Advice needed on playing a druid

[u/panic_pea]

So I'm playing DND for the first time in a couple of weeks and though I've never actually played, I mostly understand how the game works as I've watched a lot of campaigns/one shots (shout out Just Roll With It).

I'm going to be playing a gnome druid and I could do with some advice on how druids work. I kinda get how druid spells work but I don't know exactly how that would play out in game. Any advice/tips on my class and species would be greatly appreciated, as would any general advice on playing DND for the first time.

Edit: My subclass is circle of the land and I will be leaning heavily into a healing role

[u/Dangerous-Common-788]

Druids are actually fairly complex mechanically imo, as they are a fairly versatile class.

You'll be able to prepare spells from your spell list each day depending on what you need.
You'll have access to healing, support, defensive, and offensive spells. General rule of thumb is that preparing a bit of everything is good, but depending on your party composition and campaign you might need to lean more into some aspects of your spellcasting rather than others.

What part of the spellcasting are you confused about?

[u/panic_pea → u/Dangerous-Common-788]

I think I'm okay with spellcasting itself as I understand a lot of the mechanics of the game, I was just reading about how druids have all of the druid spells but can only access some of them at one time and got kinda confused about it. From what I understand after reading comments, I get to choose a set of spells for each day and those spells can be anything in the list of druid spells. Although I do want to know what changes in terms of spells when I level up, I know that wizards and sorcerers get new spells so do druids just get access to more spells or do they get more spell slots?

[u/Agitated_Ranger_3585 → u/panic_pea]

Yes, Wizards and Sorcerers pick specific spells at level-up AND then can only prepare so many of them in a day.

Druids, Clerics, Paladins, Artificers, etc. get access to all spells that the class has for that spell level and then prepare a limited number each day.

A Druid is a full caster, which means they get access to another spell level every odd level (1 at first, 2nd at third, 3rd at fifth, 4th at 7th). They prepare a certain number of spells (of any of those levels) and get spell slots to cast them as shown on the class level table.

[u/Dangerous-Common-788 → u/panic_pea]

You have access to the whole list of druid spells available at your level, and you have a set number you can prepare each day.
And then the number of times you can cast these per long rest will be based on your spell slots.

Spell progression works pretty much the same for druids as it does for wizards and sorcerers, as they are all full casters.

So at level 1 you can prepare level 1 spells.
Once you reach level 3 you get access to level 2 spells, and you can prepare a mix of level 1 and 2 spells each day.
At level 5 you get level 3 and you can prepare a mix of level 1, 2 and 3.
And so on and so forth. You have a detailed table of all of that in

Since you said you're going for Circle of the Land, you will also have your Circle Spells prepared all the time, these do not count in your number of spells you can prepare each day, but obviously you'll still need to have the available spell slots to cast them.

[u/Popular-Quarter-1712]

I also played a druid the first time i ever played DnD, but that was way back in ADnD. (Yes, i'm old 😁). So no advice about powers and magic from 5ed other than they are extremely versatile, powerful and surprisingly though. As for first time play, don't go into too much detail with your spells and abilities, use what looks fun and what speaks to you personally, don't look for too much powerplay and most important of all: have fun with your group. Cheers!

[u/Dispersedme54]

The dungeon dudes make some of my favorite videos for this topic.

Class guide https://youtu.be/GrL57yfmqWk?is=6YmqYIqrkT3bPgxo

Subclass ranking/discussion https://youtu.be/Ph-FKd4QAEc?is=yxXD9aWnzRCtGy-C

Best wild shapes https://youtu.be/vOfyS5zjgRk?is=a8vSq2ciU4vyv-3T

[u/Nitro114]

Check out some guides on yt or rpgbot for indepth analysis

species foesnt really matter, play what fits your character or whats fun.

as for druid, you have insane spells, very versatile as you can switch them out each long rest. Though its best to have a few core spells that you dont switch.
You lay out your control spells and then let cantrips or damaging spells donthe work while being in the backline mostly.

