One of the most versatile classes in Dungeons & Dragons, the Druid 5e can serve as a controller, blaster, scout, support caster, striker, and any other role you assign to them.
They can cast plenty of unique spells like area control spells, for which they need Concentration.
What makes the Druids so unique is their ability to take the form of any creature from the animal world. Beware of this class, for they can summon nature’s elemental forces at will to harm their enemies or help their allies. Moreover, they are calm like nature, but if provoked, it doesn’t take time for them to transform into a fierce and destructive manifestation of themselves almost like a DnD barbarian fifth edition.
But what features characterize Druids as a dnd class? What kinds of spells can they cast? Which races would make the best Druids?
So, to help you sort out all of these and more, we’ve compiled this Druid guide 5e to help you along the way while playing this game. Jump in!
Table of Contents
5E Druid Guide: Class Features
- Druid Hit Dice 5E:- Druids get fantastic Hit Points of 1d8 per level. At the 1st level, your Hit Points equal your Constitution modifier added to 8. But as you level up, you gain Hit Points equivalent to the sum of your Constitution modifier and 1d8 or 5.
- Saves:- Even with proficiency in Intelligence, it won’t be a good save for a dungeons and dragons Druid. Other than that, you get two mental saving throws.
Druid Starting Equipment
- Any plain weapon for melee attacks, or a scimitar
- Either an ordinary weapon, or a wooden shield
- A druidic focus, leather armor, and an explorer’s pack
Proficiencies
- Weapons: Darts, clubs, quarterstaffs, javelins, slings, maces, spears, scimitars, and daggers
- Armor: Shields, medium armor, light armor (Druids can’t use shields or wear armor made of metal).
- Tools: Herbalism kit
- Skills: Any two out of Medicine, Religion, Animal Handling, Arcana, Nature, Survival, Insight, and Perception.
Wild Shape 5E
As an action, you can magically transform yourself into a beast that you’ve seen before. Although this feature is available from the 2nd level, but you can use it only twice. Also, to regain the uses you’ve already spent, you need to finish a long or short rest.What beasts you can turn into depends on your Druid level, as shown in the Beast Shapes table below.
Moreover, the duration for which you can stay in beast shape is calculated in hours after halving your druid level. If you don’t spend another use of the Wild Shape feature, you assume your normal shape. But if you die or fall unconscious, or if your Hit Points drop to 0, the transformation you’re your beast shape to your normal form happens automatically.
Beast Shapes
| Level | Disadvantages | Maximum Challenge Rating | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | Lack of swimming and flying speed | 1/4 | Wolf |
| 4th | Lack of flying speed | 1/2 | Crocodile |
| 8th | – | 1 | Giant Eagle |
- Druidic:- You’re fluent in the secret language of your dnd class, called Druidic. As a result your Druid is able to leave hidden messages in Druidic for their allies. Even if your foes spot these messages, they won’t be able to decipher these without magic.
- Druid 5E Circles:- On reaching the 2nd level, you have to choose any one out of the five d&d Druid Circles in the game. This will let you gain features corresponding to one of the Druid subclasses 5e you select at the 2nd, 6th, 10th, and 14th levels.
Spellcasting
You can shape nature’s divine essence to do your bidding. For this, dozens of spells are available to your Druid.
Druid 5E Spellcasting Ability: Your spellcasting ability for all your Druid spells is Wisdom. This is because your connection and devotion to nature powers up your magical powers. Furthermore, every time a spell refers to your spellcasting ability, you can use your Wisdom. Additionally, you need to use your Wisdom modifier while making an attack roll with a Druid spell and while setting the saving throw DC before casting a spell.
- Spell attack modifier: It is the combination of your Wisdom modifier and your proficiency bonus.Spell save DC: This is equal to your Spell attack modifier, added to 8.
- Preparing and Casting Spells:- Consult the Druid Table to check the number of spell slots you have for casting your Druid spells at each level. Also, you must spend a slot of the level of the spell to cast a Druid spell. It is only after finishing a long rest that you can regain all the spell slots that you’ve already spent. Additionally, out of all the spells that are available for you to cast, you must prepare a spell list. To do so, the number of spells you choose should be equal to the sum of your Druid level and your Wisdom modifier.The spells you prepare must correspond to your spell slot level. Therefore, in order to change the list of spells you’ve prepared, you need to finish a long rest.
