Druid

Holding high a gnarled staff wreathed with holly, an elf summons the fury of the tempest and calls downwards explosive bolts of lightning to smite the torch-carrying orcs who threaten her forest.

Crouching out of sight on a loftier tree branch in the class of a leopard, a human peers out of the jungle at the strange construction of a temple of Evil Elemental Air, keeping a shut eye on the cultists' activities.

Swinging a bract formed of pure fire, a half-elf charges into a mass of skeletal soldiers, sundering the unnatural magic that gives the foul creatures the mocking semblance of life.

Whether calling on the elemental forces of nature or emulating the creatures of the animal earth, druids are an embodiment of nature'southward resilience, cunning, and fury. They claim no mastery over nature. Instead, they see themselves as extensions of nature's indomitable will.

Power of Nature

Druids revere nature in a higher place all, gaining their spells and other magical powers either from the forcefulness of nature itself or from a nature deity. Many druids pursue a mystic spirituality of transcendent marriage with nature rather than devotion to a divine entity, while others serve gods of wild nature, animals, or elemental forces. The ancient druidic traditions are sometimes called the Old Faith, in contrast to the worship of gods in temples and shrines.

Druid spells are oriented toward nature and animals—the ability of tooth and hook, of sun and moon, of fire and storm. Druids likewise gain the ability to take on animal forms, and some druids make a particular study of this practice, even to the point where they prefer animal grade to their natural form.

Preserve the Remainder

For druids, nature exists in a precarious remainder. The four elements that make up a world—air, earth, burn, and water—must remain in equilibrium. If i element were to proceeds ability over the others, the world could be destroyed, drawn into one of the elemental planes and broken apart into its component elements. Thus, druids oppose cults of Elemental Evil and others who promote one element to the exclusion of others.

Druids are also concerned with the fragile ecological rest that sustains establish and animal life, and the need for civilized folk to alive in harmony with nature, not in opposition to it. Druids take that which is savage in nature, and they hate that which is unnatural, including aberrations (such every bit beholders and mind flayers) and undead (such equally zombies and vampires). Druids sometimes lead raids against such creatures, especially when the monsters encroach on the druids' territory.

Druids are oft found guarding sacred sites or watching over regions of unspoiled nature. But when a significant danger arises, threatening nature'south residual or the lands they protect, druids take on a more than active role in combating the threat, every bit adventurers.

Creating a Druid

When making a druid, consider why your character has such a shut bond with nature. Perhaps your graphic symbol lives in a society where the Former Organized religion still thrives, or was raised past a druid after being abandoned in the depths of a forest. Mayhap your character had a dramatic encounter with the spirits of nature, coming face to confront with a giant eagle or dire wolf and surviving the feel. Maybe your character was born during an epic tempest or a volcanic eruption, which was interpreted as a sign that becoming a druid was part of your grapheme'south destiny.

Have yous always been an adventurer as part of your druidic calling, or did y'all kickoff spend time every bit a caretaker of a sacred grove or spring? Perhaps your homeland was befouled past evil, and you took upwards an adventuring life in hopes of finding a new home or purpose.

QUICK BUILD

You can make a druid quickly by following these suggestions. Start, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed past Constitution. Second, choose the hermit background.

