Which of nature's guardians are you? Some flit through the trees, unseen by many, silently tending to the groves and the thickets. Others prowl the night as a panther or sail its skies as an eagle, viewing the passage of time through beastly eyes. But whether you're an herbalist in a small town or a remote watcher of the wilds, you'll need some spells! Take a look at some of our picks for the best druid spells:

1. Animal Friendship (and Similar Spells)
2. Awaken
3. Call Lightning
4. Druidcraft
5. Conjure Animals
6. Primal Savagery
7. Shapechange
8. Sunbeam
9. Transport via Plants
10. Wrath of Nature

Check Our Best Spells for Rangers List for More

Druids have one of the most impressive spell lists in fifth edition. In fact, they have over 20 exclusive spells, meaning most of them couldn't make it into our top 10 list—including several classics. In the interest of highlighting as many great druid spells as possible during this series, we strictly avoided any repeats from our Best Spells for Rangers article. However, many of those spells were also in contention for a top spot here, so if you're searching this list for favorites like healing spirit, goodberry, guardian of nature, or pass without trace, take a look at our ranger list!

1. Animal Friendship (and Similar Spells)

Artist: Lie Setiawan

1st-level enchantment

As a druid, your party will look to you for help when encountering wild animals. Fortunately for you, the druid spell list is awash with spells that can help. If you need to convince a roaming brown bear that you mean it no harm, look to animal friendship. Incognito communications can be sent via squirrel or finch using animal messenger. Use beast bond to get a glimpse of life through the eyes of an animal—or, more practically, to aid in scouting. And if your druid just wants to chat, they'll be thrilled to discover speak with animals and speak with plants.

Remember to keep an eye on these spells' restrictions and durations! You don't want to burn a spell slot trying to send an animal messenger to a destination beyond its reach, for example.

2. Awaken

5th-level transmutation

It happens to every druid. You ask if you can talk to a nearby animal or plant, the Dungeon Master enthusiastically acts out the role of a raccoon (or a patch of crabgrass), and the party falls in love. Within moments, the players are asking the DM about the logistics of raccoon domestication—when you have an idea.

The awaken spell grants a creature heightened intelligence and the capacity for language. The target's Intelligence score (which must have been 3 or less to cast this spell) increases to 10, and the target learns one language you know. The creature is charmed by you for 30 days as it acclimates to its new world and will choose whether to remain friendly to you after 30 days based on how it was treated.

This spell is worthwhile for the roleplay value alone but boasts some practical and tactical applications. If you are going to defend the woods from deforestation and you have some time to prepare, it might behoove you to awaken trees for muscle and eagles as scouts. Wizards get to build towers or dungeons with rows upon rows of massive constructs; if your druid wants to live in the woods with an awakened cat best friend and some awakened shrubs in his garden, I encourage you to let them.

3. Call Lightning

3rd-level conjuration

Druids aren't all benevolent, old herbalists living in a cottage in the woods with a sweet smile and a green garden. Some protect nature by calling upon its wrath and blasting monsters to smithereens.

Call lightning is often a mainstay spell for damage-dealing druids. For the cost of only one 3rd-level spell slot, you can strike the battlefield with lightning every turn. The spell's 60-foot radius is huge for fifth edition and will likely cover most or all of the encounter's map. It's also well-suited to many playstyles. Once you've cast the spell, on future turns you can use your action to trigger its lightning bolt and use your bonus action for healing word to balance damage with healing. Or you can Wild Shape into a tiny creature like a spider or fly and crawl behind a rock, smiting enemies with lightning each turn. However you fit it in, call lightning is a reliable spell that lasts an entire encounter and makes you feel like a druid.

If you want to deal damage every turn but will trade a smaller area of effect for a more valuable damage type and an anti-shapeshifter capability, look to moonbeam.

4. Druidcraft

Transmutation cantrip

Well, it's right there in the name, isn't it? Druidcraft is a versatile cantrip with various applications. Predict the weather, light or snuff out small flames, give a plant a small magical growth spurt, or create a harmless sensory effect. Predicting the weather and making flowers bloom can impress NPCs, build relationships, or mark yourself as trustworthy to fellow druids. Lighting small fires has an obvious practical application when camping or traveling, but instantly snuffing out nearby fires with a quick spell can also be helpful in an emergency. The harmless sensory effects could be used to distract creatures just as an arcane caster might use minor illusion. Spoil your party with a druid who can predict the weather and light campfires with a single word.

5. Conjure Animals

Artist: Jason Kang

3rd-level conjuration

Conjure animals is easily one of fifth edition's most versatile and economical spells. With a 3rd-level spell slot, you can conjure extra creatures to help soak damage that would otherwise be directed at your party, even out action economy, and even help with environmental challenges. For example, you could summon two brown bears for big bodies with decent offensive capabilities, eight giant owls to harry your enemies from on-high or serve as flying mounts, or a giant constrictor snake to restrain a single baddy for an encounter. Also, these conjured creatures stick around for a full hour, meaning they're useful for transportation and if you'll be facing multiple encounters in quick succession.

The one caveat to this is that it's the DM's discretion which animal can be conjured in what scenario. If you're looking for a more surefire way to summon a beast buddy, take a look at giant insect, conjure woodland beings, or summon beast.

6. Primal Savagery

Transmutation cantrip

Transform your teeth into fangs or your nails into claws as you embrace your instincts. Primal savagery is a close-range cantrip that matches the popular fire bolt in damage. The spell is painfully direct, has strong roleplay potential, and scales better at higher levels than its competitors.

If you prefer the image of a druid fighting with their staff or expect to run into incorporeal undead, consider snagging shillelagh instead. If you are hoping for a lot of 1-2 combos with the party's melee combatant, take a look at thorn whip.

7. Shapechange

9th-level transmutation

If your druid was the type of kid who said they wanted to be a dragon when they grew up, they'll be pretty happy when they reach 17th level. Shapechange can shift your form to any creature with a CR equal to or less than your level. Mechanically, this spell is treated similar to a Wild Shape since you gain the benefits and hit points of the new form without losing any of your mental prowess. With this spell, you could transform into a pit fiend, ancient brass dragon, or androsphinx. What else would you rather do with your magic?

8. Sunbeam

6th-level evocation

Sometimes, you need to blast a vampire in the face with light. Fortunately, there's a spell for that.

Sunbeam doesn’t mess around. You shoot light forward in a 60-foot line, blinding any creatures in the way, and can create a new flash of light as an action on future turns for 1 minute. Undead and Oozes have disadvantage on this saving throw, and you emanate 60 feet of sunlight in all directions while this spell is active. This is the quintessential anti-Undead spell and your druid's opportunity to fully embrace their power.

If you're looking for something a bit more explosive, even if it's an instantaneous effect, look to fire storm or sunburst.

9. Transport via Plants

6th-level conjuration

Transport via plants is the druid's answer to teleport, allowing you to step into a tree on one continent and walk out of a tree on another. The spell is lower level than teleport, and it has zero chance of any mishaps, but it does have a rather strict limitation: You can't go anywhere in the world, but you can go anywhere with a plant that you have seen before. Most of the places worth going already have plants, right?

10. Wrath of Nature

Artist: Filip Burburan

5th-level evocation

Wrath of nature is a gift to the druids who like to beat up monsters. Nature bends to your will and responds to your rage for 1 minute when you cast this spell, turning the battlefield itself into a fighter for your cause. The terrain within a 60-foot cube becomes difficult terrain for your enemies, trees deal damage to nearby monsters at the start of your turn, vines attempt to restrain creatures at the end of your turn, and you can use your bonus action to launch a rock at a foe. This spell can instantly change the course of the battle, making you feel like the powerful guardian of nature that you are.

Perhaps most valuable is that none of these effects use your action other than the initial casting. This allows you to balance your turn with whatever else best suits your playstyle.

Building a Druid

You've prepared your spells, gathered any stat blocks you might need for Wild Shape or summoning spells, and are ready to embark on an adventure! To get started, visit the D&D Beyond character builder and turn your defender of nature from a concept into a reality!

Damen Cook (@damen_joseph) is a lifelong fantasy reader, writer, and gamer. If he woke up tomorrow in Faerûn, he would bolt through the nearest fey crossing and drink from every stream and eat fruit from every tree in the Feywild until he found that sweet, sweet wild magic.