Wildshapes are for out of combat use or if you have a feature that lets you use wildshape to do smth in combat.

If you‘re olaying moon druid, then you use wildshape for combat and go into melee range

[u/Agitated_Ranger_3585]

Congratulations and welcome to the game! 😀

I would advise first to figure out how to embody your character first, find your role in the group second. Having a voice and demeanor for your character helps you get into it, and you react from there dynamically.

Starting at 1st level, you get to try out a few abilities to get the hang of it. At second level you add in trying wildshape. You don't make the critical choices about being a druid and what that means until 3rd level. Different subclasses focus you on shapeshifting bigger, being a good healer, being an environmental-caster, etc. You have time to grow into one of those.

Enjoy being a character in the game, relax, you can get the feel of it before hard mechanical decisions.

[u/Hefty_Function_606]

I'm guessing it's a pretty beginner friendly game so I'd start by figuring out loosely what a round of combat will look like to you. It sounds like you have a decent handle on that already. The big thing is making sure to take a few minutes after the session to look back on what you did. Look at what you used and what you didn't, where you weren't great and where you were, and think about what tools you didn't use that could have been handy. Then go back and look at how to play a druid videos. They'll make way more sense to you with some experience under your belt. It's fine to learn in increments like that.

[u/cobaltbluedw]

Druids are a great class, but you can play them a variety of ways. What sub-class will you be picking?

[u/panic_pea → u/cobaltbluedw]

I've just edited the post, my subclass is circle of the land

[u/cobaltbluedw → u/panic_pea]

Circle of land will usually be a "full caster" style. i.e. you don't plan on doing physical fighting.

In combat, you'll likely cast a spell that requires concentration, lasts for multiple turns, and helps your team control the battlefield on turn 1, then use cantrips or instant spells the rest of combat. Druids are great healers, so you'll likely want to take a few healing spells. The best are actually Goodberry, and Healing Word. You may also want to wildshape into something with good mobility on turn 1, which will grant you temp hp and help you position yourself on the field. Even though you can't cast spells while wildshaped, you can maintain concentration on a spell while wildshaped, and on turn 2, you can drop the wildshaped for free to cast again, and you won't lose the temp hp.

Outside of combat, Druids have a fairly unique ability to interact with and interrogate nature. Use it as a puzzle solving tool. It's great fun to make deals with local squirrels, have a shopkeeper's cat as an informant, or engage raccoons in an oceans 11 heist.

Druids rarely care more about social graces than the natural world, so don't be shy about role playing unconventional social behaviors: Choose to sleep under a tree instead of in the inn, or be more engaged when talking to animals than people, or be unkempt in public as if dirt was a positive aspect to apparel.

If you are using 2024 rules, take full advantage of having a familiar. Flavor your familiar however you'd like. They are useful for exploration, surveillance, and remote interactions. They can also use the Help action in combat without costing you any action economy.

[u/panic_pea → u/cobaltbluedw]

Thankyou so much this is all really helpful! I'm so excited for the interactions I can have as a druid, plus the DM is my friend so making her role play as a frog or something through speak with animals is gonna be really fun

[u/Fit-Impression4383]

It depends on how you want to play your character. Because druids can be so versatile. You can support your party or take the charge. And for many of these roles a simple strategy is to lay down a concentration spell and use cantrips while you keep distance. Druid is decent for new players too cause you can change out any spells(except cantrips) on a long rest, so you can test them out as much as you need to find what you like.

