Circle of Crystals

Circle of Crystals druids first arose in subterranean environments, where they helped tend giant crystal gardens, but now they can be found most anywhere with access to underground caverns or geothermal activity. These druids view crystals as a naturally occurring form of order and perfection, and they value the crystals’ slow growth cycle, as it reminds them the natural world moves gradually but eternally.

This teaches young druids patience and assures elder druids their legacy will be carried on in each spire of crystal. As druids of this circle tend their crystals, they learn how to use the harmonic frequencies of different crystals to create a variety of effects, including storing magic.

Resonant Crystal

When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you learn to create a special crystal that can take on different harmonic frequencies and properties. It is a Tiny object and can serve as a spellcasting focus for your druid spells. As a bonus action, you can cause the crystal to shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. You can end the light as a bonus action. Whenever you finish a long rest, you can attune your crystal to one of the following harmonic frequencies.

The crystal can have only one harmonic frequency at a time, and you gain the listed benefit while you are wearing or carrying the crystal. The crystal retains the chosen frequency until you finish a long rest.

  • Clarity. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed.
  • Cleansing. You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage.
  • Focus. You have advantage on Constitution saving throws that you make to maintain concentration on a spell when you take damage.
  • Healing. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that restores hit points to a creature, the creature regains additional hit points equal to your proficiency bonus.
  • Vitality. Whenever you cast a spell of 1st level or higher using the resonant crystal as your focus, one creature of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you gains temporary hit points equal to twice your proficiency bonus. The temporary hit points last for 1 minute.

To create or replace a lost resonant crystal, you must perform a 1-hour ceremony. This ceremony can be performed during a short or long rest, and it destroys the previous crystal, if one existed. If a previous crystal had a harmonic frequency, the new crystal has that frequency, unless you create the new crystal during a long rest.

Crystalline Skin

Starting at 6th level, when you take damage, you can use a reaction to cause your skin to become crystalline until the end of your next turn. While your skin is crystalline, you have resistance to cold damage, radiant damage and bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks, including to the triggering damage if it is of the appropriate type. You choose the exact color and appearance of the crystalline skin.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Magical Resonance

At 10th level, you can draw on stored magical energy in your resonant crystal to restore some of your spent magic. While wearing or carrying the crystal, you can use a bonus action to recover one expended spell slot of 3rd level or lower. If you do so, you can’t benefit from the resonant crystal’s harmonic frequency for 1 minute.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Crystalline Form

At 14th level, as a bonus action while wearing or carrying your resonant crystal, you can expend one use of your Wild Shape feature to assume a crystalline form instead of transforming into a beast. You gain the following benefits while in this form:

  • You have resistance to cold damage, radiant damage, and bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.
  • You have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
  • Your resonant crystal pulses with power, providing you with the benefits of all five harmonic frequencies. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you can choose to activate only the Healing or Vitality harmonic frequencies or both.

If you activate both, you can choose two different targets or the same target.

This feature lasts 1 minute, or until you dismiss it as a bonus action.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Tome of Heroes ©2022 Open Design LLC; Authors: Celeste Conowitch, Jeff Lee, Sarah Madsen, Ben McFarland, Kelly Pawlik, Brian Suskind

This is not the complete license attribution - see the full license for this page