Sorry for the crappy thread title - I'm trying to find out what kinds of encounters/situations that are best suited for a Druid. I've been itching to play a Druid, but I know I can't play them like, say, a Fighter. So I'm looking for advice, suggestions, anecdotes, etc., to help me play the best Druid I can.
Also, I'd love some tips on how best to get into the mood/mode of a Druid.
I currently play a level 16 Moon Druid and I love it! For me the best place druids excel is battle field control especially with lots of enemy's. They have access to spells like spike growth and plant growth which allow you to control the flow of enemies and let your melee guys deal with one threat with ease then moving onto the next. They also get access to most of the wall spells and lots of other creative ways to force enemies to go where you want them.
I do find druids not be as effective while indoors, there are quite a few spells that require a large area to work or for you to be outside, especially at later levels, such as call lightning. Though what they do get a lot of is spells that you can cast once then keep using for many rounds such as moonbeam and sunbeam. One of my most memorable encounters was versing these two warlock vampire and casting sunbeam and all they were trying to do all encounter was kill me so they could get out of the sunlight. The one thing you do have to watch out for is most of the druid spells require concentration which can be tough to balance.
Druid's can also cover party gaps quite well depending on your party needs. They can jump into the healer roll quite well as they have access to a lot of toys spells. They can even become a good tank roll with the mood druids wild shape, especially at level 10 when you get access to the earth elemental.
As for role play wise there is some great information about them, like all classes, at the start of their class listing in the PHB. But just remember they are all about the natural order but that can be taken many ways. Some druids could absolutely detest all man made structures and refuse to go inside any city, or you could be more of an animal protection druid but not worry about the land as much, or be a druid who wants to protect the natural cycle of life and death and only act in accordance with that balance. But the most important this as a druid for me is to figure out those values and play to them, that makes it the most fun and easy to roll play.
I currently play a level 16 Moon Druid and I love it! For me the best place druids excel is battle field control especially with lots of enemy's. They have access to spells like spike growth and plant growth which allow you to control the flow of enemies and let your melee guys deal with one threat with ease then moving onto the next. They also get access to most of the wall spells and lots of other creative ways to force enemies to go where you want them.
I do find druids not be as effective while indoors, there are quite a few spells that require a large area to work or for you to be outside, especially at later levels, such as call lightning. Though what they do get a lot of is spells that you can cast once then keep using for many rounds such as moonbeam and sunbeam. One of my most memorable encounters was versing these two warlock vampire and casting sunbeam and all they were trying to do all encounter was kill me so they could get out of the sunlight. The one thing you do have to watch out for is most of the druid spells require concentration which can be tough to balance.
Druid's can also cover party gaps quite well depending on your party needs. They can jump into the healer roll quite well as they have access to a lot of toys spells. They can even become a good tank roll with the mood druids wild shape, especially at level 10 when you get access to the earth elemental.
As for role play wise there is some great information about them, like all classes, at the start of their class listing in the PHB. But just remember they are all about the natural order but that can be taken many ways. Some druids could absolutely detest all man made structures and refuse to go inside any city, or you could be more of an animal protection druid but not worry about the land as much, or be a druid who wants to protect the natural cycle of life and death and only act in accordance with that balance. But the most important this as a druid for me is to figure out those values and play to them, that makes it the most fun and easy to roll play.
Love this reply so much!
I'm going to read it a few times to digest it properly. I _may_ have question later, but know this: I really appreciate your answer!
Happy to help! feel free to hit me up here or on an PM if you have more questions
I remember one of my most successful moments as a druid we just entered a cave and 2 groups of goblins (or something cant remember exactly what) were running at us from 2 directions, like tonnes them. I cast spike growth down one of the hall ways and none of them even made it two us, so all the rest of the part had to do was worry about the other tunnel.
I think most characters don't usually focus on nature, but any time an encounter brings you outside the Druid can really shine. Having Nature and Survival trained are often two skill most members of the party will probably be lacking. The "Outlander" feature can be nice and colorful there... but many backgrounds can be interesting.
I personally hope there are more Druid Archtypes in coming expansions.
I see the Druid as a 2nd Line character. (1st Line are warrior classes: (melee) Fighter/Ranger, Barbarian, Paladin... those at the front) (3rd Line are those that don't want to see melee combat: (ranged) Fighter/Ranger, Wizard, Sorcerer, Warlock). 2nd line are those classes that hang out in the middle area, I think of as Skirmishers: Druid, Cleric, Blade Warlock/Bard, Dragon:Sorcerer, Rogue)
I see the Moon Druid is a 2nd Line character that is closer to 1st Line. In Wild Shape Beast Mode is in combat mixing it up with the enemies.
