Buffing Wildshapes with Multiclass

[Maxilian]

Hello everyone, i have been trying to create druids that use X animal form as its main thing, so i have been trying to look for different builds that improve a certain form so it improve as you lvl up, right now i got:

1- Druid 10 / Barb 3 Frenzy (To empower an elemental -Frenzy give you the exhaustion condition, but the elemental are inmune to that condition, so its a nice way to make the most of the frenzy subclass and it let you increase the DPR of your elemental forms)

2- Druid 4 / Monk Long Death 11 (To empower the Giant Poisonous snake, it already have a really nice DEX, so you can concentrate on working with WIS, in the animal form you can use all Long Death abilities and the lvl 11 monk ability let your animal form survive at high lvls even though it doesn't have that much HP -Note: Wildshape + lvl 11 monk its one of the only true forms to completely negate a certain amount of damage. (Regardless how much damage you take, you just fall to 1 HP if you spend 1 ki point)

3- Druid 8 / Sun Soul Monk 5 (to Empower the Flying Snake, have a really nice DEX, so just concentrate on WIS, good AC, low HP, but tiny and a lot of movement, pretty good if using Cover rules, as the size make it quite easy to get full cover)


3.5 - Druid 4 / Sun Soul Monk 5 (To empower Giant Poisonous Snake, less movement, more damage, can't take advantage of the cover rule that easily)

4- Druid 2 / Barb 4 Variant Human (This is mostly to take advantage of those animals form with the charge ability, combine it with the Charger feat and Mobile and you will be able to run around the battlefield doing a nice amount of damage, just 1 attack, but got adv cause Barbarian, and the extra damage from the Rage -Love it for the Stench Kow, just cause its thematically funny)

5- Bearbarian (so popular combination that i'm not going to go in detail)

6- Druid 2 / Barb 2 / Fighter 4 Elf or Half-elf (To empower Deinonychus, unlike the other forms, it only have a +2 in your main stat, but got it also in STR, DEX and CON, making it a more versatile form, this little guy get 3 attacks, so with Reckless Attack advantage and the Feat -Elven Accuracy (UA feat for races) to go for the Sweet crits)

So what do you guys think? any ideas that could make for a nice druid combo?

[8wGremlin]

Redemption paladin 3/ Moon Druid X

Uses paladins 16 + Dex mod for AC, and can smith with animal attacks.

[Citan]

Hi Maxilian. ;)

I don't have time to check all your suggestions in details, but it seems to me you nailed it.

Note just that Mage Armor may be a simple and quick way to buff your beast form (provided of course if has high DEX) depending on how your DM rules its effect when you Wild Shape.

I would rule that its effect is modifier with the DEX of the beast, but I could understand another view: one could see it as an effect that is "instantly" created when you are in human form. AFB at the moment, but I don't recall anything that would give a definitive indication.

Can be either lackluster or even better if your DM consider the MA's AC is static: it would mean you can easily bump your DEX, then cast Mage Armor before turning into your preferred beast (imagine a Brown Bear with AC 17? XD).

[Ventruenox]

If you use Gith as a race, you get a Psionic Mage Hand that has no Verbal, Material, or Somatic components. Wild Shaped Gith Druids will no longer have to drop their shape to open a door. If you learn Thieve's Cant somehow or even just draw with a stick in the dirt, you can also communicate to the rest of the party.

[8wGremlin]

UA - Druid X/Mystic (immortal) 3+

Order of the Immortal Mystic 3 gives you:

Dex+Con Mod+10 AC,
You gain INT mod temp hp every round!
psionics that you can use in beast shape
Flight (with beast shape Discipline)
Telepathy
extra AC with some Disciplines

[Maxilian]

If you use Gith as a race, you get a Psionic Mage Hand that has no Verbal, Material, or Somatic components. Wild Shaped Gith Druids will no longer have to drop their shape to open a door. If you learn Thieve's Cant somehow or even just draw with a stick in the dirt, you can also communicate to the rest of the party.

Doesn't work, Wildshape restrict you from using spell (the restriction of casting is not based on the lack of verbal / material / somatic component.


