THE OWLBEAR FLIES - BG3 Tactician Druid / Halsin / Jaheira Build Guide

Want your character to soar majestically across the skies, then land as a thousand pounds of angry bear? Look no further! In this quick build guide I'll go over the hows and whys of the best character wild shape, owlbear cub wrangling, druid spellcasting, and more in Baldur's Gate 3, perfect for Halsin, Jaheira or a main character to solo Tactician mode or just leap across the game world.
Achieves the highest possible jump distance in the game!
This character uses Circle of the Land Druid, Life Cleric, and Shadow Monk to get massive jump distance, full casting, powerful melee attacks, and incredible versatility, mobility, and utility!

[@rofl12345]

I think this build is very fun to play and it also fits nicely to any given party. People nowadays always look for the "best solo build", while facing the game (tactician or any difficulty) with a party is fun too. I was looking quite a long time for a viable "party" build and this one is a perfect addition. Thank you!

[@charlesbryson7443]

Full owlbear party with someone to give the “jump” spell is faceroll, haha

[@Cephalopocalypse]

Awesome, glad you liked it! I try to make all of my builds pretty easy to include in a party and not require huge numbers of specific tricks, so I'm glad that's working :D

[@ashleysigmon1223]

So I've tried this build twice, once with Jaheira and once with my main character on my current, "Everybody's a Druid" playthrough. I had to respec Tav to something different though because Haste is just too finnnicky to base an entire build on, especially as a main character and especially for one that is going to be in melee. As others have pointed out, the problem with this one - and I really wanted to like it because it's a great idea - is that SO many factors need to be in play for it to work, and things can go south so easily. When it is working, it's great! "Take that and that and that and that and that! Screeeeeeee!!!" But all it takes is for someone to break your concentration (and also maybe knock you out of wild shape) and you go from a raging murder chicken to the opposite (fried chicken?) in a heartbeat. Even getting Resiliant instead of Ability Improvement, that's still level 8 until this build is really workable since you also need Tavern Brawler to deal full damage (and that's sacrificing getting Wisdom up to 18, which means your spells are not great if you get knocked out of wild shape.) You reeeallly need to hope you win the fight in the first round - if not, you can run into trouble fast. One way I could see this working are if you devoted Shadowheart or someone to have super high constitution + spell save and spells to remove debuffs, just to cast haste and be basically Personal Valet to Monsieur the Owlbear. (And of course she would need to be kept well out of melee). But then Shadowheart would basically be relegated to chicken servant, and I don't think she would like that job very much. I just think, especially for a MAIN character (rather than a companion you can use situationally) you would need something less risky as the basis for the build, OR you would need to respec to this late game. As an alternative I'd be curious to see something with Enlarge, maybe. ("The Owlbear Takes Growth Hormones"). Or maybe something with the Dilophosaurus build for dinosaur fans ("Alle Menschen lieben Dinos!") Otherwise great page, love your builds, happy to subscribe :)

[@DMcC]

From my own experience playing with this approach to a druid on my last playthrough, I'll state that this isn't just a gimmick build and is extraordinarily effective when played well in a group (I'm currently running Honor Mode with it as Tav and it's amazing...did 6332 damage to Grym jumping from the rafters on him). Consider Resilient: Constitution for a feat as that +1 will pass into Wild Shapes which gives the Owlbear an 18 while in form and helps with concentration. If you're not using Araj's potion for another character, that +2 STR will pass into Wild Shape as well (as will the Mirror of Loss buff). Circle of the Land is unquestionably the best choice here as beyond keeping your bonus action for the leap after shifting, you also accumulate all the immunities Land provides and you can own the battlefield running around freely on nearly any surface, and inside Cloudkills (which can be your own if you pick it up via Circle of the Land---Nature's Servant and her fallen love is pure bonus free-casting battlefield control that you're completely immune to). I'm sure people will figure out ways to solo with it, but as a form of enabling your group this is an extremely effective approach. Bonus points going Duergar for unlimited invisibility for set-up purposes, and they can self-enlarge as well. Pair with Black Holes/Void Bulbs for obnoxious amounts of damage just due to the number of targets you can hit.

[@benreizman467]

I would absolutely love to see a Land druid that is able to Shillelagh down the enemy in the middle of CC. I don't think difficult terrain affects them and there are boots in the game that allow you to walk on ice, also at lvl 12 poison doesnt affect them. So I'm thinking you can fight in the middle of Cloudkill or on any terrain you can create.

