With the new rules, the main question in the selection of beast form for moon druid is the attacks (AC and hit points will not depend on the beast form).
CR1:
Brown bear:
Multiattack: bite + claw
Bite: attack +5, 1d8+3
Claw: attack +5, 1d4+3
Dire wolf:
bite: attack +5, 1d10+3, prone on hit with no save
Giant spider:
bite: attack +5, 1d8+3 & 2d6 poison
web: DEX save, DC 13, restrain condition
Lion:
Multiattack: 2 rend or rend + roar
rend: attack +5, 1d8+3
roar: WIS save, DC 11, frightened condition
Tiger:
Multiattack: pounce + prowl
pounce: attack +5, 1d6+3 & 3 additional damage if advantage, prone on hit with no save
prowl: move half speed with no opportunity attack and can hide at the end
CR2: no beast
CR3: no beast
CR4:
Elephant:
Multiattack: 2 gore
gore: attack +8, 2d8+6, prone if moved at least 20ft
trample: bonus action, prone target, DEX save, DC 16, 2d10+6
My vote is for the humble crab as one of the best options (for utility). Slow and generally lousy in melee. But 2 specific instances where he is better than the rest:
1) amphibious- if I were a moon druid I would always keep a water breathing creature in case I fell in water, or someone tried to drown me.
2)Invisible opponents- Crabs have blindsight at 30 feet and moon druid can cast Starry Wisp for a lousy 1d8 damage, and the target loses invisibility.
Lousy AC and HP don't matter anymore.
Octopus is another utility option who fulfills problem 1, and can move through small spaces and manipulate objects. Unfortunately the PHB doesn't acknowledge that octopi can move outside water for about a half hour. With a reasonable DM they could be great utility creatures. Sneak into a room and grab keys, push buttons, activate wands.
Yeah I'd really only choose 1-2 forms based on their attacks, even for a moon druid. Climbing, swimming, alternate senses and the like can be very useful, and these forms can still cantrip as good as any other.
Saving throws may also be important in some situations, if greater than your regular ones. For example, Camel has +5 Con save as per new PHB. Useful to keep that Concentration going on Conjure Animals etc, especially with Toughness adder at level 6.. Cat has +4 Dex save and may tend to blend in city environments better than some others. Goat +5 Str save.
Spiders always good for stealth/climb. Bats for fly/blindsense at Level 8.
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Stopped playing AD&D in '82, came back to 5e during COVID. Good times.
I really hope the monster manual adds more depth than the 2104 version, especially with this make a small list style of druid. Your niche options may end up being woefully under CR for our current threats.
In a straight fight probably, the 3 attacks is hard to beat, but roctopus, giant spider etc have restrain options which may end up being better depending on party composition. I'd add giant toad to that but I don't want to think what happens to the druid who gets knocked down to 0 hit points after swallowing someone.
Nothing with a Fly speed has a decent CR for combat, but I'm okay with that. Being able to cast Starry Wisp while flying around as a higher CR creature could very well be unbalanced.
Nothing with a Fly speed has a decent CR for combat, but I'm okay with that. Being able to cast Starry Wisp while flying around as a higher CR creature could very well be unbalanced.
There is also Stegosaurus at CR4, but i guess it's worse than Hippo, only the reach is better (single attack, +7 to hit , 6d6+5 dmg ,10ft reach).
Deinonychus has utility thanks to Pounce, which allows four attacks and inflicts prone. It's reliable to trigger at the start of a fight and often occurs on later turns in encounters with multiple monsters.
Nothing with a Fly speed has a decent CR for combat, but I'm okay with that. Being able to cast Starry Wisp while flying around as a higher CR creature could very well be unbalanced.
There is also Stegosaurus at CR4, but i guess it's worse than Hippo, only the reach is better (single attack, +7 to hit , 6d6+5 dmg ,10ft reach).
I only listed creatures from the 2025 Monster Manual. It doesn't include the Stegosaurus.
The choice for CR 3 and higher beasts is very limited. Certainly if one excludes dinosaurs, because I as DM restrict a druid from choosing beasts it doesn't know. How can I extend the choices for my level 9 Moon druid?
It should also be noted that the larger flying creatures, giant eagles/owls/ vultures are either celestial or monstrosities now sadly. Which limits flying forms utility to naught but scouting. Truly tragic.
