Circle of Howling Winds
Druid Subclass
These fell druids are the priests of Aerzeebn, the Elemental Air Tyrant, responsible for spreading the worship of the Shadow of the Four Winds, extending the reach of the insidious Cult of Howling Winds, increasing the Howling One's presence in the world.
Optional Class Features
Druids of this circle do not gain the Wild Companion optional feature, but they do gain the Cantrip Versatility optional feature.
Wild Shape
Your Wild Shape feature is modified, as follows. Starting at 2nd level, when using your Wild Shape feature you may only transform into air elementals. However, you ignore the Beast Shapes table entirely and can use your Wild Shape to transform into an air elemental with a challenge rating as high as your druid level divided by 2, rounded down.
Combat Wild Shape
When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you gain the ability to use Wild Shape on your turn as a bonus action, rather than as an action. Additionally, while you are transformed by Wild Shape, you can use a bonus action to expend one spell slot to regain 1d8 hit points per level of the spell slot expended.
Circle Spells
Your connection with the Elemental Plane of Air grants you access to the following circle spells at 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level. 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.
Some of the spells offered by this feature normally allow a caster the choice of one of the four elements when the spell as cast, but when cast by you air is automatically chosen. For instance, when you cast Summon Elemental it always summons an elemental air spirit.
Druid Level | Spells |
|---|---|
2 | Feather Fall, Zephyr Strike |
3 | Earthen Grasp, Spike Growth |
5 | Erupting Earth, Meld into Stone |
7 | Summon Elemental [Air], Stone Shape |
9 | Conjure Elemental [Air], Transmute Rock |
Elemental Strike
Starting at 6th level, you are able to invest yourself with primordial power when Wild Shaped. Your unarmed and natural weapon attacks while you are transformed by Wild Shape count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Elemental Transformation
Starting at 10th level, your connection to the primordial allows you to take on certain elemental attributes. You can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to partially transform yourself, retaining your normal form and abilities but temporarily manifesting elemental-like traits for a number of hours equal to half your druid level (rounded down). This is a Wild Shape transformation; thus other class features such as Archdruid, Combat Wild Shape, and Elemental Strike are applicable. While Wild Shaped in this way, you are considered to be an elemental creature in addition to your own normal creature type, and can be targeted by spells and abilities that affect elemental air creatures. However, your native plane remains the plane you were born on.
Your body becomes partially gaseous and has a whispy appearance, and your weight is no more than that of a feather. You gain the following benefits:
- You are immune to the stunned condition.
- You have resistance to lightning and thunder damage.
- You have proficiency with Dexterity saving throws.
- You have disadvantage on Constitution checks and saving throws.
- You have disadvantage on attack rolls, checks, and saving throws related to grappling.
- While you are not wearing any armor, your armor class equals 15 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
- If you do not have a flying speed as an intrinsic ability you gain a flying speed of 60 feet and you may hover. If you do have a flying speed as an intrinsic ability, your flying speed improves by 60 feet and you may hover (if you cannot already).
- While flying, you may Disengage or Dash as a bonus action.
- You can can move through a space as narrow as 1 foot wide without squeezing.
- You can spend 5 feet of movement to automatically escape from nonmagical restraints, such as manacles or a creature that has you grappled.
- Your biological processes are suspended; you don't need to eat, drink, breathe, or sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep.
Elemental Empowerment
Starting at 14th level, the Air Tyrant gifts you with sufficient authority to command the obedience of air elementals in his name. You may cast the spell Dominate Elemental without using a spell slot, and without need of a spellcasting focus or spell components, on any number of air elementals that you can see within range that have a combined challenge rating equal to or less than your total character level. Affected air elementals that are evil or neutral have disadvantage on their Wisdom saving throws against this spell when cast by you in this way. You may use this feature once per proficiency bonus per long rest.