Level 20 Moon Druid

[Hudsonian]

I haven't done a ton of thought about this, but the thread about the barbarian got me wondering. As good as the barbarian is, is there anything that can beat the pure tankiness of the moon druid w/capstone?

As I understand it:
the LVL 20 Moon Druid has unlimited Wildshapes that include elementals

When a wild shape is reduced to 0 hitpoints, the druid returns to true form with the hit points it entered wildshape with minus the leftover damage from the most recent hit.

Returning to wildshape is a bonus action.

SOOOOOO.......... Full mental stats, 20 wis, 20 cha (who cares about int outside of roleplay/wiz)

round 1 - Elemental form
rounds 2-4: take a beating dealing meager DPR
Round 5: take some damage, elemental form, deal damage
repeat...

There has to be something wrong with this. (Oh, and the druid can heal itself)

Someone more familiar with the class may flesh out the build with feats. etc, but I'm AFB.

[KorvinStarmast]

I haven't done a ton of thought about this, but the thread about the barbarian got me wondering. As good as the barbarian is, is there anything that can beat the pure tankiness of the moon druid w/capstone?

As I understand it:
the LVL 20 Moon Druid has unlimited Wildshapes that include elementals

First, you have to get to level 20.

How many campaigns last that long?

[hymer]

@ OP: Various opinions have been stated about this, to wit:

You can't wild shape while wild shaped. This will render you vulnerable between shapes, needing a bonus action both to shift and unshift (if you get my drift).
This seems to be a minority opinion.

Wild shaped druids are vulnerable to things like Power Word Kill due to the form's low hp.
This depends on the DM interpretation on how PWK interacts with wild shapes (many possibilities here). There's also the question of just how many hp the druid will have sans wild shape. Probably not that many more than an earth elemental, e.g.

It is the most ridiculous and overpowered capstone in the game. If you ever expect to encounter it, you should houserule it somehow,
This is a popular viewpoint.

It is a very powerful ability, but being very hard to stop by throwing damage at you is okay. Anyway, it only comes around at 20, so even if it is OP, you'll likely never see it in play.
Also a common opinion.

[Shining Wrath]

A couple of things.

First, I believe that the designers have ruled that conditions persist across the wildshape <-> normal form transition. So, if you restrain a druid who wildshapes to an elemental, the elemental is still restrained; if you poison a bear who reverts to a druid, the druid is still poisoned. Of course if the druid wildshapes to an air elemental, which I believe is immune to being restrained, that would cancel the condition upon transition; but that's an example of specific trumps general, not a reason to say conditions don't persist.

"Dead" is a condition which is different than zero HP; specifically, at zero HP you are making your survival saving throws, but once you're dead you stop rolling. Zero HP returns you to druid form from elemental; "Dead" returns you to druid form from elemental, and the druid is dead.

Therefore, if a level 20 wizard is opposing the level 20 druid, and the elemental has been beaten down to 30 HP, and the wizard casts Power Word: Kill - the elemental vanishes and the druid's corpse topples to the ground. If some horrible creature can generate greater than (remaining HP plus elemental's max HP) in a single round, the elemental disappears and the druid is dead.

So persistence of conditions, most especially the "Dead" condition, is the first weakness here. The second is the magnitude of overkill; at level 20, being able to hit for 50 or 60 points at a shot is not that uncommon. You ought to be fighting Ancient Wyrms and Titans and that sort of creature, and they pack a wallop. Your timeline, then looks more like:

Wildshape to Elemental
Get hit for ~50 points
Get hit for ~50 points
Get hit for ~50 points, with ~30 of them passing on to the druid.

The actual druid has probably 8+3=11 + 19*(5+3=8)=152 = 163 HP. He's going to last around 15 rounds, which is impressive to be taking the full wrath of a dragon to be certain, but not immortal. And that's only if the creature attacking him has no ability to impose the stunned or paralyzed or petrified conditions; a druid who can't take actions can't wildshape. A statue of a water elemental is not any more dangerous than a statue of a halfling.

The third possibility is tag-team; polymorph the druid into something with low HP, and before the druid's next turn, someone hits the low HP creature for 2x HP. And intelligent foes will recognize the threat posed by an endless queue of elementals, and resort to techniques like that.

[hymer]

at level 20, being able to hit for 50 or 60 points at a shot is not that uncommon.

