D&D 5e Druid Guide (2014)

Introduction

The Druid is D&D's nature-bound full caster and the most mechanically unusual class in the game. It prepares spells daily from the full Druid list, provides competitive healing and crowd control, and uniquely transforms into beasts via Wild Shape, giving it a physical combat resource that no other full caster possesses.

The Druid's power comes from breadth. The spell list covers healing (Healing Word, Mass Cure Wounds), crowd control (Entangle, Spike Growth, Call Lightning), summoning (Conjure Animals, Conjure Elemental), utility (Pass Without Trace, Speak with Animals, Barkskin), and high-level power (Storm of Vengeance, True Resurrection). You prepare spells daily, adapting completely to each session's needs.

Wild Shape means different things for different Druid Circles. Circle of the Moon Druids use it as a combat resource, transforming into progressively more powerful beasts to absorb damage and deal melee hits. Other Circles use it as a utility and scouting tool, with the combat potential low on the priority list. Know which role you are building for before picking your subclass.

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Disclaimer

• ● Red: Bad. Actively weak or superseded.
• ● Orange: Situational. Correct in specific builds or campaigns.
• ● Green: Good. Reliable and consistently strong.
• ● Blue: Fantastic. Best-in-class, almost always the right choice.

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Class Features

Spellcasting (1st Level) ●

Full caster, WIS-based, prepared daily from the complete Druid list. Prepared count = WIS modifier + Druid level. The Druid prepares differently each day, a flexibility that matches the Cleric's and is unmatched by Sorcerers or Wizards (who know or learn spells permanently). The Druid spell list is one of the strongest in 5e for sustained battlefield control and area denial.

Wild Shape (2nd Level) ● (Moon) / ● (other)

Twice per short rest, transform into a beast with challenge rating at or below your limit. The beast's HP replaces yours for the duration. Mental ability scores remain yours; physical scores (STR, DEX, CON) become the beast's. You cannot cast spells, speak, or take bonus actions requiring equipment while transformed. Retain all class features that don't require physical Druid characteristics.

Wild Shape uses: 2/short rest at level 2. The recharge on short rest makes Wild Shape far more valuable than any comparable per-day resource.

CR limits (non-Moon):

• Level 2: CR 1/4 (no swim speed, no fly speed)
• Level 4: CR 1/2 (no fly speed)
• Level 8: CR 1 (no fly speed until this level, flying allowed at 8)

Top non-Moon Wild Shape forms by tier:

• Utility scouting: ● Giant Spider (CR 1, web, from level 8), Hawk (CR 0, fly, from level 8), Fish (swim, from level 4), Bat (CR 0, blindsight)
• CR 1 combat use: ● Brown Bear (34 HP, Multiattack, 15 STR), Giant Hyena (30 HP)

Timeless Body (18th Level) ●

You age more slowly: for every 10 years that pass, your body ages only 1 year. Cosmetic in most campaigns.

Beast Spells (18th Level) ●

Cast spells while in Wild Shape. This is the Druid's ultimate capstone: a Moon Druid in Mammoth form casting Call Lightning, or any Druid casting Entangle while in hawk scouting form. The capstone arrives late but delivers meaningfully.

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Ability Scores

Recommended Array:

● WIS: Max first. Feeds everything.

● CON: Concentration saves for Call Lightning, Conjure Animals, Entangle. 14 minimum; push higher after WIS.

● DEX: Hide Armor AC = 12 + DEX modifier (max 2). DEX 14 gives best hide armor AC. Going above 14 is wasted on non-metal medium armor.

● STR and INT: No Druid feature keys off these. Dump to 8.

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Races

● Wood Elf - +2 DEX, +1 WIS, 35-foot speed, Mask of the Wild, Darkvision, Elf Weapon Training. The WIS bonus and extra speed are perfect. Mask of the Wild helps with pre-combat positioning for Entangle and Spike Growth. Best overall Druid race.

● Variant Human - +1 WIS, +1 CON, extra skill, feat at level 1. War Caster at level 1 solves concentration immediately. One of the best starts for a Druid who plans to concentrate through an entire campaign.

● Hill Dwarf - +2 CON, +1 WIS, Dwarven Toughness. The CON/WIS combination is excellent for a concentration-dependent caster. The thematic stretch is noticeable (armor restrictions and dwarven culture don't fit the nature aesthetic well) but the mechanics are strong.