UA - Druid X/Mystic (immortal) 3+

Order of the Immortal Mystic 3 gives you:

Dex+Con Mod+10 AC,
You gain INT mod temp hp every round!
psionics that you can use in beast shape
Flight (with beast shape Discipline)
Telepathy
extra AC with some Disciplines


Kind of work.

Psionics are not meant to be used in Wildshape, they are to be treated as spellcasting (but can still concentrate as normally)

https://www.sageadvice.eu/2016/03/28/how-psionic-diciplines-talent-and-focus-would-interact-with-druid-wild-shape/

[8wGremlin]

Doesn't work, Wildshape restrict you from using spell (the restriction of casting is not based on the lack of verbal / material / somatic component.



Kind of work.

Psionics are not meant to be used in Wildshape, they are to be treated as spellcasting (but can still concentrate as normally)

https://www.sageadvice.eu/2016/03/28/how-psionic-diciplines-talent-and-focus-would-interact-with-druid-wild-shape/

Ah sage advice. Just that advice.

[PeteNutButter]

I'd just add that the barbarian ones have the con to AC (instead of natural armor), which to most forms is a couple point boost in AC.

Also channel divinities can be used in form. I particularly like the ancients paladin channel divinity for flavor.

[nickl_2000]

Along with Barbarian, Monks make a good multiclass. Since you keep your wisdom and your wisdom will be decent anyways since you are a Druid, your AC in wildshape can get a huge boost.

[Rogerdodger557]

1- Druid 10 / Barb 3 Frenzy (To empower an elemental -Frenzy give you the exhaustion condition, but the elemental are inmune to that condition, so its a nice way to make the most of the frenzy subclass and it let you increase the DPR of your elemental forms)


Oh you cheeky little....scribbles this down for later use

[apepi]

Two level Wizard Bladesong can get you some AC, movement, helps con, advantage on Dex and Acrobatics.

[Waazraath]

Hello everyone, i have been trying to create druids that use X animal form as its main thing, so i have been trying to look for different builds that improve a certain form so it improve as you lvl up, right now i got:

1- Druid 10 / Barb 3 Frenzy (To empower an elemental -Frenzy give you the exhaustion condition, but the elemental are inmune to that condition, so its a nice way to make the most of the frenzy subclass and it let you increase the DPR of your elemental forms)


This one is really nice! It adds 50% damage to an elemental form when active. Ok, not completely, cause the first rond uses the bonus action to start frenzy, so it's a little less, and after that all attacks get the +2 extra damage from rage, so that's a little more, but still.

How can we improve this?

As for the class, first moon druid 10 seems logical (elemental forms asap), after that 3 levels of frenzy barbarian, and then what?
- continue as druid has foresight as capstone at level 20, which is nice. Increasing spellpower keeps you relevant in fights where you choose not to wildshape (you only have 3 rages, after all).
- at least two levels of paladin is really nice for smite (a lot of extra damage). Or pally 6 for the save aura, but that makes it rather MAD, if you want it to be useful
- levels in other spellcasting classes for better defensive buff spells: cleric or pally for Aid, Warlock for Armor of Agathys, cleric for death ward... ? Essential are long duration, cause you won't get to the level. Most of these thwart a power word kill tactic, if employed against you.
- warlock for some invocations and an invisible familiar, for utility purposes (2 extra skills, minor illusion or disguise self at will...)
- more levels in barbarian, for more rages, more rage damage, brutal critical damage, and mindless rage

As for feats, there are a few very good ones:
- mobile, for hit and run style of combat with air or earth elemental makes it very hard to hit you)
- savage attacker, to increas the damage (reroll 2d8 every turn isn't bad)
- tavern brawler: bit of DM fiat if it works with slam, but you can use an improvised weapon anyways. Hit, auto-grapple, fly 90 feet in the air (air elemental form), drop opponent & profit.
- lucky (for when that disintegrate comes).

As for races:
- half orc increasses the damage a bit
- variant human gives a bonus feat, which can be nice (also because you most likely miss out on an ASI)
- aasimar (to get a fly speed, on your earth elemental, and some extra damage 1/day)

Anything else? What would you think optimal?