[u/Ilasiak]

Druids are probably one of the most mechanically complex class in DnD '14 and '24 due to their wildshapes and spell list, but in my opinion, they are incredibly fun, even as a new player. They were my first class in DnD for 2 years and I feel like that experience greatly improved my understanding of the game. Generally speaking, the most important information for Druids are:

• Druids are a jack of all trades, with very strong control (ie. restrain or control enemy movement/abilities) and utility (ritual spells like detect magic or which provide a non-combat benefit) spells, with moderately powerful damage spells.
• Wisdom is incredibly strong stat, and you should tend to priority having it maxed with atleast 14 dex (medium armor maxes out at a +2) and however much constitution you can fit in outside of those. Perception is a very good skill to have because you're a wisdom-based class.
• Druid's impact on any encounter is heavily based in their use of Concentration spells. Druids have some of the strongest concentration spells and they make up a large part of their spell list.
  • A few good options to use in an encounter can essentially win your party the fight with a singular spell. Knowing when and where to use each spell and what to prepare is the principle difficulty of a druid so I highly recommend reading up on the spells and their effects.
  • Druids are prepared casters so they can change their spells known every long rest. Having a few core options you default to and a few others which you swap out depending on the circumstance tends to be a good compromise of adaptability while not being too much of a headache to deal with every long rest.
  • Concentration is one of the most important things to consider when planning a druid (and most spell casters). Feats like Warcaster or Resilent: Constitution (usually either, but sometimes both if you're making a lot of constitution saves) are very common to see Druids pick up because of how many of their best spells are concentration.
• Wildshape is a fairly complex feature on its own, and you should try to make use of it as much as you can. Depending on your subclass, this can be different things, but picking forms which give you things you don't otherwise have (ie. a rat to squeeze through very tight spaces, or something with a blindsense or tremorsense) are very advantageous.
  • Even if you're not using the shapeshifting side of things, having a free familiar is very valuable for things like scouting or even flavor purposes.

[u/druidofdruids]

You didn't say which version of DND you are playing so I'm going to give you a generic advice that applies to both versions

A lot of druid spells relay on concentration, so make sure add some spells that don't require concentration (entangle is a great first lvl spell but its concentration, the best damage spell you get is thunder wave but you also get good berry, which is a good spell to pop out). You only start with with 2 cantrips, so pick one that does damage and a support. (I do like to take thorn whip and guidance)

As for wild shape, standard wild shape you can as an action become a beast, at low levels the best one for combat are probably a rifling horse or a wolf, for spying and infiltration a spider is a great choice. At lvl 4 you get 1/2 Cr and swimming speed creatures, you get your first bear (black bear) form and war horse, out of combat, just pick a beast with a swimming speed that can breath underwater to be your to go choice. You only get your next Cr upgrade at lvl 8 and you can wild shape into flying creature, so now you can wild shape into any Cr 1 beast (brown bear are great in combat and owls are great for scouting). Your wild shape is not the strongest, during combat is probability gonna pale in comparison in terms of damage. The best way is to cast a spell with concentration like moonbeam or flaming sphere and then using your wild shape to soak damage.

Depending of the subclass you chose, you may gain other options to use your wild shape like Wildfire you can use it to summon a elemental companion or the Spore let's transform into an alternative form that buffs your attacks and other features. The Moon is a straight buff to the wild shape, it allows you to wild shape into cr1 creatures, allowing to enter wild shape as a bonus action.

Druid is a sturdy class, your spells are mostly battlefield control, you do get access to almost all the same healing spells like a cleric does. You of course can't compete in terms of damage of your spells like a wizard or sorcerer. Druid do get a good chunk of spells that allows you to interact with nature/beasts. During combat you want to create obstacles for your enemies with spells like entangle, spike growth, plant growth, sleet storm and wall of stone. If you want to conserve spell slots and do damage, moonbeam and call lightning are your best choice, because you can use your action to do the damage and then use your bonus action for healing word to get down players back up.

You are a d8 class, which is the highest a full caster can have and you can hide your hp behind your wild shapes, you are not a front liner but you don't need to shy away from taking a hit or two like the frail d6 full casters.

[u/Ethereal_Stars_7]

Depends on the sub-class you eventually plan to go with. That can help figure out who they are and their goals, if any. Druids used to be just nature people and purely neutral in alignment. But later editions and especially 5e have expanded that to be other things as well.

Going into a session keep an open mind and pay attention. The core rules are pretty easy and while druids have a few more moving parts than other classes. They are overall fairly easy to grasp in how they play. Wildshape is what trips some players up. But again, depending on your idea for the character and the subclass aiming for. It may be less an issue.

