D&D (2024) Moon druid with weapons mastery?

[Cap'n Kobold]

Hang on, doesn't the Moon Druid already get a specific special ability to let them Push or knock prone opponents as part of their animal form attacks?

 

[mellored]

Hang on, doesn't the Moon Druid already get a specific special ability to let them Push or knock prone opponents as part of their animal form attacks?

Except all forms are equally good at it.

A horse is just as fast as a crocodile, with the exact same ability to grab stuff. And both can climb just as fast as a monkey.

 

[Clint_L]

I'm still not understanding the internal logic. How does a druid who may have just turned into a wolf for the first time have mastery over fighting in that form comparable to a warrior who has spent years honing their craft with a particular weapon? You seem to be throwing out the whole concept of additional powers granted by, you know, mastery and just keeping the additional powers for no clear reason.

 

[Incenjucar]

A quasi-martial spell-free shapeshifter that really puts the bear in berserker would be a kick, but now I'm wondering why a druid is better at being a bear than a bear is.

 

[mellored]

I'm still not understanding the internal logic. How does a druid who may have just turned into a wolf for the first time have mastery over fighting in that form comparable to a warrior who has spent years honing their craft with a particular weapon?

How does a druid who is turning into a bird the first time fly?
How about one that turns into a spider, with 8 legs, compound eyes, and extra web glands, and not trip over themselves?

But it's fine.

Wolves can "trip", not "topple".
It's "instinct" not "mastery".

So intead of making a saving throw or fall prone, you need to make a saving throw or falling prone.

 

[Clint_L]

As posted above, this seems to make druids better at doing these things than the animals that they are wild shaping into. I don't think you have explained anything like a rationale for giving moon druids mastery while in animal form.

The other thing to consider is that buffing fighters, barbarians, and paladins through weapon mastery makes wildshaped druids a little less powerful by comparison. And that might prevent wild shape needing to be nerfed for moon druids.

 

[mellored]

As posted above, this seems to make druids better at doing these things than the animals that they are wild shaping into. I don't think you have explained anything like a rationale for giving moon druids mastery while in animal form.

No. It's the same as the wolf has now.

• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (2d4 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone

Only difference is the Str save vs the Con save on the mastery.

Unless you mean how it scales. In which case, yes. A high level druid as a wolf would be more powerful than a regular wolf.

 

[Mistwell]

Fighters get more attacks, and action surge, and you can draw/stow after a Cleave, Nick, or Polearm master.

Topple with a maul and stow
Draw a pike and push
-bonus action push and stow
Action surge
Draw a greataxe
Cleave

So topple, push, push, cleave

More with dual wielder, which lets you draw/stow more.

It's only 2, as of the playtest. Moon druids get d6 damage bump instead of extra attacks.

Wasn't suggesting they get 4 attacks.

"Weapon mastery like" then.

Wolves can "trip" instead of "topple", if that somehow makes things better for you. Seems redundant to me, but hardly a hill I want to die on.

It's true I forgot the playtest changes the wildeshape itself so that's a fair point.

I don't have a problem with "weapon master like" tailored to the wildshape. I just have more of an issue with actually taking weapon mastery into wildshaping as a subclass ability.

 

[mellored]

I don't have a problem with "weapon master like" tailored to the wildshape. I just have more of an issue with actually taking weapon mastery into wildshaping as a subclass ability.

Well considering the lack of a grab (snakes, crocodiles, giant frogs, ect...)
Or spider web mastery (slow is just
ok).
And i still have no idea what creature would cleave.

We would have to need to expand and adjust the list anyways.

I'll just have to be a little sad about having duplicate features with different names.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

Should moon druids get a weapon mastery when they transform?

Seems like if we have a decent add to weapon systems set up for martials, the moon druid could just ride along with it.

I.e.
Regular druids do 1d8+Wis (no mastery)
Moon druids do 1d8+Wis, and choses a mastery.

*possibly based on the animal.
Bulls get push
Velociraptor get Vex.
Ect..

Level 14 moon druid can use a bonus action to change masteries.

Really, Moon druid, bladesinger, sword bard, and war cleric could all use mastery.

No. Weapon Mastery is about mastering the tools of war.

Monks and Druids should not get Weapon Masteries for Unarmed Strikes, Bestial Strikes, or Natural Weapons.

Now they can have their own benefits via other rules, like a Monk's ki abilities, or Wildshaped Druids having grappling, pouncing, proning, trampling, or flyby attacks, or what have you.