It should also be noted that the larger flying creatures, giant eagles/owls/ vultures are either celestial or monstrosities now sadly. Which limits flying forms utility to naught but scouting. Truly tragic.
Giant Bat? 120' blindsight and a Large Beast, but agreed as that's about it.
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With the new rules, the main question in the selection of beast form for moon druid is the attacks (AC and hit points will not depend on the beast form).
CR1:
CR2: no beast
CR3: no beast
CR4:
CR5: no beast
CR6: no beast
Do you have the stats for all the beasts with a lower CR?
Remember that aquatic is viable from off the bat so frogs/toads and octopus
My vote is for the humble crab as one of the best options (for utility). Slow and generally lousy in melee.
But 2 specific instances where he is better than the rest:
1) amphibious- if I were a moon druid I would always keep a water breathing creature in case I fell in water, or someone tried to drown me.
2)Invisible opponents- Crabs have blindsight at 30 feet and moon druid can cast Starry Wisp for a lousy 1d8 damage, and the target loses invisibility.
Lousy AC and HP don't matter anymore.
Octopus is another utility option who fulfills problem 1, and can move through small spaces and manipulate objects. Unfortunately the PHB doesn't acknowledge that octopi can move outside water for about a half hour. With a reasonable DM they could be great utility creatures. Sneak into a room and grab keys, push buttons, activate wands.
Yeah I'd really only choose 1-2 forms based on their attacks, even for a moon druid. Climbing, swimming, alternate senses and the like can be very useful, and these forms can still cantrip as good as any other.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Saving throws may also be important in some situations, if greater than your regular ones. For example, Camel has +5 Con save as per new PHB. Useful to keep that Concentration going on Conjure Animals etc, especially with Toughness adder at level 6.. Cat has +4 Dex save and may tend to blend in city environments better than some others. Goat +5 Str save.
Spiders always good for stealth/climb. Bats for fly/blindsense at Level 8.
Stopped playing AD&D in '82, came back to 5e during COVID. Good times.
I really hope the monster manual adds more depth than the 2104 version, especially with this make a small list style of druid. Your niche options may end up being woefully under CR for our current threats.
Deinonychus from mordenkainen's monster multiverse is by far the best CR1, aren't they?
In a straight fight probably, the 3 attacks is hard to beat, but roctopus, giant spider etc have restrain options which may end up being better depending on party composition. I'd add giant toad to that but I don't want to think what happens to the druid who gets knocked down to 0 hit points after swallowing someone.
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ModeratorDeinonychus has +4 to hit, 3 attacks, and does an average of 18 if all attacks hit.
Lion has +5 to hit, 2 attacks, pack tactics, and does an average 14 if all attacks hit.
Between these 2, I like Lion more.
Similarly, Brown Bear has +5 to hit, 2 attacks, auto prone on hit, and does an average of 13 if all attacks hit.
Deinonychus is pure damage, but gives up accuracy and utility.
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I forgot about pack tactics. That will probably bump the accuracy of the lion up far enough that it will on average do more damage.
Anything with a Climb or Swim speed is fair game right from the start. Below are all the ones in the MM so far unmentioned.
Nothing with a Fly speed has a decent CR for combat, but I'm okay with that. Being able to cast Starry Wisp while flying around as a higher CR creature could very well be unbalanced.
There is also Stegosaurus at CR4, but i guess it's worse than Hippo, only the reach is better (single attack, +7 to hit , 6d6+5 dmg ,10ft reach).
Deinonychus has utility thanks to Pounce, which allows four attacks and inflicts prone. It's reliable to trigger at the start of a fight and often occurs on later turns in encounters with multiple monsters.
I only listed creatures from the 2025 Monster Manual. It doesn't include the Stegosaurus.
The choice for CR 3 and higher beasts is very limited. Certainly if one excludes dinosaurs, because I as DM restrict a druid from choosing beasts it doesn't know.
How can I extend the choices for my level 9 Moon druid?
By getting rid of your restriction, or introducing animal books for they can learn those forms
It should also be noted that the larger flying creatures, giant eagles/owls/ vultures are either celestial or monstrosities now sadly. Which limits flying forms utility to naught but scouting. Truly tragic.
Giant Bat? 120' blindsight and a Large Beast, but agreed as that's about it.
Life's hard - get a helmet!