The 2024 Druid is a full prepared caster that can fill several party roles without treating Wild Shape as a second character sheet. Your early decisions are practical: choose a Primal Order at level 1, learn Beast forms that solve real problems, and take a circle at level 3 that gives your Wild Shape uses a clear purpose.
Wisdom is your first ability score. Constitution comes next for hit points and Concentration saves. Choose Dexterity for initiative and Light-armor AC, or build toward Strength only if Warden's Medium armor and Martial weapons are part of your plan.
Druid basics
| Trait | What it means |
|---|---|
| Hit Point Die | d8 per Druid level. |
| Primary ability | Wisdom for Druid spells. |
| Saving throw proficiencies | Intelligence and Wisdom. |
| Armor training | Light armor and Shields. Warden also grants Medium armor training. |
| Weapon proficiency | Simple weapons. Warden also grants Martial weapon proficiency. |
| Other training | Herbalism Kit proficiency and two skills from a broad nature-and-knowledge list. |
At level 1, you know Druidic and always have Speak with Animals prepared. You know two Druid cantrips and prepare four level-1 spells. You can change your prepared level-1-and-higher spells after a Long Rest. Circle spells that are always prepared do not count against that number.
Your level-1 decision: Primal Order
Primal Order determines whether your Druid leans toward scholarship or combat equipment. It does not give either option additional prepared spells.
| Primal Order | Best for | What you gain |
|---|---|---|
| Magician ● | A Druid who wants another cantrip and frequent Arcana or Nature checks | One extra Druid cantrip and a Wisdom-modifier bonus, minimum +1, on Intelligence (Arcana or Nature) checks. |
| Warden ● | A Druid who expects to use Medium armor or Martial weapons | Martial weapon proficiency and Medium armor training. |
Magician fits a character whose turns are mainly spellcasting, exploration, and knowledge work. Warden is useful when your actual equipment and attack plan call for it. Neither choice replaces the need to protect Concentration when you maintain an important spell.
Hot Take: Wild Shape is too useful to treat as Moon Druid's private resource. Even a casting-focused Druid should keep forms that answer ordinary exploration problems. A small scouting form or a strong climbing form can change an adventure day more often than one more damage spell.
Wild Shape is a resource, not a template
At level 2, you can use Wild Shape as a Bonus Action to assume a known eligible Beast form. You begin with four known forms, each a Beast stat block with a maximum Challenge Rating of 1/4 and no Fly Speed. You can replace one known form after a Long Rest. The number of forms, their maximum Challenge Rating, and eventual Fly Speed all improve as you level.
While shape-shifted, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Druid level. Your game statistics are replaced by the Beast's stat block, with the rules preserving your creature type, hit points, Hit Point Dice, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, class features, languages, feats, and certain proficiencies. You cannot cast spells, though existing Concentration continues.
Wild Shape starts with two uses. You regain one on a Short Rest and all uses on a Long Rest. This makes it a resource worth budgeting, especially if your circle also spends it.
Wild Companion
Wild Companion lets you cast Find Familiar as a Magic action by expending either a spell slot or a use of Wild Shape, without Material components. The familiar is Fey and disappears when you finish a Long Rest. It is a useful scouting and utility option, but it is not free. See the D&D 2024 Familiars Guide for the spell's broader rules.
Features that change how you spend resources
| Level | Feature | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Druid Subclass | Choose Circle of the Land, Moon, Sea, or Stars. |
| 5 | Wild Resurgence ● | Lets a spell slot restore a Wild Shape use when you have none left; can also turn one Wild Shape use into a level-1 spell slot once per Long Rest. |
| 7 | Elemental Fury ● | Choose stronger Druid cantrips or extra elemental damage on a weapon or Wild Shape attack. |
| 15 | Improved Elemental Fury | Improves the level-7 option you chose. |
| 18 | Beast Spells | Cast spells in Beast form except spells with a costly or consumed Material component. |
| 20 | Archdruid | Regain a Wild Shape use on initiative if none remain and gain a limited Wild Shape-to-slot conversion. |
Wild Resurgence is resource insurance, not an unlimited exchange. Once on each of your turns, a spell slot can provide a Wild Shape use only when you have no uses left. The reverse conversion creates a level-1 spell slot from one Wild Shape use only once per Long Rest.
At level 7, Elemental Fury gives you a choice. Potent Spellcasting adds Wisdom modifier to Druid cantrip damage. Primal Strike adds 1d8 Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Thunder damage once on each of your turns when a weapon or Wild Shape Beast-form attack hits. Choose based on the action you expect to take most rounds.
