Level 5 to 9 can be a bit of a struggle for some if you are still relying solely on wild shape for combat success and thinking it will continue to be as strong as it was from levels 2-4 using the same tactics. I disagree with the general consensus that there is a dip in power for beasts at levels 5-9. You can still do great damage level 6-9 in beast form, but brown bear tactics won't work anymore. Your tactics will have change. The other issue is that conjure animals is so strong I often found it seemed pointless to wild shape. But, there are strategies for this issue too! So Here is my moon druid guide for levels 5-9. This will be divided into tips for wild shape, spellcasting, multiclassing and feats with a few neat combos that I found helpful. Enjoy.
Wildshape tips:
Best and most used CR2 beast forms:
Giant constrictor snake - this form gives you 120hp extra per short rest. How is that not awesome? Auto grapple and restrain on a hit is amazing. Remember, you are huge size which means you can move medium creatures without penalty. Yes damage can be low, but there is an easy fix for that. Hang out beside your cleric. The additional damage you can do by moving grappled creatures into spirit guardians, your own wall of fire or moonbeam is excellent. Or lock an enemy down so flaming sphere does damage twice. Giant constrictor was very fun and was my most used form. Sentinel + constrict attack is a deadly combo. A great tanking tactic is to get your insults ready. Taunt creatures that can understand you either verbally or with the telepathic feat (especially spellcasters) and then wildshape. If your taunts are good enough, they will usually hit you with some of their biggest damaging spells instead of other party members. Over many games my giant constrictor took finger of death, disintegration and a whole lot of fireball and lighting bolt damage that would have killed other party members outright. But with two wild shapes you can take it and just keep going. Draining enemy wizard resources is an excellent tactic. Use it. Why do people complain about CR2 creatures again?
Giant elk - 10 foot reach improves your survivability immensely because you can move away without provoking attacks of opportunity. 60 feet movement is incredible. I don't think people give enough credit to the value these types of features bring to the table. Trample is awesome if you can get it to work. A good combo with conjure animals is to summon one giant elk, then wildshape into a giant elk. Since giant elk has its own language you can give verbal instructions to your summons. RAW it works without question. One giant elk charges and knocks prone, the second comes in for the trample. Or both charge and knock prone, or both trample if a creature is already prone. It gives you great damage (up to 8d8+8) and you won't have to lose your wildshape to do it. The only drawback is you will need a good amount of space to do this.
Most fun -
Rhinocerous. I had a blast with rhino. 4d8+5 damage charge attack is ok, but this is more for fun factor. If you like charge attacks this is your best option due to best chance to hit (+7) and highest save dc (15). Only use rhino for the charge attack, not gore attack. That means take the opportunity attack if you need to move away and charge in again. Do this every round without hesitation. If you knock the enemy prone their OA will have disadvantage. Barkskin helps with this tactic. Stoneskin is better as it essentially doubles your hit points.
Other notables - if you have taken sentinel feat then allosaurus becomes a good but not great option. 2d10+4 reaction bite attack is a pretty solid damage boost. Zealoraptor from Beasts of the Jungle Rot (which is adventure league legal) is also great if your dm allows it. Cave bear is only a mild step up from brown bear. Also don't rely on the knockdown effect of beasts like sabertooth tiger or allosaurus to get the bonus attack for extra damage. You will be frustrated.
Flying Creatures at Level 8
Flying will mostly be for utility as your hp will be too low to afford to take any damage. Your best bet to use flying beasts in combat is to boost athletics. Enlarge, enhance ability, skill expert feat or 2 levels of rogue for expertise (and bonus action dash) are all great for this. The Enlarge spell can make a giant eagle huge sized so you can move medium or smaller creatures without penalty. Stay low in combat unless you are certain there are no ranged attacks. If you are clear, then grapple and fly up to 80 feet and let go for 8d6 damage. Or, hold your action until just after the creature has gone and then grapple. When its your turn again, dash up to 160 feet up and let go for 16d6 damage. If you have a bonus action dash from rogue then dealing 20d6 falling damage should be no problem. Splat! Falling damage can be significant if you play it right. I had huge fun with this tactic. Don't forget to drop enemies into active spell effects like spirit guardians, your own moonbean or onto other enemies for even more damage. Tashas has rules for creatures falling onto other creatures. Also, know your carrying capacity in lbs = strength x15. This number doubles for each creature size category above medium. It's handy to have this number ready to make life easier for your dm. Please note: always drop a grappled creature at the end of your current turn. If they get a chance to grapple you back or do enough damage you will drop too.
