If you want to tank, Barkskin is a much more common solution than Moonbeam, which has crippling flaws like you need your action to move it and it will hurt friendlies (including you!).
At level 6, these are the best wild shapes (assuming you're not fighting underwater):
Giant Elk: If you're not using Barkskin and medium barding is off the table (I don't know your DM, and it's popular for DMs to deny Druids access to non-metal medium armor), the best AC you have available while shaped at CR 2, especially if you buy studded leather barding for your Elk. If anyone else in the party can knock your enemy prone, your damage output will be incredible - Giant Elks are designed as herd animals (they can knock prone and hurt prone enemies a lot but not on the same turn).
From CR 1, Giant Spiders have the same AC going on, and are an excellent "travel shape" due to Spider Climb + Darkvision + Blindsight.
Also from CR 1, Dire Wolves have the same naked AC (they won't scale as well in studded leather barding) and thanks to pack tactics will usually be able to hit what they want to nibble on, which also means they're pretty good at dispensing prone. Need light to see, but excellent hearing (and smell, if that ever comes up).
Cave Bear: No-nonsense DPR - doesn't inflict any conditions, and relatively fragile (which you can help a lot with Barkskin), but has Darkvision, which can be a pretty huge deal. I am pretty sure this hits the hardest of your CR 2 forms.
When you reach level 8, Quetzalcoatlus becomes your new "main" form. For it and the forms above, especially if you have pack tactics, you should be embracing the mounted combat rules if possible and carrying a party member into battle on your back. Moon Druids are the best mounts in the game.
Yep, I've taken Barkskin as a spell and used it a few times, but Moonbeam does such excellent damage (as long as you can maintain con) it's hard to resist. It actually killed a few enemies before they even had a chance to move early on. I just picked up Call Lightning and Conjure Animals. Those are fun. As a player, I'm typically more concerned with damage than defense. It's the barbarian in me.
Cool. Thanks for assist on wild shape. I'm always kind of at a loss as to which form is best for the situation. I like the multi-attack of bear and pack tactics of wolf. Although I have wild shaped into a spider, elk, and tiger too. I haven't tried the snake and Quetzalcoatlus sounds amazing. We do have a small tabaxi in our party that would probably be able to ride whatever I wild shape into.
One of the big reasons for taking Resiliant Con is as you will often be in wild shape, on the front line with very low AC while concentrating on a spell, but yes remember to add the +1 as well as the proficiency bonus to saves (though it only makes a difference on creatures with an odd Con)
I didn't know you could add resilient to wild shape, so that's excellent if it's an odd number. Every little bit helps.
Last session, my druid was grappled by a water weird so he wild shaped into a plesiosaur. If a water weird has successfully grappled a Firbolg, then that Firbolg suddenly turns into a plesiosaur, would that automatically cancel the grapple, give advantage or none of the above? I've never played a druid before and my DM has never run one, so we're both trying to figure it all out.
A good creature to use is just the giant squid, it can breathe out of water for an entire hour so your fine indoors. 56 hp and auto restrains on hit just can't be passed up.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Anyone can smith at the cosmic anvil, yet only I can forge a weapon as good as thee."
A good creature to use is just the giant squid, it can breathe out of water for an entire hour so your fine indoors. 56 hp and auto restrains on hit just can't be passed up.
Good to know. That one doesn't show up in my dndbeyond character sheet under wild shape options.
No worries. Giant octopus is cool. I chose plesiosuarus because the water weird was the last creature we had left to kill and plesiosaurs can walk on land. I like the idea of a plesiosaurus just lumbering around town after combat.
Bare in mind you can only wild shape into creatures you have seen, depending on the setting, backstory this can be a limitation. My druid has never seen a dinosaur.
Bare in mind you can only wild shape into creatures you have seen, depending on the setting, backstory this can be a limitation. My druid has never seen a dinosaur.
Bare in mind you can only wild shape into creatures you have seen, depending on the setting, backstory this can be a limitation. My druid has never seen a dinosaur.
My DM is rather lenient on the "you have seen before" bit. If it's in the dndbeyond character sheet under wild shape, I can use it.
You said that you are a level 6 Moon Druid then try casting conjure animals. The animals can do some of the fighting for you while you use other spells or weapons that you have.
The way I play a Druid is to be the healer of the party and then use conjure animals to do my fighting. I have also use the conjure animals to get my party down from a really high place.
It's all a matter of what you are fighting and what you have in your party as to what fits best.
You said that you are a level 6 Moon Druid then try casting conjure animals. The animals can do some of the fighting for you while you use other spells or weapons that you have.
The way I play a Druid is to be the healer of the party and then use conjure animals to do my fighting. I have also use the conjure animals to get my party down from a really high place.
It's all a matter of what you are fighting and what you have in your party as to what fits best.
Yep, I've cast conjure animals and had some bears fight for me. It's an excellent spell. I've been experimenting with holding off on wildshaping until I take damage or it's situationally appropriate. That seems to work better than wildshaping right away.
My party has a cleric and an alchemist who can create healing potions, so we don't really need a healer. My druid is the main tank.
You said that you are a level 6 Moon Druid then try casting conjure animals. The animals can do some of the fighting for you while you use other spells or weapons that you have.
