The Mystical Ones of the forests and places beyond society. A druid is a tree-hugging, face-smashing, animal-shaping reckoner found as a class for Dungeons and Dragons, Fifth Edition. A varied option, these wise warriors allow for archetypes like being a healer. A real contender with the likes of the Cleric as a support class, but the Druid, like their counterpart, can be seen as a dynamic option as a class, not bound to any sole archetype. They have capabilities of being anything, really. DPS, spellslingers, healers, the whole lot can all be applied to such a diverse class. The ability of controlling the natural elements of their spells allows for a fun playstyle of supporting your allies through combat. A class known for its unpopularity has a genuine, fun-focused series of abilities and capabilities that is often overlooked. The Druid, whilst specific in character design, at first glance, it can be seen as one of the most broad classes to pick feature-wise once given a chance.
Druids are one of the full-casters of 5e graced with a hit dice of a d8, rather than a d6, making them more sturdy than their bookwormish allies. The starting proficiencies entitled to a druid should make good use of the reliance over Wisdom rather than intelligence, despite having both of the abilities as proficiencies for saving throws. To keep with the thematic ideas of a druid, the best options for skills to pick out of the expansive options given are;
- Animal Handling
- Survival
As for other abilities bestowed onto a level one druid, the ability to speak a hidden language, known only to your own people can find good thematic use, especially for campaigns that involve druids as a key piece to the storylines involved. It functions as a parallel to the Rogue’s Thieves’ Cant. The mirroring between the city and the wilds is always fun to explore during a campaign. The spellcasting capabilities of a Druid are based around elemental magic, mainly associated with growth and nature. Cantrips are given, too, Spells like Primal Savagery and Thorn Whip can play into an archetype of nature being a violent foe. Also, given the ability to ritual cast allows for the Druid to be a fun option outside of combat, for casting spells.
The main aspect to a druid in 5e is the ability to Wild Shape, a feature which gives these nature-lovers the capability to turn into a beast of their choice, which grows in power and viability as the druid levels up. At second level, they are locked to the land, able to turn into animals like wolves, spiders, or even velociraptors! The limitation for wild shape is that you must’ve seen the animal you’re turning into in order to do the action. At fourth level, the seas and waves are open to a druid, allowing for them to turn into a shark, as an example. Four levels later, the sky's the limit, quite literally. The ability to fly allows for more powerful fights, especially when out in the open. Ability Score improvements are next. The abilities to favour as a druid are wisdom, as it is the spellcasting ability, as well as constitution and dexterity.
As a class, the Druid is integrally tied to their subclass, just like the cleric. Their abilities originate from them, and their features as a class are delayed until high-level play. Timeless Body, as a roleplay feature, can be fun, and as a joint feature for 18th level alongside the previously mentioned one, Beast Spells allows for an eagle of the skies to cast Fireball, or even a titanic dinosaur to bring an ally back from the clutches of death. Archdruid practically bypasses components as a whole, making it a worthwhile 20th level ability. One that is extremely useful when silenced, bound, or left with nothing but the skin on your back. For a class with a lot of variety, unfortunately the base game Druid leaves a lot to be asked. Fortunately the subclasses provide themselves to be reliable. They are as dynamic as they are powerful. Options like Circle of the Land is a simple, yet efficient choice, whilst there are much more specific options that completely shift the idea of a druid, like the Circle of Spores and Circle of Wildfire.
To put it simply; the Druid is a class that represents an aspect needed for your high-fantasy adventures. The guide, the natural expert, but it falls short on extra features as a base character. Regardless, a druid is fun, and ultimately it comes down to if you enjoy the character that you make. A story-based character is always more fun than Guy Manson, the Human Fighter with a soldier background and Champion subclass.
To recommend a race for the Druid, I’d say the Firbolg is a decent option. Away from a stereotypical elf, these gentle giants are tree-huggers personified. With a +2 bonus to the Wisdom ability, and a +1 to the strength ability, they already compliment the wisdom casters in a way that puts them above many others. Powerful builds aside, the Firbolg can also converse with the nature around them - both flora and fauna - with no struggles attached. As well as that, they can also turn invisible, an ability many see as random, including myself, but a welcome one regardless. This proves the Firbolg to be a great option for these nomads of the wilds. As for the abilities, the ones to favour as a Druid in this order are;
- Wisdom
- Constitution
- Dexterity
- Intelligence
- Strength
- Charisma
This is due to the spellcasting ability of a druid relying on Wisdom, as well as their hit dice being relatively low. As a spellcaster, they would be a target, and can be considered better the closer they are to their enemy. Charisma is a dump stat - it holds little value as a druid is often found away from society, making them unsociable as a character, most of the time.
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