I see the Land Druid as a 2nd Line character that is closer to 3rd Line. Hanging back, healing people, casting control spells, using ranged attacks. This isn't a hard line, I've seen a druid with shillelagh make anyone regret the decision to engage her in melee.
Druid generally have high quality armor (note: the "no metal armor" isn't a rule requirement just a recommendation... you can wear Platemail if you want to, but apparently "Druids" frown on it)
That said I'd recommend steering away from the "I hate man made" stereotype because it can often mean you're not really involved in the story if the story brings you into a city.
WildShape is great for scouting and gathering information ahead of an encounter, being a literal fly on the wall! That said it does use up 1 of your 2 Wild Shapes per rest, so use it wisely.
One Druid I made was a Dwarf druid in the new edition since they don't auto-hate metal. This Druid saw metal equipment as "from the mountain" and his Druid order were guides and helped take people between Dwarven cities through the underground tunnels and dangerous mountains. So his reverence of nature was gems, stone, and metal instead of wood.
Completely stops invisibility, makes hiding harder, and anyone on your side that uses attack rolls becomes awesome. Nobody has access to it other than Rangers, Bards, Archfey Warlocks and Light Clerics. Rangers, Bards and Warlocks are starved for Spells Known. Rangers and Warlocks are also starved for spell slots. So unless there's a Light Cleric in the party, a Druid's the best candidate for that spell.
Also adding my +1 for Spike Growth and Moonbeam. The latter is a bit more situational, but it can make a big difference against certain monsters like zombies, vampire spawn, or lycanthropes.
If you take one level in Life Domain Cleric, Goodberry also becomes a very economical way of healing. If not, it's nice knowing your party will never starve to death.
Druids can also be somewhat effective summoners at lower levels. For instance, you can summon a bunch of wolves, and wild shape into a wolf yourself, confusing your enemies as well.
Druid generally have high quality armor (note: the "no metal armor" isn't a rule requirement just a recommendation... you can wear Platemail if you want to, but apparently "Druids" frown on it)
Missed this when reading the earlier answers. This is not a recommendation, it's a rule. It's right there in the proficiencies list and it's also addressed in Sage Advice.
For whatever reason, it's taboo for druids to wear metal armor. It doesn't seem to have much to do with a hatred of metals or manufactured weapons they can use dagger, darts, scimitars and sickles, and they've been able to use all of those but sickles since 2nd edition (the sickle isn't on the 2e weapons list; it was added in 3rd edition.) Scimitars are even part of their starting equipment. Additionally, leather and studded leather armor is manufactured and they can wear that just fine.
It's a choice and a taboo, there is no mechanic to punish players for it.
There's also no mechanic for punishing lack of sleep; that doesn't mean sleeping is optional or that the DM won't punish you for not sleeping. It's in the rules for the class whether you think it's stupid or not. It's not any different from Paladins having to uphold their oaths.
Without a penalty, it's a guideline not a rule. Druids Sage advice even says so it's a "taboo" they have carried over from 1st Ed. There is no teeth to enforce it.
Paladins have changed radically from 1st edition from being "lawful stupid" to what they are now.
Without a penalty, it's a guideline not a rule. Druids Sage advice even says so it's a "taboo" they have carried over from 1st Ed. There is no teeth to enforce it.
Paladins have changed radically from 1st edition from being "lawful stupid" to what they are now.
Sorry, but no. The proficiency list for a class is not a guideline. There's no room for argument in "Druids will not wear metal armor." It doesn't say "most druids". Sage Advice is simply explaining why the rule is there. If the game says you can't do X, you can't do X. The "teeth" for enforcing the rule is the DM.
Show me where the rules say "If you go X hours without sleep, you gain Y levels of exhaustion." The closest to it is this text in Using Each Ability:
The DM might call for a Constitution check when you try to accomplish tasks like the following:
Hold your breath
March or labor for hours without rest
Go without sleep
Survive without food or water
Quaff an entire stein of ale in one go
But "might" means it's not certain, and there's no rule for when the check is made, what the DC is, or what the consequence of failure is. The teeth is the DM.
Likewise the penalty for a paladin breaking their oath is ultimately up to the DM, just like it's up to the DM to determine whether they've broken their oath at all. The PH says they "might be forced to abandon this class and adopt another, or perhaps to take the Oathbreaker paladin option that appears in the Dungeon Master’s Guide."