- Spellcasting Focus:- For casting your Druid spells, you’ll be able to use a Druidic focus.
- Ritual Casting:- If a spell is tagged as a ritual, and you’ve prepared that, then you can cast it.
- Cantrips Known:- You’ll know any two cantrips as per your liking from the list of Druid spells at the 1st level. Subsequently, as you use the Druid leveling guide 5e to reach higher levels, you’ll learn even more cantrips of your choice.
- Archdruid:- The number of times you can use Wild Shape after attaining the 20th level is unlimited. Also, the material, somatic, and verbal components of your Druid spells don’t matter anymore. You achieve this benefit regardless of whether you’re in Druid beast shape or normal shape.
- Beast Spells:- While assuming any shape using Wild Shape, you can cast several Druid spells. Though you can’t work with a spell’s material components when you’ve assumed a beast shape, it’s possible to perform a spell’s verbal and somatic components. However, this feature gets enabled from the 18th level.
- Timeless Body:- Since you wield primal magic, you can’t age fast. Your body ages just 1 year in every 10 years.
Druid 5E: Abilities, Skills, and Feats
Pick your skills, feats, and abilities carefully, if you want to make your Druid more powerful than before. Help yourself to the guide given below:-
Abilities
- Wisdom:- All types of Druids run on Wisdom, which also powers up each of their spells.
- Constitution:- You can get a bit of Constitution for gaining bonus Hit Points.
- Dexterity:- When you’re not in the Druid Wild shape mode, you can use a bit of Dexterity for boosting your AC.
- Intelligence:- If you don’t want knowledge skills for your Druid, dump this stat.
- Charisma:- Druids have no use for Charisma, so it’s better to dump this stat as well.
- Strength:- Dump this stat before dumping any other skillset, as Druids and Strength can never go hand-in-hand.
Standard Array
| WIS | 15 |
|---|---|
| CON | 14 |
| DEX | 13 |
| INT | 12 |
| CHA | 8 |
| STR | 10 |
Point Buy
| WIS | 15 |
|---|---|
| CON | 14 |
| DEX | 14 |
| INT | 12 |
| CHA | 8 |
| STR | 8 |
Druid Skills 5E
- Perception (WIS):- You have sufficient Wisdom to back up Perception, for which most of the players roll.
- Arcana (INT):- Arcana is one of the most crucial knowledge skills in the game, which is why it promises to be useful for a Druid dnd 5e.
- Religion (INT):- Similar to Arcana, another important knowledge skill for Druids is Religion.
- Insight (WIS):- This skill is apt for a Face, if your druid is one. But most Face characters can’t back Insight up with enough Wisdom.
- Nature (INT):- Though Nature is a good knowledge skill, it’s not as vital for a Druid as Religion or Arcana.
5E Druid Feats
- Elemental Adept:- This is a mighty feat, especially for Land Druids. That’s because it grants Druids multiple spells dealing fire damage and other elemental damage.
- Lucky:- Any dnd 5e Druid can use this feat to their benefit.
- Durable:- It lets Druids heal their wounds magically.
- Observant:- This feat gives you a +1 bonus to your Wisdom. Additionally, it also grants your Druid extra Perception, which is a highly useful skill.
- Resilient:- Your Druid becomes more proficient in making Constitution saving throws. This is tremendously useful, as you need Concentration to cast most of your spells.
DND 5E Druid Guide to the Best Races
Similarly, for Druid optimization 5e, choose any of the following best races for your character:-
- Aarakocra:- Extra Wisdom doesn’t hurt, especially when your d&d 5e Druid gets Flight as a bonus!
- Dwarf:- Very few races are more durable than Dwarves. The Hill Dwarf, mainly, gives you bonus Wisdom and even more durability than usual.
- Elf:- The additional Dexterity that you get with this race is helpful for your AC. And with the Wood Elf, you get a Wisdom bonus.
- Firbolg:- This race grants you an innate spellcasting ability based on nature, along with extra Wisdom.
- Genasi:- With the Water Genasi, you can gain bonuses to your Wisdom as well as your Constitution.
