Stalk your prey in the form of a wolf, call lightning down from the sky, and commune with nature to mend wounds. The druid is the all-purpose tool of Dungeons & Dragons classes, capable of switching from a frontline tank to a divine damage dealer to a battlefield controller. Multiclassing can help you better specialize as a druid.
Click below to learn how to multiclass as a druid:
Choose a class to multiclass into... | |
Artificer | Paladin |
Barbarian | Ranger |
Bard | Rogue |
Cleric | Sorcerer |
Fighter | Warlock |
Monk | Wizard |
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Multiclassing requirements
In order to multiclass, you need to meet prerequisite requirements for both the druid and your new class. For example, if you want to play a druid and multiclass into barbarian, you will need 13 Wisdom and 13 Strength. The table below shows the minimum ability scores needed to multiclass:
Class | Ability Score Minimum |
---|---|
Artificer | Intelligence 13 |
Barbarian | Strength 13 |
Bard | Charisma 13 |
Cleric | Wisdom 13 |
Druid | Wisdom 13 |
Fighter | Strength or Dexterity 13 |
Monk | Dexterity and Wisdom 13 |
Paladin | Strength and Charisma 13 |
Ranger | Dexterity and Wisdom 13 |
Rogue | Dexterity 13 |
Sorcerer | Charisma 13 |
Warlock | Charisma 13 |
Wizard | Intelligence 13 |
Artificer
As civilizations develop deadlier weapons and threaten to expand their domains into natural lands, some druids turn to the very technologies they despise for aid. The druid-artificer sees the good that invention can bring to the natural world. Alternatively, this character could be a druid who was forced to live in a metropolis and has begun replicating in metal the creatures they loved in the wilds.
The druid-artificer multiclass offers proficiency in Constitution saving throws if you take your first character level in artificer. A two-level dip offers Infuse Items, which is particularly strong in campaigns with few magic items. The following are noteworthy infusions:
Recommended infusions for a druid-artificer multiclass | ||
Enhanced Arcane Focus | Homunculus Servant* | Replicate Magic Item: bag of holding |
Enhanced Defense | Mind Sharpener | Replicate Magic Item: goggles of night |
Enhanced Weapon | Replicate Magic Item: alchemy jug | |
* Tasha's Cauldron of Everything added the optional Wild Companion feature to the druid, which allows you to spend a use of your Wild Shape in order to cast find familiar. If your DM permits Wild Companion, the Homunculus Servant infusion is redundant. |
The druid-artificer isn't without its setbacks, however. Intelligence is normally a low-priority ability score for druids, and some of the more tantalizing spells on the artificer spell list already appear on the druid's spell list, including absorb elements, cure wounds, and faerie fire. Most importantly, your spellcasting progression will slow the more you invest in artificer. Depending on your needs, multiclassing into the cleric or wizard might be a better option.
Ability score spread
WIS > CON > DEX > INT > CHA > STR
Unless you're taking an artificer subclass, you can get by with 13 Intelligence. In most cases, a three-level dip into artificer isn't worth the investment when the alternative is preparing higher-level druid spells.
Recommended druid subclass: Circle of Stars
A Circle of Stars druid with artificer levels can be a decent support character, though you'd be better off as the druid-cleric.
Although the Circle of Stars doesn't particularly synergize with artificer class features, it's one of your best options when playing a support-oriented character. When going this route, consider taking infusions that can benefit party members. Enhanced Defense, for example, can increase the frontline fighter's AC. Mind Sharpener is hard to pass on since it helps you maintain concentration on spells you have cast.
Recommended artificer subclass: Alchemist
The artificer subclasses don't add a lot of value to the druid. Although the Battle Smith grants you shield to bolster your middling AC, the steel defender scales off of artificer levels. That means enemies will make short work of your companion as you level up. Artillerist similarly offers the shield spell, but your eldritch cannon's hit points scale off of artificer levels. If you can pick up a headband of intellect and keep enemies away from your eldritch cannon, though, a dip into this subclass is more attractive as the cannon offers some nice effects.
Of the artificer subclasses, the Alchemist is the easiest to work with. With the druid's spell slot progression, you can pump out a lot of experimental elixirs. These elixirs are an efficient way for you to support party members in and out of combat. If you choose this subclass, make sure you keep a homunculus servant or a familiar handy so that it can deliver cure wounds on your behalf.
Barbarian
Embrace the wild within as the druid-barbarian, a multiclass combination that will make you as hard to kill as the Iron Giant at a demolition derby. OK, that's a weird metaphor. But the druid-barbarian is a ripe multiclassing build that allows druids to get more mileage out of their Wild Shape forms and — if they take barbarian as their starting class — snag proficiency in Constitution saving throws. Alternatively, you can take the Circle of Spores subclass to be a blade-wielding, spore-spitting brawler.
