D&D Druids in 2022 | Web DM | TTRPG | D&D

[@jayxeno]

Oh God damnit, I thought you guys stopped uploading six months ago. Live streams aren't under the video tab. Glad you guys didn't stop.

[@MerryLucious]

I totally agree with your statement concerning how wild shapes should not be listed in the monster manual. But included in the PHB with the Druid section. It feels like they were an afterthought for the class. Even then, the beasts are listed in the "appendix" of the monster manual book.

[@seymourfields3613]

Circle of Land has a bunch of stuff that really all Druids should have. Maybe call the land circles "domains," and all Druids get both a subclass as well as a domain?

[@thomasmitchell2161]

I always liked the idea of having a more 'evil' druid class that could borrow some flavour from the warlock. Having a type pf pact and being able to transform into fiends or other nasties would make an interesting alternative.

[@nathankey5246]

Oh I could see a pact of leshy being a cool cross between druid and warlock. I like the idea of a darker druid and wish there was some kind of subclass that adds more grimdark.

[@WolfHreda]

There should definitely be a Druidic Circle that is a monstrosity-based equivalent of the Circle of the Moon.

[@DaDunge]

I did a subclass like that the circle of tje dark hungerer. Druids of the stars who have stared to long into the void between the stars and gotten glimpses of the far realm.

[@DaDunge]

@@WolfHreda I actually made moo druid be able to turn into monstrosities at higher levels and fey after that and moved the elemental wildshapes to another subclass.

[@LoreFoundry]

​@@WolfHredathere is a cool subclass called the Circle of Mutation in Grim hollow. Check it out.

[@michaellauer8181]

I was trying to do a homebrew class that is just a shapeshifter. I'm still tinkering with the mechanics to not make it OP, but i used the Monk as the base class not the barbarian. the ki points stay the same but references the shifting ability. those points can be divided up into the CR of the creature you turn into. you unlock higher CRs has to level up and some of the smaller critters CR 0 etc are free use for a certain amount of time. I'm having a lot of fun with it!

[@ZeroxTheNewt]

Out of all the classes, druid is one of those classes I love the "you go to The Magic Place and get a power up" trope For example, your Land druid goes to a place that is a nexus of "Forest Energy" and get access to the Forest spell list to just always be prepared, or your Moon druid spends time with The Order of Elemental Druids and can now transform into more than the 4 base Elementals, etc etc

[@ronaldshaw4309]

The druid spell list excels in physical status effects. Primarily the prone and restrained condition comes up a lot and they can start doing this consistently at level one. The have a few spells that offer no saving throws against damage. They are rather limited in good blast and mind effecting spells. But they are the only class that starts summoning at level 3. Where this class really excels is battlefield control. Probably the unrivaled masters of battlefield control.

[@keithulhu]

I think it would be funny to have a Wild Shaped Druid try to communicate with the party via charades.

[@gilgamirth]

Anyone familiar with both Flag semaphore and the little dances of jumping spiders will see how practical this can be. I made my party a chart to help them interpret limb gestures.

[@UriahNeveah]

I didn’t watch much of the campaign, but Circle of the Broken Land would be a good name for a monster like Druid. For example, Moon Druid for the strong animals, Broken Land Druid for those creatures who were created by magic and taking on some of those characteristics in wild shape. Then, if I was also looking at the Land Druid, I’d say attune to which ever terrain as you pass through it - so, as you travel you have more abilities you can step into at the start of the day / end of a long rest.

[@FaeFemboi]

How I would design a "Circle of Disasters Druid": Give them a buff to channel a specific disaster they can activate a number of times, maybe just tie it to wildshape charges, and have that activate a MASSIVE aura that effects all creatures not in full cover with some kind of effect (Flood: difficult terrain, Storm: can't hear/disadvantage on perception, earthquaka: disadvantage on dexterity). As you gain higher levels you unlock more extreme disasters to channel, like volcano eruption and tsunami. As long as you cast a spell that does appropriate damage to your disaster type, you get a bonus to that damage, but you can also spend spell slots to amplify the disaster in a certain area for a special effect unique to each disaster. I would even toy around with some kind of drawback, making the class VERY powerful, but with the risk of "losing yourself to the chaotic forces of nature, attacking the nearest enemy", like the werewolf blood hunter. I think there's a lot of design space open for taking blatant negative effects in return for more raw power.