Isn't it? An ancient red dragon (CR 24) does around twenty points of average damage per attack, and that gets halved against an earth elemental shape or a druid with Investiture of Earth up. An empyrean (which I guess is the 5e version of titans; CR 23) does better, having a magical weapon and dealing an average of about 30. But then, it doesn't attack three times with an action the way a dragon does.
What creatures are you thinking of?

[sophontteks]

Isn't it? An ancient red dragon (CR 24) does around twenty points of average damage per attack, and that gets halved against an earth elemental shape or a druid with Investiture of Earth up. An empyrean (which I guess is the 5e version of titans; CR 23) does better, having a magical weapon and dealing an average of about 30. But then, it doesn't attack three times with an action the way a dragon does.
What creatures are you thinking of?
Ancient dragon hits 3 times for over 20 damage each. The bite alone does 35. I see the guys point. High rolls aren't very uncommon, so 50's will be pretty common too.

How can you defeat the druid?
Throw the druid into another plane.
Lobotomize the druid (it can't shapeshift if it doesn't know any forms).
Eject the druid into the vacuum of space.
Tell a druid "I bet you can't turn into a mouse!" Proceed to blast the mouse and kill the druid before he can change.
Wait. it may live 10x longer, but it will still die. Old age may be the worst death of all.
Encourage the druid to take its own life. (eg. monty python's meaning of life)
Encourage the druid to fight a diety. (the diety might win)
Trick another druid into fighting the druid. the druids will fight for an eternity. Grab popcorn.
Have a high charisma bard tell the druid jokes until it asphyxiates and dies of laughter.
Destroy the source of the druids magic (destroy nature? blow up the earth? should do the trick)

really, many ways to kill a level 20 druid.

[KorvinStarmast]

Trick another druid into fighting the druid. the druids will fight for an eternity. Grab popcorn. But do you have enough popcorn to last that long? I suppose all of those create food and water spells could help ... take a cleric to the fights with you.

[Shining Wrath]

Isn't it? An ancient red dragon (CR 24) does around twenty points of average damage per attack, and that gets halved against an earth elemental shape or a druid with Investiture of Earth up. An empyrean (which I guess is the 5e version of titans; CR 23) does better, having a magical weapon and dealing an average of about 30. But then, it doesn't attack three times with an action the way a dragon does.
What creatures are you thinking of?

Breath weapons, for starters. Multi-attacks. Meteor Storm. Multiple creatures of CR 15 or 17 ganging up on the level 20 druid. I should clarify it's not just one attack; if the druid is the front line for a level 20 party, all sorts of hurt can be headed her direction. If she's not the front line then her big stack of HP is less useful.

[ruy343]

I'm AFB, but how many hitpoints do those elementals have? Could a straight-up level 20 (gotta be fair here) greataxe-wielding melee fighter or barbarian dealing average damage take one down? If so, they could take down the elemental form, deal some excess damage, then laugh as the moon druid changes form and pokes him for, what would be at that point, minuscule damage.

[krugaan]

... intellect devourer?

now the party is facing a wall of hp that used to be on their side.

[Mara]

The druid survives but survival is not the only goal in a campaign. In some ways it's a fairly weak capstone.

The fighter would just shove an airtight box over you and then watch you suffocate to death.

The wizard would send you to a different plane.

The rogue just hides and then poisons your food.

Clerics would do something clericy.

A dragon may just swallow you whole.

Warlocks can turn into a dragon and eat you.

A monk would stun you and then put you in an airtight box.

Paladins would also use a box.

Rangers would wrap you vines then shove the box on you.

Sorcerers would turn send you to another plane.

[hymer]

I should clarify it's not just one attack

I see, that makes more sense. Thanks for clarifying!

[Vogonjeltz]

I'm AFB, but how many hitpoints do those elementals have? Could a straight-up level 20 (gotta be fair here) greataxe-wielding melee fighter or barbarian dealing average damage take one down? If so, they could take down the elemental form, deal some excess damage, then laugh as the moon druid changes form and pokes him for, what would be at that point, minuscule damage.

If I recall correctly it depends on the elemental, but their ACs aren't much to look at and neither are their hit points as compared to a mammoth. Regardless, a Battlemaster fighter can, if they use action surges when the Druid loses form, kill the druid in something like 10 rounds. This is despite the Druid using their spell slots to heal.

