to keep an eye out on D&D Beyond for more useful guides on using the wealth of new options, rules, and mechanics found in the 2024 Player's Handbook!

Riley Silverman (@rileyjsilverman) is a contributing writer to D&D Beyond, Nerdist, and SYFY Wire. She DMs the Theros-set Dice Ex Machina for the Saving Throw Show, and has been a player on the Wizards of the Coast-sponsored The Broken Pact. Riley also played as Braga in the official tabletop adaptation of the Rat Queens comic for HyperRPG, and currently plays as The Doctor on the Doctor Who RPG podcast The Game of Rassilon. She currently lives in Los Angeles.