Circle of Winter

A druid subclass based on an affinity for cold, ice, and winter.

Embrace Winter

2nd-level Circle of Winter feature

You are a creature of the Winter, and as such, you can embrace Winter's cold and wrap it about yourself. As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Wild Shape feature to summon a supernatural cold about you, rather than assuming a beast form. Winter manifests as a supernatural feeling of cold that fills the area around you for 30 feet and forms a layer of rime on nearby surfaces. This area moves with you, centered on you and penetrates nonmagical obstacles such as doors and walls. While you are Embracing Winter, it creates the following effects:

• Nonmagical liquids that are not carried or worn within 10 feet of you freeze. You and creatures within 10 feet of you may use this effect to safely walk on water that has no current. If you cease to be within 10 feet of any liquid that is frozen by this feature, that liquid melts at the end of your next turn.
• Whenever a creature you can see enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn in the area, you may use your reaction to wrap them in Winter's Grasp. The creature must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On failure, the creature takes cold damage equal to 1d6 plus your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) and falls prone.

Winter's Embrace lasts for 10 minutes, until you dismiss it with an action, until you Embrace Winter again, or until you die.

Circle Spells

You have formed a bond with the Winter and an affinity for working its magic. Your link with Winter grants you access to spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Circle of Winter 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 Winter Spells

Druid Level	Spells
2nd	sleep, fog cloud
3rd	silence, gust of wind
5th	slow, gaseous form
7th	ice storm, fire shield
9th	cone of cold, antilife shell

Heart of Ice

6th-level Circle of Winter feature

As a student of Winter, you have reached into the Winter for power. In turn, the Winter has reached into you. You gain resistance to cold damage, you are unaffected by temperatures as low as -50°F, and you ignore difficult terrain caused by ice, snow, and precipitation.

Winter Rime

10th-level Circle of Winter feature

When you spend a wild shape to Embrace Winter, a protective rime forms around you and your allies. You may choose a number of creatures equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) within 30 feet of you. Each chosen creature gains a number of temporary hit points equal to half your level in this class.

Additionally, the damage of Winter's Grasp increases to 2d6 plus your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1).

Warden of Glaciers

14th-level Circle of Winter feature

You learn the Wall of Ice spell, and you may cast it without spending a spell slot. You may cast it in this way twice, and you regain both uses when you complete a long rest. The spell is always prepared for you, and it does not count against the number of spells you can prepare.