Circle of the Sand & Sun - Aetherion

The desert is often seen as being depleted of life, lacking the resources necessary to support those that call it home, but the druids of this circle view the expanse in a far different light. They have spent years under the blazing sun, examining the sand, the dry air, and the light that reflects over the horizon, creating illusions that often lead ill-prepared travelers astray. It is those of this circle that have harnessed the arcane properties derived from the desert heat, creating life where there once wasn't any. They've learned to bend the sand to their will and gain strength from the sun; the desert is an invaluable resource to the druids of this circle.

Create Sand

You learn the Mold Earth Cantrip. This cantrip allows the alteration of different forms of sand, as well as stone and dirt. It can also be used to create sand from any stone and/or dirt within range.

Sun Eater

You gain resistance to fire damage and are immune to exhaustion effects caused by exposure to heat. Additionally, you are unaffected by difficult terrain caused by sand.

Circle Spells

Your connection to the desert infuses you with the ability to cast certain spells. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level, you gain access to circle spells that connect you to the sands of the desert. 

Circle of Sand and Sun Spells

Sand Shield

Starting at 6th lvl, when you or an ally within 30 ft is targeted by an attack, the druid can use their reaction to give the target a bonus to their AC equal to your wisdom mod until the end of your next turn.

If the damage of the attack they are targeted by is fire damage, the druid can absorb an amount of fire damage equal to half of their druid level, whether the attack roll hits or not. This amount of fire damage absorbed is given to the druid as temporary hit points.

This ability can be used a number of times equal to your wisdom modifier per long rest.

Selective Sandstorm

Starting at 10th level, as an action, you create isolated sandstorms around the heads of all hostile creatures in a 30ft radius. Targets must pass a Wisdom saving throw or suffer disadvantage on all attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) rolls for 1 minute.

You can use this feature once per long rest.

Quicksand

When you reach 14th level, as an action, you create a swirling pool of quicksand beneath your feet that spreads out in a 30 ft circle with you as the epicenter. This counts as a concentration effect, and therefore, other spell effects cannot be concentrated on while this is active. However, you have advantage on concentration checks to maintain this ability.

This ability progresses and becomes more difficult and deadly as time goes on.

After creating the quicksand, this terrain is considered difficult for all creatures except for the druid. At the beginning of the druid's next turn, every creature, other than the druid, remaining in the quicksand must make a dexterity saving throw or be considered grappled. 

On the third and final turn for this ability, every creature, other than the druid, remaining in the quicksand must make a dexterity saving throw or be pulled 15 ft toward the center of the quicksand, and be submerged from the waste down and be considered restrained. The creature can make an athletics check as an action on its turn against the druid's spell save DC to attempt to free itself.

The druid can use this feature once per long rest