The Druid Tabular array

Level

Proficiency
Bonus

Features

Cantrips
Known

—Spell Slots per Spell Level—

1st

2nd

tertiary

4th

5th

6th

seventh

8th

9th

1st

+2

Druidic, Spellcasting

2

2

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

2nd

+2

Wild Shape, Druid Circle

2

3

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

tertiary

+2

—

ii

4

2

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

4th

+ii

Wild Shape Improvement, Ability Score Improvement

3

4

3

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

5th

+iii

—

iii

4

3

two

—

—

—

—

—

—

6th

+3

Druid Circle Characteristic

3

4

3

3

—

—

—

—

—

—

7th

+three

—

iii

4

3

3

1

—

—

—

—

—

8th

+3

Wild Shape Improvement, Ability Score Improvement

3

4

3

3

2

—

—

—

—

—

9th

+four

—

3

4

3

3

3

1

—

—

—

—

10th

+four

Druid Circle Feature

4

4

3

iii

3

2

—

—

—

—

11th

+4

—

iv

4

iii

3

three

two

1

—

—

—

twelfth

+four

Power Score Improvement

4

4

3

3

3

2

1

—

—

—

13th

+5

—

four

4

3

3

3

ii

1

1

—

—

14th

+v

Druid Circle Feature

four

4

three

iii

3

ii

1

1

—

—

15th

+5

—

4

4

3

3

3

two

i

ane

1

—

16th

+5

Ability Score Improvement

four

4

3

3

three

2

1

one

1

—

17th

+six

—

4

4

iii

3

3

two

one

ane

one

one

18th

+half dozen

Timeless Torso, Animate being Spells

4

4

3

3

3

3

ane

1

one

1

19th

+6

Power Score Improvement

4

iv

3

3

3

3

ii

1

1

ane

20th

+half-dozen

Archdruid

iv

4

three

3

3

3

2

2

1

1

A druid holds certain plants to be sacred, particularly alder, ash, birch, elder, hazel, holly, juniper, mistletoe, oak, rowan, willow, and yew. Druids often use such plants as part of a spellcasting focus, incorporating lengths of oak or yew or sprigs of mistletoe.

Similarly, a druid uses such woods to make other objects, such every bit weapons and shields. Yew is associated with expiry and rebirth, and then weapon handles for scimitars or sickles might be fashioned from it. Ash is associated with life and oak with strength. These wood make first-class hafts or whole weapons, such as clubs or quarterstaffs, likewise as shields. Alder is associated with air, and it might exist used for thrown weapons, such as darts or javelins.

Druids from regions that lack the plants described here have called other plants to have on like uses. For instance, a druid of a desert region might value the yucca tree and cactus plants.

Some druids venerate the forces of nature themselves, but most druids are devoted to one of the many nature deities worshiped in the multiverse (the lists of gods in appendix B include many such deities). The worship of these deities is frequently considered a more ancient tradition than the faiths of clerics and urbanized peoples. In fact, in the world of Greyhawk, the druidic faith is called the Old Faith, and information technology claims many adherents amidst farmers, foresters, fishers, and others who live closely with nature. This tradition includes the worship of Nature as a fundamental forcefulness beyond personification, but also encompasses the worship of Beory, the Oerth Mother, also as devotees of Obad-Hai, Ehlonna, and Ulaa.

In the worlds of Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms, druidic circles are not usually connected to the faith of a single nature deity. Any given circle in the Forgotten Realms, for case, might include druids who revere Silvanus, Mielikki, Eldath, Chauntea, or even the harsh Gods of Fury: Talos, Malar, Auril, and Umberlee. These nature gods are often chosen the First Circle, the first among the druids, and about druids count them all (fifty-fifty the tearing ones) equally worthy of veneration.

The druids of Eberron hold animistic beliefs completely unconnected to the Sovereign Host, the Dark Six, or whatsoever of the other religions of the earth. They believe that every living thing and every natural phenomenon—sun, moon, wind, burn, and the world itself—has a spirit. Their spells, then, are a means to communicate with and command these spirits. Unlike druidic sects, though, concur different philosophies almost the proper human relationship of these spirits to each other and to the forces of civilization. The Ashbound, for example, believe that cabalistic magic is an abomination against nature, the Children of Winter venerate the forces of death, and the Gatekeepers preserve ancient traditions meant to protect the world from the incursion of aberrations.

Class Features

As a druid, you gain the post-obit form features.

Hitting Points

Hitting Die: 1d8 per druid level
Hitting Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or five) + your Constitution modifier per druid level later on 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields (druids will not wear armor or use shields made of metal)
Weapons: Clubs, daggers, darts, javelins, maces, quarterstaffs, scimitars, sickles, slings, spears
Tools: Herbalism kit
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Cull two from Arcana, Brute Handling, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the post-obit equipment, in improver to the equipment granted past your background:

  • (a) a wooden shield or (b) any unproblematic weapon
  • (a) a scimitar or (b) any elementary melee weapon
  • Leather armor, an explorer's pack, and a druidic focus

Druidic

You know Druidic, the secret language of druids. You tin can speak the linguistic communication and use information technology to leave hidden messages. You and others who know this language automatically spot such a bulletin. Others spot the message'southward presence with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) cheque but can't decipher it without magic.

Spellcasting

Drawing on the divine essence of nature itself, yous can cast spells to shape that essence to your volition. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the druid spell listing.

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the druid spell list. You learn additional druid cantrips of your choice at higher levels, every bit shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Druid table.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Druid tabular array shows how many spell slots you take to cast your druid spells of 1st level and college. To bandage ane of these druid spells, you lot must expend a slot of the spell'due south level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when yous finish a long rest.