● Firbolg (EEPC) - +2 WIS, +1 STR, Hidden Step (invisibility 1/short rest), Powerful Build, Detect Magic and Disguise Self innately. The +2 WIS bonus is the highest available. Natural flavor alignment with the Druid.

● Half-Elf - +2 CHA, +1 to two stats. CHA is wasted; but +1 WIS and +1 CON from the flex bonuses is usable with the two extra skill proficiencies providing excellent coverage.

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Skills

Druids choose 2 skills from: Arcana, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, Survival.

● Perception - Most commonly called skill in D&D. High WIS modifier makes Perception checks reliable.

● Nature - INT-based but thematically central. Proficiency compensates somewhat for low INT. Useful in wilderness campaigns.

● Arcana - INT-based. Identify spells, magical effects, and creatures. A Druid with Arcana proficiency can identify magical threats that WIS alone won't reveal.

● Animal Handling - WIS-based. Excellent in interaction with the many beasts the Druid summons, befriends, or transforms into.

● Insight - WIS-based. Detect deception. The Druid's high WIS makes Insight one of the more reliable social skills for a class that is not primarily CHA-based.

● Survival - WIS-based but usually a lower-priority pick since many Druids have Darkvision, Pass Without Trace, and Speak with Animals to handle outdoor navigation.

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Backgrounds

For a full ranking of all 13 PHB backgrounds and how each compares outside this class, see the D&D 5e 2014 Backgrounds Guide.

● Hermit - Medicine and Religion, herbalism kit, Discovery feature. WIS-based Medicine is useful; Religion provides knowledge. Discovery feature is campaign-dependent. Thematically perfect for a solitary nature mystic.

● Outlander - Athletics and Survival, Wanderer. Athletics is STR-based (weaker for Druids) but Survival is WIS-based. Wanderer feature (food and navigation) aligns with the Druid's natural habitat expertise.

● Folk Hero - Animal Handling and Survival. Both WIS-based, both useful. Rustic Hospitality provides safe haven in commoner areas, relevant for a Druid who moves through rural communities.

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Feats

● War Caster - Advantage on concentration, cast spells as opportunity attacks, cast with occupied hands. The Druid's most important offensive spells require concentration. If a Moon Druid reverts to Druid form mid-combat (after beast reaches 0 HP), they need concentration protection immediately. Essential.

● Resilient (CON) - CON save proficiency. Alternative to War Caster for concentration protection. Take one or the other; rarely both.

● Observant - +5 to Passive Perception and Investigation, read lips. With WIS 20 and Observant, your Passive Perception is 25, the highest achievable without magical items. Nothing surprises you.

● Tough - +2 HP per level. Moon Druids switch between beast form HP (ablative) and Druid HP (actual). More Druid HP means longer survival after beast forms are exhausted.

● Mobile - +10 speed, Dash doesn't trigger opportunity attacks, creatures you attack can't opportunity attack you that turn. Useful for a Spike Growth / Entangle Druid who needs to drop area spells while retreating. Situational.

For the complete feat priority list by level, see our Best Feats for Druid guide. For the complete spell priority list by level, see our Best Druid Spells guide.

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Subclasses

Your Circle is the most consequential choice a Druid makes, and it is really one question: what does your Wild Shape charge become? Only Circle of the Moon turns it into a better beast. Spores, Stars and Wildfire spend the same charge on something that is not a beast at all, leaving your spellcasting intact. Land, Dreams and Shepherd leave Wild Shape exactly as written above and pay you in slots, healing or summons instead.

Moon and Shepherd are the two strongest, for opposite reasons: Moon is the most individually durable character in Tier 2, and Shepherd is the strongest force multiplier in the class. Stars is the best all-round pick and the easiest to play well, because the Dragon form of Starry Form solves the Druid's concentration problem without a feat. Wildfire is the best healer, reaching Revivify and Mass Cure Wounds, neither of which is on the Druid list.

Compare all seven Druid Circles in detail - every feature rated, the full terrain tables for Circle of the Land, beast forms by challenge rating for Circle of the Moon, and the ability score, race, feat and multiclass choices each Circle wants.

Weapons

● Quarterstaff + Shillelagh - The Druid's best melee option. Shillelagh (cantrip) makes the staff use WIS for attacks and damage (1d8 + WIS modifier). At WIS 20, that is +5 to hit and 1d8+5 damage, better than any STR-based weapon option. Combine with Polearm Master (bonus action d4 attack, reaction attack on enter) for maximum control.

● Scimitar (d6 slashing, finesse) - Best raw weapon for a DEX-based Druid who does not use Shillelagh. Lower than Shillelagh + WIS but usable without the cantrip.

● Sling - Ranged option. 1d4 damage with DEX. Generally worse than a cantrip for damage. Use Sacred Flame or Poison Spray (Druid cantrip options) instead of a ranged weapon.

● Longsword / Greataxe - Druids have no martial weapon proficiency and cannot use heavy armor. These are non-options without multiclassing.

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Armor

● Hide Armor - AC 12 + DEX modifier (max 2). With DEX 14, AC 14. The best non-metal medium armor the Druid can access.

● Leather Armor - AC 11 + DEX modifier. Weaker than Hide but lighter. Use only if you have DEX 16+ and no access to Hide.

● Shield of wood - +2 AC. The Druid can use a wooden shield. With Hide Armor and a shield: AC 16 with DEX 14. The best AC a non-Moon Druid typically achieves.

● Barkskin - Not armor, but the spell: concentration, AC becomes 16 regardless of armor. Better than Hide + Shield for Druids with low DEX. The concentration cost is real: you cannot Barkskin and concentrate on a control spell simultaneously.

● Mithral / Adamantine Armor - Metal armor. Cannot be worn per Druid rules.

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Multiclassing

Multiclassing requirement: WIS 13.

● Cleric 1-2 - Heavy armor access (domains providing it), one Domain feature, Turn Undead, Channel Divinity. The most common Druid dip. Life Domain Cleric 1 gives heavy armor and Disciple of Life (bonus healing scaling): the self-sustaining tankiness of a Moon Druid in plate armor stands out.

● Fighter 1 - CON save proficiency (concentration protection), Fighting Style (Defense: +1 AC), and Second Wind. A Druid with CON saves from Fighter 1 and War Caster has exceptional concentration durability.

● Paladin 2-6 - WIS/CHA conflict for ability scores; Paladin uses CHA for spellcasting and Aura of Protection. A Moon Druid/Paladin hybrid has very high HP and good saves, but the ability score requirements are demanding.

● Wizard or Sorcerer - INT or CHA primary conflict with WIS. Spellcasting level tracking delays 9th-level Druid spells significantly. Rarely worth the trade.

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Example Build: The Apex Predator (Moon Druid)

Race: Wood Elf (+2 DEX, +1 WIS, Mask of the Wild)

Starting Stats: WIS 17 (15+1+1 racial), DEX 14 (12+2 racial), CON 14, STR 10, INT 8, CHA 10

Tactics (Tier 1-2): Open combat by transforming into a Dire Wolf as a bonus action (Combat Wild Shape). Dire Wolf: 37 HP buffer, Pack Tactics gives advantage on every attack near an ally, bite knocks targets prone (STR save, DC 13). Your real HP remains untouched while the wolf form absorbs all incoming hits. On difficult-terrain fights, drop out of Wild Shape as a bonus action to cast Entangle (WIS DC 17 grapples entire battlefield) then re-transform if needed.

Tactics (Tier 3): Earth Elemental Wild Shape (126 HP, AC 17, Earth Glide) is nearly impossible for most enemies to hit or kill. While humanoid, Call Lightning (concentration) deals 3d10 lightning per turn as a bonus action, which is possible without extra concentration cost once the cloud is in place. Conjure Animals (8 Wolves) fills the battlefield with knockdown mechanics.

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Final Notes

The Druid's strength lies in its flexibility: daily preparation means you always have the right tool, and Wild Shape gives you a physical combat resource that no other full caster can match. The split between combat-focused Circles (Moon) and spellcasting-focused Circles (Land, Shepherd) makes the class play differently depending on your choice.

Shepherd Druid is the strongest subclass for sustained combat impact through Conjure Animals amplification. Moon Druid is the strongest for individual durability and melee combat. Land Druid is the strongest for pure spellcasting flexibility and natural recovery. Stars, Dreams, Spores, and Wildfire all offer distinctive playstyles that reward specific campaign contexts.

Whatever Circle you choose: max WIS, protect concentration, and know your best beast forms. The Druid who understands when to cast Conjure Animals, when to transform, and when to use healing word will contribute meaningfully at every level of the game.

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