Another tactic is to grapple an enemy and to fly and drag it in circles through spike growth. Quetzalcoatlus (80 ft fly speed) is your best option as the huge size allows moving grappled medium creatures without penalty. Giant eagle also works. This one keeps you 5 feet off the ground so no risk of falling damage. Spike growth is 2d4 damage for every 5 feet moved with no saving throw. You will grind enemies into dust. Once again, hold your action until after the creature has taken its turn to grapple it and then you can dash before the creature has a chance to attack you. (Or use Cunning if you have it) This is a deadly tactic if you can make it work. Up to 64d4 for taking the dash action?? Ok! I will take that!
A fun thing to do is have your wizard hop on your back. Fly him around and let him rain destruction from above. Your wizard can prepare feather fall and cast it on both of you if necessary.
One final note is that giant owl and giant eagle both have their own language (called giant owl and giant eagle) so you can summon either with conjure animals, then wild shape and give verbal instructions to them if you are the same beast. This will make your wildshape feel more effective and you will feel like you are hunting with the pack!
Wildshape CR3 Beasts
Unfortunately there is only a limited selection of CR3 beasts at 9th level and you will only play them for a short time as you get your elemental forms at 10th level.
These are your best bets plus combos.
Giant Scorpion - if you want damage then this is your best option. Your best combo here is sentinel feat + guardian of nature spell (primal beast) for the extra 1d6 damage per attack. I generally don't recommend that spell, but with this combo it becomes lethal and somewhat necessary because scorpion only has +4 to attack rolls, so you will need advantage.
Attack # 4 Stinger Reaction Attack from Sentinel feat - 1d10+2+ 4d10 poison (save for half) + 1d6
That is a whopping 2d8 + 4d6+ 2d10+ 8d10 poison (save for half) + 8 if all hit. That is nuts! And it does not even include the fact that you can still auto grapple move 2 creatures into active spell effects. If you get a crit on the stinger then look out. I had a few crits with the stinger and I can tell you rolling 10d10 damage for one hit is pure bliss.
Who says you can't do a lot of damage in beast form?
Ankylosaurus- huge size, 15ac, 10 feet reach is great, 68 hp, 4d6 +4 damage plus save or be knocked prone. It's a solid defensive option with meh damage. However, if you have taken sentinel feat, an extra 4d6 + 4 reaction attack is a big damage boost. Add in a 4th level flaming sphere you can do up to 12d6+8 before your next turn in beast form and even more if enemies finish their turn beside the flaming sphere. Take one level of war cleric and you can do a bonus action attack instead of flaming sphere. Meh damage turns into very solid damage. Plus it's fun to rampage around and make godzilla noises! One note here is that sentinel always requires proper positioning. This can be a bit tougher when you are huge sized. Don't forget, as a huge creature you can move through other creatures' spaces if they are medium sized or smaller.
Giant Snapping Turtle - 17ac, 75 hp. That's an extra 150 hp per short rest. That is enormous. It's the same damage as Ankylosaurus but is only a large creature so it has a little more usability indoors. This is your best tank option so use it that way. For uber tanking, gift of the chromatic dragon feat plus stoneskin is an amazing combo. Your 150 hp per short rest becomes more like 300. Why did you want to multiclass into barbarian again? You will never die due to damage.
Spellcasting
Conjure animals - this spell is so strong that it can make wildshape feel unnecessary and you will wonder why you did not take a circle of land druid to get 2 conjure animal spells back after a short rest. Why wildshape when you can summon 8 giant poisonous snakes that will do way more damage? Because you want to BE THE BEAST. That's why. What can help is to see if your dm will let you summon CR 1 or CR 2 creatures and be able to give them instructions when in wild shape OR as long as you are the same animal. For example, summon two brown bears and wild shape into a cave bear. Bears should have some sort of rudimentary communication right? You can be a pack of bears hunting enemies down. Its very fun! Summon a giant constrictor snake and be one yourself. Two of those on the battlefield are a sight to behold. Same with giant elk. Your dm will generally like this way better than the mess and slow down that summoning 8 or 16 CR ¼ animals can sometimes cause. It's a win-win all around. If your dm says no, then giant elk, giant owl and giant eagle all have their own language so it will still work in those forms. There are too many great options for conjure animals so i won't go over them. It might be the most powerful 3rd level spell in the game. But I will say please use this spell responsibly. To other players it may feel like you are monopolizing the game with this spell if your turns are taking very long. Make sure you communicate with other players so this does not become an issue. I found the most balanced use of this spell was to summon a variety of CR ½, 1 or 2 creatures that I could command in beast form (thanks to my DM) and summon 8 CR ¼ creatures when the group was in trouble. That way your party is looking forward to you casting this spell rather than not.
There are some other spells which enhance wild shape:
Stoneskin - expensive but gives you most of the benefit of being a barbarian without multiclassing. Very effective.
Guardian of nature - i find this spell a bit overrated. It works best for beasts that have multiple attacks and have also taken sentinel feat, otherwise the extra 1d6 damage on one attack is not worth a 4th level slot. I wish there was a better spell than guardian of nature to enhance your wild shape forms. Talk to your DM about a homebrew version of this spell. Perhaps one that gives a solid AC bonus in tree form or extra attack in primal form while taking away some of the other features. If you are not happy with wild shape in combat, this could be a great way to help.
Fire shield - this spell is a no brainer for wild shape. Damage resistances and non concentration. You know you will get hit a lot, so why not take advantage of that? This is best when facing many creatures that do low damage or a creature with multiple attacks. Fire shield + stoneskin is a great combo. It can really up your damage and durability in beast form but may not always be the most practical to set up.
Protection from energy - i did not use this much but if you know ahead of time you will be up against a certain damage type it can come in handy.
Hunters mark or hex - you will need to multiclass or take fey touched feat to get these spells. Good for low levels only as you will have much better spells to concentrate on in levels 5-9.
Other spells to concentrate on in Wild Shape:
Wall of fire, Spike Growth, Moonbeam, Maelstrom - grappling creatures in beast mode and dragging them into these spells is an excellent tactic to increase your damage that will last to high levels. Moonbeam upcasts very well. I used moonbeam a lot more in levels 5-9 than at levels 3 and 4. Wall of fire is amazing battlefield control.
Call lightning - great if you are in a beast form that can fly and nuke everyone from above.
Conjure woodland beings - summon 2 dryads. They can speak with beasts as if they shared a language so RAW giving verbal instructions while you are in beast mode should be allowed. Have one cast barkskin on you for added defense. Or have both spam the entangle spell (3x per day each) but don't use them in melee combat or they will get crushed. Each can also cast goodberry 3x. That's 60 goodberries for out of combat healing. That's amazing. And they can cast pass without trace! Please note: Don't ever summon 8 pixies to cast 8 polymorph spells. That combo is broken and ruins the game. If you want to balance this spell to summon pixies then make pixies CR 1 (so you can summon two of them) Having access to two castings of each of polymorph, confusion, dispel magic, fly and the rest of their spells is still quite amazing for a 4th level spell.
Summon draconic spirit - if you have draconic as a language and the telepathic feat you can absolutely communicate with your dragon in wild shape. The damage resistances the dragon can give you is so versatile and the dragon's attacks will also add to your damage per round. Unfortunately its non magical damage. With flight and a 10 ft reach the dragon can be surprisingly hard to kill if you play it right. The dragons blindsight can be very handy.
Polymorph - one of the best 4th level spells. Make sure you have resilient con and war caster so when you cast it on a team member your concentration does not break the worst moment possible. My understanding is if you cast this on yourself you no longer have access to your feats as all the beast's stats replace yours. So it's better not to cast it on yourself as you will likely lose concentration on it very fast.
Speak with animals - if your dm wont let you "verbally command" your conjured animals while you are in beast form, cast this first. It lets you "verbally communicate" with beasts but it does not specify you have to speak a language or be in a humanoid form to do so. Plus its non concentration.
Wall of stone - amazing battlefield control option. Hedge off some enemies, then wild shape, then start picking enemies off at your pleasure. Excellent tactic.
Conjure Elemental - if you have primordial as a language and the telepathic feat you can communicate with your elemental in beast form. However 1 minute casting time makes this spell impractical most of the time and once you get your elemental forms you can have a chat with your summoned elementals anyways. If you do have time to cast this before a combat it is your most powerful 5th level spell.
Transmute rock -excellent but situational control spell. It's not concentration so after casting this take call lightning, fly high as a bird and nuke creatures from above. Creatures restrained by the mud/rock will have disadvantage on their dex saves. Your fireball happy wizard will be even happier!
Multiclassing
From levels 5-9 multiclassing can be a bit of a trap for moon druids. Generally you should only multiclass at these levels if you know for sure your campaign is going to end in another level or two and you want to dabble in something else. It is better to wait until level 10 or 11 to multiclass for spell progression and elemental forms. But….. regardless of this advice, if you think multiclassing will be fun then go nuts.
Here are some options:
Barbarian -
The most popular option. From the basic class, advantage on strength checks can be really good if you are built to grapple. Danger sense is pretty good for dex saving throws in beast mode as animal dexterity scores tend to be low. Reckless attack? Why not? With your low ac you are going to get hit anyways.
Bear totem - immunity to all damage except psychic is one of the best subclass features in the game and bear totem works well thematically. If all you want to do is tank, how can you not do this? Three levels is a hefty investment though….
Path of the Beast - another nice thematic fit. The reaction tail to add 1d8 to ac is a nice defensive boost to your wildshape. Too bad you can't concentrate on barkskin while you rage or this would be even better. It can combine with mage armour for a nice ac bonus though.
Berserker - is good for a bonus attack in animal form however 1 level of exhaustion is a steep price to pay for that.
Rogue- expertise in athletics and bonus action dash and disengage are very useful. Especially with some of the tactics I mentioned above. However you can get expertise with a feat and since you are tanky, disengage will likely not be a strategy you will use too much.
Monk - your unarmored AC in beast mode will be 10 + the beast's dex bonus + your wisdom bonus. Giant elk has 16 dex and zealoraptor (if allowed) has 18 dex. Before level 10 these are your best two beast options for this multiclass. 2 levels will get you a bonus action dodge, dash or disengage twice per short rest plus an extra 10 feet of movement.
Paladin - divine smite is a nice option if you are looking for a damage boost in beast mode. You will have a lot of spell slots to use this feature with but you can burn through them very fast if you are not careful. If lack of damage in beast mode is your main complaint then this is probably your best option. Divine smite combines well with sentinel feat and guardian of nature spell or hunter's mark. If you crit then look out, but that is rare.
Fighter - action surge is the best multiclass feature in the game. Cast a spell, wilshape and attack all in the first round. That is fantastic. Second wind also works in wild shape but fighting styles generally do not.
War cleric - a one level dip gives you a bonus action attack wisdom modifier times per long rest that does work in wild shape. Combine with sentinel feat and you have a nice damage boost to any beast.
Tempest cleric - Wrath of storm works well in beast mode. Combine that with a fire shield spell and you can do 4d8 just by getting hit. You are going to get hit anyways. Right? For a 2nd level dip the channel divinity might be useful if you had more lightning and thunder spells but it can be used with wrath of the storm.
Life cleric - disciple of life makes each goodberry heal 4 hp each. 40 healing for a 1st level spell…..That is just nuts. If you end up being the party healer this one level dip is probably worth it.
Light cleric - Thematically it works to the elemental part of being a druid. Warding flare does work in wild shape and is a great defensive feature. Channel divinity can also work in wild shape if you can somehow wild shape and still wear your holy symbol.
Peace cleric - emboldening balm is awesome for a 1 level dip and non concentration. You can also use it on your summoned creatures. For a 2 level dip Balm of peace works in beast mode and combines very well with your animals that have high movement like dire wolf or giant elk. However if you want to heal go life cleric instead.
Ranger - thematically it works but there is not much benefit here to help your wild shape unless you know you are in a low level campaign, then hunter's mark spell is ok. Three levels of hunter ranger for extra 1d8 damage on one attack per turn is probably not worth it. Gloom stalker might be worth it if your DM does short and frequent combats. Otherwise No.
Evocation wizard - a wizard? Whaaaat?..... a two level dip gets you sculpt spells to protect your team mates from moonbeam or wall of fire damage. If your style is to lock down enemies into these spells then this is a pretty good combo. It also works with cone of cold and a few higher level spells. Also don't forget yiu can take feather fall for your level 8 flying beast forms!
Feats
Warcaster, resilient constitution, expertise in athletics, sentinel and telepathy. All are good and the same as the level 1-4 guide.
Gift of the chromatic dragon - excellent for damage resistances. Fire, lightning, cold and other damage types all become a problem for your beasts and you will likely be faced with these damage types at these levels. You also won't need to prepare absorb elements any more if you have this feat so it can give you a much needed extra spell preparation.
Telekinetic - bump creatures into your wall of fire or moonbeam can be a nice use of a bonus action in wild shape. For this to work you really have to focus on positioning yourself properly in combat.
Eldritch adept - good invocations to choose are beast speech and armour of shadows. Beast speech to communicate with your conjured animals while you are in beast form and armour of shadows gives a slight non concentration bump to ac of animal forms.
Fey touched - +1 wisdom is great. So is the misty step spell that druids don't have access to. You can choose hunters mark or hex for your other spell, but you can also take bless which is excellent at any level. Combine bless with emboldening balm of peace cleric and your party will love you!
Thats it for this guide. I am stil playing levels 10+. If my druid lives until level 14 then i will make a guide for those levels. Cheers.
Level 5 to 9 can be a bit of a struggle for some if you are still relying solely on wild shape for combat success and thinking it will continue to be as strong as it was from levels 2-4 using the same tactics. I disagree with the general consensus that there is a dip in power for beasts at levels 5-9. You can still do great damage level 6-9 in beast form, but brown bear tactics won't work anymore. Your tactics will have change. The other issue is that conjure animals is so strong I often found it seemed pointless to wild shape. But, there are strategies for this issue too! So Here is my moon druid guide for levels 5-9. This will be divided into tips for wild shape, spellcasting, multiclassing and feats with a few neat combos that I found helpful. Enjoy.
Wildshape tips:
Best and most used CR2 beast forms:
Giant constrictor snake - this form gives you 120hp extra per short rest. How is that not awesome? Auto grapple and restrain on a hit is amazing. Remember, you are huge size which means you can move medium creatures without penalty. Yes damage can be low, but there is an easy fix for that. Hang out beside your cleric. The additional damage you can do by moving grappled creatures into spirit guardians, your own wall of fire or moonbeam is excellent. Or lock an enemy down so flaming sphere does damage twice. Giant constrictor was very fun and was my most used form. Sentinel + constrict attack is a deadly combo. A great tanking tactic is to get your insults ready. Taunt creatures that can understand you either verbally or with the telepathic feat (especially spellcasters) and then wildshape. If your taunts are good enough, they will usually hit you with some of their biggest damaging spells instead of other party members. Over many games my giant constrictor took finger of death, disintegration and a whole lot of fireball and lighting bolt damage that would have killed other party members outright. But with two wild shapes you can take it and just keep going. Draining enemy wizard resources is an excellent tactic. Use it. Why do people complain about CR2 creatures again?
Giant elk - 10 foot reach improves your survivability immensely because you can move away without provoking attacks of opportunity. 60 feet movement is incredible. I don't think people give enough credit to the value these types of features bring to the table. Trample is awesome if you can get it to work. A good combo with conjure animals is to summon one giant elk, then wildshape into a giant elk. Since giant elk has its own language you can give verbal instructions to your summons. RAW it works without question. One giant elk charges and knocks prone, the second comes in for the trample. Or both charge and knock prone, or both trample if a creature is already prone. It gives you great damage (up to 8d8+8) and you won't have to lose your wildshape to do it. The only drawback is you will need a good amount of space to do this.
Most fun -
Rhinocerous. I had a blast with rhino. 4d8+5 damage charge attack is ok, but this is more for fun factor. If you like charge attacks this is your best option due to best chance to hit (+7) and highest save dc (15). Only use rhino for the charge attack, not gore attack. That means take the opportunity attack if you need to move away and charge in again. Do this every round without hesitation. If you knock the enemy prone their OA will have disadvantage. Barkskin helps with this tactic. Stoneskin is better as it essentially doubles your hit points.
Other notables - if you have taken sentinel feat then allosaurus becomes a good but not great option. 2d10+4 reaction bite attack is a pretty solid damage boost. Zealoraptor from Beasts of the Jungle Rot (which is adventure league legal) is also great if your dm allows it. Cave bear is only a mild step up from brown bear. Also don't rely on the knockdown effect of beasts like sabertooth tiger or allosaurus to get the bonus attack for extra damage. You will be frustrated.
Flying Creatures at Level 8
Flying will mostly be for utility as your hp will be too low to afford to take any damage. Your best bet to use flying beasts in combat is to boost athletics. Enlarge, enhance ability, skill expert feat or 2 levels of rogue for expertise (and bonus action dash) are all great for this. The Enlarge spell can make a giant eagle huge sized so you can move medium or smaller creatures without penalty. Stay low in combat unless you are certain there are no ranged attacks. If you are clear, then grapple and fly up to 80 feet and let go for 8d6 damage. Or, hold your action until just after the creature has gone and then grapple. When its your turn again, dash up to 160 feet up and let go for 16d6 damage. If you have a bonus action dash from rogue then dealing 20d6 falling damage should be no problem. Splat! Falling damage can be significant if you play it right. I had huge fun with this tactic. Don't forget to drop enemies into active spell effects like spirit guardians, your own moonbean or onto other enemies for even more damage. Tashas has rules for creatures falling onto other creatures. Also, know your carrying capacity in lbs = strength x15. This number doubles for each creature size category above medium. It's handy to have this number ready to make life easier for your dm. Please note: always drop a grappled creature at the end of your current turn. If they get a chance to grapple you back or do enough damage you will drop too.
