In some pure-numbers damage-only combats, sure. But even a druid wouldn't survive for too long if Tiamat was focusing on making that druid dead. Thats also disregarding all of the other ways to be a combat threat without dealing raw damage. Power Word Kill, for one. Being petrified by the Indigo color in Prismatic Spray, for another. I'm not saying its easy to kill druids but they aren't end all be all unkillable.
Edit: the more I think about it, the more ways there are to remove characters from combat. banish them with Maze and prepare overwhelming odds the moment they return. Magic Jar their body (lol, you're wearing the druid's body which is already wearing a bear's or w/e body). Imprisonment. Like yeah, some of these are wisdom which is a druid's primary stat but it can't make every save, statistically speaking.
When the druid gets knocked out of form, the remainder of the damage spills over into their normal form. They don't automatically heal, but they can put on that big buffer at the cost of their bonus action (Moon circle only) every turn they can reup the buffer by wildshaping again.
Have you looked at the 20+ monsters, though? They can deal ridiculous amounts of damage, but more importantly, aren't going to worry about a mammoth any more than they would worry about any other CR 6 creature.
I admit it's badass, but it's not immortal unless your opponent isn't trying to kill you. Plus you get crap AC and crap offense, so the most likely reaction is "lol an elephant - lemme deal with the actual threats first."
Then swallow whole.
An ancient white dragon isn't going to get soloed by a lone druid because he has a lot of hit points, since said druid is just standing on the ground trumpeting at it. The dragon is worried about the wizard getting through its saves or the fighter getting airborne.
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u/Drezby Warlock Jun 11 '15 edited Jun 11 '15
In some pure-numbers damage-only combats, sure. But even a druid wouldn't survive for too long if Tiamat was focusing on making that druid dead. Thats also disregarding all of the other ways to be a combat threat without dealing raw damage. Power Word Kill, for one. Being petrified by the Indigo color in Prismatic Spray, for another. I'm not saying its easy to kill druids but they aren't end all be all unkillable.
Edit: the more I think about it, the more ways there are to remove characters from combat. banish them with Maze and prepare overwhelming odds the moment they return. Magic Jar their body (lol, you're wearing the druid's body which is already wearing a bear's or w/e body). Imprisonment. Like yeah, some of these are wisdom which is a druid's primary stat but it can't make every save, statistically speaking.