[@benreizman467]

Liked and subscribed!

[@Cephalopocalypse]

Thanks so much! And I really like that idea, the mighty Fart Druid. I'll definitely do that one!

[@benreizman467]

@@Cephalopocalypse Whoa you actually answered. You're the best. I just realized that druids can relocate a concentration spell and attack with their off-hand in the same turn. That might be basic stuff, but definitely lends to fighting within your own spells.

[@starjadian]

Please do a Monk Way of the Shadow build. I don't know whether to use daggers or unarmed. Everyone gives a different answer

[@Cephalopocalypse]

Great suggestion, you got it! I'll add that to the video list

[@jameskelsea6048]

I am doing shadow monk with a qstaff that is dipped in wyvern toxin. This is slightly less initial damage, but the DOT is very helpful. Then you still have the unarmed attacks as a bonus action (1 for free or 2 with flurry for a KI point). That is why I don't usually dual wield either daggers or hand xbows with Monk because the bonus actions are generally better used to punch someone in the face or hide. Using hill giant potion for high strength with tavern brawler really makes this strong. Also have titan string bow dipped in toxin. The mobility and stealth is insanely powerful. Huge power spike at level 5/6 with extra attack, cloak of shadows & shadow step. Plan to add in at least 2 levels of spore druid for +1d6 necrotic to all attacks (and you have a lot). Really fun build. I am using Astarion origin char because late game he can get +10 to unarmed attacks.

[@jameskelsea6048]

early game Corellen's grace gives you +1 to unarmed attacks and some extra save. Later just carry what ever weapon you want for the stats/ability. Crit chance improvement is really strong as it rolls on each attack.

[@grilledshoe6872]

can't wait to try this out

[@Cephalopocalypse]

It's honestly so much fun. Being a giant invisible owlbear leads to even more hilarity

[@tombkingsethbattlechannel9419]

i really hope they fix the tavern brawler so that the strenght modifier is also added to wildshape form because even if really like the druid class they really fall way behind other classes in terms of dmg without the weapon/equipment boni that u could get with regular classes.

[@Cephalopocalypse]

Yeah, that would definitely be nice - wild shape is sadly pretty underpowered in BG3, after already being significantly nerfed in 5th compared to previous D&D editions. This is a great use for it though since it gets you so much mobility

[@charlesbryson7443]

More feats in general should work in wild shape.

[@deejmateo832]

So like I appreciate the video but why would you ever need to jump that far lol. Does the build do any damage or have survivability?

[@Cephalopocalypse]

Why would you not want to jump that far? Jumping is awesome! More seriously, you're still a full spellcaster with access to level 6 spells, wild shape forms, and the best support spell in the game via Haste. The build has tons of damage, utility, and survivability, but you probably won't take *every* fight by jumping in from off screen. Just the ones you want to!

[@Grorl]

Quick note, you do make quite a few Intel checks in the game. Arcana, religion, some history. Love the vid. Keep up the great work!

[@Cephalopocalypse]

It's true - what I meant is that you mostly make those checks during conversations, so you really want those skills on your party face rather than other party members. Thanks!

[@cnak1120]

How about Beneath Oresa? Still havent found any decent guides out there yet...Wish there were more ppl with clean and neat guides like you

[@Cephalopocalypse]

I hadn't seen that one and it does look right up my alley!

[@brandonkruse6412]

Have you tried Space Gladiators yet? If you need a break from Brotato, I think you’ll enjoy it. It’s a good mix of Isaac and Hollow Knight with all of the stats, items and characters you’re familiar with from Brotato.

[@Cephalopocalypse]

I haven't! I have tended not to enjoy side-scrollers as much, as I'm honestly not very good at platforming. I probably will at some point though since I liked Brotato so much

[@garryodonnell697]

like to see a jaheira war cleric /druid build bring her in line with bg2 as druids get a lot of cleric spells in bg2

[@Cephalopocalypse]

For sure! That's definitely a solid option - I covered a lore-friendly Jaheira build as well if you haven't seen it ("The Best Jaheira build in BG3") where I try to build her much more in her role from BG1 and 2

[@davidmills1520]

how are you not losing concentration when taking damage? when you wildshape, I don't see how you can have good con saves, unless maybe you are using transmuter stones (I used to use those extensively before switching to playing solo). I'd love to use wildshape in solo tactician, but this build seems like it would get annihilated relative to strong builds (most of which are ranged builds and/or stealth builds). A gloomstalker can clear the Moonrise prison, Githyanki creche at lvl 5 or 6, etc. I am skeptical that this build could. You inititate combat... how? You likely lose initiative after that. If you cast haste and lose concentration, that is even worse.. and that seems like a likely scenario. Compare this with a gloomstalker with a titan bow and hill giant club (both of which can be acquired at the beginning of the game literally without fighting after the initial goblin attack on the grove). A lvl 5 gloomstalker initiates combat from stealth at max range, getting 1-2 shots (bg3 is weirdly glitchy so sometimes combat starts and sometimes it doesnt, and sometimes you get a guard dialogue), then getting a surprise round (unless you get a glitch) with 2 shots and a free ambush attack, then you go first after the surprise round, for a total of around 6 attacks that have (especially if you are a halfling) a nearly 100% chance of hitting. I believe that your damage, which is around 25 per hit or more (a lot more as you later get sharpshooter and the arcane synergy helm), is more than the owlbear damage. Initiative looks like it would also be in the toilet unless you had an elixer of vigilance, and it is a real killer to lose initiative. (Any build, no matter how mediocre, "works" when you have 4 party members on tactician, so there isn't really much point in either building or discussing anything for 4). So, compared to a pretty straightforward gloomstalker build, this druid build has MUCH worse: initiative, range, ability to hide, saves, AC, to-hit, and damage, as far as I can tell. I love that you mentioned halflings as a great race to pick! It is rare that build guide makers realize how great halflings are, especially when needing to make concentration saves. There is a way to do rather well with a Druid of the Land, but I think it revolves around Moonbeam, running backwards with boots of speed, and having good AC and saves, and mostly ignoring wild shape. I'd love to use wild shape, but it just sucks so badly in bg3, as far as I can tell. I guess that it is tradition in Baldur's Gate versions to make sure that wild shape is useless, as opposed to Pathfinder games where it can be really cool.

[@Cephalopocalypse]

Love the detailed response! I think you're somewhat comparing apples to oranges here - this build is intended mostly to showcase the gimmick, not be better than the best solo builds. I do think it's *viable* for solo, but as you say you'll need to adjust your approach based on the encounter - it will be a lot trickier than the pretty common stealth burst builds where every fight plays out the same. The owlbear jump is useful against ranged enemies and spellcasters, and then you kite melee enemies (or jump to where they can't reach) with moonbeam, call lightning, etc, and try to avoid having to make concentration checks too often through positioning. For pure solo play I *would* advise making a couple changes though - you'll likely want to move the cleric dip earlier, as soon as heavy armor starts actually being better than medium (grymforge, maybe). Also strongly consider Alert at level 4, I think that is more or less required for most solo characters. Then of course remember you're a full caster with summons in addition to being a giant bear :D

[@dododimitrov9657]

For 3rd feet ELEMENTAL ADEPT do you think specialize in certain element like thunder, cold or poison make sense for the druid. Ty for video second build was so fun to play.

[@Cephalopocalypse]

I tend to think Elemental Adept isn't a terribly strong feat - the best damaging spells are also mostly lightning, which almost nothing in BG3 is resistant to. I do have a poison-based build ("The Mighty Fart Druid") if you are interested in that though :D Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed the build!!

[@TT-ez1ws]

Dope! Gonna do something like this on a lolth Druid and go spider and have someone enlarge me heheheheeee

[@Cephalopocalypse]

Awesome, be the biggest spider! A hilarious trick is that damage from thrown objects is based on weight, so if you enlarge a wild shape and then throw yourself with telekinesis it does 1000s of damage :D

[@alloftheexperts2111]

What gear would you recommend?

[@Cephalopocalypse]

This build is pretty gear-agnostic honestly, which is one of the nice things about it. Almost no gear functions during wild shape, so just anything that keeps you alive outside of it is good - the best armor you can find, anything that increases your spell save dc, and so on. For the Monk version you also need to not be wearing armor when you transform, so keep that in mind!

[@casualcriminal1267]

What gear is your Jaheria wearing?

[@Cephalopocalypse]

This build is super gear-agnostic - spending most of your time in wild shape means gear often won't function anyways. You want the best armor you can wear (unless you're the monk version, which needs to stay out of armor) and anything you find that boosts your spell DC

[@casualcriminal1267]

@@Cephalopocalypse Ah ok well I'm doing a fighter druid jaheria so I was just wondering what might work best for her when she is out beast form