D&D 5E Moon Druid in Lost Mines of Phandelver

[Werebat]

LMoP runs from levels 1-5.

Moon Druid is generally thought to be extremely powerful (some would say OP) from levels 2-6.

If a person is running LMoP and a player chooses to play a moon druid, what adjustments (if any) might the DM consider making to the moon druid, the adventure, or both?

The idea here is to prevent the moon druid from stealing the show for the bulk of the campaign.

 

[Eejit]

Enforce the rule that the druid must have seen the animal he wants to transform into, so not giant octopus without good explanation.

Other than that sometimes limit their short rests and this wild shape recharge if you find it to be necessary as you go along.

 

[Werebat]

Enforce the rule that the druid must have seen the animal he wants to transform into, so not giant octopus without good explanation.

Other than that sometimes limit their short rests and this wild shape recharge if you find it to be necessary as you go along.

That's a good point, but what happens when the player argues that their character probably saw a bear at some point during their life? I mean, I'd seen a wild bear by the time I was nine or so.

 

[Eejit]

I don't think you have any need to stop them using a standard bear form, but watch for the giant scorpions, dire wolves, giant crabs and so on.

 

[Werebat]

I don't think you have any need to stop them using a standard bear form, but watch for the giant scorpions, dire wolves, giant crabs and so on.

So, the druid won't be stealing the show when he shifts to bear form at level 2? I've been reading that this is, in fact, an issue, and that WotC is already looking into creating errata for the low level moon druid.

 

[Eejit]

LMoP is often considered slightly too deadly if run by the book. The party will probably be thankful for a decent tank. And like I said if you limit rests they can easily run out of wild shapes should you find it necessary.

 

[Lancelot]

I've had two players run moon druids in LMoP. Both died, without making any changes to the monsters. There are some really savage encounters, if you play the monsters intelligently. Let's say... 4 hobgoblins win initiative. They all go for the same target. 3 hit. That's 3d8+6d6+3 damage. Is there a moon druid in the party? Pile all the hobgoblins onto the beast-form. Is there no moon druid in the party? Spread the attacks over more PCs so you're not killing them outright.

It may be worth noting that I rule that barkskin, cast in druid form, does not carry over to beast form. The barkskin changes the druid's AC to (not less than 16). The druid then wildshapes and, as per rules, their AC is replaced by the beast's AC.

Yes, I know the bit about spells remaining active. I don't disagree with any DM that says barkskin carries over to the beast form as well. But this one simple ruling seems to have "fixed" the moon druid for me. Most of the optimum beast types have pretty poor AC. That big pool of "bonus hp" from wildshaping into a bear is only going to last a round or two against a lot of encounters in LMoP, assuming AC 12. Now, allowing the druid to have AC 16 in bear form... well, that's another story.

 

[Werebat]

So...

Does Barkskin work in wild shape form, or no?

How do you determine what animals a Druid has seen prior to the start of his adventuring career?

 

[iserith]

LMoP runs from levels 1-5.

Moon Druid is generally thought to be extremely powerful (some would say OP) from levels 2-6.

If a person is running LMoP and a player chooses to play a moon druid, what adjustments (if any) might the DM consider making to the moon druid, the adventure, or both?

The idea here is to prevent the moon druid from stealing the show for the bulk of the campaign.

"[Player], based on what some people on the internet have said, I understand moon druids to be particularly powerful in situations where reducing Team Monster's hit points to 0 is the pre-determined objective of the scene. Since I'm choosing to present a lot of scenes that involve this objective, it's possible that your character might end up stealing the show for the bulk of the campaign. Obviously, what I want is for everyone to feel like they had their time to shine in these scenes, so I need your help. What can you do to make sure that sometimes you're the scenery-chewing bear taking down baddies and other times you're acting in support of your fellow players' characters who do the heavy lifting instead of you?"

 

[Eejit]

So...

Does Barkskin work in wild shape form, or no?

How do you determine what animals a Druid has seen prior to the start of his adventuring career?

RAW Barkskin absolutely works in wild shape form. Lancelot houseruled otherwise due to balance concerns.

Look at the Druid's background including where they've lived, and discuss with them what animals they would have seen over that time.