[MaxWilson]

I'm AFB, but how many hitpoints do those elementals have? Could a straight-up level 20 (gotta be fair here) greataxe-wielding melee fighter or barbarian dealing average damage take one down? If so, they could take down the elemental form, deal some excess damage, then laugh as the moon druid changes form and pokes him for, what would be at that point, minuscule damage.

Air Elemental is 90 HP, AC 15. (AC 18 with Mage Armor.) Earth Elemental is 126 HP, AC 17. Fire Elemental is 102 HP, AC 13. (AC 16 with Mage Armor.) Water Elemental is 114 HP, AC 14. (AC 15 with Mage Armor.)

Fighter could take one down, especially if he action surges. GWM Polearm Master can consistently do 63ish DPR to AC 17, 95 DPR if he trips the druid first with a battlemaster maneuver, 159 DPR if he trips him AND action surges. A barbarian with Str 24 and GWM/Polearm Master would average 84 DPR against AC 17 while Recklessly Attacking. All this assumes a +0 magic weapon to get past damage resistance.

Of course, the druid is probably doing something while you're busy attacking him. I find the thought of combining Spike Growth and Air Elemental grappling/dragging pretty delicious. Hello, 36d4 damage per round! Not the most powerful combo but cheap (for a Moon Druid 20) and hilarious. You might want to do the initial grapple in Earth Elemental form for the extra +3 Str. Ideally you surface from below the ground in a Jaws-like maneuver, grapple them and pull them partially under, then next turn turn into an Air Elemental and Dash to drag them over the cheese grater of Spike Growth. If a friendly sorcerer can be persuaded to Haste you, you can achieve 108d4 damage per round. If someone else would Enlarge you enough to not be slowed by your target that would be 216d4 damage per round, but there's probably not enough spellcasters in your party to achieve that amount of ridiculous overkill. Regular 36d4 should be plenty.

(And yes, I know you can Longstrider yourself for an extra +11% damage boost, but in practice I probably wouldn't bother.)

[Lolzyking]

If I wanted to kill a moon druid, I'd send in a open hand monk.
Stunning strike, knock prone, grapple turn 1
Quivering palm turn 2 druid makes dc 19 con save at disadvantage or dies.
turn 3 if druid is alive still, has likely shifted, but is probably still grappled and prone, thus has disadvantage on all attacks against the monk. stunning strike, flurry of blows
>>>>> wild shape is dead
turn x Monk quivering palms again, druid is dead.

[Forum Explorer]

If I wanted to kill a moon druid, I'd send in a open hand monk.
Stunning strike, knock prone, grapple turn 1
Quivering palm turn 2 druid makes dc 19 con save at disadvantage or dies.
turn 3 if druid is alive still, has likely shifted, but is probably still grappled and prone, thus has disadvantage on all attacks against the monk. stunning strike, flurry of blows
>>>>> wild shape is dead
turn x Monk quivering palms again, druid is dead.

Why at disadvantage?

[Lolzyking]

I forgot to mention the assumed circumstance, pointbuy/standard array, assumed feats are allowed, assumed end stats on monk compose of 20 dex 20 wis and the lucky feat ( likely from variant human)


the alternate though is cheapest build known to man

3 div wizard, 17 open hand monk, just give the poor moon druid a roll that will fail the save.

[Shaofoo]

If I wanted to kill a moon druid, I'd send in a open hand monk.
Stunning strike, knock prone, grapple turn 1
Quivering palm turn 2 druid makes dc 19 con save at disadvantage or dies.
turn 3 if druid is alive still, has likely shifted, but is probably still grappled and prone, thus has disadvantage on all attacks against the monk. stunning strike, flurry of blows
>>>>> wild shape is dead
turn x Monk quivering palms again, druid is dead.

Quivering Pam doesn't kill

it is Con save or be reduced to 0 HP

If the Druid fails then he basically reverts back to his normal form without much fanfare from the Druid, in fact it might be better if the Druid makes his saving throw because 10d10 damage means that some residual damage might push through.

[MaxWilson]

If I wanted to kill a moon druid, I'd send in a open hand monk.
Stunning strike, knock prone, grapple turn 1
Quivering palm turn 2 druid makes dc 19 con save at disadvantage or dies.
turn 3 if druid is alive still, has likely shifted, but is probably still grappled and prone, thus has disadvantage on all attacks against the monk. stunning strike, flurry of blows
>>>>> wild shape is dead
turn x Monk quivering palms again, druid is dead.

That's a good strategy, but not a foolproof one. For one thing, air elementals are immune to prone and grappled conditions. So, if the druid can ever get out of stunlock, he can trivially escape just by shifting into Air Elemental form with his bonus action, Disengaging (or attacking you if he is Mobile), and flying straight up. Next round, cast Antilife Shell (to escape for certain) or Call Lightning/Conjure Animals (to hit you back) and now the druid has the advantage.

[Lolzyking]

The monk will usually go first, has a REALLY good chance of stunning the druid on that first turn if he's willing to waste ki to end it fast.

once the druid is stunned they cannot wild shape, until they get a turn to do so.

its on that next turn that the monk uses quivering palm reducing the druid to 0, effectively killing them.


On a pure monk, the druid has a chance to make this save and survive, resulting in a cruel and miserable grapple fight in the monks favor. (the druid is prone and grappled on round 2 and thus everything they can do is at disadvantage and they cannot cast spells)




if the monk goes 3 wizard 17 monk



so if you roll on portent an roll thats lower than the dc 19 con save. you guarantee that they get their hp reduced to 0 and at that point the goose is cooked

[Shining Wrath]

... SNIP ...

its on that next turn that the monk uses quivering palm reducing the druid to 0, effectively killing them.


... SNIP ...

This statement is false, and in fact the falsity thereof is why the Level 20 Moon Druid is viewed as a beast, pun intended.

Reducing a wildshaped druid to zero HP does not kill them; it reverts them back to their squishy druid form, with non-zero HP. The distinction between zero HP and dead is shown by the death saving throws a PC makes when initially reduced to zero HP; if the enemy leaves them alone, they require at least 3 rounds to actually die.

To kill a wildshaped druid requires use of some technique which explicitly says "Kill", not "reduce HP", or to hit them with an overkill hit so prodigious as to reduce them to a negative value less than their max HP. Power Word: Kill or Polymorph to a low HP form + big hit are the two "easy" ways.

[Lolzyking]

I think I know why we are disagreeing, I believe you missed the part where the monk stuns the druid BEFORE, they wild shape.

using quivering palm on a wild shaped druid is a bad idea and I acknowledge that, I'm only mentioning that a monk that has grappled the druid and has them prone, is still grappled and prone once transformed, and grappled and prone creatures cannot cast spells, they can only attack the grappler at disadvantage, because they lack the movement to get up.

[Shining Wrath]

I think I know why we are disagreeing, I believe you missed the part where the monk stuns the druid BEFORE, they wild shape.

using quivering palm on a wild shaped druid is a bad idea and I acknowledge that, I'm only mentioning that a monk that has grappled the druid and has them prone, is still grappled and prone once transformed, and grappled and prone creatures cannot cast spells, they can only attack the grappler at disadvantage, because they lack the movement to get up.

The definition of "dead" does not change for a stunned creature. Stun lasts until end of monk's next turn; during next turn, quivering palm is used, which does not-restun. Druid is reduced to zero HP, which is not fatal for a wildshaped druid per explicit rules in PHB, and reverts to druid form. Alive, > 0 HP, not stunned, and rather annoyed with the monk.

Monk turn 1: stuns wildshaped druid.
Druid turn 1: drools.
Monk turn 2: quivering palm.
Druid turn 2: reduced to zero HP, reverts to squishy druid form. Also: got a Con SR, which a Mammoth (CON 21) might well make.
Monk turn 3: tries for stun again.

[SharkForce]

the druid has unlimited wild shapes. what makes you think you'll be able to stun them before they go into wildshape when it is entirely possible they just stay in wildshape by default.

on a side note, i don't think the "overkill" solution works.

let's say the druid is in a form with 1 maximum HP. you hit it for 5 (which should normally be enough to overkill that creature). except, the wild shape rules change what happens; the form goes to 0 HP and any further HP are inflicted to the druid themselves.

now, this doesn't mean you can't make good use of polymorph on a druid (depending on whether your DM rules a druid is considered a shapechanger); a 1 HP creature is susceptible to a lot of things, and the druid won't have all the class powers they normally would. at 1 HP, you can cast sleep, power word stun, power word kill, etc, and know the target will have low enough HP, and you can certainly do something with that.

[Shining Wrath]

the druid has unlimited wild shapes. what makes you think you'll be able to stun them before they go into wildshape when it is entirely possible they just stay in wildshape by default.

on a side note, i don't think the "overkill" solution works.

let's say the druid is in a form with 1 maximum HP. you hit it for 5 (which should normally be enough to overkill that creature). except, the wild shape rules change what happens; the form goes to 0 HP and any further HP are inflicted to the druid themselves.

now, this doesn't mean you can't make good use of polymorph on a druid (depending on whether your DM rules a druid is considered a shapechanger); a 1 HP creature is susceptible to a lot of things, and the druid won't have all the class powers they normally would. at 1 HP, you can cast sleep, power word stun, power word kill, etc, and know the target will have low enough HP, and you can certainly do something with that.

I agree it's an interesting question about overkill; if the reversion happens instantaneously with reaching 0 HP, before applying the instant death rule, you're right. PHB:

Massive damage can kill you instantly. When damage reduces you to 0 HP and there is damage remaining, you die if the remaining damage equals or exceeds your hit point maximum.
and

You automatically revert if you ... drop to 0 hit points, or die.

So it's a race. If the order is 0 HP ==> revert ==> check for massive damage, you'll live (unless the damage is so massive it exceeds druid's base HP). But if the order is 0 HP ==> check for massive damage ==> revert, you'll die if you're a bunny rabbit struck for 30 points.

This sounds like a good one to ask Mearls & Crawford.

[MaxWilson]

using quivering palm on a wild shaped druid is a bad idea and I acknowledge that, I'm only mentioning that a monk that has grappled the druid and has them prone, is still grappled and prone once transformed, and grappled and prone creatures cannot cast spells, they can only attack the grappler at disadvantage, because they lack the movement to get up.

There is no such restriction on spellcasting while grappled. Some DMs (including me) might allow the monk to grapple you in a way that restricts somatic components, and even to gag you in a way that prevents you from using verbal components, but that would take some extra actions by the monk. There is no general restriction on spellcasting while grappled/prone, and as mentioned previously the monk gets out of grappled/prone for free anyway when he turns into an air elemental.

The real strategy here is "win initiative, and kill the druid while he is stunlocked." Might work or it might not. Winning initiative will be iffy if the druid has Foresight up. Everything depends on the context in which the fight happens.

[JNAProductions]

I wasn't aware Druids got Foresight.

[MaxWilson]

I wasn't aware Druids got Foresight.

Bard, Druid, Warlock, Wizard all get Foresight.

[Forum Explorer]

the druid has unlimited wild shapes. what makes you think you'll be able to stun them before they go into wildshape when it is entirely possible they just stay in wildshape by default.


Exactly. Infinite uses, + being able to cast spells in wildshape = Sir Bearington the Druid.

[Mara]

There are plenty of ways to stop the druid.

Those ways do not include damage or auto-kill spells.

[PoeticDwarf]

A couple of things.

First, I believe that the designers have ruled that conditions persist across the wildshape <-> normal form transition. So, if you restrain a druid who wildshapes to an elemental, the elemental is still restrained; if you poison a bear who reverts to a druid, the druid is still poisoned. Of course if the druid wildshapes to an air elemental, which I believe is immune to being restrained, that would cancel the condition upon transition; but that's an example of specific trumps general, not a reason to say conditions don't persist.

"Dead" is a condition which is different than zero HP; specifically, at zero HP you are making your survival saving throws, but once you're dead you stop rolling. Zero HP returns you to druid form from elemental; "Dead" returns you to druid form from elemental, and the druid is dead.

Therefore, if a level 20 wizard is opposing the level 20 druid, and the elemental has been beaten down to 30 HP, and the wizard casts Power Word: Kill - the elemental vanishes and the druid's corpse topples to the ground. If some horrible creature can generate greater than (remaining HP plus elemental's max HP) in a single round, the elemental disappears and the druid is dead.

So persistence of conditions, most especially the "Dead" condition, is the first weakness here. The second is the magnitude of overkill; at level 20, being able to hit for 50 or 60 points at a shot is not that uncommon. You ought to be fighting Ancient Wyrms and Titans and that sort of creature, and they pack a wallop. Your timeline, then looks more like:

Wildshape to Elemental
Get hit for ~50 points
Get hit for ~50 points
Get hit for ~50 points, with ~30 of them passing on to the druid.

The actual druid has probably 8+3=11 + 19*(5+3=8)=152 = 163 HP. He's going to last around 15 rounds, which is impressive to be taking the full wrath of a dragon to be certain, but not immortal. And that's only if the creature attacking him has no ability to impose the stunned or paralyzed or petrified conditions; a druid who can't take actions can't wildshape. A statue of a water elemental is not any more dangerous than a statue of a halfling.

The third possibility is tag-team; polymorph the druid into something with low HP, and before the druid's next turn, someone hits the low HP creature for 2x HP. And intelligent foes will recognize the threat posed by an endless queue of elementals, and resort to techniques like that.

A good build level 20 moon druid wants 20 wis, 20 con and because he cant use things like dex often the though feat. Even without the feat he has 203hp instead of the 163 which you think the most logical is, also there are many hilldwarf druids so that gives average even more hp. I think every level 20 moon druid has at least 200hp.

[MaxWilson]

There are plenty of ways to stop the druid.

Those ways do not include damage or auto-kill spells.

Agreeing with this:

There are a number of ways to become functionally immune to death through HP attrition.

1.) Moon druid capstone provides tons of bonus HP.
2.) Regenerate spell adds +1 HP at the start of your turn, so you cannot die through failing death saves, only through massive damage or extra attacks after you're already at 0 HP.
3.) Healing Word from another PC is functionally similar to #2. "Pop-up healing" is the derisive term for it but it does prevent you from dying or even losing a turn even to e.g. dragon breath.
4.) Half-orcs and barbarians each get to avoid a killing blow (drop to 1 HP instead of 0 HP) once per long rest.
5.) Monk of the Long Death gets to drop to 1 HP instead of 0 HP up to 20 times per short rest at 20th level, plus 4 times per fight. (I.e. it costs 1 ki point.)

For Monk of the Long Death, the ability comes online at 11th level vs. 20th level for Moon Druids, and is far more likely to impact your average campaign.

[Hudsonian]

Does going underground as an earth elemental give the Druid total cover from most attacks?

Would it be feasible to say that the enemy does not know the location of the elemental once it moves while underground? (Burrow up, attack, burrow away, repeat) Same with water in an ocean/lake.

Say a wizard doesn't have the trump card that is due wizards (I mean, they are the glass cannons and Power Word: Kill is the best thing that they could have in this situation and I don't think it is overpowered. But say they were surprised and didn't have that particular spell.) How else would a caster go about it? Seems like back to back Fireballs at 9th Level should do it (sorcerer w/quicken) but I feel like there might be a more elegant way to go about it.

Also, let's make the assumption that a 20th level Moon Druid is going to default to some sort of wild shape. I'd probably default to some form of Giant Eagle for transportation, or go elemental.

Have I mentioned that I think it would be really cool to come out of Air Elemental from the sky, cast a spell on the way down, then go earth elemental to pound the enemy as you dive straight into the ground.

[MaxWilson]

Does going underground as an earth elemental give the Druid total cover from most attacks?

Would it be feasible to say that the enemy does not know the location of the elemental once it moves while underground? (Burrow up, attack, burrow away, repeat) Same with water in an ocean/lake.

Say a wizard doesn't have the trump card that is due wizards (I mean, they are the glass cannons and Power Word: Kill is the best thing that they could have in this situation and I don't think it is overpowered. But say they were surprised and didn't have that particular spell.) How else would a caster go about it? Seems like back to back Fireballs at 9th Level should do it (sorcerer w/quicken) but I feel like there might be a more elegant way to go about it.

Looking at my spell list for one of my wizard PCs at 11th level... I come up totally empty for save-or-die effects except for Suggestion ("Run away!"/"Grovel before me!") and Wall of Force. (Stinking Cloud doesn't count because it doesn't affect Earth Elementals.) So at best I could stalemate an Onion Druid for 10 minutes until Wall of Force expires, or force him to run away for 8 hours. Unless I took the brute force approach of just Webbing him and hitting him with enough firepower (say 50 skeleton archers and my own Eldritch Blasts) to kill him before he can switch forms. Since 50 archers with heavy crossbows against a restrained AC 17 target do 394 DPR, the brute force approach is probably just fine.

If you're looking for something more elegant, Hold Monster + attacks from fellow PCs ought to do just fine.

[Safety Sword]

There are plenty of ways to stop the druid.

Those ways do not include damage or auto-kill spells.

Have an attractive bear pet that distracts the druid?