The barbarian's Rage is the selling point for this multiclass. It grants:
- Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage
- Advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws
- A bonus to the damage you deal with melee weapon attacks
For the Circle of the Moon druid, your forms might also benefit from the barbarian's Unarmored Defense. A brown bear's AC goes from 11 to 13, for example. However, the druid-barbarian is held back in two ways: you can't concentrate on spells while raging and your Wild Shape and spellcasting progression is slowed by every level of barbarian you take. The former isn't as much of a drawback at lower levels when you consider what you get in return for Rage.
Ability score spread
WIS > CON > Anything
STR > CON > WIS > DEX > CHA > INT
The first ability score spread is for Circle of the Moon druids that will be in Wild Shape form for most combats. If you're going that route, you have a lot of flexibility. That's because you adopt the Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores of your Wild Shape forms. In that case, you could prioritize Charisma and Intelligence over Dexterity and Strength, bumping up those mental saving throws. (I still recommend having a good Constitution score in case you run out of Wild Shape uses.)
For the Circle of Spores druid, you'll want to prioritize Strength and Constitution as you'll be a frontline combatant. Your spells will be reserved primarily for out-of-combat use.
Recommended druid subclasses: Circle of Spores and Circle of the Moon
The Circle of Spores gets a pool of temporary hit points through Symbiotic Entity. Pair that with resistances to damage granted by Rage and you have a guardian of nature that can take damage and dish it out. For this druid multiclass combo, take your first level in barbarian so that you get proficiency in martial weapons and in Constitution saving throws. In combat, you'll act like your typical barbarian — charging into battle with little concern over your wellbeing. Outside of combat, you'll burn spell slots mending your wounds and using utility spells. If the going gets tough, retreat to the backline and rely on spells like conjure animals, which doesn't require you to have high Wisdom to be effective.
Circle of the Moon grants you better Wild Shape forms with more hit points. Paired with the resistances granted by Rage, you'll find that monsters will be hard-pressed taking you down to 0 hit points. At higher levels, the Circle of the Moon allows your attacks to bypass resistance to nonmagical attacks and unlocks elemental forms that make you a true powerhouse in combat.
Recommended barbarian subclasses: Path of the Ancestral Guardian and Path of the Totem Warrior
You can get by with just one level in barbarian, but there are two noteworthy subclasses if you want to make the most of this multiclass combination. In either case, you'll likely want to tap out after barbarian 3 as your spellcasting and Wild Shape progression will suffer.
Path of the Ancestral Guardian makes you the quintessential tank, penalizing enemies that don't focus attacks on you. Enemies will have to decide between swinging away at the meat shield (you) or taking disadvantage on attacks against allies. In boss fights, you'll be the star of the show, with the big-baddie wondering why you just won't die.
Path of the Totem Warrior is a popular choice for the wild-shaping druid-barbarian, and it's not hard to see why. The bear totem animal grants you resistance against all damage types except psychic damage while you're raging. As an additional bonus, the subclass allows you to cast beast sense and speak with animals as a ritual, allowing you to prepare other spells as a druid.
One other barbarian subclass deserves a shoutout. Path of the Berserker gives you a bonus action attack. For those with the Circle of Spores subclass, this is another opportunity to apply the Symbiotic Entity's bonus damage to melee weapon attacks. However, you do suffer a point of exhaustion after ending a frenzied rage.
Bard
Dogs are a person's best friend. In this case, you're the dog ... and the cat ... and the rat. The druid-bard multiclass leans into a support role, passing out Bardic Inspiration die while being a backup face for the group. A few levels in bard snags you some handy spells. Comprehend languages, identify, dissonant whispers, aid, and mirror image come to mind. The latter two were added to the bard spell list in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.
However, this multiclass combination suffers due to the bard relying on Charisma for its spell save DCs and to determine the number of Bardic Inspiration die you get per long rest. On the other hand, there's nothing quite like a squirrel playing a ukelele to boost morale.
Ability score spread
WIS > CON > CHA > DEX > STR > INT
When choosing this multiclass combination, you'll likely spend most of your time outside of Wild Shape, relying on your diverse selection of spells to control the battlefield, aid allies, and offer utility outside of combat. That means you should have a healthy Constitution score so you can better maintain concentration on spells and have plenty of hit points to stay on your feet when enemies get too close.
Recommended druid subclasses: Circle of Stars and Circle of the Shepherd
The druid comes with a great spell list that allows you to fill just about any role in a party. As a support character, you can't go wrong preparing spells like faerie fire, healing word, healing spirit, and enhance ability. To maximize your effectiveness in this role, check out the Circle of Stars and Circle of the Shepherd subclasses.