You set up the list of druid spells that are available for y'all to bandage, choosing from the druid spell listing. When yous do so, choose a number of druid spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + your druid level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you are a 3rd-level druid, you take four 1st-level and two 2d-level spell slots. With a Wisdom of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If yous prepare the 1st-level spell cure wounds, you tin cast it using a 1st-level or 2d-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can also change your list of prepared spells when you cease a long balance. Preparing a new list of druid spells requires fourth dimension spent in prayer and meditation: at to the lowest degree one minute per spell level for each spell on your listing.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your druid spells, since your magic draws upon your devotion and attunement to nature. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In improver, you utilise your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a druid spell you cast and when making an assail curlicue with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Ritual Casting

You tin can cast a druid spell every bit a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you take the spell prepared.

Spellcasting Focus

Yous tin apply a druidic focus (encounter the Adventuring Gear section) as a spellcasting focus for your druid spells.

Wild Shape

Starting at 2d level, you tin can utilize your action to magically assume the shape of a animal that you lot have seen before. You can use this feature twice. You lot regain expended uses when y'all finish a short or long residuum.

Your druid level determines the beasts y'all tin can transform into, as shown in the Beast Shapes tabular array. At 2nd level, for example, yous tin can transform into any animate being that has a challenge rating of 1/iv or lower that doesn't have a flying or swimming speed.

Brute Shapes

Level

Max CR

Limitations

Case

second

1/4

No flight or swimming speed

Wolf

4th

i/2

No flying speed

Crocodile

8th

i

—

Giant hawkeye


You tin can stay in a beast shape for a number of hours equal to half your druid level (rounded downwards). You and then revert to your normal grade unless y'all expend another use of this feature. You can revert to your normal course before by using a bonus activeness on your turn. Yous automatically revert if yous fall unconscious, drib to 0 hit points, or die.

While you lot are transformed, the post-obit rules apply:

  • Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. Yous also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature's bonus instead of yours. If the animal has any legendary or lair actions, you tin can't apply them.
  • When y'all transform, you assume the animal's hit points and Hit Die. When y'all revert to your normal class, you return to the number of striking points yous had earlier you transformed. Nonetheless, if you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess impairment carries over to your normal class. For example, if you lot take 10 damage in animal form and have only 1 hit point left, yous revert and have 9 harm. As long equally the backlog damage doesn't reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren't knocked unconscious.
  • Yous can't bandage spells, and your power to speak or take whatever activeness that requires easily is limited to the capabilities of your animal form. Transforming doesn't pause your concentration on a spell you've already cast, however, or preclude you from taking actions that are part of a spell, such as call lightning, that yous've already bandage.
  • Yous retain the do good of any features from your class, race, or other source and can utilize them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. Yet, you can't use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form likewise has that sense.
  • You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by information technology. Worn equipment functions as normal, simply the DM decides whether information technology is practical for the new form to vesture a piece of equipment, based on the creature's shape and size. Your equipment doesn't change size or shape to match the new grade, and any equipment that the new form tin can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with information technology. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

Druid Circle

At 2nd level, you choose to place with a circle of druids: the Circle of the Land detailed at the cease of the class clarification or one from the Player's Handbook or other sources. Your choice grants you features at 2nd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

Wild Shape Improvement

At 4th level, yous can use your activity to magically assume the shape of a beast that you take seen earlier of challenge rating 1/two or lower that doesn't have a flying speed. You lot can utilise this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you terminate a short or long balance.

Ability Score Improvement

When you lot achieve fourth level, and once again at eighth, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you tin increase one power score of your choice by 2, or you can increase ii ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, y'all tin can't increment an power score above 20 using this characteristic.

Using the optional feats dominion, you lot can forgo taking this feature to have a feat of your choice instead.

Wild Shape Improvement

At 8th level, you can employ your action to magically assume the shape of a beast that you accept seen before of challenge rating i or lower. Yous can use this characteristic twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long residue.

Timeless Body

Starting at 18th level, the primal magic that you wield causes you to historic period more slowly. For every 10 years that pass, your body ages only ane year.

Creature Spells

Commencement at 18th level, you can cast many of your druid spells in any shape you assume using Wild Shape. You can perform the somatic and verbal components of a druid spell while in a beast shape, but you aren't able to provide material components.

Archdruid

At 20th level, you can utilise your Wild Shape an unlimited number of times.

