Bow Druid

[DEFCON 1]

If you truly wanted to be a Druid that used a bow... I always recommend not multiclassing and instead just ask your DM to swap in any specific feature you want for a current class feature you don't (or which doesn't fit thematically.) So in this case... if you were going to multiclass to Fighter or Ranger only just to get the Archery fighting style... I think storywise you'd be better off staying as a straight druid and just ask to swap out one of your druid features for the fighting style.

If you decide to go with Circle of the Land... the most obvious swap to me is when you reach 2nd level you exchange your Bonus Cantrip you get for Circle of the Land for Archery. There is little to no balance issues with that in my opinion, and it allows you to just level as a Druid the entire way.

That's what I'd go with at any rate.

 

[dmnqwk]

You can always create yourself a new Druid Circle to match your ideology.

Circle of the Hunt
While many druids believe themselves to be the protectors of Nature, those who belong to the Circle of the Hunt are more aggressive than most. Circle of the Hunt druids meet at dusk, ready to swap stories about how the day has gone or to prepare for a moonlit voyage to quell disruption in their woods.

Level 2: Your shapeshifting abilities are less about changing your physical self and more about attuning your mind with those of a predator. Instead of changing your physical form, you may instead expend a use of Wild Shape to grant you a combat bonus based on the list below:

Serpent's Cunning: Your ranged attacks deal +1d6 poison damage. This bonus increases by 1d6 at 8th level and 14th level. In addition you have advantage on all deception checks.
Scorpion's Fury: While wielding a 2-handed melee weapon, your reach is increased by 5'. Any time you use your reaction to make an attack of opportunity, if the attack hits it is an automatic critical. In addition, you have advantage on intimidation checks
Spider's Subtlety: You have advantage on all attack rolls against foes within 5' of an ally. In addition, you have advantage on stealth checks.
Cheetah's Grace: While dual-wielding, you may add your wisdom modifier to damage on your off-hand attack. In addition you have advantage on acrobatics checks.

Level 2: You have advantage on all initiative rolls as well as any roll to avoid being surprised.
Level 6: You gain access to a either Archery, Dueling, Great Weapon Fighting or Two-Weapon Fighting.
Level 10: Your ability to hunt extends to social settings as well as prey. You gain advantage on all Insight and Perception checks.
Level 14: When you take the attack action, you may also cast a Cantrip as part of the action.

 

[Ganymede81]

While it is perfectly fine for a druid to go into battle with a bow, just remember that their weapon attacks don't really scale as you level up. Your attack will be nice at low levels, but 1d8+mod won't be much at later levels; at that point, your cantrips will likely be doing most of the work.

 

[Li Shenron]

This is a very strange idea, I acknowledge that. However I feel that if I carry this idea out, I could end up creating an interesting and memorable character indeed. My Idea is playing a Druid who, through either elven weapon proficiency or something of the sort is proficient in the use of longbows. They would use the bow as their main weapon of attack, while have buff-based or healing spells as well. Now I know you will probably tell that I should probably just play a ranger, and you may be right. But I think I could make this work, and make it effective. I'm looking for ideas on how to effectively carry this out, it may involve me taking a couple levels in Fighter or Ranger in order to get the archery fighting style (And maybe the hunter's mark spell from the Ranger spell list) Also, circle of the land or circle of the moon? I fell like if I took circle of the moon (The better one, in my opinion) I would just end up using my beast form all the time anyway, defeating the purpose. Next I would need suggestions on what spells and feats I should take (As well as what race and such)

I wouldn't bother with the details unless you are starting the PC already at a higher level.

In general you should pick a race that suits your story and character concept, but naturally we all know that race also comes with features, and weapon proficiencies IIRC can only be obtained through race, class or feat.

Personally I would always go single-class unless the whole character concept requires more than one class, so that would leave race or feat. If you are starting at 1st level, consider being an Elf or a Human (use the variant option to get the Weapon Master feat), otherwise if you are starting at 4th level or more, you can choose the race freely and get the proficiency from Weapon Master anyway.

I agree with choosing Circle of the Land over Circle of the Moon, because the latter is meant to make you a stronger melee combatant via wildshape, so this conflict with you wanting to be an archer most of the time. As a Druid of the Land, you'll still be using your wildshape for non-combat purposes, and in combat you can focus on archery and spells.