Circle of Stars offers one of the best cantrips and one of the best 1st level spells out there, guidance and guiding bolt. Both will serve you (and your allies) well. Guiding bolt allows you to deal damage while also granting an ally advantage on their next attack roll made against your target. Starry Form will help you shine even brighter. You can burn a use of your Wild Shape to take on a starry form that can empower your healing magic. At 6th level, Cosmic Omen grants you an additional way to bolster your allies' die rolls. What's not to love about that?
Circle of the Shepherd was the quintessential druid support subclass before Circle of Stars came into the picture. Spirit Totem allows you to distribute temporary hit points or create a field where you can grant allies advantage on attack rolls, which pairs well with Bardic Inspiration. At 6th level, Mighty Summoner strengthens the creatures you summon. Spells like conjure animals help your allies avoid damage by crowding the battlefield. Remember, any damage dealt to a summoned creature is damage that hasn't been dealt to you or your friends.
One subclass that deserves special mention is the Circle of the Land, specifically the Grassland and Underdark options. Grassland allows you to always have invisibility, pass without trace, haste, and freedom of movement prepared. Haste is the big selling point here as one of the premier support spells. Underdark adds to your arsenal of crowd control spells in the form of web and stinking cloud. Web can be paired with fire for a delightful show!
Recommended bard subclass: College of Eloquence
A three-level dip into bard puts you behind other dedicated spellcasters. However, if you want to be a skill monkey, picking up Jack of All Trades and Expertise might be worth the tradeoff. With that idea in mind, the College of Eloquence will help you be a better face for the party and help your allies' or your spells stick.
College of Eloquence is the bard's bard. Silver Tongue ensures you never roll below a 10 on d20 rolls made on Charisma (Deception) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks. Unsettling Words is also key for characters that want to support their fellow casters, though you can use it to turn the tide of battle on your own, such as by pairing it with hold person.
Cleric
The druid-cleric multiclass is the character whose love of nature led them to join a holy cause. You're the groundskeeper who meticulously restores an ancient holy site and hunts down all threats unnatural to the realm. The cleric is arguably the best class to multiclass into as a druid. Both classes rely on Wisdom for spellcasting and class features, and clerics receive their domain at 1st level.
If you go this route, you'll gain access to powerful cleric spells like bless and inflict wounds while maintaining full spell slot progression. The Channel Divinity options, such as the Nature domain's Charm Animals and Plants, can be flavorful and powerful depending on your campaign and the party's needs.
Ability score spread
WIS > CON > DEX > INT > CHA > STR
Wisdom is your most important ability score. Although Dexterity is ranked third, you could prioritize other ability scores over it if you pick a cleric domain that offers heavy armor proficiency, like the Forge domain. In that case, you'd want higher Strength so you can meet heavy armor requirements.
Druids and heavy armor
Druids don't normally wear armor or use shields made from metal. Although heavy armor proficiency is a perk offered by some of the cleric domains discussed in this section, there are no mundane, nonmetal heavy armors. You'll need to talk to your DM about whether or not your character would be permitted to wear metal armor or if you could access nonmetal heavy armor. The decision is ultimately up to your DM.
Recommended druid subclasses: Circle of Stars and Circle of the Moon
Circle of Stars and the cleric's Life domain make for a powerful healer. The Starry Form's Chalice constellation bolsters spells you cast that restore hit points. The Life domain's Disciple of Life does the same. As an example, a druid 2/cleric 1 who casts a 1st level cure wounds while in the Chalice Starry Form would restore a number of hit points equal to (1d8 + your Wisdom modifier + 3) + (1d8 + your Wisdom modifier).
Circle of the Moon is a great druid subclass for those who want to get into melee range. The subclass allows you to access stronger Wild Shape forms. Certain cleric domains can help you hit harder or more often. If you can set up a spiritual weapon before using Wild Shape, you'll also have an additional attack to help carry the party to victory.
The Circle of Wildfire also deserves a callout here for those who want to be able to dish out damage while also supporting allies. Not only can you make ranged attacks using your wildfire spirit, it can be used to teleport allies that are in a pinch. The 6th level feature also empowers your spells that restore hit points and synergizes with the Life domain in the same way the Circle of Stars does.
Recommended cleric subclasses: Life and War
It's hard to go wrong when choosing a cleric domain. For example, a one-level dip in the Order domain gets you Voice of Authority, which allows an ally to burn their reaction to make a weapon attack when you cast a spell on them. A two-level dip in Tempest allows you to maximize the damage on lightning or thunder damage you deal once per short rest. (Shout out to call lightning!)