Another tactic is to grapple an enemy and to fly and drag it in circles through spike growth. Quetzalcoatlus (80 ft fly speed) is your best option as the huge size allows moving grappled medium creatures without penalty. Giant eagle also works. This one keeps you 5 feet off the ground so no risk of falling damage. Spike growth is 2d4 damage for every 5 feet moved with no saving throw. You will grind enemies into dust. Once again, hold your action until after the creature has taken its turn to grapple it and then you can dash before the creature has a chance to attack you. (Or use Cunning if you have it) This is a deadly tactic if you can make it work. Up to 64d4 for taking the dash action?? Ok! I will take that!
A fun thing to do is have your wizard hop on your back. Fly him around and let him rain destruction from above. Your wizard can prepare feather fall and cast it on both of you if necessary.
One final note is that giant owl and giant eagle both have their own language (called giant owl and giant eagle) so you can summon either with conjure animals, then wild shape and give verbal instructions to them if you are the same beast. This will make your wildshape feel more effective and you will feel like you are hunting with the pack!
Wildshape CR3 Beasts
Unfortunately there is only a limited selection of CR3 beasts at 9th level and you will only play them for a short time as you get your elemental forms at 10th level.
These are your best bets plus combos.
Giant Scorpion - if you want damage then this is your best option. Your best combo here is sentinel feat + guardian of nature spell (primal beast) for the extra 1d6 damage per attack. I generally don't recommend that spell, but with this combo it becomes lethal and somewhat necessary because scorpion only has +4 to attack rolls, so you will need advantage.
So here is what giant scorpion can do:
Attack #1 Claw - 1d8 +2 +1d6 + autograpple
Attack #2 Claw -1d8+2 +1d6 + autograpple
Attack #3 Stinger - 1d10+2+ 4d10 poison (save for half) + 1d6
Attack # 4 Stinger Reaction Attack from Sentinel feat - 1d10+2+ 4d10 poison (save for half) + 1d6
That is a whopping 2d8 + 4d6+ 2d10+ 8d10 poison (save for half) + 8 if all hit. That is nuts! And it does not even include the fact that you can still auto grapple move 2 creatures into active spell effects. If you get a crit on the stinger then look out. I had a few crits with the stinger and I can tell you rolling 10d10 damage for one hit is pure bliss.
Who says you can't do a lot of damage in beast form?
Ankylosaurus- huge size, 15ac, 10 feet reach is great, 68 hp, 4d6 +4 damage plus save or be knocked prone. It's a solid defensive option with meh damage. However, if you have taken sentinel feat, an extra 4d6 + 4 reaction attack is a big damage boost. Add in a 4th level flaming sphere you can do up to 12d6+8 before your next turn in beast form and even more if enemies finish their turn beside the flaming sphere. Take one level of war cleric and you can do a bonus action attack instead of flaming sphere. Meh damage turns into very solid damage. Plus it's fun to rampage around and make godzilla noises! One note here is that sentinel always requires proper positioning. This can be a bit tougher when you are huge sized. Don't forget, as a huge creature you can move through other creatures' spaces if they are medium sized or smaller.
Giant Snapping Turtle - 17ac, 75 hp. That's an extra 150 hp per short rest. That is enormous. It's the same damage as Ankylosaurus but is only a large creature so it has a little more usability indoors. This is your best tank option so use it that way. For uber tanking, gift of the chromatic dragon feat plus stoneskin is an amazing combo. Your 150 hp per short rest becomes more like 300. Why did you want to multiclass into barbarian again? You will never die due to damage.
Spellcasting
Conjure animals - this spell is so strong that it can make wildshape feel unnecessary and you will wonder why you did not take a circle of land druid to get 2 conjure animal spells back after a short rest. Why wildshape when you can summon 8 giant poisonous snakes that will do way more damage? Because you want to BE THE BEAST. That's why. What can help is to see if your dm will let you summon CR 1 or CR 2 creatures and be able to give them instructions when in wild shape OR as long as you are the same animal. For example, summon two brown bears and wild shape into a cave bear. Bears should have some sort of rudimentary communication right? You can be a pack of bears hunting enemies down. Its very fun! Summon a giant constrictor snake and be one yourself. Two of those on the battlefield are a sight to behold. Same with giant elk. Your dm will generally like this way better than the mess and slow down that summoning 8 or 16 CR ¼ animals can sometimes cause. It's a win-win all around. If your dm says no, then giant elk, giant owl and giant eagle all have their own language so it will still work in those forms. There are too many great options for conjure animals so i won't go over them. It might be the most powerful 3rd level spell in the game. But I will say please use this spell responsibly. To other players it may feel like you are monopolizing the game with this spell if your turns are taking very long. Make sure you communicate with other players so this does not become an issue. I found the most balanced use of this spell was to summon a variety of CR ½, 1 or 2 creatures that I could command in beast form (thanks to my DM) and summon 8 CR ¼ creatures when the group was in trouble. That way your party is looking forward to you casting this spell rather than not.
