Druids can melee, but being a dedicated melee druid will never compete with a martial. Not even Bladesinging wizards or Sword Bards can compete with a martial or arguably even a half caster when it comes to pure non magic casting combat. And that's after factoring magic based buffs like tensers form haste etc.
If you want to do decent in melee as a druid, You're going to want to multiclass.
Whether a dip or a dedicated multiclass. you can become more effective in combat to varying degree whilst in melee or with a bow.
Consider a monk or Barbarian dip for unarmored defense. Unarmored defense + shield for Barbarian and the increase in speed. Also rage (while preventing spellcasting.) Can be an excellent fallback when you're out of spell slots to keep you alive and up damage. Flurry of blows can also up your melee potential.
3 levels into either can yield you more Ki points for monk and a subclass for each that can assist you further.
5 will yield you multi attack.
As a level 5 Barbarian (Berserker or beast for dps up close with the rest in druid.) You can ditch spellcasting and rage when you are either out of casts or fighting enemies resistant to most magics. This gives you damage resistance and extra damage on str based melee. while netting you 3 or more attacks.
As a 5 monk (Rest in druid) You're flurry of blows and subclass features can give you some added benefits and attacks. Up to 4 attacks. Plus stunning strike.
Otherwise as a pure druid. You'll always be limited to 1 attack and at best a bonus action attack. with generally lower Ac and overall HP.
You basically have to sacrifice magic casting for melee capability.
Additionally, If you were to decide to wild shape.. Both the Barbarians rage and the benefits of rage, Monks Ki/Flurry of blows. and boths unarmored defense types actually do apply to the creature you've transformed into.
You only need to dip 1 level into whichever you prefer for this.
Basically. You could turn into an ape and make your attacks, then flurry of blow for 2 more and add the creatures dex and your own wis (as it user your wis, int and char.) to your AC.
Or as a Barbarian dip, you could add the creatures dex and con to your Ac and rage for the addition to melee, Berserker bonus attack or Beast claw attack. and have damage resist added to the creature HP.
In early levels (prior to level 3) my autognome stars druid used Shillelagh with a club. We have another druid who used primal savagry his first couple of levels and then multiclassed to Barbarian. Nowadays (level 7), I I'm the only one who doesn't do melee. It's not that i can't but with 2 barbarians (one is multi moon druid), a fighter, a monk, a rogue (he mainly uses a crossbow), and a bladeslinger wizard in the party....I just use starry form's archer bonus attack and my 4 free guiding bolts. I often function as the main spellcaster and am the party's healer. But if you were in a party mostly of spellcasters, you might have to melee more often.
My Lizardfolk druid has scored a few kills in melee with Primal Savagery. I play it as him conjuring acidic saliva before biting into the enemy and ripping them to pieces with his teeth and claws.
My favorite kill thus far has been when I used Thorn Whip to pull an enemy into the river where my druid was hiding. He ate well that day.
Don't think anyone believes druids were designed for dominating melee combat. 1st preference is spell casting, then wild shape (esp. if he DM allows creative, reasonable, balanced non-beast options once per a long/short rest). If these 2 preferred options aren't available, our best options are:
shillelagh your quarterstaff (with 2 hands)
add feats/skills that help in melee combat
select a Circle that confers melee combat advantages
ask the DM for permission for metal armor to increase AC (esp. for mid+ sized dungeon campaigns where melee combat will be unavoidable)
pray you rolled well enough on your ability scores that you could have a solid STR and DEX (for AC)
Not unless you multiclass no.
Druids can melee, but being a dedicated melee druid will never compete with a martial. Not even Bladesinging wizards or Sword Bards can compete with a martial or arguably even a half caster when it comes to pure non magic casting combat. And that's after factoring magic based buffs like tensers form haste etc.
If you want to do decent in melee as a druid, You're going to want to multiclass.
Whether a dip or a dedicated multiclass. you can become more effective in combat to varying degree whilst in melee or with a bow.
Consider a monk or Barbarian dip for unarmored defense. Unarmored defense + shield for Barbarian and the increase in speed. Also rage (while preventing spellcasting.) Can be an excellent fallback when you're out of spell slots to keep you alive and up damage. Flurry of blows can also up your melee potential.
3 levels into either can yield you more Ki points for monk and a subclass for each that can assist you further.
5 will yield you multi attack.
As a level 5 Barbarian (Berserker or beast for dps up close with the rest in druid.) You can ditch spellcasting and rage when you are either out of casts or fighting enemies resistant to most magics. This gives you damage resistance and extra damage on str based melee. while netting you 3 or more attacks.
As a 5 monk (Rest in druid) You're flurry of blows and subclass features can give you some added benefits and attacks. Up to 4 attacks. Plus stunning strike.
Otherwise as a pure druid. You'll always be limited to 1 attack and at best a bonus action attack. with generally lower Ac and overall HP.
You basically have to sacrifice magic casting for melee capability.
Additionally, If you were to decide to wild shape.. Both the Barbarians rage and the benefits of rage, Monks Ki/Flurry of blows. and boths unarmored defense types actually do apply to the creature you've transformed into.
You only need to dip 1 level into whichever you prefer for this.
Basically. You could turn into an ape and make your attacks, then flurry of blow for 2 more and add the creatures dex and your own wis (as it user your wis, int and char.) to your AC.
Or as a Barbarian dip, you could add the creatures dex and con to your Ac and rage for the addition to melee, Berserker bonus attack or Beast claw attack. and have damage resist added to the creature HP.
In early levels (prior to level 3) my autognome stars druid used Shillelagh with a club. We have another druid who used primal savagry his first couple of levels and then multiclassed to Barbarian. Nowadays (level 7), I I'm the only one who doesn't do melee. It's not that i can't but with 2 barbarians (one is multi moon druid), a fighter, a monk, a rogue (he mainly uses a crossbow), and a bladeslinger wizard in the party....I just use starry form's archer bonus attack and my 4 free guiding bolts. I often function as the main spellcaster and am the party's healer. But if you were in a party mostly of spellcasters, you might have to melee more often.
Food, Scifi/fantasy, anime, DND 5E/RPG geek.
My Lizardfolk druid has scored a few kills in melee with Primal Savagery. I play it as him conjuring acidic saliva before biting into the enemy and ripping them to pieces with his teeth and claws.
My favorite kill thus far has been when I used Thorn Whip to pull an enemy into the river where my druid was hiding. He ate well that day.
Don't think anyone believes druids were designed for dominating melee combat. 1st preference is spell casting, then wild shape (esp. if he DM allows creative, reasonable, balanced non-beast options once per a long/short rest). If these 2 preferred options aren't available, our best options are:
Started playing 1e in the late 70s and stopped in the mid-80s. Started immersing myself into 5e in the last year.