It will work itself out. The Bear starts getting weaker and weaker. Nerfing or pumping up encounters will only make it harder on your party in the future. I played a Moon Druid and saw it fall off rapidly compared to other classes. Let the Druid shine at lvl 2 because it becomes less useful in combat as he levels.
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D&D 5E Moon Circle Druid Play Report
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It will work itself out. The Bear starts getting weaker and weaker. Nerfing or pumping up encounters will only make it harder on your party in the future. I played a Moon Druid and saw it fall off rapidly compared to other classes. Let the Druid shine at lvl 2 because it becomes less useful in combat as he levels.
Psikerlord#
Explorer
I dont really see a problem. The bear does decent damage, and might have lots or little hp (depending on your roll, and I would definitely enforce rolling for beast forms - so you cant be sure what you'll get). The AC is 11. The bear is going to get all kinds of smashed, which is filling a very different niche to most fighters with AC 18-21. The fighter has that AC all day, and if there are lots of short rests, the fighter is getting lots of free healing care of second wind (and action surges and maneuvers). Against the barbarian, yeah there is probably more cross over of niche, and I would personally probably not choose to play a barbarian in a party with a moon druid - I'd choose something else.
Sacrosanct
Legend
Yeah, in our group, we have a barbarian, fighter, and moon druid. Both the barbarian (with damage resistance--holy hell is that OP), and the fighter (with high AC) long outlasted the bear shaped druid. What we found is that with that super low AC being in the front line, the bear shape only lasted a few rounds of combat before reverting back to druid, while the barbarian had the longest staying power (taking only 1/2 damage) and the fighter next (hardly being hit).
keterys
First Post
I may have missed it, but it's very much worth note that the druid's size in wildshape is a serious handicap.
5-ft corridors are awful on wild shaped druids. Ditto, doorways. I've seen a druid spend two rounds squeezing down a corridor while being shot by goblins because she didn't want to lose her awesome form.
The big problem is really level 2. At 3 it's a blip. At 4 onwards it's no big deal; if anything, the druid often underperforms. Even at level 3, we've had one guy more frequently hitting with his +7 while the druid misses with her +5.
(Also agree about Dire Wolf vs. Bear - +3 AC, accuracy, and proning are handy!)
5-ft corridors are awful on wild shaped druids. Ditto, doorways. I've seen a druid spend two rounds squeezing down a corridor while being shot by goblins because she didn't want to lose her awesome form.
The big problem is really level 2. At 3 it's a blip. At 4 onwards it's no big deal; if anything, the druid often underperforms. Even at level 3, we've had one guy more frequently hitting with his +7 while the druid misses with her +5.
(Also agree about Dire Wolf vs. Bear - +3 AC, accuracy, and proning are handy!)
Yeah, I'm probably going to go with the CR 1/2 method for lv 2 that's described here. Those CR 1 beasts are a bit too much, especially considering the fact that it's a spell caster doing that melee fighting. The issue reminds me of the Tenser's Transformation days, when wizards were entering melee and outfighting some fighters. Glad I found this page. Some good info here. Thanks!
Bupp
Adventurer
My group has a 2nd level moon druid (leveled to 3 at the end of our last session). He's been using the giant spider form. Web ability, poison, and climbing on walls is pretty kick ass, but opponents do like to like to target that beast that is tearing them up. The low AC sees them fall pretty fast, and I think that alone keeps them balanced.
Sacrosanct
Legend
It also bears repeating about the limitation of only being able to change into a shape of an animal you've seen. Since I doubt most campaign worlds include the internet or Encyclopedia Britannica, it stands to reason that a druid will have only seen animal native to his or her area where he or she lives. That right there eliminates most things like a giant hyena, dire creature, or giant spider. Creatures like that would probably remain unknown until they are actually encountered in the game, and with the way levels progress, the PCs would be level 3 or higher before seeing something like that anyway.
In my experience seeing them side by side, the barbarian's resistance is way more powerful than the druid's wildshape, as I mentioned above. The wildshape wasn't game breaking at all.
keterys
First Post
Eh, you can't count on the wildshape restriction to shapes you've seen to be meaningful. Any of the forms could appear at 1st or 2nd level (they're CR 1), any of the forms could easily be witnessed through appropriate scouting (okay, guys, welcome to level 2. We're taking a quick trip up this trail to see an animal), or may be covered by background.
For example, of the two druid players I've seen, _both_ had a background that they were raised by animals. One by tigers, one by wolves. At that point, the limitation is a hit to versatility but not a hit to power, and becomes more punitive than effective in limitation.
For example, of the two druid players I've seen, _both_ had a background that they were raised by animals. One by tigers, one by wolves. At that point, the limitation is a hit to versatility but not a hit to power, and becomes more punitive than effective in limitation.
