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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At lv2.

Are we also going to pretend that let-me-read-the-whole-monster-manual Druids can only turn into the same things at lv12 as lv2?
I don't see how a template can reflect
  • massive Str and gentile trunk of an elephant
  • grasping claws of a poison sting of a giant scorpion.
  • Graceful and stealthy cat.

In the same block.
Your going to need 3 blocks.
And you already have 3 blocks for the Monster.

As for MM shopping. Druids need to prepare their wild shape list at the start of the day. Which will at least prevent them from pulling out the monster manual in the middle of combat.
 

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I don't see how a template can reflect
  • massive Str and gentile trunk of an elephant
You can add one modifier to your template per, say, 3 Druid levels. One of those modifiers can be Huge Stronk, letting you be huge and lift lots and trample. Done.

The canon Elephant monster entry's Str22 cannot actually lift lots, and has no mechanics for their trunk, but can jump and climb better than a cat (because Athletics is purely Str-based), so I'm not exactly sure what this is arguing for as an example.
 

You can add one modifier to your template per, say, 3 Druid levels. One of those modifiers can be Huge Stronk, letting you be huge and lift lots and trample. Done.
So you have a giant list of add-ons?

Then your more of a chimera than an animal. Pick scorpion tail, wings, poison bite...

The canon Elephant monster entry's Str22 cannot actually lift lots, and has no mechanics for their trunk, but can jump and climb better than a cat (because Athletics is purely Str-based), so I'm not exactly sure what this is arguing for as an example.
Sounds like the Elephant stat block needs an update.

And no, cats have a climb speed.

As for jumping... yea that's an odd one.
 



I don't see how a template can reflect
  • massive Str and gentile trunk of an elephant
The current stat block for an elephant doesnt have anything in it to reflect the truck,.
  • grasping claws of a poison sting of a giant scorpion.
The overpowered damage output of the giant scorpion is precisely WHY you shouldnt have access to monster templates.
  • Graceful and stealthy cat.
Rogue on tap isnt good for balance either.

Animal shifting is fine on a half caster. It is grossly overpowered on a full caster, particularly at the low levels people actually play the game at.
 

I think it's strange that for some people, a monster statblock labeled "Elephant" is somehow more an elephant than a "generic bundle of stats that you can call what you want" - they're both a generic bundle of stats that only roughly imply an animal. Sure, some do the job of evoking imagery - slightly - better than others (though a bespoke statblock doesn't always do a better job than a template does).

But I accept that people feel that way.
I feel the same way.
Elephants have a prehensile trunk, huge size, and very high Str.

Template would be medium with 14 Str, a claw attack, and a climb speed.

I understand the appeal. But they don't offer enough variety.

IMO.
In my concept 'Huge' is something you can add to your wild shape at later level. Also lets you make giant versions of animals. The template would have a scaling STR with option to add more. The Elephant would probably be a suggestion for the TANK template. Might even let you add tusks for a charge attack.

You can add one modifier to your template per, say, 3 Druid levels. One of those modifiers can be Huge Stronk, letting you be huge and lift lots and trample. Done.

The canon Elephant monster entry's Str22 cannot actually lift lots, and has no mechanics for their trunk, but can jump and climb better than a cat (because Athletics is purely Str-based), so I'm not exactly sure what this is arguing for as an example.
Elephants aren't actually that strong compared to their body mass.
 

You can add one modifier to your template per, say, 3 Druid levels. One of those modifiers can be Huge Stronk, letting you be huge and lift lots and trample. Done.
Just to clarify. I do think a build-a-chimera subclass would be fun. But it's not the 'turn into an animal" theme wild shape.

Perhaps as a Barbarian subclass that transforms when they rage.

IMO
 

The current stat block for an elephant doesnt have anything in it to reflect the truck,.
Adjust the stat block to better reflect the creature.
The overpowered damage output of the giant scorpion is precisely WHY you shouldnt have access to monster templates.
Adjust the status block to better balance things out (and supposedly they have)
Rogue on tap isnt good for balance either.
Cats don't have expertise or cunning action.
And people suggested the template have an infiltration version anyways.
Animal shifting is fine on a half caster. It is grossly overpowered on a full caster, particularly at the low levels people actually play the game at.
I don't disagree. But that ship has sailed several editions ago.
 

Adjust the stat block.

Adjust the status block.

Cats don't have expertise.
But people suggested the template have an infiltration version anyways.

I don't disagree. But that ship has sailed several editions ago.
If you have to keep adjusting the stat block to represent different animals, why not just.. use that animal's statblock?
 

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