D&D (2024) 2024 Player's Handbook Reveal: Shape of "New Druid"

Druid video today. Where will wildshape land?

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We saw three druids in the playtest, and each was meaningfully different. The most recent look at the class was in PT8 (UA Playtest document 8); with the Moon Druid in PT8, and Land Druid and Sea Druid in PT6, with the Stars Druid in Tasha's. What will change? What will be revealed? Will it be feasible to pick an combat animal shape and stick with it through 20 levels? Let's find out!

OVERVIEW

• "there is a ton of new in the druid": but it was all in the playtest materials. Very little to see here. "the final version has elements people didn't get to see" in the playtest, however everything they discuss was in the playtest documents.
• Primal order choice at level 1: Warden or Magician. Warden gives proficiency in Medium armor and martial weapons; Magician gives cantrip and nature checks (and so =PT8). Magician incentivizes not dumping Intelligence.
• no mention of metal armor; presumably any restriction is now gone.
• Druidic includes speak with animals prepared.
• Wildshape (as in PT8): as a bonus action; wild companion option from Tasha's for a familiar; you can speak; spellslot for another wildshift at 5.
• NO MENTION OF BEAST FORMS IN THE PHB.
• At level 7, Elemental Fury choice not determined by level 1 choice; you can mix-and-match. (would you want to?) Improved at level 15 -- extra range option works at range while flying, if you want.
• new cantrips: Starry Wisp (ranged spell attack in PT8) and Elementalism (PT6).

Overall, this is pretty disappointing in terms of a preview for people who have been invested in the playtest. No discussion of the beast forms in the PHB, no mention of distinctive Druid features (metal armor, though the silence is probably revelatory) or adjustements to canonical spells (any adjustments to Reincarnate so it might actually see play?).

Narrator: His questions would not be answered.

SUBCLASSES
Land

• Almost all as in PT6. This is "all about your spellcasting".
• you choose your land type every long rest. Arid, Polar, Temperate, Tropical (as in PT6).
• use wildshape at 3 to create "eruption of nature magic" (harms and heals). Expanded at 14 to include resitances.
• Two damage resistances at 10 (with flexibility: poison plus one determined by land type

Sea

• wanted to "make sure we don't have the Aquaman problem".
• NEW: Water breathing replaces Sleet storm on the subclass spell list.

Moon

• Almost everything exactly as in PT8: AC is "more reliable"; gain in temporary hit points instead of just taking over the creature's hit points. (a nerf, but a needed one). (Crawford ties it to abilities that activate when you get zero hp;
• NEW: subclass spell list given (it is different from PT8):
  • 3: cure wounds, moon beam, starry wisp (unchanged)
  • 5: conjure animals (replacing Vampiric touch)
  • 7: fount of Moonlight (new spell, as in PT8)
  • 9: mass cure wounds (replacing Dawn).

Stars

• like Tasha's, but starting now at level 3. Enhanced by core class, but no specific changes made.

 

[mellored]

Then, can Doric the tielfling druid use lots of wildshape like in the action-live movie?

By burning spell slots, yes.

What about the special traits by each animal? For example a dog has got a better smell sense, but a cat is better to jump to a higher zone. And animals have got different senses, for example a better ear but relatively colorblind. If you use a bat shape, can you use echolocalitation?

From the 2014 MM.
Wolfs have advantage to perception when smelling.
Cats have a climb speed.
Bats have blind sight, unless deafened.

I assume those features will go forward. Can't see any reason to remove them.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Had a random thought mid-way through the video. Is there a consensus on what happens if there are overlapping half-cover abilities?

The Land Druid activates their 14th level ability, granting all allies within range half-cover. Devotion paladin then smites, granting all allies in their aura half cover...

Half Cover + Half Cover = Three-Quarters Cover? Or no effect?

 

[fuindordm]

Is that Mr. Nimbus for the sea druid?
Can my PC control the police?

 

[Kobold Stew]

Had a random thought mid-way through the video. Is there a consensus on what happens if there are overlapping half-cover abilities?

The Land Druid activates their 14th level ability, granting all allies within range half-cover. Devotion paladin then smites, granting all allies in their aura half cover...

Half Cover + Half Cover = Three-Quarters Cover? Or no effect?

I believe RAW half-cover does not stack -- you get the benefit of the best cover you have achieved, and that's it. (Saves people saying "I'm standing behind two barrels; that's twice the cover as standing behind one".)

 

[Charlaquin]

Had a random thought mid-way through the video. Is there a consensus on what happens if there are overlapping half-cover abilities?

The Land Druid activates their 14th level ability, granting all allies within range half-cover. Devotion paladin then smites, granting all allies in their aura half cover...

Half Cover + Half Cover = Three-Quarters Cover? Or no effect?

I would assume sources of cover don’t “stack.” You choose one source of cover that grants the highest bonus. But that is just a guess.

 

[Undrave]

I understand what you're saying. For the Land druid, this helps make it viable -- if you know you are going up against a particular type of dragon, you can tailor your resistances to that, so rather than "wishy washy" it becomes tactical. It's not as wishy as the favoured enemy for Rangers, which is now completely rewritten.

Feels like resistance could have been covered by a spell and the Land druids could have embraced their themes better.

Another way they could have done if go with a more Geomancy style where the surrounding environment has an impact. 'course it's more DM dependant but it could have been cool to have the land you're in affect your druid.

Now you have stuff like "We're in a Tropical Region but I'll turn into a Tundra Druid for today because we're facing an Ice Mage".

I always thought the 'Land Druid' was a weird concept for this game. And why is 'Sea' not just a type of environment?

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Thanks for the bullet points. I knew they wouldn't give details to answer many of the burning questions, but not even one? Amazing job.

 

[Remathilis]

Ya know, I like flexibility but am I the only one who feel like everything being changeable on long rests feels very wishy washy? Like they don't want to commit to a thematic or stylistic design? Or lacking in confidence? Just a thought.

I think it's partially the issue of committing to one choice and then finding the adventure or campaign doesn't support it. I would not want to pick temperate land druid at level 3, and then have the campaign go to Chult or Icewind Dale for an extended time where another choice would be more beneficial. I shouldn't need metagame knowledge to make the most flavorful or beneficial choice.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Another way they could have done if go with a more Geomancy style where the surrounding environment has an impact. 'course it's more DM dependant but it could have been cool to have the land you're in affect your druid.

Ah yeah, that'd be a cool way to go about it, and instantly make it feel like the Land Druid actually has some connection with the land around them (rather than just be, I dunno, an elementalist?).

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Thinking about it druids are all about natural and undead are the most unnatural thing there is so them having a weapon against them would make sense.

Yep, but further blurs the line on why they aren't just a subclass for Cleric, then.