[@pandabearangry]

I wonder if a druid ability to use a wild shape charge to concentrate on on a second spell might be a good idea to have in some form. Call it mind of the forest or something and limit it to one extra concentration

[@NevisYsbryd]

We know enough about the historical druids to know that D&D druids have basically no relationship to them beyond the name. They were closer to something between D&D bards and clerics than to luddite environmentalist furries. D&D draws more on 19th and 20th century pulp fiction that flanderized already-removed Romantic literature from figures like Robert Graves and then later sword-and sorcery/sandals fiction. The wild shape spells is a really cool idea.

[@felixrivera895]

My 15th level Circle of Stars Druid is the Most powerful I have ever felt in dnd. I played a lvl 20 one-shot as a Mindflayer (Astral Self Monk flavored as Psionics, Amethyst Dragonborn) and used Empty Body to gain resistance to all damage, and I still felt less powerful than the Stars Druid.

[@parkerlee4775]

Played with a stars Druid in a low level game (1-5) and she blew everyone else away. 3x the spell slots as other casters with those extra guiding bolts, plus bonus action damage/ healing every turn. Wild

[@Michael-bn1oi]

Any high level Caster is going to feel drastically stronger than any high level martial.

[@CitanulsPumpkin]

The restriction on metal armor makes sense to me mostly because I'm coming at the game's fluff from a Magic the Gathering standpoint, but it's pretty simple. Metalworking = Industry and civilization = Red Mana = deforestation Woodworking = Pioneering and frontier living = Green Mana = living with nature Besides, the no metal restriction is a fantastic source of inspiration for making your character's gear stand out from what the melees are using. Druids get Medium armor and shields. What are yours made of? Dragon, basilisk, or hydra Scale mail? Fungal growth breastplate? Spiked armor made from the thorns and brambles of a briar patch? Half Plate made from the shells of giant crabs, a Bulette or an Umber Hulk? What is your scimitar made of? Bone? Living plants? Volcanic glass? A strand of raw elemental power? My favorite scimitars are the Demon's Scar from Dark Souls 3's late game DLC, and Walnut's Scimitar from the Acquisitions Incorporated The C Team streamed games. A curved scar shaped sword made of living flame forged from the soul of a vanquished demon. A leaf like blade made of emerald glass hard as diamond. Grown from a magic tree at the heart of a grove, and everything plucked from that tree is the druidic equivalent of a weapon of mass destruction. Why would you want simple metal weapons and armor when the class and setting gives you the excuse to make something wild and fantastic? As for wild shapes... I just want a subclass or class ability that gives me a T-Rex. Not a medium sized infant T-Rex. A fully sized Tyrant storming up and down the battlefield. I don't care if it's only for a few minutes or rounds every rest. I just want the full T-Rex package on a regular basis.

[@williamwallace090]

I saw a subclass that had this. I think it was called circle of bones, very interesting

[@gabrielrasilva]

Well you see humans are part of nature, the same way animals nuild nests humans build citys, if anything an specific class of druid dispaising metal is ok but all druids make no sense, iron silver gold copper are all natural things in the world.

[@CapnAlces]

What if like to see from future druids is different subclasses leaning into different creature types as an expansion to their wyldshape. One gets monstrosities, one gets fiends, etc. And some might use that resource a little more like a cleric or Paladin channels divinity, as if they are shaping the wilds. Transforming into animals would still be an option, but then they also have the option to use this magical ability relating to nature. Not every subclass needs it, and I don't think every class needs to have a feature that works in that way, but I think we can embrace it some and make a few more unique druids. Also, expanded spell lists. Like, every subclass of every class should have expansions to their spell lists.