There are some other spells which enhance wild shape:
Stoneskin - expensive but gives you most of the benefit of being a barbarian without multiclassing. Very effective.
Guardian of nature - i find this spell a bit overrated. It works best for beasts that have multiple attacks and have also taken sentinel feat, otherwise the extra 1d6 damage on one attack is not worth a 4th level slot. I wish there was a better spell than guardian of nature to enhance your wild shape forms. Talk to your DM about a homebrew version of this spell. Perhaps one that gives a solid AC bonus in tree form or extra attack in primal form while taking away some of the other features. If you are not happy with wild shape in combat, this could be a great way to help.
Fire shield - this spell is a no brainer for wild shape. Damage resistances and non concentration. You know you will get hit a lot, so why not take advantage of that? This is best when facing many creatures that do low damage or a creature with multiple attacks. Fire shield + stoneskin is a great combo. It can really up your damage and durability in beast form but may not always be the most practical to set up.
Protection from energy - i did not use this much but if you know ahead of time you will be up against a certain damage type it can come in handy.
Hunters mark or hex - you will need to multiclass or take fey touched feat to get these spells. Good for low levels only as you will have much better spells to concentrate on in levels 5-9.
Other spells to concentrate on in Wild Shape:
Wall of fire, Spike Growth, Moonbeam, Maelstrom - grappling creatures in beast mode and dragging them into these spells is an excellent tactic to increase your damage that will last to high levels. Moonbeam upcasts very well. I used moonbeam a lot more in levels 5-9 than at levels 3 and 4. Wall of fire is amazing battlefield control.
Call lightning - great if you are in a beast form that can fly and nuke everyone from above.
Conjure woodland beings - summon 2 dryads. They can speak with beasts as if they shared a language so RAW giving verbal instructions while you are in beast mode should be allowed. Have one cast barkskin on you for added defense. Or have both spam the entangle spell (3x per day each) but don't use them in melee combat or they will get crushed. Each can also cast goodberry 3x. That's 60 goodberries for out of combat healing. That's amazing. And they can cast pass without trace! Please note: Don't ever summon 8 pixies to cast 8 polymorph spells. That combo is broken and ruins the game. If you want to balance this spell to summon pixies then make pixies CR 1 (so you can summon two of them) Having access to two castings of each of polymorph, confusion, dispel magic, fly and the rest of their spells is still quite amazing for a 4th level spell.
Summon draconic spirit - if you have draconic as a language and the telepathic feat you can absolutely communicate with your dragon in wild shape. The damage resistances the dragon can give you is so versatile and the dragon's attacks will also add to your damage per round. Unfortunately its non magical damage. With flight and a 10 ft reach the dragon can be surprisingly hard to kill if you play it right. The dragons blindsight can be very handy.
Polymorph - one of the best 4th level spells. Make sure you have resilient con and war caster so when you cast it on a team member your concentration does not break the worst moment possible. My understanding is if you cast this on yourself you no longer have access to your feats as all the beast's stats replace yours. So it's better not to cast it on yourself as you will likely lose concentration on it very fast.
Speak with animals - if your dm wont let you "verbally command" your conjured animals while you are in beast form, cast this first. It lets you "verbally communicate" with beasts but it does not specify you have to speak a language or be in a humanoid form to do so. Plus its non concentration.
Wall of stone - amazing battlefield control option. Hedge off some enemies, then wild shape, then start picking enemies off at your pleasure. Excellent tactic.
Conjure Elemental - if you have primordial as a language and the telepathic feat you can communicate with your elemental in beast form. However 1 minute casting time makes this spell impractical most of the time and once you get your elemental forms you can have a chat with your summoned elementals anyways. If you do have time to cast this before a combat it is your most powerful 5th level spell.
Transmute rock -excellent but situational control spell. It's not concentration so after casting this take call lightning, fly high as a bird and nuke creatures from above. Creatures restrained by the mud/rock will have disadvantage on their dex saves. Your fireball happy wizard will be even happier!
Multiclassing
From levels 5-9 multiclassing can be a bit of a trap for moon druids. Generally you should only multiclass at these levels if you know for sure your campaign is going to end in another level or two and you want to dabble in something else. It is better to wait until level 10 or 11 to multiclass for spell progression and elemental forms. But….. regardless of this advice, if you think multiclassing will be fun then go nuts.
