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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Yes, WotC should group together animals suited for various functions.

Whether this then us a wolf ir a bear doesn't matter, as long as it's suited to it's intended purpose.

Just like ac and HP is entirely irrelevant when you turn into a bird or mouse just to easvesdrop into a discussion.
And with templates you can offer thematic bespoke ones for certain subclasses.
 

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...and that was with poorly designed templates. Had the initial offering been stronger, it could have passed; but the feedback system inadequately distinguished "having templates at all" from "having templates that offer no individuation or decision points". (IMO)
Prediction: they will have snuck in templates into the PHB for the Druid anyways, because the Ranger Beast Master is getting template beast friends. And dollars to donuts they will be Druid legal, too.
 

Prediction: they will have snuck in templates into the PHB for the Druid anyways, because the Ranger Beast Master is getting template beast friends. And dollars to donuts they will be Druid legal, too.
I want that to be true -- I think if a player wants, they should be able always to change into the same creature (wolf, bear), and its abilities scale meaningfully over 20 levels. Not all will want that, but equally not all want to become Dire Velociraptors or whatever.

In Treantmonk's video yesterday, he said (not meaning this to be a reveal, I think) that upper level Druids will need to go to the Monster Manual. I hope that's not the case.
 

...and that was with poorly designed templates. Had the initial offering been stronger, it could have passed; but the feedback system inadequately distinguished "having templates at all" from "having templates that offer no individuation or decision points". (IMO)
I strongly supported the idea of templates, but voted the templates offered in the UA into oblivion because they were so poorly constructed. I am not going to try to guess WOTC's intentions. I can only vote on what they show me.... not what I wish they had showed me.
 


I want that to be true -- I think if a player wants, they should be able always to change into the same creature (wolf, bear), and its abilities scale meaningfully over 20 levels. Not all will want that, but equally not all want to become Dire Velociraptors or whatever.

In Treantmonk's video yesterday, he said (not meaning this to be a reveal, I think) that upper level Druids will need to go to the Monster Manual. I hope that's not the case.
If this is the case, I hope that Beastmaster Rangers also get the option to choose a 'real' animal companion. I have some ranger characters who HATE the idea that their companion is a spirit animal instead of one they found in the wilderness and trained.
 

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