[@xanter4672]

I was trying to make a 'circle of the abbereant' for that different creatures type vibe

[@stories_by_orin]

22:10 This is a great take and 100% agree

[@Xtra_Medium]

If you want to play with the in-world implications of classes and spells I'd recommend Benjamin Huffman's podcast "Dispell Magic"

[@esbeng.s.a9761]

So I started a rather long proget off creation an ecosystem for a forest which can move. It is run by 20 lvl druid who live with her/his eldre red dragon son/daughter (who they raised from an egg.

[@briang3598]

I've always thought the druid should be able to do more with plants, whether turning into a plant creature, summoning plant creatures, or getting tree limbs, roots, vines, etc. to attack and/or restrain enemies, and eventually having something like a beefed-up version of the Plant Growth spell that would alter the battlefield by making trees suddenly appear for further involvement, etc. (possibly able to cage in a sufficiently large monster if grown close enough together)

[@seymourfields3613]

My Druid pretty much only uses the optional rules to use wild shape to cast find familiar. Circle of Dreams Druid so he's covering the healing aspect while having a ton of support and a little sprinkling of damage dealing. I think he's only wild shaped once.

[@Exisist5151]

Hey Jim, I’m one of the Kickstarter backers and I can’t get the link to work for the Chapter 1 feedback (probably because I’m not on the computer) but I wanted to say a few minor things about the Path of the Monster Champion, and may do further comments in a thread of this as I continue reading through on different topics. I don’t really understand what the Legendary Power Feature is trying to represent. Is it scaring the creature to the point where it’s stuck in place, or physically wrestling the creature down, breaking its ankles, or something else? The mechanics of it not being limited to range, not requiring future actions, and ending when the rage does makes me wonder what it narratively represents in combat. Also, about the mechanics of the feature this might just be something that I have to implement at my table, but for an ability to be one saving throw to lock a creature for a minute, regardless of size is crazy! There should be a fail state option for the creature that can’t move like it can use its action to make another con save, and it still can’t move until the start of their next turn. Just a hypothetical: Barbarian comes up to some gargantuan creature, slaps it once and the creature fails the con save. The Barbarian just walks away and the creature can’t follow. Then the Barbarian proceeds to chuck handaxes at the creature. Just my 2 cents. Sorry if I came off as argumentative, I do really love what I’ve read so far.

[@lordgherkinface]

Should the druid be 2 classes, i half caster than can wildshape like a moon druid and a full caster that is more limited wildshapes?

[@seymourfields3613]

My DM wouldn't let my Druid have studded leather. So I went with hide armor. In DnD Beyond, hide armor acts like leather while it should work like studded. So he told me to use studded.

[@absolstoryoffiction6615]

Warforged Druid: "Illogical... The metal forest exceeds the flesh of the living and of the undead druids."

[@BigManStan]

Spore druid is underrated imo. Its a damage/tank much like the moon druid

[@colbybastian17]

The druids durability comes from cast concentration spell->wild shape

[@esbeng.s.a9761]

I feel like the druid subclasses should affect how you look. Like moon druids eyes are likes small mones who chances as the mons faces does

[@DaDunge]

40:00 Fey is the only one of those I feel fits into moon druid. Well fey and monstrosities.

[@colbybastian17]

Druid wild shape needs to be more like ranger animal companions.

[@DaDunge]

43:00 Yeah that I will agree with. The artificer is the best example. Spellstoing item at 11. Being able to use other classes items at 14. And the Alchemist who gets resistance to poison at like 17.

[@DaDunge]

21:45 Yeah I learned about druids from Shannara so I felt it was just odd that DnD (and warcraft) druids turn into animals.

[@paulh3892]

Druids are full of flavor and have some evocative abilities. It’s fun to hear Jim talk about them. They do require a good understanding of the rules to be table-friendly and courteous to the other players at the table to keep combat from slowing down. Turning into bears and dumpster diving with a pack of raccoons is just fun!🐻🦝

[@DaDunge]

38:00 I could see that being the premise for a subclass.