 

[Li Shenron]

If you truly wanted to be a Druid that used a bow... I always recommend not multiclassing and instead just ask your DM to swap in any specific feature you want for a current class feature you don't (or which doesn't fit thematically.) So in this case... if you were going to multiclass to Fighter or Ranger only just to get the Archery fighting style... I think storywise you'd be better off staying as a straight druid and just ask to swap out one of your druid features for the fighting style.

I agree, I don't like multiclassing for cherrypicking. However as I wrote in my previous post, you don't need to go as far as asking your DM for a special house rule... All you need to get proficiency in bows is the Weapon Master feat, so at most you need DM's permission to use feats (or at least one specific feat, and Weapon Master is certainly not a game-breaking feat). I know that many DM are against feats, but a DM that would deny a single feat to one PC but then allowed a custom swap in class feature (a much less playtested idea) is unreasonable.

There could be an issue only if you're starting at 1st level and don't want to be neither an Elf nor a Human, for in this case you'd need to wait until 4th level to get the bow proficiency. Although even in such case, you'd basically be at -2 with your attacks (due to lacking the prof bonus) for 3 levels, which is clearly inconvenient but not particularly crippling.

 

[Sezarious]

Actually, when you say stone arrowheads there are a number of different possibilities from obsidian to flint. Barbarian tribes would likely use them in d&d settings. IRL they're just as effective as other arrows except they might wear out or chip more easily.

 

[Ganymede81]

Personally I would always go single-class unless the whole character concept requires more than one class, so that would leave race or feat. If you are starting at 1st level, consider being an Elf or a Human (use the variant option to get the Weapon Master feat), otherwise if you are starting at 4th level or more, you can choose the race freely and get the proficiency from Weapon Master anyway.

A third option is to just endure the lack of your Proficiency Bonus until you get to level 4. That's only a +2.

 

[77IM]

While it is perfectly fine for a druid to go into battle with a bow, just remember that their weapon attacks don't really scale as you level up. Your attack will be nice at low levels, but 1d8+mod won't be much at later levels; at that point, your cantrips will likely be doing most of the work.

THIS. Each class has its own way of increasing damage at higher levels. The druid's way does not include increased bow damage. At all. There's no higher-level spell you can cast that will increase the damage output of your bow.

The house-rule I would ask for is the Divine Strike ability of the cleric's Nature domain. That would give you +1d8 damage at 8th level and +2d8 at 14th level. In return for Divine Strike, you'd have to give up some ability. Since I'm a nice DM, I'd only ask for you to give up 1 druid cantrip; since cantrips can be used to attack, this +1d8 damage seems about as good.

That's not as good as the damage scaling of, say, a rogue or fighter or paladin, but that's kind of the point (those guys are supposed to be better at weapon attacks and they don't have spell slots for nuking when things get rough). You COULD actually write up a cantrip that does the damage scaling, but it's problematic because such cantrips scale with overall level, not caster level, so it would stack with other classes' damage scaling methods (particularly the rogue, who only attacks once per round anyway).

EDIT: Another potentially-balanced house-rule is to allow your druid to learn some of the paladin's smite spells, such as searing smite, and let them apply to bows. That's a very easy change, and it's naturally limited by your spell slots -- it actually feels a little underpowered at high levels. It also gives you a slightly more interesting option which other characters don't have.

 

[MrHotter]

At low levels a high dex and a bow will be better than your cantrip damage. Versatile weapons work well with the druid weapon selection for when you want to be armed for AOO as well.

The player can always transition into more of a spellcaster as they level. The high dex will always be good for AC and initiative.

 

[famousringo]

Actually, when you say stone arrowheads there are a number of different possibilities from obsidian to flint. Barbarian tribes would likely use them in d&d settings. IRL they're just as effective as other arrows except they might wear out or chip more easily.

I would think that pointed steel tips would have some advantages when it comes to piercing armour, but even sharpened, hardened wood tips do a pretty good job if they hit meat.

http://www.uwyo.edu/surovell/pdfs/antiquity 2009.pdf