Druid
Druids revere nature above all, gaining their spells and other magical powers either from the force of nature itself or from a nature deity. Many Druids pursue a mystic spirituality of transcendent union with nature rather than devotion to a divine entity, while others serve gods of wild nature, animals, or elemental forces. The ancient druidic traditions are sometimes called the Old Faith, in contrast to the worship of gods in temples and shrines.
Druid spells are oriented toward nature and animals—the power of tooth and claw, of sun and moon, of fire and storm. Druids also gain the ability to take on animal forms, and some Druids make a particular study of this practice, even to the point where they prefer animal form to their natural form. For Druids, nature exists in a precarious balance. The four elements that make up a world—air, earth, fire, and water—must remain in equilibrium. If one element were to gain power over the others, the world could be destroyed, drawn into one of the elemental planes and broken apart into its component elements. Thus, druids oppose cults of Elemental Evil and others who promote one element to the exclusion of others.
Druids are also concerned with the delicate ecological balance that sustains plant and animal life, and the need for people to live in harmony with nature, not in opposition to it. Druids accept that which is cruel in nature, and they hate that which is unnatural, including aberrations (such as beholders and mind flayers) and undead (such as zombies and vampires). Druids sometimes lead raids against such creatures, especially when the monsters encroach on the Druids’ territory. Druids are often found guarding sacred sites or watching over regions of unspoiled nature. But when a significant danger arises, threatening nature’s balance or the lands they protect, Druids take on a more active role in combating the threat, as adventurers.
Quick Build
You can make a Druid quickly by following these suggestions. First, WIS should be your highest ability score, followed by CON. Second, choose the Hermit Background.
Class Features
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1D8 per Druid level
At 1st level: 8 + Your CON Modifier
At higher levels: 1D8 or 5 if lower than 5, + CON Modifier
Proficiencies
- Armor
- Light Armor, Medium Armor, Shields
- Weapons
- Clubs, Daggers, Darts, Javelins, Maces, Quarterstaffs, Scimitars, Sickles, Slings, Spears
- Tools
- Herbalism Kit
- Saving Throws
- INT, WIS
- Skills
- Choose two from: Arcana, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, Survival
- Spellcasting
- WIS
Starting Equipment
- 1. (a) a wooden shield or (b) any simple weapon
- 2. (a) a scimitar or (b) any simple melee weapon
- 3. Leather armor, an explorer’s pack, and a druidic focus
Druid Table
| Level | Cantrips Known | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | - | ||||||||
| 2nd | 2 | 3 | - | |||||||
| 3rd | 2 | 4 | 2 | - | ||||||
| 4th | 3 | 4 | 3 | - | ||||||
| 5th | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | |||||
| 6th | 3 | 4 | 3 | - | ||||||
| 7th | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | - | |||||
| 8th | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | |||||
| 9th | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | - | |||||
| 10th | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | ||||||
| 11th | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | |||||
| 12th | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | |||||
| 13th | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | |||||
| 14th | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | |||||
| 15th | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | |||||
| 16th | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | |||||
| 17th | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||||
| 18th | 4 | 3 | 1 | |||||||
| 19th | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||||
| 20th | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Level | Uses | Known Forms | Max CR | Fly Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4 | 1/4 | No | |
| 4 | 3 | 6 | 1/2 | No |
| 8 | 3 | 8 | 1 | Yes |
| 10 | 4 | 8 | 1 | Yes |
| Level | Wild Shape Uses | Wild Companion Options | CR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Bat, Cat, Crab, Frog, Hawk, Lizard, Octopus, Owl, Quipper, Rat, Raven, Sea Horse, Spider, Weasel | 0 | |
| 6 | 3 | Blood Hawk, Flying Snake, Giant Crab, Giant Rat, Giant Weasel, Poisonous Snake | 1/8 |
| 17 | 4 | Axe Beak, Boar, Constrictor Snake, Elk, Giant Badger, Giant Bat, Giant Centipede, Giant Frog, Giant Lizard, Giant Owl, Giant Poisonous Snake, Giant Wolf Spider, Panther, Wolf | 1/4 |
Class Features
Spellcasting
WIS is your spellcasting ability for your Druid spells. Your magic comes from your connection to nature. You use your WIS whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your WIS modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Druid spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your WIS modifier
Spell attack modifier = your Proficiency Bonus + your WIS modifier
Choose a number of Druid spells equal to your WIS modifier (Minimum 1) + half your Druid level, rounded down (Minimum 1). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of Druid spells requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
Ritual Casting
You can cast a Druid spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.
