Circle of Garnet (5e Subclass)

Circle of Garnet

Druid Subclass

The Circle of Garnet is a druidic order that specializes in the magic and stewardship of minerals and gems. Members of this circle see themselves as guardians of the earth's subterranean treasures and wield the unique energies of stones both as a source of magical power and a tool for environmental protection. Their connection with the earth runs deep, granting them abilities to manipulate stone, soil, and mineral elements, and to harness the mystical properties of gems for healing, enhancement, and defense.

Circle Spells

When you join this circle at 2nd level, your link with the earth grants you access to some spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Circle of Garnet 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 Garnet Spells

Level	Spells
2nd	crystal shard, mineral armor
3rd	gemstone aura, crystallize
5th	gemstone sentinel, mineralize weapon
7th	gemstone phalanx, crystalline sanctuary
9th	ruby firewall, diamond dust maelstrom

Gem Affinity

When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you gain the ability to harness and manipulate the energies of gems and minerals, gaining unique benefits and magical abilities tied to specific types of stones.

• Gem Identification and Resonance : You gain proficiency with the Investigation or Nature skill (your choice), reflecting your specialized knowledge in identifying and understanding the properties of minerals and gems. Additionally, you can use your action to touch a stone or gem and determine its properties and any magical abilities it possesses.
• Gemstone Magic : You learn to imbue small gems with magical energy. You can perform a 10-minute ritual on a gem worth at least 10 gp, infusing it with one of the following spells: Cure Wounds, Shield, Magic Missile, or Detect Magic. You can use an action to activate the gem, which then casts the stored spell at its lowest level. Once used, the gem becomes a mundane stone. You can have a number of infused gems equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of one), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
• Mineral Empathy : You gain the ability to communicate in a basic manner with the spirits of stone and earth within a range of 60 feet. This communication is limited to emotions and simple, gestural responses, allowing you to sense if a terrain is stable, if there are disturbances (natural or otherwise) underfoot, or if precious minerals are nearby.

Stone Shape

At 6th level, druids of the Circle of Garnet gain the ability to manipulate and shape stone and minerals with remarkable precision, reflecting their deep connection to the earth's subterranean energies.

• Stonecraft Mastery : You gain proficiency with artisan's tools related to stonework, such as masonry tools or jeweler's tools. Additionally, you can create simple objects made of stone or metal without the need for materials, provided the object is no larger than a 5-foot cube and its components are readily available in the environment (such as rocks, pebbles, or small metal deposits).
• Stone Sculpting : You can spend 1 minute touching a stone or mineral surface to shape it into a crude form or simple structure. This could include creating steps, handholds, or cover in natural rock formations, or fashioning basic tools or weapons from mineral deposits. The created objects are temporary and last for 1 hour before reverting to their natural state.
• Earth's Embrace : As an action, you can merge partially with the earth itself, gaining resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks while standing on natural, unworked stone or earth. This resistance lasts for 1 minute or until you use your action to end it. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Gemstone Resilience

At 10th level, druids of the Circle of Garnet further attune themselves to the mystical properties of gems and minerals, enhancing their resilience and granting them protection against harm.

• Gemstone Infusion : You can spend 10 minutes performing a ritual to infuse your body with the essence of a gemstone. Choose one type of gemstone (such as ruby, sapphire, or emerald) to infuse yourself with. While infused, you gain resistance to one type of damage associated with the chosen gemstone (fire for ruby, cold for sapphire, poison for emerald, etc.). This resistance lasts for 1 hour and can be used a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses of this feature when you finish a long rest.
• Gemstone Warding : As a reaction when you are hit by an attack or targeted by a harmful spell, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to encase yourself in a protective layer of mineral energy. Until the start of your next turn, you gain resistance to all damage types and advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
• Stone's Endurance : You gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws. Additionally, while you are not incapacitated, you can use your reaction to gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks until the end of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Gems of War

At 14th level, druids of the Circle of Garnet unlock the pinnacle of their bond with gemstones and minerals, allowing them to choose between two distinct paths: Crystalline Form or Gemstone Mastery. Each path represents a different way of embodying their connection to the earth’s treasures.