- Half-Elf:- Choosing the Wood Half-Elf grants you Mask of the Wild. It works excellently when your Druid is proficient in Stealth.
- Halfling:- The Ghostwise Halfling gives you not only a small Wisdom bonus, but also Silent Speech. So, you can use the Silent Speech feature for communicating telepathically with your allies, even when you’re in Wild Shape 5e.
- Human:- A versatile race, the Variant Human adds a bonus to your Wisdom and Constitution.
- Lizardfolk:- Lizardfolk Druids can be as durable as those belonging to the Dwarf race.
- Warforged:- This race gives you a massive pileup of immunities and resistances to adverse effects. Along with that, you get bonus AC and fantastic ability increases for your Wisdom.
- Loxodon:- Even if you dump Dexterity, you can get immensely durable with the help of the Loxodon’s Natural Armor, which is based on Constitution. It also grants you fantastic Druid ability scores.
- Simic Hybrid:- It’s a versatile race, similar to the Humans. Stay away from this race if yours is a Moon Druid, though. That’s because during the Wild Shape mode, the Animal Enhancement feature that comes with the Simic Hybrid race disappears.
Druid 5E : The Best Backgrounds
Since it’s not easy to choose a Druid background 5e, we’ve made it easier for you. Pick any one of the following backgrounds:-
- Hermit:- You can make healing potions with the Herbalism Kit. What’s more, both Insight and Medicine boost your Druid’s Wisdom.
- Faction Agent:- Along with two languages, you get multiple useful skills and Insight.
- Urban Bounty Hunter:- This background works perfectly for an optimized Druid 5e, since you can customize it to your liking.
Druid 5E : The Best Backgrounds
Since it’s not easy to choose a Druid background 5e, we’ve made it easier for you. Pick any one of the following backgrounds:-
- Hermit:- You can make healing potions with the Herbalism Kit. What’s more, both Insight and Medicine boost your Druid’s Wisdom.
- Faction Agent:- Along with two languages, you get multiple useful skills and Insight.
- Urban Bounty Hunter:- This background works perfectly for an optimized Druid 5e, since you can customize it to your liking.
5E Druid Armor
- Shield:- Druids don’t need weapons anyway, but that doesn’t mean you can’t carry a Shield to protect yourself.
- Studded Leather Armor:- It costs more than a Hide, but it’s the best possible armor for a Druid.
- Hide:- If your Dexterity is less than 16, a Hide would be enough, as its AC is at par with that of Studded Leather Armor.
- Leather Armor:- This is what your Druid 5e begins with, for free.
Find out about more such exciting games on Gameizmo.com.
The DND 5E Druid Table
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Cantrips Known | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | 2 | Spellcasting, Druidic |
| 2nd | +2 | 2 | Druid Circle of the Land: Bonus Cantrip, Wild Shape (CR 1/4) |
| 3rd | +2 | 2 | Circle Spells |
| 4th | +2 | 3 | Ability Score Improvement (WIS 16 – >18), Wild Shape Improvement (CR 1/2) |
| 5th | +3 | 3 | Circle Spells |
| 6th | +3 | 3 | Druid Circle feature: Land’s Stride |
| 7th | +3 | 3 | Circle Spells |
| 8th | +3 | 3 | Ability Score Improvement (WIS 18 – >20), Wild Shape Improvement (CR 1) |
| 9th | +4 | 3 | Circle Spells |
| 10th | +4 | 4 | Druid Circle feature: Nature’s Ward |
| 11th | +4 | 4 | – |
| 12th | +4 | 4 | Ability Score Improvement (CON 16 – >18) |
| 13th | +5 | 4 | – |
| 14th | +5 | 4 | Druid Circle feature: Nature’s Sanctuary |
| 15th | +5 | 4 | – |
| 16th | +5 | 4 | Ability Score Improvement (CON 18 – >20) |
| 17th | +6 | 4 | – |
| 18th | +6 | 4 | Beast Spells, Timeless Body |
| 19th | +6 | 4 | Ability Score Improvement (DEX 14 – >16) |
| 20th | +6 | 4 | Archdruid |
Spell Slots Per Spell Level
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |