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.

 

[el-remmen]

Looks like another class I'll be keeping the 2014 version of.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

It seems like it. As long as she's at least 5th level with Wild Resurgence, she'd have her 2 base uses (3 if she's level 6+) plus 9 more uses if she burned all her spell slots.

Not even counting possible short rests at times.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Could someone sell me on Magician?

I guess if you wildshaped into high-Dex beasts that could conceivably wear your magical leather armor, you'd lose nothing. And yes, I surely love the uncertainty of how that is going to work, given it states 'worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment based on the creature’s size and shape'.

But any actually castery-y Druid would surely prefer to stick to human form, and is not going to buff their Dex to 20, when they could just pick Warden and starting Dex 14 would cover all their needs.

 

[Undrave]

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.

Well the 5e Circle of Land doesn't have anything that could be useless in specific terrains. It's just more spells, slot recovery, some movement ability and a few protections against Fey, Elementals, Beast and Plants. So it wasn't an issue before and if it would be now it's because of something they added to this new version.

It never really interested me and I would have found it worst if you could just switch land whenever.

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?).

Yeah I never found it particularly interesting a Circle. It's just 'moar spells the subclass'. Even gives an extra cantrip.

 

[Remathilis]

Could someone sell me on Magician?

I guess if you wildshaped into high-Dex beasts that could conceivably wear your magical leather armor, you'd lose nothing.

But any actually castery-y Druid would surely prefer to stick to human form, and is not going to buff their Dex to 20, when they could just pick Warden and starting Dex 14 would cover all their needs.

My only guess is if you are really hot for the "nature wizard" aesthetic. It's still the weaker choice mechanically.

 

[TwoSix]

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.

It's a longstanding tradeoff, and not just in TTRPGs. If you can't change your choices, the system is inflexible, and you run into the "no longer appropriate build" issues @Remathalis mentions is post #58. But if you can change your choices, then your choices are longer actively contributing to the character's identity; they're simply a preferred set of tools.

MMOs and ARPGs have struggled with this conflict; the vast majority end up on the "flexibility" side of the scale. No real surprise to see 5e also lean in that direction.

 

[Undrave]

It's a longstanding tradeoff, and not just in TTRPGs. If you can't change your choices, the system is inflexible, and you run into the "no longer appropriate build" issues @Remathalis mentions is post #58. But if you can change your choices, then your choices are longer actively contributing to the character's identity; they're simply a preferred set of tools.

MMOs and ARPGs have struggled with this conflict; the vast majority end up on the "flexibility" side of the scale. No real surprise to see 5e also lean in that direction.

Yeah I don't mind the concept of retraining. If a player says "I made a mistake" or "this isn't working out like I expected" that's cool. Heck, I once entirely rebuild one of my character in a different class after just one session.

But when you jettison your class identity every long rest to eke out a tiny morsel of advantage... well it starts to feel pretty uninteresting.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Some more fun art:

View attachment 369443View attachment 369444View attachment 369445View attachment 369446View attachment 369447

Love the older looking tiefling with the deer pattern on her skin. That just hits a chord in me.

 

[Weiley31]

Shaman

Something something "Inclusive" something something no no words these days something.

 

[Undrave]

Could someone sell me on Magician?

I guess if you wildshaped into high-Dex beasts that could conceivably wear your magical leather armor, you'd lose nothing. And yes, I surely love the uncertainty of how that is going to work, given it states 'worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment based on the creature’s size and shape'.

But any actually castery-y Druid would surely prefer to stick to human form, and is not going to buff their Dex to 20, when they could just pick Warden and starting Dex 14 would cover all their needs.

the Magician favours keeping high INT.