Additionally, you can ignore the verbal and somatic components of your druid spells, also as whatever material components that lack a toll and aren't consumed by a spell. You proceeds this benefit in both your normal shape and your beast shape from Wild Shape.

Druid Circles

Though their organization is invisible to most outsiders, druids are part of a society that spans the land, ignoring political borders. All druids are nominally members of this druidic society, though some individuals are so isolated that they have never seen whatsoever high-ranking members of the lodge or participated in druidic gatherings. Druids recognize each other as brothers and sisters. Like creatures of the wilderness, however, druids sometimes compete with or fifty-fifty prey on each other.

At a local scale, druids are organized into circles that share sure perspectives on nature, balance, and the style of the druid.

Circle of the Country

The Circumvolve of the Land is made up of mystics and sages who safeguard ancient knowledge and rites through a vast oral tradition. These druids meet within sacred circles of copse or standing stones to whisper primal secrets in Druidic. The circle'due south wisest members preside every bit the main priests of communities that hold to the Former Organized religion and serve as advisors to the rulers of those folk. As a member of this circle, your magic is influenced by the land where yous were initiated into the circle'southward mysterious rites.

Bonus Cantrip

When yous choose this circle at second level, you learn ane additional druid cantrip of your choice. This cantrip doesn't count against the number of druid cantrips you lot know.

Natural Recovery

Starting at 2nd level, you tin regain some of your magical energy by sitting in meditation and communing with nature. During a short residue, you choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can take a combined level that is equal to or less than half your druid level (rounded upwardly), and none of the slots can be 6th level or higher. You can't use this feature again until you lot finish a long rest.

For instance, when you lot are a fourth-level druid, you can recover up to two levels worth of spell slots. You lot can recover either a 2nd-level slot or two 1st-level slots.

Circle Spells

Your mystical connection to the land infuses you lot with the ability to cast certain spells. At tertiary, 5th, seventh, and ninth level you proceeds access to circumvolve spells connected to the land where you became a druid. Choose that land — arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, mountain, swamp, or Underdark — and consult the associated list of spells.

Once you proceeds access to a circumvolve spell, you always have it prepared, and information technology doesn't count against the number of spells y'all tin can prepare each day. If y'all gain access to a spell that doesn't appear on the druid spell list, the spell is however a druid spell for you.

Chill
Druid Level Spells

3rd

agree person, fasten growth

5th

sleet storm, boring

7th

freedom of movement, water ice storm

9th

commune with nature, cone of cold
Declension
Druid Level Spells

3rd

mirror prototype, misty footstep

fifth

water breathing, water walk

7th

control water, liberty of motion

9th

conjure elemental, scrying
Desert
Druid Level Spells

3rd

blur, silence

5th

create nutrient and water, protection from energy

7th

bane, hallucinatory terrain

9th

insect plague, wall of stone
Forest
Druid Level Spells

third

barkskin, spider climb

fifth

call lightning, constitute growth

7th

divination, freedom of motion

9th

commune with nature, tree stride
Grassland
Druid Level Spells

3rd

invisibility, pass without trace

5th

daylight, haste

seventh

divination, freedom of movement

9th

dream, insect plague
Mountain
Druid Level Spells

tertiary

spider climb, fasten growth

5th

lightning commodities, meld into rock

7th

stone shape, stoneskin

9th

passwall, wall of stone
Swamp
Druid Level Spells

tertiary

darkness, acid arrow

fifth

water walk, stinking deject

7th

freedom of movement, locate beast

9th

insect plague, scrying
Underdark
Druid Level Spells

3rd

spider climb, spider web

5th

gaseous grade, stinking cloud

7th

greater invisibility, rock shape

9th

cloudkill, insect plague

Land's Step

Starting at sixth level, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra motility. Y'all tin can too pass through nonmagical plants without existence slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar take chances.

In add-on, you accept advantage on saving throws against plants that are magically created or manipulated to impede motion, such those created by the entangle spell.

Nature'due south Ward

When you lot reach 10th level, y'all can't be charmed or frightened by elementals or fey, and you lot are immune to poison and disease.

Nature's Sanctuary

When you reach 14th level, creatures of the natural world sense your connection to nature and go hesitant to attack you. When a beast or plant animal attacks y'all, that animal must make a Wisdom saving throw against your druid spell save DC. On a failed salvage, the creature must cull a dissimilar target, or the assault automatically misses. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours.

The animal is aware of this effect earlier it makes its attack against you.