Circle of the Animals

Druids of the Circle of the Animals regard every creature as part of a living covenant. They learn to read animal needs, steady a frightened herd, and fight beside the creatures they protect. Their greatest exemplar is Noah himself: the legendary keeper who sheltered animals through a world-changing flood. In play, this circle is a support-oriented druid that strengthens nearby allies and makes Wild Shape useful to a whole group, rather than focusing on personal transformation alone.

Druid subclass · D&D 5E (2024)

Circle of the Animals

A keeper of every creature beneath the open sky.

Support, battlefield control, and animal-themed summoning

At a glance

Level

Proficiency

bonus at this level

Hit die d8

Primary

Wisdom

Constitution

Subclass of Druid

Features

4 at 3, 6, 10, 14

Level 3, reached
Ark's Covenant
You always have Animal Friendship and Speak with Animals prepared. They count as Druid spells for you, and they don't count against the number of spells you can prepare. When you expend a use of Wild Shape, choose yourself or one willing creature you can see within 30 feet. The chosen creature gains Temporary Hit Points equal to your Druid level plus your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). These Temporary Hit Points last until the end of your next Long Rest or until depleted.
Level 6
Shared Instinct
When a creature you can see within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll against a target you can see, you can take a Reaction to give that roll Advantage. You can use this Reaction a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest. You can use this feature only if you or the target is a Beast, or if you are in a Wild Shape form.
Level 10
Keeper's Menagerie
You always have Summon Beast prepared. It counts as a Druid spell for you and doesn't count against the number of spells you can prepare. When you cast it, you can choose a Beast that resembles an animal you have personally encountered; this changes only its appearance, not its statistics. In addition, the summoned Beast gains Temporary Hit Points equal to your Druid level when it appears.
Level 14
The Great Refuge
When you roll Initiative and have no uses of Wild Shape remaining, you regain one use. Also, when you expend a use of Wild Shape, choose up to a number of willing creatures you can see within 30 feet equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of one). Each chosen creature can immediately move up to 10 feet without provoking Opportunity Attacks. A creature must end this movement in a space it can occupy.

Core traits

Hit die

Primary

Wisdom

Constitution

Hit pointsAs Druid: d8 Hit Die per Druid level.

Saving throwsAs Druid. The subclass adds no saving throw proficiencies.

TrainingAs Druid; this subclass grants no additional proficiencies or tools.

ResourceWild Shape uses, as determined by the Druid class; Shared Instinct also has a limited number of uses based on your Wisdom modifier.

MulticlassingUse the 2024 multiclassing rules for Druid. The subclass grants no additional ability-score prerequisites or proficiencies. Its features use Wild Shape and Wisdom, so they work best with meaningful Druid progression.

Spells and options

How it casts

You use the Druid's spellcasting and Wild Shape features.

1st-level spells

2nd-level spells

3rd- through 5th-level spells

6th- through 7th-level spells

Playing one

What it is

Druids of the Circle of the Animals regard every creature as part of a living covenant.

How to play one

You are a durable, adaptable support druid.

Make one

Personality: I notice the needs of animals before I notice the comfort of people.
Ideal: Stewardship: The strong should make room for the vulnerable to survive.
Bond: I promised to protect a particular species whose habitat is disappearing.
Flaw: I struggle to accept that some animals are dangerous even when they are behaving naturally.
Quirk: You pause to identify every bird call, even during urgent conversations.

In the world

Training

An initiate usually begins by tending injured wildlife, learning animal behavior, and studying the needs of creatures that share a region.

How others see them

Rural communities often welcome these druids as healers of livestock and guides through dangerous country.

Famous practitioners

Circle of the AnimalsNoah, Keeper of the Ark
Remembered as the circle's greatest druid, Noah gathered creatures of every kind and carried them through the Great Flood.
Circle of the AnimalsSella Reedward
A patient field naturalist who founded a chain of sanctuaries along the migratory routes of threatened beasts.
Circle of the AnimalsTovan Ashpaw
A former poacher who now leads dangerous animals away from settlements and teaches restraint to the fearful.

Factions

The Open Ark
A network of caretakers who shelter injured, displaced, and endangered animals, then return them to suitable habitats.
The Many Tracks
Traveling druids who observe migration routes, settle conflicts between settlements and wildlife, and carry news between sanctuaries.
The Keepers of the Boundary
A stern fellowship that protects dangerous beasts from extermination while insisting that nearby communities be kept safe.

Regions

The Broadwater Reaches
Floodplains and deltas, where seasonal waters make animal refuges and migration knowledge essential.
The Green Marches
Forests and grasslands crossed by large herds, where druids mediate between wildlife and expanding settlements.
The Far Shoals
Isolated islands where threatened species survive and the circle's sanctuaries are welcomed but closely guarded.

Character hooks

You inherited a collection of animal-care journals said to have belonged to Noah, and their final pages are blank.

You were raised by a traveling sanctuary that rescues creatures displaced by war, flood, and fire.

You are searching for the last breeding pair of a rare animal before a spreading blight reaches them.

A village blames you for a migrating herd that trampled its fields, though you believe something drove the animals from their home.

You joined an expedition to escort endangered beasts to a refuge, and the refuge may not be safe.

You once refused to save a predator because it was dangerous. You have spent years trying to understand that choice.

Features

Ark's Covenant

Shared Instinct

Keeper's Menagerie

The Great Refuge

Core traits

Spells and options

How it casts

Playing one

What it is

How to play one

Make one

Personality

Ideals

Bonds

Flaws

Quirks

In the world

Training

How others see them

Famous practitioners

Factions

The Open Ark

The Many Tracks

The Keepers of the Boundary

Regions

The Broadwater Reaches

The Green Marches

The Far Shoals

Character hooks

Media

Turn Circle of the Animals into a sheet

Features

Ark's Covenant

Shared Instinct

Keeper's Menagerie

The Great Refuge

Core traits

Spells and options

How it casts

Playing one

What it is

How to play one

Make one

Personality

Ideals

Bonds

Flaws

Quirks

In the world

Training

How others see them

Famous practitioners

Factions

The Open Ark

The Many Tracks

The Keepers of the Boundary

Regions

The Broadwater Reaches

The Green Marches

The Far Shoals

Character hooks

Media

Turn Circle of the Animals into a sheet