Here are some options:
Barbarian -
The most popular option. From the basic class, advantage on strength checks can be really good if you are built to grapple. Danger sense is pretty good for dex saving throws in beast mode as animal dexterity scores tend to be low. Reckless attack? Why not? With your low ac you are going to get hit anyways.
Bear totem - immunity to all damage except psychic is one of the best subclass features in the game and bear totem works well thematically. If all you want to do is tank, how can you not do this? Three levels is a hefty investment though….
Path of the Beast - another nice thematic fit. The reaction tail to add 1d8 to ac is a nice defensive boost to your wildshape. Too bad you can't concentrate on barkskin while you rage or this would be even better. It can combine with mage armour for a nice ac bonus though.
Berserker - is good for a bonus attack in animal form however 1 level of exhaustion is a steep price to pay for that.
Rogue- expertise in athletics and bonus action dash and disengage are very useful. Especially with some of the tactics I mentioned above. However you can get expertise with a feat and since you are tanky, disengage will likely not be a strategy you will use too much.
Monk - your unarmored AC in beast mode will be 10 + the beast's dex bonus + your wisdom bonus. Giant elk has 16 dex and zealoraptor (if allowed) has 18 dex. Before level 10 these are your best two beast options for this multiclass. 2 levels will get you a bonus action dodge, dash or disengage twice per short rest plus an extra 10 feet of movement.
Paladin - divine smite is a nice option if you are looking for a damage boost in beast mode. You will have a lot of spell slots to use this feature with but you can burn through them very fast if you are not careful. If lack of damage in beast mode is your main complaint then this is probably your best option. Divine smite combines well with sentinel feat and guardian of nature spell or hunter's mark. If you crit then look out, but that is rare.
Fighter - action surge is the best multiclass feature in the game. Cast a spell, wilshape and attack all in the first round. That is fantastic. Second wind also works in wild shape but fighting styles generally do not.
War cleric - a one level dip gives you a bonus action attack wisdom modifier times per long rest that does work in wild shape. Combine with sentinel feat and you have a nice damage boost to any beast.
Tempest cleric - Wrath of storm works well in beast mode. Combine that with a fire shield spell and you can do 4d8 just by getting hit. You are going to get hit anyways. Right? For a 2nd level dip the channel divinity might be useful if you had more lightning and thunder spells but it can be used with wrath of the storm.
Life cleric - disciple of life makes each goodberry heal 4 hp each. 40 healing for a 1st level spell…..That is just nuts. If you end up being the party healer this one level dip is probably worth it.
Light cleric - Thematically it works to the elemental part of being a druid. Warding flare does work in wild shape and is a great defensive feature. Channel divinity can also work in wild shape if you can somehow wild shape and still wear your holy symbol.
Peace cleric - emboldening balm is awesome for a 1 level dip and non concentration. You can also use it on your summoned creatures. For a 2 level dip Balm of peace works in beast mode and combines very well with your animals that have high movement like dire wolf or giant elk. However if you want to heal go life cleric instead.
Ranger - thematically it works but there is not much benefit here to help your wild shape unless you know you are in a low level campaign, then hunter's mark spell is ok. Three levels of hunter ranger for extra 1d8 damage on one attack per turn is probably not worth it. Gloom stalker might be worth it if your DM does short and frequent combats. Otherwise No.
Evocation wizard - a wizard? Whaaaat?..... a two level dip gets you sculpt spells to protect your team mates from moonbeam or wall of fire damage. If your style is to lock down enemies into these spells then this is a pretty good combo. It also works with cone of cold and a few higher level spells. Also don't forget yiu can take feather fall for your level 8 flying beast forms!
Feats
Warcaster, resilient constitution, expertise in athletics, sentinel and telepathy. All are good and the same as the level 1-4 guide.
Gift of the chromatic dragon - excellent for damage resistances. Fire, lightning, cold and other damage types all become a problem for your beasts and you will likely be faced with these damage types at these levels. You also won't need to prepare absorb elements any more if you have this feat so it can give you a much needed extra spell preparation.
Telekinetic - bump creatures into your wall of fire or moonbeam can be a nice use of a bonus action in wild shape. For this to work you really have to focus on positioning yourself properly in combat.
Eldritch adept - good invocations to choose are beast speech and armour of shadows. Beast speech to communicate with your conjured animals while you are in beast form and armour of shadows gives a slight non concentration bump to ac of animal forms.
Fey touched - +1 wisdom is great. So is the misty step spell that druids don't have access to. You can choose hunters mark or hex for your other spell, but you can also take bless which is excellent at any level. Combine bless with emboldening balm of peace cleric and your party will love you!
Thats it for this guide. I am stil playing levels 10+. If my druid lives until level 14 then i will make a guide for those levels. Cheers.