Surprised nobody has mentioned Erupting Earth. The damage is a bit more random than usual, but it scales brilliantly and is basically a Fireball that is almost never resisted and even has a bit of CC - as long as your DM allows Elemental Evil spells. Plus, there's not many opportunities in the game to break out your d12s!
Thorn whip has its uses. I actually managed to snatch our rogue out of a chasm when a rope drawbridge broke on him and save him from almost certain doom (tearing him up a bit in the process haha).
Guidance is very useful as well and embodies the Druid role perfectly- you won't be doing the most damage of the party but you will help them succeed with whatever they're doing.
Thanks to watching Critical Role, I have to say I have a lot of Transport via Plants and Wind walk. As good or better than arcane teleports.
My son is playing a druid in SKT. His 8hr Plant Growth gets us more Goodwill in a small town than two 20's on persuasion. He Druidcraft's butterflies for the kids, makes their crops grow and they are super friendly!! Amazing! Even saved the drunk halfling barbarian a good tar and feathering 😂
I really like the following spells that work great for a variant human with the magic initiate feat druid Cantrips Produce Flames, Guidance 1st level goodberries Produce Flame allows you to dump your torches, and have a quick ranged attack if needed not a long range but helpful. Guidance + 1d4 on almost every roll, and good berries you dont ever need to carry rations again other then water.
I've only got a lvl 4 Forest Gnome Druid of the land and ive not played alot of D&D, but i have 7 cantrips thanks to the way my character is set up. i dont know if they'll all be useful forever but this is my first campaign so im learning =D Took the Magic Initiate Feat at lvl 4 it got me from 5 to 7 Trying to make a Druid thats dedicated to healing. hope it works!
It’s hard to say what’s best because druids are so versatile. Depending on whether you want to engage in melee combat (as a Moon druid), blasting, healing, battlefield control or minions, you’re going to select different spells. Your choice of Circle matters too. Healing Word is a very useful spell, but If you’re a Circle of Dreams druid, you don’t need it because your subclass ability Balm of the Summer Court is effectively a substitute for it. We’d need to know a bit more detail about your druid before making spell suggestions crafted to your particular druid.
It's unfortunate that Shillelagh (along with Magic Stone) has to be the worst of the damage cantrips for the druid. It's fixed at a d8, no matter your current level. The other damage cantrips, including Poison Spray, Produce Flame (my fav as it has a range of 30'), Frostbite, and Bonfire all increase in damage as your druid increases in level.
But quarterstaffs *are* kick ass.
Shame they didn't give it the same kind of buff that the other spells have (2d8 at 5th, 3d8 11th, etc). Next campaign I DM, I'm definitely going to give that option to any druids.
It's unfortunate that Shillelagh (along with Magic Stone) has to be the worst of the damage cantrips for the druid. It's fixed at a d8, no matter your current level. The other damage cantrips, including Poison Spray, Produce Flame (my fav as it has a range of 30'), Frostbite, and Bonfire all increase in damage as your druid increases in level.
But quarterstaffs *are* kick ass.
Shame they didn't give it the same kind of buff that the other spells have (2d8 at 5th, 3d8 11th, etc). Next campaign I DM, I'm definitely going to give that option to any druids.
That's going to create a problem when someone multiclasses Druid + Fighter or Druid + Barbarian.
I use “spike growth” (strategically placed, of course!) and always throw shillelagh on my staff as a bonus action in my first move after we roll initiative just for house keeping so I don’t have to do it later..
Then on my next turn I like to throw thorn whip out there and drag my opponent 10 feet through my spikes after I deal my piercing damage.
all time fave move so far was casting spike growth then climbing a tree to then snag werewolves with my thorn whip to pull them up 10ft so they could enjoy my piercing damage followed by falling and spike growth damage.
Magic Stones is really strong in earlier levels though. Being able to spread around d6+Wisdom magic attacks to your low level party members who don't have magical attacks yet is really powerful when you start encountering creatures with resistance to non magical attacks though.
I managed to make a gray ooze completely easy to defeat on level 1 with a good use of magic stones and thunderwave to keep it away from my melee character allies (monk and paladin) while keeping their actions useful thanks to the stones without risking corrosion.
I agree it falls off hard from level 5 though. And I literally only took it because I know this campaign may not get beyond that.
The point of Shillelagh isn't really to be a damaging cantrip in that way. It allows you to have a magic weapon right off the bat, and use your Wisdom for Attack and Damage rolls, giving you room to ignore Strength (and even Dex if you're not getting it for AC) in favor of Wisdom. It's only a bonus action and doesn't require concentration. It's basically as good as any other magic weapon, and if your DM is nice and you get a magical quarterstaff/club they'll allow you to add the bonus on top of Shillelagh.
Some of my favorite buff and defense spells are Absorb Elements (resist damage and increase your own on a following turn), Fog Cloud (deny line of sight to enemy archers and casters), Enhance Ability (esp. for the party grappler or to guarantee high Initiative), and Sleet Storm (like a combo of Grease and Fog Cloud that disrupts concentration in a huge area).
