Today, we’re going to take a Closer Look at the battle priests of nature, the Druid Job Class.

The Druid is a enigmatic presence. They revere nature above all else and many pursue a spirituality of union with nature as opposed to the devotion to a natural deity that you might find with a cleric or paladin. Some do follow natural deities and powers.

Druids are empowered by ancient traditions passed from generation to generation in druidic circles steeped in mystery.

Druids draw on the natural world and natural entities to cast spells, commune with animals, and spend a lot of time assuming the shape of animals. They use their skills and abilities to protect the balance of nature and the balance of elements.

Developing your Druidic character, think about how your character became a druid and even more importantly why. What gives your character such a close bond with nature? Were their parents or caretakers also Druids? Did they wander into the forest as a child after their parents’ caravan was wiped out? Were they abandoned in the forest as a child? Did they have a a dramatic or even traumatic experience with a giant eagle or dire wolf?

In terms of sub classes, druids will choose their Druidic Circle. The main options are a Circle of Land, which gives you access to more spell casting ability, or Circle of Moon which focusses on your shape changing into fiercer animals.

Race

• Wood Elves are a natural choice both in flavour and in utility especially for Land druids. A Control Stat bonus will help you with your spells and the increased Movement speed in wilderness speed is handy when in your humanoid form. Hide in Natural Surroundings and Darkvision are always handy.
• High Elves could benefit from being able to use elvish weapons and the free cantrip or Misty Step might be nice.
• Half Elves might make sense because of their +2 bonus to their Control stat but they don’t get the advantage of a wood elf’s Hide in Natural Surroundings.
• Nekonians also have the movement advantages to help them dodge things but they don’t get any kind of Control boost to help their spellcasting.
• Half-Erinyes (rare) have Superior Darkvision which is very useful and they gain the use of Longswords which can be handy. Half-Erinyes’ questionable lineage may be a major liability to druidic orders. Most druids will probably regard them as unnatural creatures and would be extremely hesitant to induct them into their circle.
• Damphir (rare) could get an advantage to their Control spellcasting and Finesse dodging as well as Superior Darkvision and draining the life of enemies give them a much better level of survivability. Like the Half-Erinyes, Damphir’s vampiric lineage are also unlikely to make it trusted enough to be initiated into a druidic circle.
• Half-Dryad (rare) are likely to be another natural choice but they are far far far rarer than Wood Elves. They get a +2 bonus to their Control stat that will help them with their spell casting abilities. They get a great bonus to their defense and natural abilities to communicate with plants and animals. Unlike all the other non-human races, they can’t actually see in the dark, strangely enough though.
• dri’Kari (rare) have stat bonuses that would help with spellcasting but their questionable lineage like the Half-Erinyes, Damphir, Tieflings, and Drow make it unlikely that they’d be accepted by a Druidic circle.
• なんちゃってヴィエラ(rare) have stat boosts in either Finesse or Control which is very useful. They have a very limited selection of skill proficiency bonus but can cast some Druid-like spells racially.

Stats

The Control stat is important for Druidic Spellcasting, but Finesse is also useful for dodging. Physical is not usually all that high up on the priorities but it will give you more HP. Mental helps out with a bunch of skills but doesn’t help at all in combat or casting. Druids rely on their ability to shapeshift which will override your Physical and Finesse skills with the Beasts’.

Weapons

Druids are not usually on the front line in combat unless they’re in their beast form. They do have proficiencies in Clubls, Daggers, Darts, Javelins, Maces, Quarterstaffs, Scimitars, Sickles, Slings, and Spears (Plus anything your race might give you such as Elvish Weapons Training). Druids are typically in the battlefield control, buff, and debuff types of roles but if they have to get into melee, they will often learn the Shillelagh spells to imbue a club or staff with their druidic energy (although some people like this and some people hate this spell). In their beast form, Druids will usually rely on claws, fangs, etc instead of weapons.

Your initial equipment includes one simple weapon of your choice as well as either a scimitar or another melee weapon.

Armour and Hit Die

The Druid has a d8 Hit Die as well as proficiency in Light Armour, Medium Armour, and Shields. This will give you a typical amount of Hit Points (more than wizards but less than Fighters). Also as a matter of principle, Druids will not wear Metal armour nor use Metal shields.

Your initial equipment includes Leather Armour and a Wooden Shield.

More Standard Issue Gear

Other than the 2 weapons, leather armour, and wooden shield, Druids get an explorer’s pack and a Druidic Focus (A sprig of mistletoe, a totem, a wooden staff, or a yew wand). Druids will also get more equipment from their background. Druids do have a Tool Proficiency in Herbalism Kits but you won’t get a kit unless your background provides it, you borrow it from the Team Yurt, or buy it. If you take the Hermit background, you will get the kit as well as a winter blanket, common clothes, other notes, etc.