Crystalline Form

When you choose this path, you enhance your Wild Shape ability to transform into elemental forms associated with minerals and gems :

• Elemental Wild Shape : You can use your Wild Shape to transform into a gemstone elemental. These elemental forms have special abilities related to their mineral composition, such as a ruby elemental’s ability to manipulate fire or a diamond elemental’s enhanced durability and reflective properties.
• Enhanced Elemental Resilience : While in an elemental form, you gain immunity to poison and disease, resistance to physical attacks (bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks), and a special trait based on the gemstone elemental form (e.g., fire resistance for a ruby elemental, cold resistance for a sapphire elemental).

Gemstone Mastery

Choosing this path enhances your connection to specific types of gemstones, granting unique abilities based on the gemstone you are attuned to :

• Master of Gems : You can attune to up to three gemstones at a time, gaining specific abilities related to each gemstone.
• Gemstone Adaptation : When attuned to a gemstone, you can change its associated ability during a short or long rest, reflecting your deepening understanding and flexibility in using gemstone energies.

Ruby

Fiery Burst : Once per long rest, you can cast fireball as a 3rd-level spell without expending a spell slot. Additionally, you gain resistance to fire damage.

Sapphire

Chilling Veil : You can cast cone of cold once per long rest as a 5th-level spell without expending a spell slot. Additionally, you gain resistance to cold damage.

Emerald

Nature's Stealth : You can cast pass without trace at will, without expending a spell slot, enhancing your ability to move unseen through natural environments. Additionally, you gain the ability to communicate with plants as if under the effect of the speak with plants spell, usable once per long rest.

Diamond

Diamond Skin : Once per long rest, when you take damage that would reduce you to 0 hit points, you can instead choose to be reduced to 1 hit point. Furthermore, any time you use this ability, you gain temporary hit points equal to 1d12 + your Druid level.

Amethyst

Psychic Shield : You can cast mind spike as a 2nd-level spell once per long rest without expending a spell slot. Additionally, you gain resistance to psychic damage and advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.

Topaz

Electric Arc : Once per long rest, you can cast lightning bolt as a 3rd-level spell without expending a spell slot. Additionally, you gain resistance to lightning damage.

Onyx

Shadow Cloak : You can cast invisibility on yourself at will, without expending a spell slot, lasting up to 1 hour but ending if you attack, cast another spell, or take damage. Additionally, once per long rest, you can extend this invisibility to an area effect similar to invisibility sphere for up to 10 minutes.

Opal

Radiant Burst : Once per long rest, you can cast daylight without expending a spell slot. Additionally, you can cast guiding bolt as a 2nd-level spell once per long rest without expending a spell slot.

Gemstone Elemental (CR 3)

• Size/Type : Medium Elemental
• Alignment : Neutral
• Armor Class : 16 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points : 68 (8d8 + 32)
• Speed : 30 ft., burrow 15 ft.

Str 16 (+3) Dex 12 (+1) Con 18 (+4) Int 6 (-2) Wis 11 (+0) Cha 7 (-2)

• Damage Resistances : Damage resistance varies by type (ruby: fire, sapphire: cold, emerald: poison, diamond: force)
• Damage Immunities : Poison
• Condition Immunities : Exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
• Senses : Darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft., passive Perception 10
• Languages : Terran
• Challenge : 3 (700 XP)

Abilities

• Earth Glide : The elemental can burrow through nonmagical, unworked earth and stone. While doing so, the elemental doesn't disturb the material it moves through.
• Gemstone Magic (Varies by Type) : Each gemstone elemental can use one of the following abilities (1/day) :

• Ruby : Burning Hands (as a 3rd-level spell)
• Sapphire : Ice Knife (as a 3rd-level spell)
• Emerald : Entangle (area becomes difficult terrain with thorny, poisonous vines)
• Diamond : Shield (automatically cast when first hit in combat)

Actions

• Multiattack : The elemental makes two slam attacks.
• Slam : Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
• Gem Burst (Recharge 5-6) : The elemental releases a burst of gem energy in a 20-foot radius centered on itself. Each creature in the area must make a DC 15 saving throw, appropriate to the elemental's gem type (Ruby : Dexterity, Sapphire : Constitution, Emerald : Constitution, Diamond : Wisdom), taking 18 (4d8) damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The type of damage corresponds to the elemental's gem type (Ruby : Fire, Sapphire : Cold, Emerald : Poison, Diamond : Psychic).