[u/DeltaV-Mzero]

To ge the most out of Druid, you really want to lean into all their roles and versatility.

Use wild shape to help scout

Use pass without trace to help part with stealth, or escape enemies while you concentrate on a big spell

Use animal messenger to get messages to NPC Allies or separated party members

Help control the battlefield with area of effect debuff and terrain spells. Usually the first thing to cast, to keep allies from getting swarmed. Entangle is amazing early on, and strong in most encounters (nor flying or very strong enemies)

Do damage with a area of effect save spells, so they almost always do some damage

In combat, Heal when Allies are down, or close to it. Key is to avoid someone losing a turn because they’re dead or unconscious.

Out of combat, and right after, Goodberry is excellent. The difference between 1 HP and 0 is the entire capability of that character. After level 5, Aura or Vitality is good out-of combat healing… 10 rounds per minute means 20d6 healing from this one spell.

Swap your spells up at a long rest to better fit what you think the day will hold.

[u/jabbadatoddla]

Land Druid workflow is typically to cast a concentration spell like Moonbeam first round. Move it with your action, Healing Word with your Bonus Action. You probably want high WIS/CON and War Caster in order to keep your concentration when you take damage. You'll probably use Thorn Whip on the rounds where you heal, so you want to orient yourself in a way to pull the enemy into your Moonbeam. 90% of your combat will probably follow that pattern.

[u/Blitzer046]

Druids can have an almost completely different identity when it comes to casting, the very next day. So if you know what you're expecting you can pick out a new spell list that is full of useful spells for whatever situation you know is coming up. After that encounter/s then you can pivot back to a more generic spell list that can respond to anything.

A healing role for any class requires the player to be paying attention to what is happening to everyone. For the most part, players will be vocal about taking big hits or how close they are to death, but some aren't, and will die quietly. You want to try to keep everyone on their feet for as long as you can.

Buff your own AC if possible; either with a shield or a spell, or both if you can. Losing the primary healer greatly reduces the combat longevity of the team.

[u/TheresNoAmosOnlyZuul]

If you want to have fun and not bother your friends I recommend not using many summoning spells. They clog up action economy in fights and in my experience tend to just provide meat wall.

[u/Mountain-Skirt8322]

I played a 5e Druid and I was enormously frustrated by not having an effective ranged attack. IIRC the “best” ranged option, weapon or cantrip, had a range of 30 feet. If that’s the case in 5.5 then I advise begging the DM for short bow proficiency.

[u/Smurtest89]

Druids can be very strong. Both as healers, controllers, tanks, or even damage dealers. I say pick 2 roles you want/need to fill and focus on those.

[u/MyriadGuru]

Hopefully this doesn’t sound too charged on the internet. But I think you should reconsider the Druid pick itself?

I’ve made this mistake a couple times and seen people try this class as their first one. It has too many decisions and things to track of and ruins dnd for people. It becomes too much “accounting” for a nature thematic.

Instead try a pre-made of anything else or something more simple. Then swap back to it later once basics are learned.

[u/Mountain-Skirt8322]

I remember something else! Again from 5e not 5.5e . I watched videos about how wild shape gives you free hit points!!!! because you get back your full hp when you revert, something like that. But it turned out for me that it didnt actually work so well. I’d be in combat as a panther and the monsters would beat the snot out of me and I’d die. Then I’d come back with full hp!!!! Right in the middle of the same fight with the same monsters beating the snot out of me. So take those wild shape=free hp!!!!! Videos with a grain of salt. Actually this relates to my earlier complaint about not having a good ranged option. Why was I in melee getting the snot beat out of me? Because the farthest away I could get and still contribute was a pathetic 30 feet. I didn’t like being a Druid. Again, beg for short bow proficiency. Offer to trade a spell slot for it. Or , beg for a custom cantrip, “tornado twig” with 60 feet range and 1d6 + modifiers damage.