The Life domain is the perfect subclass for a one-level dip. It grants heavy armor proficiency and Disciple of Life, which makes your healing spells more worthwhile. As mentioned above, this domain pairs wonderfully with the Circle of Stars. The domain spells are also worth having handy, with spiritual weapon being a tantalizing pickup for those taking a three-level dip.
The War domain and the Circle of the Moon are a powerful druid multiclass combination when you want to dish out more damage in Wild Shape form. The domain grants you access to divine favor for an additional 1d4 radiant damage on weapon attacks and War Priest, which allows you to make an additional attack using your bonus action (up to a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier). You also get heavy armor proficiency for when you're out of Wild Shape uses.
Fighter
The druid-fighter multiclass is a champion of nature who hones their abilities in melee combat through formal training. They may harness the might of the beasts they protect or wield weapons forged by hand. Fighter is one of the best classes to multiclass in as a druid — no wait, overall. With Action Surge and fighting styles, any druid can benefit from a dip in this class.
For players that won't lose sleep over delayed spellcasting progression, the Circle of Spores and Circle of the Moon subclass paired with the Battle Master can make for a unique character that can control the battlefield while soaking up damage like a sea sponge.
Ability score spread
DEX > CON > WIS > STR > CHA > INT
WIS > CON > Anything
For Circle of Spores druids with a fighter dip, opt for a two-weapon fighting build. Doing so lets you eke out more value from the extra damage on melee weapon attacks offered by Symbiotic Entity. Constitution takes priority over Wisdom so that you can better maintain concentration on spells like faerie fire or guardian of nature.
The second ability score spread is for the Circle of the Moon druid-fighter. It matters little what your Strength and Dexterity scores are when you're in Wild Shape, though having a solid Constitution score helps you survive deadly encounters when you could be punched back into your humanoid (or fey) form.
Recommended druid subclasses: Circle of Spores and Circle of the Moon
As mentioned above, you don't need to play any particular druid subclass to benefit from a fighter dip. The ability to cast two spells on your turn with Action Surge is powerful enough to lure spellcasters to the class. But the following subclasses will benefit more:
Circle of Spores encourages you to get up close to enemies and take them out with melee weapon attacks. Dual-wielding helps you maximize the damage dealt by your Symbiotic Entity. Choose Two-Weapon Fighting for your fighting style to add your ability modifier to your offhand attacks. Alternatively, the Defense and Dueling fighting styles are also good picks.
Circle of the Moon druids can dish out tons of damage thanks to forms with Multiattack. (Here's to looking at you, brown bear.) Give a creature with Multiattack access to Action Surge and you'll be swinging away like a monk using Flurry of Blows. The Superior Technique fighting style from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything gives you a combat trick when you're in Wild Shape.
Recommended fighter subclass: Battle Master
A three-level dip is a big investment for a spellcaster, but the fighter class might be worth it.
Battle Master gives you tools that help you do more than just swing around a blade or claw, though you certainly can choose battle maneuvers that simply add to your damage. If you want to protect allies, consider the following maneuvers: Bait and Switch, Goading Attack, Grappling Strike, and Maneuvering Attack. If you just want more ways to bring the hurt, check out Feinting Attack, Riposte, and Trip Attack.
The Rune Knight deserves special mention here, if only because Circle of the Moon druids can increase the size of their Wild Shape forms, which is just so cool.
Monk
Dwelling deep in undisturbed forests is a druid who has learned to fight from the very creatures they protect. The druid-monk multiclass capitalizes on the fact that both classes rely on Wisdom. However, the combination is held back by the fact that the monk is reliant on ki points, of which you won't have many without a heavy investment into the class. Nevertheless, if you want to live out your Kung Fu Panda dreams — or just benefit from Unarmored Defense — you can do so with a small dip into monk.
Ability score spread
DEX > WIS > CON > STR > CHA > INT
WIS > DEX > CON > Anything
Typically, the druid prioritizes Wisdom and Constitution over other ability scores, but this first spread allows you to effectively wield monk weapons like the shortsword while boosting your AC. With the monk's Unarmored Defense, you can reliably start the game with an AC of 15 or higher. However, you might choose to prioritize Wisdom over Dexterity if you plan to only occasionally wander into melee range or will take the Way of the Astral Self subclass.
The second ability score spread is for your Circle of the Moon druids. Normally, I'd recommend having Wisdom and Constitution as your highest scores, but Dexterity will be important if you plan to utilize Unarmored Defense outside of Wild Shape. If you don't plan to, prioritize Constitution over Dexterity and get some good armor.
Recommended druid subclass: Circle of Spores
Circle of Spores lets you switch between a ranged caster that softens up approaching enemies with spike growth and a melee martial artist that finishes off foes with their Symbiotic Entity and a flurry of blows (literally).