Basic Features of the Druid

Druids play the role of Battlefield Controller along with debuffing plus they have a lot of utility dealing with nature, animals, and plants. They shapeshift into a beast giving them utility or combat prowess.

Druids will have to choose their Druidic Circle that they were inducted into. There are a variety of circles as well as decisions about what beasts are your typical transforms.

Druids have either a saving throw proficiency in either Mental or Control [Saving Throws are your reactions to certain types of things – Physical: Poison, Eating nasty food, ODing on cheap alchohol, being shoved, being grappled, arm wrestling, etc / Finesse: Dodging area effects like fireballs and traps / Mental: Psychic attacks on your mind, gruelling cramming before a big test / Control: Resisting a lot of Magical Effects].

More Skills

Druids are proficient in 2 of Arcana, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, or Survival.

As mentioned above, they are proficient with the Herbalism Kit. Also, druids have their own language known only to druids. They will NEVER teach it to non-druids.

How do I get better?

All characters as they level up gain more features and improvements. All characters start with a “Proficiency Bonus” of 2 that gets added to anything you are proficient in. This proficiency bonus increases by one at Character Levels 5, 9, 13, and 17 regardless of your job class(es).

At Druid Class Levels 4, 8, 12, 16, 19 (not Character Level) the character gets to Upgrade! This incidentally is the standard amount, one less upgrade than the Rogue and 2 less upgrades than the Fighter. When you upgrade, you either get 2 Stat upgrade points OR you gain a “Feat” — Special new bonuses, abilities, boosts, etc.

All Druids gain a number of other features as they level up Druid Class Levels. This means that if you Level Up in other Job Classes, then they don’t count to you gaining these features. If you are multiclassing with other magic using classes (other than the warlock) they won’t completely block your unlocking of spells slots. Full casters will unlock your spell slots at the same rate where as half casters and quarter casts count a half or quarter level towards your spell slot unlocking.

At Druid Level 2, you will choose your SubClass (Druidic CIRCLE) although your character has already made this choice well before the adventure started. This journal will look at 3 groups of circles but there are other rarer circles out there as well.

Spell Casting

Your spellcasting stat is CONTROL plus you can cast ritual spells without spending a spell slot if you spend an extra 10 minutes to cast. Finally, you can use your Druidic Focus to avoid consuming materials when you cast spells (unless there’s a monetary value attached to the spell). You can get your spell slots back only when you take a rest of 8 or more hours.

At Level 1, you have 2 cantrips (spells you can use as much as you want without getting tired). You can prepare a number of spells to use [ Control Modifier + Druid Level ] during a long (8+ hour) rest.

Wild Shape

From Druid Level 2, shape shift into a Beast. There are a number of conditions that apply here but at Level 4 and 8, your ability to shape shift into more powerful and more ferocious beasts increase. If you are from the Circle of the Moon, you can increase your abilities here even more often and even more powerfully.

Druids have a Beast Form tab in there character sheets that note what types of Druids can use what types of Beast forms at what Druid levels.

When you transform, your equipment is either absorbed into your new form or your new form will wear parts of your equipment where applicable. You can choose how that plays out when you transform but for the most part, there typically no reason to not absorb your equipment. But in some cases, you might be able to use your equipment while in your beast form but your DM will tell you if it’s possible or not.

VERY IMPORTANTLY, you can’t speak while in your beast form because physically don’t have the body parts needed to properly articulate words but your mental faculties are your own. You also can’t cast spells without the Beast Spells ability at Level 18. Finally, you adopt the senses of the beast you transform into including their sense of smell, hearing, and darkvision.

Your Beast form may have more abilities that your regular form. Please keep it mind that if you transform back into your regular form after you’ve taken more damage than your regular form would be able to handle, your regular form self will be KO and on the verge of death. If you have the time to spell and you willfully transform back, you’d probably want to heal before transforming.

You don’t always have a choice in the matter. You can maintain your Beast form for [Druid Level / 2 ] Hours, rounded down. You can only use Wild Shape twice until you take a “rest”.

Timeless Body

From Druid Level 18, your primal natural magic causes you to age more slowly. From this level onward, you age at 1/10th the rate.

Beast Spells

From Druid Level 18, you can start to use some of your magic casting ability while in your beast form. Spells have VSFM components to it on your spell lists. If it has neither an F nor an M, you can now cast it while in your beast form using up a spell slot as usual.

