D&D Subclass Contest V: Five Stars

[Evil the Cat]

Druid: Circle of the Stars

I made the original version of this a while ago on my private wiki. I wanted to have a druid circle based somewhat off of historical druids who use a strange blend of astrology and astronomy to power their magic. I don't think I borrowed ideas from anyone else for this, but the original was created long enough ago that I'm not 100% certain.

Circle of the Stars
Druids of the Circle of the Stars look to the heavens for guidance. Their order builds great stone monuments to track the movements of the stars over years or even generations. They gather at these monuments at certain times of year to hold ceremonies, exchange knowledge, and feel the influence of the stars in their lives.

These druids design calendars that span generations, use the stars to predict the future, and always seek to increase their understanding of the universe they live in.

Bonus Proficiencies
When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you gain proficiency in Astronomer's tools, Astrologer's tools, and Navigator's tools.

Ceremonial Magic
When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you are able to use your understanding of the stars to write a book of rituals. You can add any druid spells that can be cast as rituals to this book with no cost. You also can add rituals to this book from any class, in much the same way a wizard adds spells to their book. You can automatically add Augury to your ritual book at level 4, and Divination at level 8, if you have not already done so.

While you have your book, you can cast any druid ritual spell in the book as a ritual, even if it is not currently prepared. You can perform any ritual in your book while outside at night and able to see at least one star.

You can also add star coordinates to your ritual book. Doing so requires spending a full night outside studying the stars in the area (weather conditions can extend the time it takes to record the coordinates). You double your proficiency bonus when using navigator's tools to head towards any location for which you have recorded the star coordinates. You can also learn star coordinates from other Circle of the Stars Druids.

You ritual book is unreadable by anyone who is not also a member of the Circle of Stars.

Circle Spells
Your mystical connection to the stars infuses you with the ability to cast certain spells, based on the time of year. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to circle spells listed at the current time of year. On the solstices and equinoxes, you gain access to the spells for both seasons.

While you have 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 Spells
Spring
3rd Goodberry, Lesser Restoration
5th Plant Growth
7th Storm Sphere
9th Greater Restoration

Summer
3rd Burning Hands, Flaming Sphere
5th Daylight
7th Sickening Radiance
9th Hallow

Autumn
3rd Feather Fall, Silence
5th Slow
7th Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum
9th Dream

Winter
3rd Ray of Sickness, Snilloc's Snowball Swarm
5th Sleet Storm
7th Blight
9th Cone of Cold

The Four Houses
When you reach 6th level, you are able to enhance the influence on the four houses on yourself. When you first reach 6th level, you are in the House of the Earth.

House of the Earth: The House of the Earth is tied to the land itself. While you are in the House of the Earth, you have a stronger connection the the ground beneath your feet. Your land speed increases by 10 feet and you gain tremorsense with a range of 30 feet. Once you complete a long rest, you enter the House of the Sun.

House of the Sun: The House of the Sun is tied to life. While you're in the House of the Sun, all spells you cast that heal hit points heal double the normal amount. Additionally, natural animals will not be hostile to you without outside influence or provocation. Once you complete a long rest, you enter the House of the Stars.

House of the Stars: The House of the Stars is tied to change and the future. While you are in the House of Stars, you can apply advantage or disadvantage to a roll made by yourself, or a creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You can apply each once per short rest. Once you complete a long rest, you enter the House of the Moon.

House of the Moon: The house of the moon is tied to thoughts and the mind. While in the House of the Moon, you apply double your proficiency bonus to insight checks, even if you are not normally proficient. As an action, you can also apply a bout of temporary insanity to a creature. They must succeed at a wisdom save (DC equal to your Druid spell DC) or immediately attack a creature within their reach (chosen randomly). If there are no creatures within their reach, they seek to harm themselves. They make an attack roll against themselves exactly as they would for any other target. You can use this ability once per short rest. Once you complete a long rest, you enter the House of the Earth.

Star Sigils
Once you reach 10th level, you learn to carve specialized Star sigils. These sigils can be carved into anything solid enough to hold the shape (stone, bone, and wood are common). You can store a spell you currently have prepared within the sigil. Activating these spells requires you to have the sigil in hand, but otherwise it casts as normal. You can have a total number of spell levels stored equal to your druid level, and no spell can be above 5th level. Carving a sigil takes 10 minutes per spell level to be stored, and you must provide any costly material components when storing the spell. The sigils last until used or destroyed. If you attempt to create a sigil that would go over your spell level limit, power will be lost from enough older sigils you have created (of your choice) to avoid going over your maximum.

Star Traveler
At 14th level, you learn to use the light of the stars to travel. At night you can use a ritual to cast a special kind of teleportation circle. Your ritual creates a temporary circle both where you cast the spell, and at any destination to which you have the star coordinates. The circle must appear on a solid surface. If there is no such surface at the destination, the ritual fails. Any creature or object that enters either circle is teleported to the other one. If the destination has not yet reached nightfall, you do not arrive at that location until that location reaches sunset. The portal lasts until sunrise at the location where the ritual was cast, at which time both ends of the portal close. If someone is still in transit in the portal when it closes, they will still arrive at the destination upon sunset. This cannot be made permanent.