The way I play a Druid is to be the healer of the party and then use conjure animals to do my fighting. I have also use the conjure animals to get my party down from a really high place.
It's all a matter of what you are fighting and what you have in your party as to what fits best.
Yep, I've cast conjure animals and had some bears fight for me. It's an excellent spell. I've been experimenting with holding off on wildshaping until I take damage or it's situationally appropriate. That seems to work better than wildshaping right away.
My party has a cleric and an alchemist who can create healing potions, so we don't really need a healer. My druid is the main tank.
For sure cast at least some concentration spell that will combo the wild shape nicely...so many options.
For sure cast at least some concentration spell that will combo the wild shape nicely...so many options.
Indeed. My druid is level 8 now. I'm still experimenting with options, but that's half the fun. I like having so many more options than my other character, the totem barbarian (rage, slash repeat).
Interesting to hear about a Druid being a tank. I never would have thought about playing a Druid like that.
Well, tank-ish anyhow. This party doesn't have a traditional tank. Since the druid can soak up more damage than the rest of the party with wildshape, he's the tank by default.
For sure cast at least some concentration spell that will combo the wild shape nicely...so many options.
Indeed. My druid is level 8 now. I'm still experimenting with options, but that's half the fun. I like having so many more options than my other character, the totem barbarian (rage, slash repeat).
Fun times for sure. I remember at that level doing the giant spiders and constrictor snakes a lot. 10th is the elementals phase which is fantastic.
Yep, I've taken Barkskin as a spell and used it a few times, but Moonbeam does such excellent damage (as long as you can maintain con) it's hard to resist. It actually killed a few enemies before they even had a chance to move early on. I just picked up Call Lightning and Conjure Animals. Those are fun. As a player, I'm typically more concerned with damage than defense. It's the barbarian in me.
Cool. Thanks for assist on wild shape. I'm always kind of at a loss as to which form is best for the situation. I like the multi-attack of bear and pack tactics of wolf. Although I have wild shaped into a spider, elk, and tiger too. I haven't tried the snake and Quetzalcoatlus sounds amazing. We do have a small tabaxi in our party that would probably be able to ride whatever I wild shape into.
I didn't know you could add resilient to wild shape, so that's excellent if it's an odd number. Every little bit helps.
Last session, my druid was grappled by a water weird so he wild shaped into a plesiosaur. If a water weird has successfully grappled a Firbolg, then that Firbolg suddenly turns into a plesiosaur, would that automatically cancel the grapple, give advantage or none of the above? I've never played a druid before and my DM has never run one, so we're both trying to figure it all out.
A good creature to use is just the giant squid, it can breathe out of water for an entire hour so your fine indoors. 56 hp and auto restrains on hit just can't be passed up.
"Anyone can smith at the cosmic anvil, yet only I can forge a weapon as good as thee."
My Homebrew Please click it, they have my family.
The water weird is large and so is you the plesiosaurs, so the grapple remains unaffected.
"Anyone can smith at the cosmic anvil, yet only I can forge a weapon as good as thee."
My Homebrew Please click it, they have my family.
Bummer. We played it that way and my druid freed himself from the grapple anyway, but I was just wondering.
Good to know. That one doesn't show up in my dndbeyond character sheet under wild shape options.
Thats strange, I do not know But Giant Octopus is what i meant, no squid, apoligies
"Anyone can smith at the cosmic anvil, yet only I can forge a weapon as good as thee."
My Homebrew Please click it, they have my family.
No worries. Giant octopus is cool. I chose plesiosuarus because the water weird was the last creature we had left to kill and plesiosaurs can walk on land. I like the idea of a plesiosaurus just lumbering around town after combat.
Bare in mind you can only wild shape into creatures you have seen, depending on the setting, backstory this can be a limitation. My druid has never seen a dinosaur.
Time to visit Chult! :)
My DM is rather lenient on the "you have seen before" bit. If it's in the dndbeyond character sheet under wild shape, I can use it.
You said that you are a level 6 Moon Druid then try casting conjure animals. The animals can do some of the fighting for you while you use other spells or weapons that you have.
The way I play a Druid is to be the healer of the party and then use conjure animals to do my fighting. I have also use the conjure animals to get my party down from a really high place.
It's all a matter of what you are fighting and what you have in your party as to what fits best.
Yep, I've cast conjure animals and had some bears fight for me. It's an excellent spell. I've been experimenting with holding off on wildshaping until I take damage or it's situationally appropriate. That seems to work better than wildshaping right away.
My party has a cleric and an alchemist who can create healing potions, so we don't really need a healer. My druid is the main tank.
For sure cast at least some concentration spell that will combo the wild shape nicely...so many options.
Interesting to hear about a Druid being a tank. I never would have thought about playing a Druid like that.
Indeed. My druid is level 8 now. I'm still experimenting with options, but that's half the fun. I like having so many more options than my other character, the totem barbarian (rage, slash repeat).
Well, tank-ish anyhow. This party doesn't have a traditional tank. Since the druid can soak up more damage than the rest of the party with wildshape, he's the tank by default.
Fun times for sure. I remember at that level doing the giant spiders and constrictor snakes a lot. 10th is the elementals phase which is fantastic.
I think I’ve wildshaped into every animal I have access to at least once. I can’t wait for CR 3.