Archdruid

The Druid’s capstone ability at Level 20 allows you transform between your regular and Beast forms at will as many times as you want.

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Druids from the Circle of the Moon

In this journal entry, we’ll look at only 3 of the groups of Druidic circle. When druid are initiated into the Druidic fold, then enter into a specific circle. The Circle of the Moon focusses on the Druid’s unique ability, Wild Shape (Transforming into Beast Form)

Combat Wild Shape

Fast Transform

When you enter this Circle, you learn to dramatically improve the combat effectiveness of your Wild Shape ability. Instead of taking an entire action to transform, you can now transform very quickly as a Bonus Action.

Fast Healing

To further improve your combat effectiveness, you’ve learned to use up your magical energy (Spell Slots) to heal yourself while in your Beast Form. As a Bonus Action, you regain 1d8 HP per level of a single spell slot used.

Circle Forms

Your circle learns to transform into more ferocious Beast forms. This ability continues to get stronger and stronger at many levels. Druids can check the the Beast Form tab of their Character Sheets for more information about exactly which Beasts you can transform into and at what levels.

Primal Strike

From Druid level 6, your beast form attacks are imbued with your magical energies. They now count as magical damage types to overcome resistances and immunities to non-magical damage.

Elemental Wild Shape

From Druid level 10, you can use TWO Wild Shape uses to transform into an Air, Earth, Fire, or Water Elemental instead of a Beast.

Thousand Forms

Your magic is powerful enough to alter you without completely transforming into a beast. You can cast the Alter Self spell at will including growing claws, fangs, spines, horns, etc.

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Druids from the Circles of the Land

Druids from the Circles of the Land get initiated into a specific circle depending on where they entered the Druidic fold. You will choose one of: Arctic, Coast, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Mountain, Swamp, & Underdark.

More Magic

These Druids focus more on developing their magical abilities to balance out more utility rather than the Beast Form focus that the combative beast form focus of the Circle of the Moon. They gain a number of additional Circle Spells at they level up at Druid Levels 3, 5, 7, and 9.

Cantrip

You gain an extra druid Cantrip spells (that you can use as much as you like without getting tired).

Natural Recovery

During short rests (1hr) you can recover some of your magical energy. You can recover [Druid Level / 2], rounded down levels worth of spell slots. You can only use this ability once until you have a chance to fully recover during a long (8+ hour) rest.

Circle Spells

Your circle spells are ALWAYS prepared and DO NOT COUNT towards your daily prepared spell limit.

Arctic Circle

• L3: Hold Person, Spike Growth
• L5: Sleet Storm, Slow
• L7: Freedom of Movement, Ice Storm
• L9: Commune with Nature, Cone of Cold

Coast Circle

• L3: Mirror Image, Misty Step
• L5: Water Breathing, Water Walk
• L7: Control Water, Freedom of Movement
• L9: Conjure Elemental, Scrying

Desert Circle

• L3: Blur, Silence
• L5: Create Food & Water, Protection from Energy
• L7: Blight, Hallucinatory Terrain
• L9: Insect Plague, Wall of Stone

Forest Circle

• L3: Barkskin, Spider Climb
• L5: Call Lightning, Plant Growth
• L7: Divination, Freedom of Movement
• L9: Commune with Nature, Tree Stride

Grassland Circle

• L3: Invisibility, Pass without Trade
• L5: Daylight, Haste
• L7: Divination, Freedom of Movement
• L9: Dream, Insect Plague

Mountain Circle

• L3: Spider Climb, Spike Growth
• L5: Lightning Bolt, Meld into Stone
• L7: Stone Shape, Stoneskin
• L9: Passwall, Wall of Stone

Swamp Circle

• L3: Darkness, Melf’s Acid Arrow
• L5: Water Walk, Stinking Cloud
• L7: Freedom of Movement, Location Creature
• L9: Insect Plague, Scrying

Underdark (the underground realms) Circle

• L3: Spider Climb, Web
• L5: Gaseous Form, Stinking Cloud
• L7: Greater Invisibility, Stone Shape
• L9: Cloudkill, Insect Plague

Land’s Stride

From Druid Level 6, you can move through non-magically-difficult with east (without using up extra movement). You can pass through non-magical plants without getting slowed by them nor taking damage from them. You can Advantage on Saving Throw (reaction) against Plants magically created or manipulated to impede you (ie: Entangle, Ensnaring Strike, etc)

Nature’s Ward

From Druid Level 10, you can’t be charmed or frightened by Elementals nor Fey. Also, you are immune to poison and disease.

