Druid

Among the more complex classes in D&D is the druid, with powerful spellcasting and a range on combat and noncombat proficiencies, in addition to the ability to change into the forms of animals. Nominally, the druid is a control-focused caster that can also support and recover its allies, diminish its foes, and act as a blaster to deal high burst damage. The druid falls back on limited weapon skills or short-ranged cantrips when it’s not expending spell slots, or can shift into the form of an animal to fight or reposition. A druid’s strength lies in the versatility of its kit.

The druid is the best class because it can do it all. While not as potent a blaster or debuffer as the wizard or as strong a supporter as the cleric and lacking the defensive power of more martially-inclined classes, the druid has a bit of everything, and tends to be among the best at crowd control and summoning. When you want a spellcaster than can fill or augment any role, the druid is often the best choice. The Wild Shape feature also expands the druid’s utility in way that other classes can only meet by expending their spell slots.

The druid class receives new features and subclasses in this section. You gain class features in the Player’s Handbook when you reach certain levels in your class. This section offers additional features you can gain as a druid. Unlike features in the Player’s Handbook, you don’t gain the features here automatically. Consult with your DM on whether you gain a feature in this section if you meet the requirements. These features can be selected separately from one another; you can use some, all, or none of them.

If you take a feature that replaces another feature, you gain no benefit from the replaced feature and don’t qualify for anything in the game that requires it.

Ally of the Wild

7th-level druid feature

You can use your Wisdom modifier instead of Charisma when making a Charisma check to interact with a natural beast or plant, provided you have the means to communicate, such as with the speak with animals and speak with plants spells.

Sooth Plants

13th-level druid feature

As an action, you can expend one use of your Wild Shape feature to dispel one magical plant effect within 30 feet of you. If the effect was created by a spell, you automatically dispel it if the slot level used to cast it is no greater than your proficiency bonus, otherwise you must succeed on a Wisdom check against a DC equal to 10 + the spell’s level to end the effect.

Circle of the Land

The Circle of the Land receives the following feature:

Geomantic Attunement

2nd-level Circle of the Land feature

When you finish a long rest, you can change the land associated with your Circle Spells feature to a different land in the feature’s list. After using this feature, you can’t use it again for 1d4 days.

Circle of the Shepherd

The Circle of the Shepherd receives the following feature:

Mighty Summoner (Variant)

2nd-level Circle of the Shepherd feature, which replaces the Mighty Summoner feature

Beasts and fey you conjure or summon are more resilient than normal. Any beast or fey summoned or created by a spell that you cast gains the following benefits:

• The creature gains a number of temporary hit points equal to twice your druid level, but no more than its maximum hit point count.
• The damage it deals is considered magical for the purpose of overcoming damage immunity and resistance to nonmagical attacks and damage.
• Whenever the creature regains hit points, you can choose to grant it temporary hit points equal to the amount restored instead.