Choose a circle for your party role
The 2024 Player's Handbook presents four Druid circles. Each begins at level 3 and adds features at levels 6, 10, and 14.
| Circle | Best fit | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Circle of the Land ● | Prepared casters who want to adapt their spell list to the day | Supplies land-dependent spells, healing and damage with Land's Aid, and spell-slot recovery. |
| Circle of the Moon ● | Players who want Beast form to be their central combat tool | Improves Wild Shape CR, AC, temporary hit points, and later movement and damage. |
| Circle of the Sea ● | A Druid who wants close-range elemental pressure and positioning control | Spends Wild Shape on a Cold-damage Emanation that can push creatures, then gains water and storm benefits. |
| Circle of the Stars ● | A spell-focused Druid who values flexible bonus actions and reactions | Uses Wild Shape for Starry Form, a Star Map, and Cosmic Omen support. |
Circle of the Land
When you finish a Long Rest, select arid, polar, temperate, or tropical land. The chosen land determines which Circle Spells you have prepared. Land's Aid spends Wild Shape to damage creatures in an area and restore hit points to one creature there. Natural Recovery later provides one no-slot Circle Spell cast and a separate limited spell-slot recovery after a Short Rest.
This circle suits a Druid who wants the most flexibility between adventure days. Choose the land for the spells you expect to use that day, rather than the campaign map alone.
Circle of the Moon
Circle Forms improves the Challenge Rating of your Wild Shape forms, allows a higher Armor Class when applicable, and grants temporary hit points equal to three times your Druid level. Its Circle spells can be cast while you are in Wild Shape. Improved Circle Forms later lets your Beast-form attacks deal Radiant damage and adds your Wisdom modifier to Constitution saving throws.
Moonlight Step gives the circle a limited Bonus Action teleport at level 10. Lunar Form later improves its Radiant damage and lets you bring a willing nearby creature when you use Moonlight Step. Choose Moon when Beast forms are part of your regular combat plan, not only an occasional escape tool.
Circle of the Sea
Wrath of the Sea spends a Wild Shape use to create a 5-foot Emanation of ocean spray for ten minutes. When you create it and as a Bonus Action on later turns, you can force a creature in the Emanation to make a Constitution save. On a failure it takes Cold damage and, if it is Large or smaller, can be pushed up to 15 feet.
Aquatic Affinity increases the Emanation and grants a Swim Speed. Stormborn later grants a Fly Speed plus Cold, Lightning, and Thunder resistance while Wrath of the Sea is active. This is a positioning circle: it earns its resource cost when the party can use the push and your proximity safely.
Circle of the Stars
Star Map gives you Guidance and Guiding Bolt prepared while you hold the map, plus limited slot-free casts of Guiding Bolt. Starry Form spends Wild Shape for a 10-minute luminous form rather than a Beast form. Archer gives a Bonus Action Radiant spell attack, Chalice adds healing after spell-slot healing, and Dragon improves qualifying Intelligence and Wisdom checks plus Concentration saves by treating a low d20 roll as 10.
Cosmic Omen adds an even-or-odd daily reaction that can add or subtract 1d6 from a nearby d20 Test. Twinkling Constellations later improves Starry Form's options, and Full of Stars grants physical-damage resistance while the form lasts. Stars is the clearest choice for a Druid who expects to stay in caster form most of the time.
Build Your D&D 2024 Character
The D&D 2024 character builder is live - build a Beastkin, a Kobold, or whatever your table is missing, free, right now.
Start BuildingClass Feats
Your feat choices should protect the turn pattern you chose. A caster who maintains concentration often should prioritize ways to keep that spell running. A Moon Druid should decide whether weapon or Beast-form attacks are frequent enough to make Primal Strike the better Elemental Fury option.
For class-specific feat choices, see the Best Feats for Druid guide.
Class Spells
For prepared spells, daily changes, and spell selection by level, use the Druid Spell Guide.
A dependable build direction
A dependable Druid begins Wisdom-first, picks Magician or Warden based on the equipment they will actually use, then chooses a circle with a job the party needs. Keep a few Wild Shape forms for exploration even if your subclass spends the resource in combat. That combination gives you room to adapt without turning every rest into a rewrite of the whole character.
Related D&D 2024 class guides
Return to the D&D 2024 class guide hub to compare every class. For other Wisdom-based or nature-adjacent characters, see the Cleric guide, Ranger guide, Paladin guide, and Wizard guide.