If you're going Circle of the Moon, consider just a one-level dip into monk for Unarmored Defense. It allows the AC of your Wild Shape forms to scale off of Wisdom and Dexterity, which you'll have plenty of. Beyond that first level, you won't see much value when compared to a druid-fighter. That's because your Wild Shape forms will often have higher damage die than if you were to rely on unarmed strikes. Further, the deeper you go into monk, the more your Wild Shape forms' scaling will suffer. That said, Step of the Wind does enable hit-and-run builds. (Though I think the druid-rogue does it better.)
Recommended monk subclasses: Way of the Astral Self and Way of the Open Hand
Although a deep dip into the monk class can be punishing for Circle of the Moon druids, it could be worthwhile for Circle of Spores druids. A five-level dip into monk nets you subclass features, Stunning Strike, Extra Attack, a d6 damage die on unarmed strikes, and a healthy amount of ki points to play with. Keep in mind that if you're starting a campaign at 1st level, your leveling will be clunky and you might not see the fruits of your unique build until much later.
Way of the Astral Self allows you to make the most of your high Wisdom as a Circle of Spores druid. When you use Arms of the Astral Self, you can use Wisdom instead of Strength or Dexterity on attack and damage rolls you make with unarmed strikes.
Way of the Open Hand is a great option when you'll be stretched thin for ki points. Open Hand Technique adds effects on top of your Flurry of Blows. You can shove and knock prone enemies or just get a free mini-Disengage.
Paladin
You're a creature of legend — the bear that smites bandits with lightning and claws, the eagle that watches the valley and razes the camps of those that threaten a local village. You are the druid-paladin.
With this multiclass combination, you'll Wild Shape into a form with Multiattack and burn spell slot after spell slot using Divine Smite. Although your ability scores will look funky — owed to the paladin class requiring a minimum 13 in both Strength and Charisma — it won't matter much since you'll often be in Wild Shape form. Outside of Wild Shape, you'll offer all of the typical tools of a druid, including ritual spells like speak with animals and battlefield control spells like wall of fire.
Ability score spread
WIS > CON > CHA > STR > DEX > INT
With a minimum 13 required in three ability scores — Strength, Wisdom, and Charisma — you'll likely have lower AC than your typical druid. That is, unless your DM permits you to don armor made of metal as a druid. In that case, take your first level as a paladin and get yourself plate armor as soon as possible. Regardless, don't sweat too much over a low Dexterity score. Once you can Wild Shape, you'll be in beast form for most combat encounters.
Recommended druid subclass: Circle of the Moon
Circle of the Moon is the only subclass that's viable for a druid-paladin multiclass. You won't sweat over your mishmash of ability scores when you're taking on the Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores of your choice forms. Those with Multiattack allow you to smite more often to end boss encounters long before you run out of Wild Shape uses.
Recommended paladin subclasses: None
A big selling point for the druid-paladin is the fact that you have more spell slots for Divine Smite than a straight paladin. For example, a druid 5/paladin 2 has four 1st-level, three 2nd-level, and two 3rd-level spell slots. A 7th level paladin has four 1st-level and three 2nd-level spell slots. The more levels you can devote to druid, the better off you'll be. You'll get stronger Wild Shape forms, more spell slots, and more powerful spells to prepare.
Ranger
Safely navigate through wildlands, befriend beasts, and fight with nature's fury as the druid-ranger.
When reviewing the ranger class, ask your Dungeon Master if they'd allow the optional ranger features included in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. The 1st-level Favored Foe and fighting style features pair well with Circle of Spores and Circle of the Moon builds. If your DM doesn't permit these optional features, you'll likely be better off choosing another class to multiclass into. The standard ranger's Favored Enemy and Natural Explorer features are flavorful but rarely useful.
Ability score spread
WIS > CON > DEX > Anything
DEX > CON > WIS > CHA > INT > STR
The first ability score spread is for Circle of the Moon druids that will rely heavily on their Wild Shape forms. You want high Wisdom for your spellcasting when outside of Wild Shape. Circle of Spores builds should opt for a Dex-based two-weapon fighting build. Relying on Strength for weapon attacks will stretch your ability scores thin as you'll still need some Dexterity for AC.
Recommended druid subclasses: Circle of Spores and Circle of the Moon
Circle of Spores rewards you for getting into melee range, as do the optional ranger class features. If you choose this subclass, snag Favored Foe and Two-Weapon Fighting. These paired with the benefits of your Symbiotic Entity make you a solid melee combatant. Your druid levels will ensure you have tons of spells to fall back on when times get tough, too.
No surprise seeing Circle of the Moon here. It's a strong druid subclass that also benefits from the optional ranger class features.