In one of my games, a player's Druid ended up stumbling across the rogue guild, befriended a bunch of them, and then started using her wildshape to sneak around and gather information, scout mission objectives, and (once) got convinced to transform into a T-Rex to fight a dragon (granted, that was a wizard spell, but she was convinced by the "You're used to being animals, of course you'll retain your intellect!" argument which....yeah, not true). She also had a very dramatic moment sneaking into an enemy army camp as a mouse, locating our priest, and transforming into a giant eagle to fly him out (which nobody was prepared for, so they got far enough away prior to archers getting their acts together). Add in her gnomish abilities and she often made little mechanical animals to bargain/trade with. It was one of her favorite characters and she had a ball.
Essentially, Druids are like Bards in that they can be just about anything. Even though she came from nature, the Druid above got along fine in towns and cities because she learned how to use the nature in these places to her (and the party's) advantage. I've played (in 4e) a Wilden Druid who was, by definition, a forest-oriented druid, but got along fine with other people--as long as they could keep up with my changing personality (which the DM hated since I was great at that aspect of the character). So they can be guardians of the wild, or sneaky info gatherers, or tanks and healers (at the same time, even). The versatility of being a nature-based character is that nature? Is everywhere. And as a result can shine just about anywhere.
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Sorry for the crappy thread title - I'm trying to find out what kinds of encounters/situations that are best suited for a Druid. I've been itching to play a Druid, but I know I can't play them like, say, a Fighter. So I'm looking for advice, suggestions, anecdotes, etc., to help me play the best Druid I can.
Also, I'd love some tips on how best to get into the mood/mode of a Druid.
Thanks!
I wear pants, short pants.
I also ask a lot of questions; insatiably curious
I currently play a level 16 Moon Druid and I love it! For me the best place druids excel is battle field control especially with lots of enemy's. They have access to spells like spike growth and plant growth which allow you to control the flow of enemies and let your melee guys deal with one threat with ease then moving onto the next. They also get access to most of the wall spells and lots of other creative ways to force enemies to go where you want them.
I do find druids not be as effective while indoors, there are quite a few spells that require a large area to work or for you to be outside, especially at later levels, such as call lightning. Though what they do get a lot of is spells that you can cast once then keep using for many rounds such as moonbeam and sunbeam. One of my most memorable encounters was versing these two warlock vampire and casting sunbeam and all they were trying to do all encounter was kill me so they could get out of the sunlight. The one thing you do have to watch out for is most of the druid spells require concentration which can be tough to balance.
Druid's can also cover party gaps quite well depending on your party needs. They can jump into the healer roll quite well as they have access to a lot of toys spells. They can even become a good tank roll with the mood druids wild shape, especially at level 10 when you get access to the earth elemental.
As for role play wise there is some great information about them, like all classes, at the start of their class listing in the PHB. But just remember they are all about the natural order but that can be taken many ways. Some druids could absolutely detest all man made structures and refuse to go inside any city, or you could be more of an animal protection druid but not worry about the land as much, or be a druid who wants to protect the natural cycle of life and death and only act in accordance with that balance. But the most important this as a druid for me is to figure out those values and play to them, that makes it the most fun and easy to roll play.
Mega Threads - Staff Quotes - Useful Resources - Homebrew FAQ - Pricing FAQ
I wear pants, short pants.
I also ask a lot of questions; insatiably curious
Happy to help! feel free to hit me up here or on an PM if you have more questions
I remember one of my most successful moments as a druid we just entered a cave and 2 groups of goblins (or something cant remember exactly what) were running at us from 2 directions, like tonnes them. I cast spike growth down one of the hall ways and none of them even made it two us, so all the rest of the part had to do was worry about the other tunnel.
Mega Threads - Staff Quotes - Useful Resources - Homebrew FAQ - Pricing FAQ
+1 to ScottySkid.
I think most characters don't usually focus on nature, but any time an encounter brings you outside the Druid can really shine. Having Nature and Survival trained are often two skill most members of the party will probably be lacking. The "Outlander" feature can be nice and colorful there... but many backgrounds can be interesting.
I personally hope there are more Druid Archtypes in coming expansions.
I see the Druid as a 2nd Line character. (1st Line are warrior classes: (melee) Fighter/Ranger, Barbarian, Paladin... those at the front) (3rd Line are those that don't want to see melee combat: (ranged) Fighter/Ranger, Wizard, Sorcerer, Warlock). 2nd line are those classes that hang out in the middle area, I think of as Skirmishers: Druid, Cleric, Blade Warlock/Bard, Dragon:Sorcerer, Rogue)
I see the Moon Druid is a 2nd Line character that is closer to 1st Line. In Wild Shape Beast Mode is in combat mixing it up with the enemies.