[@lukerabon7925]

The fact the Iron Wood spell is no longer in 5e sucks for druids. It was kind of how you were expected to keep up with AC and weapon damage (compared to a cleric, at least). It cost a bit, but you could kit yourself out with a iron wood breastplate (that doesn't burn and is defensively like, well, iron) and iron wood versions of whatever weapons you were proficient with

[@17joren]

Ayy 420th like, time to make a green druid 😉

[@Highstar7331]

why can't i find videos on the channel newer than 6 months ago?

[@parkerlee4775]

Everything since then has been livestreams, so just go to the livestream tab to see their newer stuff

[@HinderYourGeneral]

I believe Druids were primal casters in 4e so there is some precedent for them being primal rather than divine

[@DaDunge]

23:15 On the contrary that's what's intresting with wildshape the only thing that makes it as intresting a spellcasting. You get 169 options from the spellcasting feature, that's about 17 options per spelllevel. If you get three options from wildshape then you truly are just a wizard with a pointless ribbon ability. Yes spellcasting is still stronger but what makes wildshape imtersting is the staggering number of options.

[@TheAzureSkyy]

Where is my Dinosaur druid Wotc!

[@DaDunge]

38:00 Yes but so is kind of fey and even to some extent celestial. I think dual typing is the way to go. Monstrous beasts monstrous humanoids fey beasts fey humanoid. Celestial beast (like unicorns).

[@andyh2783]

Where's Pruit these days????

[@RTukka]

_Barkskin_ would be bad even without concentration. 2nd level spell, 1 hour duration for 16 AC is mediocre at best, but it's even worse than that because it doesn't make your base AC 16, it only sets 16 as the *floor* for your AC, so there's no stacking interactions, such as when using a shield, the _shield_ or _shield of faith_ spells, or having a high Dexterity, or some combination of these. While you benefit from those kinds of features, you effectively don't benefit from _barkskin_ and vice versa. So not only is it a bad spell from a power level standpoint, it's also bad and confusing design. If you're wearing hide armor and using a shield (both things most druids have access to) and have a Dexterity score of 12 or higher, _barkskin_ provides no benefit except while wildshaped. What's the point?! It should be a 1st level spell with no concentration requirement, and it should set your base AC to 16 unless the target's base AC is already 16 or higher (so it'd be like you were wearing chain mail without imposing disadvantage on Stealth checks, and without the Strength/proficiency requirements). It would have pros and cons vs. _mage armor_ with _mage armor_ being better if you have very high Dexterity and having a better duration, while _barkskin_ would provide a slightly stronger defensive benefit for most characters, at the expense of having 1/8th the duration. The only drawback is that this would make Circle of the Moon druids even more ridiculous in the level 2-4ish range, but that's a problem with the design of Moon druids.

[@DaDunge]

24:45 Perfect balance is everyone playing a bland stablock with no abilities. I dont see the appeal of balance at least not over doing intresting things.

[@absolstoryoffiction6615]

4e had that issue, from what I hear. 4e classes were too similar from each other that it got very boring.

[@Sardonic_Cynic]

non-religious druids unite!

[@DaDunge]

23:15 On the other hand the in class statblocks from tashas the ranger and druid are really really freaking boring.

[@olgagreb7554]

💃 p♥r♥o♥m♥o♥s♥m

[@SavantApostle]

Just pick her spells that way she doesnt think about what to use. Maybe there's a sidekick with good spells. Then let her choose one spell when she levels until she learns how to use the spells you give her.

[@DaDunge]

22:30 I disagree. That way you end up with video game logic. It is actually a generic combat form using the sprite of a bear. No thank you.

[@2LPfan]

Please fix your streaming setup my eyes hurt.

[@johnandrewbellner]

I’m not being a jerk. I suggest you do a bit more research on topics such as this before you state your opinion. Many mistakes regarding the rules and books in this video.

[@patrickcalabro2550]

If you have to qualify that you aren’t at the beginning, you probably are being one. It costs you nothing to not make comments like this.

[@johnandrewbellner]

@@patrickcalabro2550 True. I think a lot of Jim and his views and experience. There was quite a few things he stated as fact that just sent the case.