Recommended ranger subclasses: Fey Wanderer and Swarmkeeper
If you're going Circle of Spores, consider taking five levels in ranger for Extra Attack. Circle of the Moon and other kinds of druids can get by with just a two- or three-level dip.
Fey Wanderer is a worthwhile pick for druids that not only want to deal extra damage on weapon attacks but also be a party face. Otherworldly Glamour lets you add your Wisdom bonus to Charisma checks you make.
Swarmkeeper grants some handy combat tricks — or just additional damage. A three-level dip is all you need. Gloomstalker is a good alternative to the Swarmkeeper, especially if you plan to go deep in the ranger class and will get Iron Mind, which grants an additional saving throw proficiency.
Rogue
Do you frequently take fireballs to the face? Are you tired of burning your action just to Disengage? Do you wish you had more skill proficiencies? Then you need the rogue. The druid-rogue multiclass dances around the battlefield with ease and picks up Expertise at low levels to help them shine out of combat. Sneak Attack adds a nice bonus to your weapon attacks, though if you want burst damage you might consider multiclassing with the paladin instead.
Ability score spread
WIS > CON > Anything
WIS > CON > DEX > CHA > INT > STR
DEX > CON > WIS > CHA > INT > STR
You only need 13 Dexterity to multiclass into rogue. For druids that just want to pick up extra skill proficiencies and the beloved Cunning Action, that's all you'll need. But Circle of Spores druids that might want to invest more into the rogue should consider having higher Dexterity and wielding a finesse weapon to make use of Sneak Attack.
Recommended druid subclasses: Any
The rogue is frontloaded with features that work with any druid. You'll trade spellcasting progression for extra skill proficiencies, Expertise, and Cunning Action (at 2nd level). Circle of Spores and Circle of the Moon druids benefit the most from this multiclassing combination, however.
Circle of Spores will miss the Two-Weapon Fighting style offered by the fighter and ranger but get a big boost in survivability from Cunning Action. The rogue feature allows you to Disengage as a bonus action. Sneak Attack also offers a nice damage boost that stacks with your Symbiotic Entity. If you go deeper into the rogue class, keep in mind that your Halo of Spores will compete with Uncanny Dodge for your reaction.
Circle of the Moon similarly benefits from Cunning Action but can't make use of Sneak Attack while in Wild Shape. If you want to make your Wild Shape forms last longer, consider the barbarian.
Recommended rogue subclasses: Mastermind and Soulknife
Mastermind is a good subclass for more support-minded druids. It allows you to take the Help action as a bonus action and adds a range of 30 feet to it. A Circle of the Land (Grassland) druid could cast haste on an ally and then grant them advantage on their next attack in the same turn. Circle of the Shepherd druids could choose the Hawk Spirit to grant advantage on an attack roll as a reaction and also spend bonus actions granting advantage on other attack rolls.
The Soulknife is a great option for the Circle of Spores druid. Your psychic blades manifest when you take the Attack action, meaning your hands are free to cast spells at all other times. You also get Psi-Bolstered Knack to make you more of a skill monkey.
Sorcerer
You were born in nature and channel its power with your sweat and blood, achieving things no druid can do on their own. You are the druid-sorcerer.
Unfortunately, the druid-sorcerer is held back by the fact that the Metamagic feature is locked behind three levels of sorcerer. The Metamagic Adept feat from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything also makes this combo less tempting as it requires much less investment but still nets you Metamagic. Nevertheless, let's take a look at your options.
Ability score spread
WIS > CON > DEX > CHA > INT > STR
The druid-sorcerer is built much like your typical druid who slings spells from the backline. You can get by with just 13 Charisma — there are plenty of sorcerer spells you can choose that don't rely on spell attack rolls or your spell save DC. Instead, consider selecting sorcerer spells that fill gaps in the druid spell list. Disguise self, mage armor (which works in Wild Shape), and shield come to mind.
Recommended druid subclasses: Circle of the Land and Circle of Wildfire
Circle of the Land allows you to recover spell slots on a short rest via Natural Recovery. This is handy as you can burn spells to recover sorcery points to fuel your Metamagic. Because you'll know sorcerer spells and have druid spells prepared, you'll quickly burn through spell slots too, especially if you learn shield. The Grassland's circle spells offer great options for the Twinned Spell Metamagic, including invisibility and haste.
Circle of Wildfire offers a variety of spells that mesh well with the Transmuted Spell Metamagic. Turn your flaming sphere into a ball of rolling acid, for example. With Enhanced Bond empowering your spells that deal damage or restore hit points, Twinned Spell is another great Metamagic option. Consider Careful Spell if you're worried about collateral damage from your more flashy spells.
Recommended sorcerer subclasses: Clockwork Soul and Divine Soul
Clockwork Soul is a great subclass for support builds. Restore Balance is a good use of your reaction and Clockwork Magic adds to your known sorcerer spells. These spells can be swapped out for abjuration or transmutation spells found on the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list.
Divine Soul lets you learn spells from the cleric spell list, including bless, protection from evil and good, and spiritual weapon (at sorcerer 3).
Storm Sorcery deserves a callout as Tempestuous Magic can safely get you out of melee range of enemies without costing you an action or bonus action.
Warlock
Though you've spent your days harnessing the impossible might of nature, the power you received was never enough for you. One day, you chanced upon a being that promised you more power — and you leaped at the opportunity. The druid-warlock multiclass gains access to an incredible line of eldritch invocations and learns eldritch blast. Notable invocations for druids taking a small dip in warlock include:
- Armor of Shadows: Mage armor on a stick. It functions even while you're in Wild Shape.
- Grasp of Hadar or Repelling Blast: Rake your enemies across your spike growth!
- Mask of Many Faces: Great for druids who want infinite uses of disguise self.
- Eldritch Mind: Incredible for any spellcaster.
Circle of Spores druid can benefit from five levels or more in the class, thanks to the Hexblade subclass, the hex spell, and the Pact of the Blade and its related invocations.
Ability score spread
WIS > CON > CHA > DEX > STR > INT
CHA > CON > WIS > DEX > STR > INT
If you're multiclassing into warlock, chances are you're looking to pick up eldritch blast. If you plan to, you'll want decent Charisma so that you can consistently land your spell attack rolls. Although your AC will suffer from having lower Dexterity, you can fall back on barkskin, choose the Armor of Shadows invocation for mage armor, or take the Hexblade subclass for shield.
For Circle of Spores druids, look to the second ability score spread for inspiration. The Hexblade subclass allows you to rely on Charisma for melee weapon attack and damage rolls, so you have a lot to gain by investing in the ability score.
Recommended druid subclass: Any
Any druid subclass can benefit from a small dip in the warlock for invocations. However, Circle of Spores gains a lot more thanks to the Hexblade subclass.
Circle of Spores gives you all the tools you need to wade into melee range, with a damage bonus on melee weapon attacks, temporary hit points, and a reaction that punishes enemies for remaining close to you. You also have access to flame blade, which further bolsters your damage. When you're not in melee, spells spike growth can keep enemies from getting close while heat metal can be a reliable source of damage against heavily-armored foes.
Recommended warlock subclass: Hexblade
Hexblade is rarely a poor choice for martial builds looking to multiclass, and that's no exception for the Circle of Spores druid. The warlock subclass grants proficiency in martial weapons, shield, and Hexblade's Curse. You also get access to booming blade and green-flame blade as a warlock. With the Pact of the Blade and invocations like Improved Pact Weapon, Thirsting Blade, and Eldritch Smite, a five-level dip into warlock is an easy sell. Admittedly, though, there are better classes to blend with the Hexblade than the druid.
The Genie also deserves a callout, particularly for Circle of Stars and Circle of Wildfire druids. The 1st-level feature Genie's Vessel allows you to add your proficiency bonus to a single damage roll made after you hit with an attack roll, such as with guiding bolt and scorching ray.
Wizard
Where many druids revere nature's mysteries, you aim to study them. The druid-wizard multiclass benefits from full spellcasting progression, spells from two very different classes, and arcane traditions that help you get more value out of your spells. You don't need a big dip in wizard to see the value in it. However, you'll need 13 Intelligence to multiclass as a wizard. The ability score is typically a low priority for druids.
Ability score spread
WIS > CON > INT > DEX > STR > CHA
Your ability score spread may differ from the above based on which spells you plan to take as a wizard and how deep you're going into the class. If you aim to select utility spells like identify and buffs like mage armor, you won't need more than 13 Intelligence. However, the wizard spell list offers a lot of great spells that you'll want to sling at enemies. So, I've made it a higher priority than Dexterity here and would even consider prioritizing it over Constitution.
Recommended druid subclasses: Circle of Wildfire
Due to the incredible variety of spells found on the wizard spell list, any druid can benefit from a small dip in the class. Although you won't fall behind on spell slot progression, the more wizard levels you take, the further behind you'll get on druid spell levels and features. That said, the Circle of Wildfire is a notable option for druid-wizards.
Circle of Wildfire blends the restorative and destructive halves of nature. The subclass' Enhanced Bond improves the damage you deal with spells that deal fire damage, of which the wizard has plenty.
Recommended wizard subclass: School of Evocation
Nearly every wizard subclass is worthy of a review when you're a druid-wizard multiclass.
