D&D (2024) Playtest 8 Druid discussion

[Mecheon]

Considering that the druid originally gained wild shape at 7th level and only 3/day, I'd say the shapechanging element has been overblown. It should be a caster first and shapechanger second.

The big showy moment for the druid in the D&D movie was "Turn into an owlbear", and outside of D&D the wider thing of druids is "They turn into animals" thanks to Diablo and Warcraft, so the shapeshifting is absolutely something folks associate with it more than the nature mage side

 

[Mistwell]

It is worth having an entire Bestiary as a separate book.

You want them to make an entire book to serve the needs of the single least popular class in the game?

And you want to increase the barrier to playing that least popular class by asking them to buy an entire separate additional book to play the class?

 

[Remathilis]

The big showy moment for the druid in the D&D movie was "Turn into an owlbear", and outside of D&D the wider thing of druids is "They turn into animals" thanks to Diablo and Warcraft, so the shapeshifting is absolutely something folks associate with it more than the nature mage side

I'm not arguing that. Only arguing that if the choice is between a shapeshifter who occasionally casts magic and a caster who has the limited ability to turn into animals, the latter is more true to the original design of the druid.

 

[Remathilis]

You want them to make an entire book to serve the needs of the single least popular class in the game?

And you want to increase the barrier to playing that least popular class by asking them to buy an entire separate additional book to play the class?

And here we hit the crux of why the stat-block system will always end up disappointing: you are either going to constrain druids to handful of choices OR you are going to open the floodgates and force druid players to reference the monster books. Either way, the druid will remain a homework-headache class unless the druid is content to only "turn into an owlbear" and not worry about other forms.

 

[Yaarel]

You want them to make an entire book to serve the needs of the single least popular class in the game?

And you want to increase the barrier to playing that least popular class by asking them to buy an entire separate additional book to play the class?

Druids, Rangers, Wizards, Warlocks, Paladins, all have class features relating to the Beasts .

Plus. Pets. Cute pets. Winged kittens. Wolf puppies. T-Rexes.

It is almost already making money now just thinking about it.

As mentioned, the Players Handbook will have a sampling of Beasts necessary for play. But the Bestiary (Beastyary) will elaborate on the very many different kinds of Beasts.

Animal amalgams, like Owlbear, Griffon, Hippogriffin, Pegasus, Drakes, etcetera, can type as Beasts.

Anything relating to Beasts − Wildshape, Familiar, Companion, Mount, Feat − can expand via the Bestiary.

 

[Mistwell]

Druids, Rangers, Wizards, Warlocks, Paladins, all have class features relating to the Beasts .

Plus. Pets. Cute pets. Winged kittens. Wolf puppies. T-Rexes.

It is almost already making money now just thinking about it.

As mentioned, the Players Handbook will have a sampling of Beasts necessary for play. But the Bestiary (Beastyary) will elaborate on the very many different kinds of Beasts.

Animal amalgams, like Owlbear, Griffon, Hippogriffin, Pegasus, Drakes, etcetera, can type as Beasts.

Anything relating to Beasts − Wildshape, Familiar, Companion, Mount, Feat − can expand via the Bestiary.

And we can call it Masters of the Wild?

 

[Laurefindel]

Pets. Cute pets. Winged kittens. Wolf puppies.

Forget the rest, you’re printing money with that alone…

 

[mellored]

I think the fundamental problem is that WotC are nerfing Moon Druid pretty substantially at certain levels.

Is it that much if a nerf though?

Brown bear is the goto. And your attack is exactly the same.

Defense goes from
AC 11, 34 HP
To
AC 17, 24+9THP = 33.

So you can easily stay in bear form longer. +6 AC is massive.

The main difference is that you need to use cure wounds between fights. Instead of still having all the slots left over.

The other issue is that the nerfs also seem to violate the class fantasy for a lot of players.

Don't see how the class fantasy is violen. Your still turning into the bear and attacking.

In fact, not having the elemental makes the fantasy stronger at higher levels.

* i am assuming they will have CR 1-6 beasts. Can't see how they would do it otherwise.

Additional moon-themed spells? Nobody cares. That's not why people play Moon Druids. The people who love the class love changing into beasts and, yes, elementals, and wrecking face.

Unfortunately named i guess.

But I am in favor of giving them beast spells. (Possibly changing the name too).

Though mechanically, being able to fly and shoot 60' cantrip is a bit nutty. Turn into horse, and you can easily hit and run.

 

[Yaarel]

And we can call it Masters of the Wild?

We have:

Players Handbook
DMs Guide
Monster Manual
...
Companions Bestiary?

 

[Mistwell]

We have:

Players Handbook
DMs Guide
Monster Manual
...
Companions Bestiary?

Why have you declined my lob?

Hello? You were here for 3e, right?