FIRST OFF: Magic Stone is a BONUS ACTION. Secondly it creates ---3---- magic stone. Thirdly you can either throw them OR use a sling. I have a high dex so my sling is my main weapon.
So you have a ranged attack from level one that does great damage and let's you attack and move and you get three magic stones out of it, so you if you wanted to pass one to a character next to you, you could. The rules say you can pass a small object to a character in the adjacent square if you want and that doesn't count as an action. The rules say passing a small object is "the sort of thing you can do in tandem with your movement and action."
So it's the ultimate Druid Cantrip. Oh and you can do it again and again.
Eh, Magic Stone is pretty good early on - higher damage output than virtually any other range spell attack cantrip - but it doesn't improve at higher levels which is a shame.
I agree that Magic Stone doesn't keep up in tier 3 or 4, but at tier 2 with a +4 wis bonus it still beats 2d6 cantrips on average and is more likely to give you >=7 dmg. It is also as likely to get 10 damage as rolling either 10, 11, or 12 with 2d6. Another point for Magic Stone is its high minimum. I would still be ok with it at T2, since its output is still close to the d6 cantrips and not far behind the higher die ones. In T3 and 4 I'd definitely move to a scaling cantrip.
I also just love the druidic theme of Magic Stone.
Edit: all that being said, I'd probably only take it on Druids with more than 4 cantrip slots, such as Land or with Magic Initiate.
Indeed, I agree with all that. Particularly for druids (Who don't have access to higher damage Ranged Attack cantrips like Fire Bolt or Eldritch Blast) though Warlocks and Artificers - the other classes that can use it - are better off with Eldritch Blast and Fire Bolt respectively in second Tier. It's also amazingly convenient if you're ever in a situation protecting townsfolk, rescuing prisoners, etc. You could potentially hang back, cast this each turn as a bonus action, pass 2 of the stones to the Commoners and essentially be able to fire off 3 cantrips per round. Very effective.
I agree that Magic Stone doesn't keep up in tier 3 or 4, but at tier 2 with a +4 wis bonus it still beats 2d6 cantrips on average and is more likely to give you >=7 dmg. It is also as likely to get 10 damage as rolling either 10, 11, or 12 with 2d6. Another point for Magic Stone is its high minimum. I would still be ok with it at T2, since its output is still close to the d6 cantrips and not far behind the higher die ones. In T3 and 4 I'd definitely move to a scaling cantrip.
I also just love the druidic theme of Magic Stone.
Edit: all that being said, I'd probably only take it on Druids with more than 4 cantrip slots, such as Land or with Magic Initiate.
But wait, if you take the Magic Initiate feat, why not just choose Eldritch Blast? It has farther range and uses a bigger die.
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Surprised nobody has mentioned Erupting Earth. The damage is a bit more random than usual, but it scales brilliantly and is basically a Fireball that is almost never resisted and even has a bit of CC - as long as your DM allows Elemental Evil spells. Plus, there's not many opportunities in the game to break out your d12s!
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
Thorn whip has its uses. I actually managed to snatch our rogue out of a chasm when a rope drawbridge broke on him and save him from almost certain doom (tearing him up a bit in the process haha).
Guidance is very useful as well and embodies the Druid role perfectly- you won't be doing the most damage of the party but you will help them succeed with whatever they're doing.
Thanks to watching Critical Role, I have to say I have a lot of Transport via Plants and Wind walk. As good or better than arcane teleports.
My son is playing a druid in SKT. His 8hr Plant Growth gets us more Goodwill in a small town than two 20's on persuasion. He Druidcraft's butterflies for the kids, makes their crops grow and they are super friendly!! Amazing! Even saved the drunk halfling barbarian a good tar and feathering 😂
--
DM -- Elanon -- Homebrew world
Gronn -- Tiefling Warlock -- Amarath
Slim -- Halfling Cleric -- CoS (future Lord of Waterdeep 😁)
Bran -- Human Wizard - RoT
Making D&D mistakes and having fun since 1977!
I really like the following spells that work great for a variant human with the magic initiate feat druid Cantrips Produce Flames, Guidance 1st level goodberries Produce Flame allows you to dump your torches, and have a quick ranged attack if needed not a long range but helpful. Guidance + 1d4 on almost every roll, and good berries you dont ever need to carry rations again other then water.
I've only got a lvl 4 Forest Gnome Druid of the land and ive not played alot of D&D, but i have 7 cantrips thanks to the way my character is set up. i dont know if they'll all be useful forever but this is my first campaign so im learning =D
Took the Magic Initiate Feat at lvl 4 it got me from 5 to 7
Trying to make a Druid thats dedicated to healing. hope it works!
-Treesome Lvl 4 Gnome Druid.