Nature’s Sanctuary

From Druid Level 14, Beasts and Plants are hesitant to attack you sensing your connection to the Natural World. They will make a Control Save against your Spell DC. If they fail, they will either not attack or attack someone else. If they beat the save, for 24 hours they will ignore your natural connection and attack you anyways if they want to.

This effectively allows you to spend a lot of time in the wilderness without the threat of attack. You could sleep in a clearing surrounding by ferocious beasts and people-eating plants and would probably get a good night’s rest.

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Circle of the Fey Touched

This circle is similar to the Circles of the Land except involves a lot more interactions with the Fey. The Fey often are connected to Nature but the Fey Touched Druids share the same connection that the Fey have.

Spark of Madness

Cantrip

You gain one of the following cantrips: Friends, Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Vicious Mockery

Trickster’s Laughter

You can gain more ability similar to Tasha’s Hideous Laughter but devised by a Fey trickster with distinctly different features and spell attributes. As a somatic requirement, you touch your target (or possibly even touch something that the target is also touching — ask your DM if they think it will work) and either immediately or at a time of your choosing within 3 minutes, the target must make a Control Save vs. your Spell DC. The target will retry their Save every round to break the spell effects. The spell can last for at most 10 minutes but is unlikely to last that long if they are saving every 6 seconds. The spell is usable only once until rest and doesn’t use a spell slot. This is considered a Fey “Charm” or Fey “Enchantment” spell for resistances against that. If someone has Protection from Good and Evil (including Fey) then that spell applies to this.

The spell will have one of the following effects:

• They find everything funny and fall prone in laughter. They are unable to do other things.
• They get a piercing migraine and are unable to do other things.
• They are paralyzed but they understand fully well that someone is using magic against them.
• They have trouble concentrating and are very distracting, not keeping track of what’s happening or being said.

Fey Form

Your Shape changing abilities are not also attuned to Fey energies. Instead of a Beast, you can use your Wild Shape ability to not transform yourself into a Fey-power infused version of yourself.

You gain these features when you are in your Fey Form (but all the Beast Form rules apply to your Beast Form. You can use your Wild Shape use to transform between Beast Form and Fey Form without transforming back to your Regular form first:

• Gain “proficiency” against all Saves related to Magic or Magical Effects
• You either gain Darkvision or increase your existing Darkvision range by 30′
• You gain a resistance to Charm spells and effects
• Gain proficiency in all Control/Charisma based ability checks. These are denoted with the 🌸 icon on your character sheet (Deception, Intimidation, Performance, Persuasion)
• Your appearance might change (ie: more charming looking, always perfect hair, etc)

Otherworldly

You can use Interplanar Gates to travel to the Feywild realm (if you can find the gates and know how to use them properly). Your magical energies combined with fey-like energies make you feel at ease in the Feywild as much as you do in the wilderness in your world.

Uncanny Dodge

From Druid Level 10, you have adapted to the dangers and oddities of the forests of both the Feywild and the regular plane making you more adept at avoiding dark magic and strange foes. When you are in your Fey Form, You gain the ability to half the damage you take from a single attack (Weapons Attacks, Spell Attacks,..) as a reaction. This will use up your reaction so you won’t be able to do any attacks of opportunity, etc.

Evasion

From Druid Level 16, your otherworldly skills extend beyond attacks. When you are in your Fey Form, you are better at dodging effect spells. Whenever you have to make a Finesse Saving Throw to dodge at effect that would either deal [fail] full damage or [success] half damage when you dodge, you can instead take [fail] half damage or [success] no damage.

True Fey Form

From Druid Level 14, your Fey Form starts seeping into your Regular form.

You now gain your Level 2 Fey Form benefits while in your Regular form except for possibly some of the changes to your visual appearance.

When you transform into your Fey Form now, you gain a high level set of features while Fey Form is active:

• Instead of gaining proficiency, you now have resistance (Roll your Save with Advantage instead of +Proficiency) against magical effects.
• You gain Superior darkvision up to 120′. If you already have darkvision, add 60′ to the range.
• You are not immune to charm effects including sleep
• Your how have Advantage on all Control/Charisma ability checks in addition to the proficiency you already have from your Level 2 Fey Form features.
• You can use Trickster’s Laughter at will as if it were a cantrip.
• You may have even larger alterations to your appearance. (discuss it with your DM)

Circle Spells

Like the Circles of the Land, you also gain access to spells at levels 3, 5, 7, and 9 that are always prepared and don’t count towards your maximum number of prepared spells.

• L3: Sleep, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter
• L5: Invisibility, Misty Step
• L7: Hypnotic Pattern, Major Image
• L9: Dimension Door, Greater Invisibility.