Since this is a 4th level druid, there should be a few of the Druid abilities mentioned--such as Wild Shape, Balm of the Summer Court, Natural Recovery, etc.

Monsters are not the same as PCs.

I'm considering rebuilding the Druids for CoS with the following spell lists: 

cantrips: primal savagery, poison spray, druidcraft
1st level: no changes
2nd level: barkskin, spike growth

Quote from Gerrity >>

Since this is a 4th level druid, there should be a few of the Druid abilities mentioned--such as Wild Shape, Balm of the Summer Court, Natural Recovery, etc.

 Technically it is only a 4th level spellcaster.

Quote from Gerrity >>

Since this is a 4th level druid, there should be a few of the Druid abilities mentioned--such as Wild Shape, Balm of the Summer Court, Natural Recovery, etc.

 The "monsters" tagged NPC are typically streamlined to reduce complexity for the DM, or so I've assumed. As DM, I often develop NPCs using all the PC options, but of course that requires a lot more time. The result is usually a more fully developed and interesting NPC.

Did this help or change combat? I find that right now it's a lot of beating and not tactics. So trying to up the game for Druids + Twig Blights

I might also give Druids in Cos Fog spell

That's a good one! Actually, I think at the point where my characters were level-wise, I should have used a buffed version. They rolled through druids like a knife through butter. 

10/10 would recommend the spike growth though! 

@dmjonesie It also results in kind of monotonous monsters, from what I've noticed. At least, if you do it for every NPC.

Like, the first time you see a goblin rage, you're kind of scared. The seventh time you see one rage, you just start to focus the Orc that's doing sneak attack damage instead because you can assume he's less tanky. It makes the individual monsters mean less, and the classes (which you, as a player, should almost automatically know about) more important.

Quote from Izzet_redcloak >>

@dmjonesie It also results in kind of monotonous monsters, from what I've noticed. At least, if you do it for every NPC.

Like, the first time you see a goblin rage, you're kind of scared. The seventh time you see one rage, you just start to focus the Orc that's doing sneak attack damage instead because you can assume he's less tanky. It makes the individual monsters mean less, and the classes (which you, as a player, should almost automatically know about) more important.

 True, but that's why you shouldn't overdo the class levels. Simple henchmen monsters don't need class levels, just leave a goblin as a goblin. The exception to this is when that goblin is a mini-boss (or even the BBEG) and is the clan's wizard or something like that. 

Quote from Rolen_Mystic >>

Quote from Izzet_redcloak >>

@dmjonesie It also results in kind of monotonous monsters, from what I've noticed. At least, if you do it for every NPC.

Like, the first time you see a goblin rage, you're kind of scared. The seventh time you see one rage, you just start to focus the Orc that's doing sneak attack damage instead because you can assume he's less tanky. It makes the individual monsters mean less, and the classes (which you, as a player, should almost automatically know about) more important.

 True, but that's why you shouldn't overdo the class levels. Simple henchmen monsters don't need class levels, just leave a goblin as a goblin. The exception to this is when that goblin is a mini-boss (or even the BBEG) and is the clan's wizard or something like that. 

 This is why “heroic” NPCs, built using PC statblocks, are a wonderful option, but very much optional.

Lorewise, NPCs with the full features of a class are generally exceptional individuals, and that seems to work pretty well.

I personally can not comprehend how this equates to a CR 2 monster. It has no damage, at absolute best you hit with Thunderwave every turn, average damage being what 12 if up cast? An, albeit magic, whacking stick for when you run out of spells. But it being magic is typically not useful as PCs get normal damage resistance VERY rarely. Its HP is very low and if you want a chance of it living you need to use a 3rd lvl spell slot for it. Outside of Entangle the rest of its utility is essentially useless in battle.

This build is a fine one for a sort of RP thing, as some light utility for out of combat situations. But that is my problem with it. At absolute best it should be CR 1 using WotC's own formula. Unless I made a mistake, which is possible, but I don't think I did. 

Quote from Lasersniper >>

I personally can not comprehend how this equates to a CR 2 monster. It has no damage, at absolute best you hit with Thunderwave every turn, average damage being what 12 if up cast? An, albeit magic, whacking stick for when you run out of spells. But it being magic is typically not useful as PCs get normal damage resistance VERY rarely. Its HP is very low and if you want a chance of it living you need to use a 3rd lvl spell slot for it. Outside of Entangle the rest of its utility is essentially useless in battle.