Druidic Focus
You channel the magic of nature through a living object such as a staff from a tree that is still growing through your magic or a preserved acorn in a sphere that is frozen in time, on the cusp of sprouting. This becomes a Spellcasting Focus for your Druid Spells.
Druidic
You know Druidic, the secret language of Druids. You can speak the language and use it to leave hidden messages. You and others who know this language automatically spot such a message. Others spot the message's presence with a successful DC 15 Perception check but can't decipher it without magic.
Your connection with the ancient tongue of Druidic gives you the capacity to communicate with animals. You always have the Speak with Animals spell prepared and it does not count towards the number of spells you can have prepared.
Primal Order
You have dedicated yourself to one of the following orders
Magician: You know one extra cantrip from the Druid spell list. You can add your WIS modifier (Minimum 1) to Arcana and Nature checks.
Warden: You have proficiency with Martial weapons and Medium armor.
Wild Shape
You can harness the power of nature and change into the shape of Beasts. As a bonus action you can assume the shape of a Beast Form from your known forms. You can stay in your Beast Form hours equal to half your Druid level or until you use your Wild Shape feature again, are Incapacitated, or die. You can leave your form early using a bonus action. You can use your Wild Shape times per long rest equal to your Wild Shape uses. You regain one use during a short rest and all uses during a long rest.
While wild shaped you retain your personalities, memories, and ability to speak. Your game statistics are replaced by the Beast’s stat block. You retain your creature type, hit points, INT, WIS, and CHA scores, class features, languages and feats and use your Proficiency Bonus. You gain the proficiencies of the chosen Beast and apply the highest score for each skill and saving throw between you and the Beast’s stats.
You gain temporary hit points while in Wild Shape form equal to your Druid level + WIS modifier (Minimum 1).
You cannot cast spells in Beast form but Wild Shape does not affect concentration on spells already cast.
You can interact with objects according to your form’s limbs. You choose if your Beast form wears the equipment that it could wear, drops all equipment, or absorbs the equipment as part of the change.
Beast Shapes
Wild Companion
You can summon a nature spirit to guide and aid you. You learn the spell Find Familiar and it does not count towards the number of spells you can know. You can expend a spell slot of any level or uses of Wild Shape to cast Find Familiar without material components. Your familiar is Fey type and disappears when you finish a long rest.
Your connection with nature takes the form of a Druidic Circle. This grants you features at levels 3, 6, 10, 14, and 17.
→ Choose your subclass belowAbility Score Increase
You can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Wild Resurgence
You can channel your nature powers of arcane and wild shapes interchangeably. Once per turn on each of your turns you can expend a level one spell slot to regain a use of Wild Shape or to expend a use of Wild Shape to gain a level one spell slot. This requires no action.
Elemental Fury
You can channel the power of the elements in one of two ways. Choose one of the following.
Potent Spellcasting: You can add your WIS modifier (Minimum 1) to damage from Druid cantrips.
Primal Strike: Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a melee weapon or a Beast form’s attack you can add 1D8 Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Thunder damage.
Ability Score Increase
You can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Ability Score Increase
You can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Improved Elemental Fury
You enhance the feature you chose earlier.
Potent Spellcasting: You can extend your Druid cantrip’s range to 10 ft if less than 10 ft and 300 ft if greater than or equal to 10 ft.
Primal Strike: Your Primal Strike damage increases to 2D8.
Ability Score Increase
You can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Beast Spells
Your Beast form is permeated with nature magic. You can cast spells in Wild Shape that do not require material components in the casting or consume them as part of the casting.
Epic Boon
You gain an Epic Boon feat for which you qualify.
Archdruid
The vitality of nature flows through you, for every ten years that pass your body ages one year.. When you would roll initiative and have no uses of Wild Shape remaining you regain one use. You can expend uses of Wild Shape to regain spell slots. For every use of Wild Shape you expend you gain a spell slot level that is less than or equal to the number of uses x2 (Two uses of Wild Shape could create a third or fourth level spell slot). You can use this feature once per long rest.
Druid Circle
Druid Subclasses (14)
Choose your subclass at the level indicated in the class table above.