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

Druid video today. Where will wildshape land?


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.
 

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The point of this Land Druid is that the type of Land is not their identity...the identity us drawing from "The Land".
Again, that's mostly a new development because the old version is described as such:
The Circle of the Land is made up of mystics and sages who safeguard ancient knowledge and rites through a vast oral tradition. These druids meet within sacred circles of trees or standing stones to whisper primal secrets in Druidic. The circle's wisest members preside as the chief priests of communities that hold to the Old Faith and serve as advisors to the rulers of those folk. As a member of this circle, your magic is influenced by the land where you were initiated into the circle's mysterious rites.
And this new version can pick whatever Land they want after a long rest regardless of where they are so the 'new flavour' doesn't match either?

Why the Circle of the Sea is beyond me. Land already already had a Cost terrain option, and Spores/Wildfire are much more flavorful.

You'd think they'd save such a niche subclass for some kind of pirate adventure.
Yeah it's kinda weird.
 

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Again, that's mostly a new development because the old version is described as such:

And this new version can pick whatever Land they want after a long rest regardless of where they are so the 'new flavour' doesn't match either?


Yeah it's kinda weird.
Right, as Crawford says in the video, this is essentially a new Subclass entirely.
 




Why?

I can't see any reason for that.
Druids and wildshaping have worked fine as they are in the games I have run and the changes to the class and subclasses are aesthetically displeasing to me. Don't really need anymore reason than that.

EDIT to add: To be clear, I am not seeing the 2024 PHB as a new whole ruleset, but as something to pick and choose to take from for my own home ruleset, kind of like how I used 3.5E.
 


Alright, sof ro art representation we have:

  • Main Druid, Human male
  • Circle of the Moon, Orc male
  • Circle of the Land, EDIT: sorry, Gnome female, got fooled.by the Druid antlers
  • Circle of the Sea, Storm Goliath male
  • Circle of the Stars, Elf female

View attachment 369436View attachment 369433View attachment 369434View attachment 369432View attachment 369435View attachment 369431
the goliath and the elf just look human

overall its a bit meh - and what is the Aquaman problem?
 

Why the Circle of the Sea is beyond me. Land already already had a Cost terrain option, and Spores/Wildfire are much more flavorful.

You'd think they'd save such a niche subclass for some kind of pirate adventure.

People want to play as Katara from The Last Airbender?

Avatar_Generations_-_Katara.webp


Seriously, she's a good model for a non-Tolkien, non-Celtic druid.
 

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