This build is a fine one for a sort of RP thing, as some light utility for out of combat situations. But that is my problem with it. At absolute best it should be CR 1 using WotC's own formula. Unless I made a mistake, which is possible, but I don't think I did. 

 Well, usually the way wizard calculate these things, it’s just the 2nd level spells it takes into account, not the exact spells it’s outfitted with.

I guess the idea is that it has the potential to be CR 2 threat, with an optimized spell list.

How is the artist of this druid ?

I feel like this is a CR 1 creature instead of CR 2. If it upcasts thunderwave twice (since it already cast barkskin), and then whacks you with a shillelagh quarterstaff, it has an average damage of 14, which makes its offensive CR 1. If it has barkskin cast on it, it's defensive CR is 1/4. 1 + 1/4= 1 and 1/4, and that divided by 2 = 0.625, rounding that up = 1, so its total challenge rating would be 1.

It's spell list would have to be modified to make its challenge rating 2.

The trick to the druids is that you really can't pretend they're DPS. They are a support class, and shouldn't be presented without DPS monsters at their side. I ran these in CoS, per the module, for 5x lvl 4 PCs of pretty good players with well optimized characters. The party generally fought 1 druid with some number of blights at each encounter. These encounters are trivial if the druid just tries to melee. They're terrifying if you actually use all the monsters' abilities properly.

For example, blights have 60ft blindsight, so the baddies in the cellar knew the party was coming down the stairs. Druid in the cellar is barkskinned up, and readying Entangle while his needle blights hide in the corners of the room farthest from the door.

Surprise Round - Party tank opens the door and enters - BAM! - Entangle on the whole party. Casters fail and get stuck out of LOS because they're around the corner and halfway up the stairs -- doomed to waste at least a turn (probably more) trying to escape the restraint. Tank also manages to fail and become restrained one square into the room. Four needle blights get to surprise attack the tank with advantage at range. They probably would have had advantage due to attacking from hidden but they get it anyway from the restrained condition. Three hit. He's almost dead. Roll initiative. 

Round 1 - Party back line wastes their turns either escaping entanglement or helping a fellow caster escape (which is not RAW but I allow it). Blights KO the tank, whose turn would have been wasted anyway trying to free himself. Druid steps over the tank's body and upcasts Thunderwave in the hall, knocking those who were freed from the Entangle further into the difficult terrain, and causing an automatic failed death save for the tank. The druid then breaks LOS around the corner (flanking the doorway). The only player who's turn wasn't wasted on the Entangle uses their turn to healing pot the tank.

Round 2 - Druid moves to cover behind the wine racks so he has cover and LOS. Anyone who wants to get at him will have to traverse the difficult terrain and tank multiple opportunity attacks from the blights. Druid casts Entangle again. Keep those casters out. Give the blights another round with advantage. Blights KO the tank again, and do a fair bit of damage to the only other PC to make it to the doorway.

The rest of the fight doesn't matter. The point is that the one little puny Druid caused the party to lose about 7 of the PCs turns in the first 2 rounds, and gave all the DPS monsters advantage (total of ~8 extra monster attack rolls) just by using the cover of a wall and recognizing that it's a backline add. IF YOU USE THE DRUID'S MELEE ATTACK YOU HAVE ALMOST CERTAINLY SCREWED UP AS A DM.

Basically, play them as though they know they are squishy and know they are a support class. 

I've been thinking about this a lot, because yes, monsters aren't the same as NPCs, but can (and in my opinion should) be customized. So I have a circle of land, circle of wildfire, etc., druid. I just change out some spells and add a couple features.

The rule of cool. I like it.

For players debating the spell list. FYI its okay to replace any of these spells with any other spells appropriate for the class and spellcasting level. You can do this on a whim, you don't need to spend time preparing a spell list. Just do what is thematically appropriate, dramatic, and fun for your players. They don't need to know what spells this has prepared. If they are studying the monster manual for creature stats they are doing it wrong anyway. 

Seems weird they can’t Wildshape, feels like a core feature of the Druid archetype. Would justify the CR2 as well, since they could turn into a brown bear on the final turn of combat before they’d die.

This is very sad for your PCs, but as a DM myself, I wouldn't do this. The PTSD of my players may force me to find another group.