D&D (2024) Playtest Packet 6: They knocked Druid out of the Park

[Vael]

Or, one could make a better, more customizable generic template and save all that space.

 

[mellored]

Soo... is your solution to create multiple Monster Manual stat blocks for each wildshapable animal, specifically at every CR that is unlockable as a Moon Druid?

It's one possible solution. Otherwise there is litterally 1 CR 6 beast.

It also allows the DM to have a variety of beasts. And it you can make a CR 10 wolves too. No need to stop at 6. So it's not just for the moon druid.

Another solution is to do something like:
Use your spell attack bonus and your spell DC, if it higher than the beasts.

Haven't done the math, but I will assume the extra +d8 damage would be enough.

 

[mellored]

Or, one could make a better, more customizable generic template and save all that space.

I don't consider more beast in the monster manual bad use of pages.

And at this point, it's closer to rage than a template. You don't change much.

Melee damage, harder to kill, some Str utility, and you can't cast spells.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

My main issue is that you can't stay a wolf at higher levels. You still need to go mammoth.

Yep. Wildshape isn’t fixed until that issue is fixed.

That, and it’s bonkers to have only 1 subclass that actually uses a core class feature in the way most people would imagine it being used, only 1 subclass that really uses it well. Just…astonishingly weird decision.

 

[Emberashh]

Having read through the Next playtest, I would actually say that WOTC managed to nail down their template idea in the 6th Playtest packet (ironically) for Next.

You get basic templates and through Circle of the Moon can also take on Dire forms which lets you scale up your shapes with your level.

And that is all at level 1. You get a pretty beefy spread with the rest of your levels, and the Circle of Oak while underbaked is at least thematically interesting.

Its pretty good. With some of the ideas they tried in 1DND you could get a good setup going that, I think, bridges the gaps a bit.

 

[mellored]

That, and it’s bonkers to have only 1 subclass that actually uses a core class feature in the way most people would imagine it being used, only 1 subclass that really uses it well. Just…astonishingly weird decision.

All subclasses have a good use for it. So at this point it's just miss named for backwards compatible sake.

And now that it is a bonus action, you can cast call lighting, turning into an animal and run away (badger burrowing FTW). But I expect it to mostly be utility (mouse scouting).

And they all have familiar as well. Which has all sorts of good utility as well.

I really like all the druid changes right now. There is just that one problem left to solve. Moon druid being a wolf / spider / not mammoth at high levels.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

It's one possible solution. Otherwise there is litterally 1 CR 6 beast.

It also allows the DM to have a variety of beasts. And it you can make a CR 10 wolves too. No need to stop at 6. So it's not just for the moon druid.

Another solution is to do something like:
Use your spell attack bonus and your spell DC, if it higher than the beasts.

Haven't done the math, but I will assume the extra +d8 damage would be enough.

Sounds like there can be a Wolf and a Dire Wolf (and perhaps some specialized wolves where appropriate) in the Monster Manual, and the Druid could benefit from a scaling Wildshape stat block that works at every Druid level.

 

[Vael]

I don't consider more beast in the monster manual bad use of pages.

And at this point, it's closer to rage than a template. You don't change much.

Melee damage, harder to kill, some Str utility, and you can't cast spells.

I wouldn't say no to more statblocks, but I'd rather have one Dire Wolf and 5 other monsters than 6 Dire Wolves at different CRs. But, to me, the MM is a DM resource, not a place to stash the extra pages the player of the one subclass of Druid needs to run their character.

 

[mellored]

But, to me, the MM is a DM resource, not a place to stash the extra pages the player of the one subclass of Druid needs to run their character.

That's kind of the point of the sub-class. To make use of the MM.

To be the beast.

Sounds like there can be a Wolf and a Dire Wolf (and perhaps some specialized wolves where appropriate) in the Monster Manual, and the Druid could benefit from a scaling Wildshape stat block that works at every Druid level.

What if you put a wolf template in the monster manual?

Wolf: CR 1+
Str: 12+½ CR ...
AC: 12+½ CR
To-hit: 4+½ CR
Pact tactics...

Then DM and druid could both scale it as they please. And it saves space.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Soo... is your solution to create multiple Monster Manual stat blocks for each wildshapable animal, specifically at every CR that is unlockable as a Moon Druid?

If only they thought to have templates, that could get stronger as you go up in levels....