Within every Dungeons and Dragons class, there are subclasses. This is just another way D&D offers players the ability to create a character that fits their calling. They can ask themselves what type of player they want to be and see if there is a build out there that can help them be the best player they know that’s inside of them. When it comes to Druids, there are a lot of options that can seem overwhelming if you’re not sure what each subclass or build does. If you aren’t sure where to get started, here are the five best builds out there.
5. Circle of the Shepherd Build
The creation of the Circle of the Shepherd gives incredible opportunities for players who are interested in playing a druid built for conjuring and summoning. Right off the top, players will receive the ability to speak Sylvan and communicate with beasts. Those abilities will enable players to interact freely with both the fey wild and the beasts they conjure or summon. Additionally, Circle of the Shepherd gives players Spirit Totem Boons which create a variety of party buffs such as advantage on strength checks, temporary hit points, extra healing, and additional bonus actions. The buffs are not only available for players, but also creatures that the player summons.
This build is great because...
Players can play both defense and support
Players can be the bane of the DMs existence by continually boosting all of the creatures you summon and slowly accruing an army.
Players can toggle between what type of support they can give their party members
Players get the honest to God OP spell at the 14th level, Faithful Summons. When a player’s Druid character drops to 0 hit points, automatically four beasts with a CR of 2, are summoned for an hour. Their sole purpose is to defend the player's body until they can regain consciousness.
At the 6th level, players will be able to cast Mighty Summoner, which gives extra hit points to all summoned beasts and elevates all of their natural attacks to be considered magical attacks.
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4. Circle of Spores Build
It’s time to get creepy. On the tattered edges of Druidic circles is the Circle of Spores. This circle is closely in tune with the cycles of life and death as these Druids find beauty in decay. Players that opt to play with this build will get spells with a necrotic flair to them, such as chill touch. Additionally, players will be endowed with necrotic spores that create very exciting, and disgusting, ways of playing Dungeons and Dragons.
This build is great because…
Players can reanimate the dead by infecting the corpse with a fungal infestation at the 6th level
At the 2nd level, players can cast Halo of Spores, a spell that surrounds them with harmless (to them, and until they are engaged) spores that can deal
At the 14th level, the fungal spores can infest the Druid’s body, which means the player cannot be blinded, deafened, frightened, or poisoned. Additionally, any critical hit against the player counts as a normal hit, unless the player is incapacitated.
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3. Circle of the Moon Build
By far the most widely used circle, Circle of the Moon is all combat with the ability tank. Starting at the second level, players gain the ability to change to different animal shapes as often as the moon. With this ability to change forms to fit a variety of in combat as well as out of combat situations. Not only is this circle wildshape heavy, players also have the benefits of spellcasting. Lastly, Circle of the Moon Druids can wild shape change into elementals.
This build is great because…
As players level up, they can assume more dangerous animal forms, slowly gaining the ability to change into animals that can swim and fly.
Starting at the 6th level, players can transform into a beast with a challenge rating as high as their druid level divided by 3, rounding down.
Also at the 6th level, players gain the ability of primal strike which makes all attacks done in beast form count as a magical attack
At the 14th level, players gain the ability of Thousand Forms. This enables players to cast the spell Alter Self at will.
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2. Circle of Dreams Build
Druids that belong to the Circle of Dreams have strong ties to the Feywild and all of the dreamlike realms. This relationship makes a natural alliance with lawfully aligned fey. Druids that fall under the Circle of Dreams can boost superior healing at the 2nd level. If players are interested in playing a high support type of druid, they will find delight in this build.
This build is great because…
Starting at the 6th level, players can invoke the powers of the Gloaming Court. At the start of a rest, players can touch a point in space that creates a magical, 30ft radius sphere that offers total cover to the player and party members.
At the 14th level, players can use the power of the Feywild to travel mentally or physically through dreamland realms.
At the 10th level, players gain the ability of Hidden Paths which allows them to teleport themselves or an ally 30 feet. This is particularly helpful in combat if a player gets stuck in a tight spot. They can simply dive into the mysterious paths of the Feywild and pop back out of harm's way.
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Circle of Stars
Coming from an ancient lineage, the Circle of Stars build allows players to draw power from the stars above. Star druids have spent time tracking all of the heavenly patterns above and this allows players to harness the power of the cosmos. If players are interested in having a truly unique Druid build , they will love this circle as it offers exclusive abilities.
This build is great because…
Starting at the 2nd level, players can pick a star map that serves as their spellcasting focus. This map allows you to cast Augury and Guiding Bolt spells without expending a spell slot as many times as the player's modifier.
Starting at the 2nd level, players get access to Starry form. This is unlike any other Druid build as players can use the wild shape slot to instead have a constellation show up on the player’s character’s body. Each constellation form carries different buffs for the player ranging from having healing properties, casting ranged attacks, or receiving additional points when making certain checks and saves.
At the 10th level, players gain the ability of Full of Stars. This ability allows players to become incorporeal, therefore giving them resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
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Druids are my favorite class simply because time and time again they are proven to be the most versatile class in Dungeons and Dragons. This is evident after reflecting on this list of the best Druid builds simply by acknowledging how many roles a Druid can fulfill. They can heal, support, defend, go on the offense, and more. You cannot go wrong when picking a Druid and now that you know the best builds, you are ready to set forth into the magical realm.