I see the Land Druid as a 2nd Line character that is closer to 3rd Line. Hanging back, healing people, casting control spells, using ranged attacks.
This isn't a hard line, I've seen a druid with shillelagh make anyone regret the decision to engage her in melee.
Druid generally have high quality armor (note: the "no metal armor" isn't a rule requirement just a recommendation... you can wear Platemail if you want to, but apparently "Druids" frown on it)
That said I'd recommend steering away from the "I hate man made" stereotype because it can often mean you're not really involved in the story if the story brings you into a city.
WildShape is great for scouting and gathering information ahead of an encounter, being a literal fly on the wall! That said it does use up 1 of your 2 Wild Shapes per rest, so use it wisely.
One Druid I made was a Dwarf druid in the new edition since they don't auto-hate metal. This Druid saw metal equipment as "from the mountain" and his Druid order were guides and helped take people between Dwarven cities through the underground tunnels and dangerous mountains. So his reverence of nature was gems, stone, and metal instead of wood.
Faerie Fire, Faerie Fire, Faerie Fire
Completely stops invisibility, makes hiding harder, and anyone on your side that uses attack rolls becomes awesome. Nobody has access to it other than Rangers, Bards, Archfey Warlocks and Light Clerics. Rangers, Bards and Warlocks are starved for Spells Known. Rangers and Warlocks are also starved for spell slots. So unless there's a Light Cleric in the party, a Druid's the best candidate for that spell.
Also adding my +1 for Spike Growth and Moonbeam. The latter is a bit more situational, but it can make a big difference against certain monsters like zombies, vampire spawn, or lycanthropes.
If you take one level in Life Domain Cleric, Goodberry also becomes a very economical way of healing. If not, it's nice knowing your party will never starve to death.
+1 to Coder for the life domain/goodberry combo.
Druids can also be somewhat effective summoners at lower levels. For instance, you can summon a bunch of wolves, and wild shape into a wolf yourself, confusing your enemies as well.
My only flaw was the type, I meant to say Druids don't have access to high quality armor.
He also said it's like vegetarianism. He's also said it's a taboo, you don't lose your mystic powers like in 3rd.
It's a stupid "rule" from 1st Ed that now as no teeth.
This isn't Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, the Vegan Police aren't going to shoot you with thier devegan guns.
It's a choice and a taboo, there is no mechanic to punish players for it.
Without a penalty, it's a guideline not a rule. Druids Sage advice even says so it's a "taboo" they have carried over from 1st Ed. There is no teeth to enforce it.
Paladins have changed radically from 1st edition from being "lawful stupid" to what they are now.
Also there are rules for not sleeping:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/compendium/rules/basic-rules/appendices#Conditions#Exhaustion
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But "might" means it's not certain, and there's no rule for when the check is made, what the DC is, or what the consequence of failure is. The teeth is the DM.
Likewise the penalty for a paladin breaking their oath is ultimately up to the DM, just like it's up to the DM to determine whether they've broken their oath at all. The PH says they "might be forced to abandon this class and adopt another, or perhaps to take the Oathbreaker paladin option that appears in the Dungeon Master’s Guide."
In one of my games, a player's Druid ended up stumbling across the rogue guild, befriended a bunch of them, and then started using her wildshape to sneak around and gather information, scout mission objectives, and (once) got convinced to transform into a T-Rex to fight a dragon (granted, that was a wizard spell, but she was convinced by the "You're used to being animals, of course you'll retain your intellect!" argument which....yeah, not true). She also had a very dramatic moment sneaking into an enemy army camp as a mouse, locating our priest, and transforming into a giant eagle to fly him out (which nobody was prepared for, so they got far enough away prior to archers getting their acts together). Add in her gnomish abilities and she often made little mechanical animals to bargain/trade with. It was one of her favorite characters and she had a ball.
Essentially, Druids are like Bards in that they can be just about anything. Even though she came from nature, the Druid above got along fine in towns and cities because she learned how to use the nature in these places to her (and the party's) advantage. I've played (in 4e) a Wilden Druid who was, by definition, a forest-oriented druid, but got along fine with other people--as long as they could keep up with my changing personality (which the DM hated since I was great at that aspect of the character). So they can be guardians of the wild, or sneaky info gatherers, or tanks and healers (at the same time, even). The versatility of being a nature-based character is that nature? Is everywhere. And as a result can shine just about anywhere.