It’s hard to say what’s best because druids are so versatile. Depending on whether you want to engage in melee combat (as a Moon druid), blasting, healing, battlefield control or minions, you’re going to select different spells. Your choice of Circle matters too. Healing Word is a very useful spell, but If you’re a Circle of Dreams druid, you don’t need it because your subclass ability Balm of the Summer Court is effectively a substitute for it. We’d need to know a bit more detail about your druid before making spell suggestions crafted to your particular druid.
Don't necro old threads, the last post besides you was almost a year ago
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
It's unfortunate that Shillelagh (along with Magic Stone) has to be the worst of the damage cantrips for the druid. It's fixed at a d8, no matter your current level. The other damage cantrips, including Poison Spray, Produce Flame (my fav as it has a range of 30'), Frostbite, and Bonfire all increase in damage as your druid increases in level.
But quarterstaffs *are* kick ass.
Shame they didn't give it the same kind of buff that the other spells have (2d8 at 5th, 3d8 11th, etc). Next campaign I DM, I'm definitely going to give that option to any druids.
That's going to create a problem when someone multiclasses Druid + Fighter or Druid + Barbarian.
I use “spike growth” (strategically placed, of course!) and always throw shillelagh on my staff as a bonus action in my first move after we roll initiative just for house keeping so I don’t have to do it later..
Then on my next turn I like to throw thorn whip out there and drag my opponent 10 feet through my spikes after I deal my piercing damage.
all time fave move so far was casting spike growth then climbing a tree to then snag werewolves with my thorn whip to pull them up 10ft so they could enjoy my piercing damage followed by falling and spike growth damage.
I'd recommend using the mob rules for the Conjure Animals spell, as it lets you run your conjurations easily.
Magic Stones is really strong in earlier levels though. Being able to spread around d6+Wisdom magic attacks to your low level party members who don't have magical attacks yet is really powerful when you start encountering creatures with resistance to non magical attacks though.
I managed to make a gray ooze completely easy to defeat on level 1 with a good use of magic stones and thunderwave to keep it away from my melee character allies (monk and paladin) while keeping their actions useful thanks to the stones without risking corrosion.
I agree it falls off hard from level 5 though. And I literally only took it because I know this campaign may not get beyond that.
The point of Shillelagh isn't really to be a damaging cantrip in that way. It allows you to have a magic weapon right off the bat, and use your Wisdom for Attack and Damage rolls, giving you room to ignore Strength (and even Dex if you're not getting it for AC) in favor of Wisdom. It's only a bonus action and doesn't require concentration. It's basically as good as any other magic weapon, and if your DM is nice and you get a magical quarterstaff/club they'll allow you to add the bonus on top of Shillelagh.
Some of my favorite buff and defense spells are Absorb Elements (resist damage and increase your own on a following turn), Fog Cloud (deny line of sight to enemy archers and casters), Enhance Ability (esp. for the party grappler or to guarantee high Initiative), and Sleet Storm (like a combo of Grease and Fog Cloud that disrupts concentration in a huge area).
Best Druid cantrip hands down is Magic Stone.
FIRST OFF: Magic Stone is a BONUS ACTION. Secondly it creates ---3---- magic stone. Thirdly you can either throw them OR use a sling. I have a high dex so my sling is my main weapon.
So you have a ranged attack from level one that does great damage and let's you attack and move and you get three magic stones out of it, so you if you wanted to pass one to a character next to you, you could. The rules say you can pass a small object to a character in the adjacent square if you want and that doesn't count as an action. The rules say passing a small object is "the sort of thing you can do in tandem with your movement and action."
So it's the ultimate Druid Cantrip. Oh and you can do it again and again.
Eh, Magic Stone is pretty good early on - higher damage output than virtually any other range spell attack cantrip - but it doesn't improve at higher levels which is a shame.
I agree that Magic Stone doesn't keep up in tier 3 or 4, but at tier 2 with a +4 wis bonus it still beats 2d6 cantrips on average and is more likely to give you >=7 dmg. It is also as likely to get 10 damage as rolling either 10, 11, or 12 with 2d6. Another point for Magic Stone is its high minimum. I would still be ok with it at T2, since its output is still close to the d6 cantrips and not far behind the higher die ones. In T3 and 4 I'd definitely move to a scaling cantrip.
I also just love the druidic theme of Magic Stone.
Edit: all that being said, I'd probably only take it on Druids with more than 4 cantrip slots, such as Land or with Magic Initiate.
Indeed, I agree with all that. Particularly for druids (Who don't have access to higher damage Ranged Attack cantrips like Fire Bolt or Eldritch Blast) though Warlocks and Artificers - the other classes that can use it - are better off with Eldritch Blast and Fire Bolt respectively in second Tier.
It's also amazingly convenient if you're ever in a situation protecting townsfolk, rescuing prisoners, etc. You could potentially hang back, cast this each turn as a bonus action, pass 2 of the stones to the Commoners and essentially be able to fire off 3 cantrips per round. Very effective.
But wait, if you take the Magic Initiate feat, why not just choose Eldritch Blast? It has farther range and uses a bigger die.