School of Evocation plays well with the Circle of Wildfire. Sculpt Spells allows you to cast area of effect spells without hurting allies, which is especially useful if you plan to take fireball. With your full progression of spell slots, you can be a fireball-spamming druid with healing spells on reserve.
Sample build: Ly Danafel, a druid 6/wizard 5
Art by Kane Carter (@veldrin)
Ly Danafel was born in a remote village near The Great Sand Sea, far east of Waterdeep. The village was peaceful and self-sufficient, with farmlands stretching for miles. But the summers were blisteringly hot, and Ly remembered villagefolk occasionally rushing into the fields to put out little fires that started all on their own. Because of this, she thought for the longest time that fire was a terrible thing.
But then one year, a blight struck her village's farmlands. She remembered waking up in her home with ash on her lips and walking out to see acres of land in flames. Her mother told her that the lands needed to burn to stop the blight, lest more crops be lost to it. And it was at that moment that Ly discovered that fire could do as much good as it could do terrible things.
Ly now wanders the land doing controlled burns to maintain the health of natural lands.
Michael Galvis (@michaelgalvis) is a tabletop content producer for D&D Beyond. He is a longtime Dungeon Master who enjoys horror films and all things fantasy and sci-fi. When he isn’t in the DM’s seat or rolling dice as his anxious halfling sorcerer, he’s playing League of Legends and Magic: The Gathering with his husband. They live together in Los Angeles with their adorable dog, Quentin.
First! I really wanted to multiclass a druid, so this is very helpfull.
Wait... that sword in the photo is metal!
Ok so spores or moon for 90% of it. Got it.
It's a scimitar, which is fine.
Because curved metal is not evil.
I'd wanna play the holy bearbarian, a moon druid/zealot barbarian/paladin who is entirely built to deal massive radiant damage in the form of a bear. He's a pretty normal dude, but his bear form is effectively an alternate personality that wishes only to smite the unbelievers, destroying those heathen monsters that would attempt to despoil the name of his god.
Yeah, the curves of the metal allow the evil to drain out more effectively than in a straight sword. It's just science, plain and simple.
Besides, metal is part of nature too... where'd you think it came from?
The point of not using metal is more along the lines of "refined metal is not natural" than "metal is against nature."
I least that's what seems to me to be the case.
This is a really great article - it's easy to envision the flavor of multiclassing, but when it comes to numbers and builds, this is a great resource for new players getting started thru DNDBeyond.
Awesome tips! Can’t wait for the rogue article, I’ve been brainstorming options for weeks now in preparation for our next campaign.
which is kinda stupid if you think about it. I mean sure that could apply to some druids but to say every druid flat out believes all metal is against nature just doesn't make sense. It's basically just a way to justify class balancing, which oddly no other class tries to do
I would guess it came from older editions, but I have no idea what those were like. It is weird. There are almost always exceptions, though, so really, it can be anything.
True. But then again, the game is in the hands of your DM, so do what you want with this.
(But seriously WotC, your telling me druid thinks True Resurrection is perfectly natural, but sees a sword and thinks "bad pointy metal stick!"
Divine Smite in Wild Shape... okay, fine, a bird comet does sound fun.
“The Circle of Spores' Symbiotic Entity only adds a d6 of damage on top of melee weapon attacks. Unarmed strikes do not quality for the extra damage.”
Please don’t spread misinformation. An unarmed strike is a melee weapon attack (though it is not an attack with a melee weapon). In 5e, every attack is either a melee attack or a ranged attack, either a weapon attack or a spell attack. An unarmed strike is not ranged and does not come from a spell, so it is a melee weapon attack. Also, see https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/phb/combat#MakinganAttack “Instead of using a weapon to make a melee weapon attack, you can use an unarmed strike”
Best druid/rogue in my opinion: three levels of circle of the land druid with the rest of your levels in thief rogue. You have a stealthy thief who wild shape into a rat to get into to small spaces and always has invisibility prepared.
A druid's taboo against metal only talks about metal armor, metal weapons on the other hand are perfectly fine to use.
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Thank you for mentioning this I came to mention that the articles information was misleading.
I may have missed it, but I don’t think it was mentioned and it’s my go to. But a level 3 or4 Armor of Agathys or fire shield for my celestial tomelock/wildfire Druid is amazing combined with wild shape. It’s a solid alternative to the wildfire spirit to just wade in as a bear or direwolf with additional HP and if you hit me, you get hurt. Plus I can still heal in wild shape from my celestial pool of D6s as it’s not a spell. Obviously there’s better Druid subclasses for this tactic but my character is built more as a ranged eldritch blaster with the wildfire spirit and a focus on healing for the party. But sometimes you just have to wade in.