Circle of Tides

The tide, like the long journey of life, has its highs and its lows. Druids within the Circle of Tides live by this creed. They understand the balance of the world and how water demonstrates this balance best of all. Water can be as gentle as a calming rain, or as deadly as a hurricane. This ancient order of druids works tirelessly to maintain this sacred balance within nature, and their influence can be seen within the furthest reaches of the world.

Circle Spells

2nd-level Circle of Tides feature

The power of the open seas and twisting rivers lives in your very soul and grants you access to certain spells. At 2nd level, you learn the shape water cantrip.

At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to the spells listed for that level in the Circle of Tides 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.

Circle of Tides Spells

Druid Level	Spells
2nd	shape water
3rd	create or destroy water, misty step
5th	tidal wave, wall of water
7th	black tentacles, watery sphere
9th	cone of cold, maelstrom

Whirlpool

Beginning at 2nd level when you enter the Circle of Tides, you are gifted with the ferocious power of water. As an action, you can engulf yourself in a violent twisting vortex of water. This whirlpool extends outward 15 feet from you in all directions, and it moves with you. Any exposed flames in the area of the whirlpool are immediately doused.

When you create this whirlpool, you gain 3 temporary hit points for each druid level you have. If you are partially or fully submerged in water, you instead gain 5 temporary hit points per druid level. The whirlpool lasts for 10 minutes, you dismiss it as a bonus action, or you lose all temporary hit points, whichever comes first.

For the duration the whirlpool is active, whenever you hit a creature that is within its area with a spell or weapon attack, that creature must make a Strength saving throw against your spell casting DC. On a fail, the creature is grappled and unable to breathe unless it can breathe underwater. A creature can use an action on their turn to make the save again.

Grappling this way does not require a free hand and you can have a maximum number of creatures grappled at a time equal to your Proficiency bonus. Grappled creatures are pulled along with you as your whirlpool moves with you. You may activate your whirlpool a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus per long rest.

Gift of Tides

Starting at 3rd level, your influence over the forces of water now extends to the rapid currents. As a bonus action, you may consume a charge of your Wildshape to grant yourself and a number of other creatures you can see within 30 feet the following:

• A bonus 60 feet swim speed.
• The ability to breathe underwater.
• A bonus 60 feet dark vision.

These benefits last a number of hours equal to half of your druid level.

Turbulent Waters

The tides are not always gentle. At times they can tear flesh from bone. Starting at 6th level, you pull from this more violent side to thrash your enemies. As a bonus action, you may deal force damage to a creature you have grappled equal to 1d4 + your Proficiency bonus. Creatures grappled by you also take this damage at the end of their turn. Hostile creatures within the area of your whirlpool now treat that area as difficult terrain.

Soothing Waters

While the tides churn around your enemies, their gentle touch heals the wounds of your allies. Starting at 10th level, as an action, you may restore a number of hit points equal to 1d8 + your Proficiency bonus to a creature within the area of your whirlpool. If you heal a creature this way, you also gain that many temporary hit points. If you already have temporary hit points, you may add this amount to the existing pool.

Born of the Tides

Starting at 14th level, your deep connection to the tides grants you the ability to become one of its great champions. You can now wildshape into any beast that has a swim speed up to a CR level equal to half of your druid level. You retain all benefits of your whirlpool while transformed this way.