Druid Warlock

[Aaedimus]

I like Armor of Agathys, but I can't see any other reason I'd want to dip Warlock. It seems like a waste! Are there any other truly redeeming features to giving a Druid a Warlock?

One of my big issues is you're not just pushing the spells known but the spell slot progression back a turn as well, and there are easier cheaper ways to get cantrips and spells...

I wish you could upcast the magic initiate spell with spell slots...

[Rhaegar14]

If you're going Circle of the Moon then Armor of Shadows is really nice, and Devil's Sight should apply to all of your forms. A really permissive DM might let you use a pact weapon while shapeshifted, especially if you chose forms with hands (like a primate). Fiend Patron's THP will help you stay shapeshifted longer (not that Moon Druids don't already have BUCKETS of hit points).

If you're NOT Circle of the Moon, grabbing Booming Blade and Shillelagh off the Druid list gives you a half-decent melee attack if that floats your boat.

[nickl_2000]

Have you considered talking to you DM? It isn't RAW to let you upcast a spell from Magic Initiate, but your DM may let you if it isn't Adventures League

[MaxWilson]

I like Armor of Agathys, but I can't see any other reason I'd want to dip Warlock. It seems like a waste! Are there any other truly redeeming features to giving a Druid a Warlock?

Yes. Druids have great concentration spells and crummy at-will attacks. Warlocks have fantastic at-will attacks and mostly mediocre spells. Druid/warlock therefore has a better action economy.

For example, Shepherd Druid 3/Warlock 2 can cast Spike Growth and then use Agonizing Repelling Blast for d10+4d4+3ish damage per hit, plus (depending on the geometry) the enemy may then have to come back across the same spikes for another 4d4 damage (difficult terrain, so half speed) before it can attack you.

Another example: after you cast Conjure Animals, instead of chucking crummy little 2d8 Produce Flame at a 30' range, you can chuck Agonizing Repelling Blast for 2d10+6(ish) at 120' range, plus control.

You could also pick up some useful spells including Shield while you're at it, plus short-rest spell slots to fueld them.

It does make you more MAD, but druids are fairly SAD so it's not as bad as it could be--you only have to roll good stats, instead of the incredible stats you need for e.g. a warbearian or monklock.

[Bloodcloud]

I like Armor of Agathys, but I can't see any other reason I'd want to dip Warlock. It seems like a waste! Are there any other truly redeeming features to giving a Druid a Warlock?

One of my big issues is you're not just pushing the spells known but the spell slot progression back a turn as well, and there are easier cheaper ways to get cantrips and spells...

I wish you could upcast the magic initiate spell with spell slots...

Don't forget armor of aghatys cannot be used in wild shape, since both use THP and these don't stack...

[MaxWilson]

Don't forget armor of aghatys cannot be used in wild shape, since both use THP and these don't stack...

Wild shape is not temp HP.

[Vogie]

Yes. Druids have great concentration spells and crummy at-will attacks. Warlocks have fantastic at-will attacks and mostly mediocre spells. Druid/warlock therefore has a better action economy.

It's a great pairing.

If your DM allows homebrew, check out the Gaia Patron in my Sig - it's based on the Iron Druid series of novels, and is a Warlock Patron that allows access to the Druid Spell list.

I will say that it is a... different style of Warlock. Most notably, one that mostly can't use EB. In the novel series, Gaia will not allow her druids to use her magic to hurt any living thing directly. Over the course of the series, you see how the druids get around that, and I emulated that in the Patron rules. You could use magic to, for example, give yourself claws and slash at a target (thus the claws are the things that damage a target) or Shillelagh to empower your staff, but you can't just blast living things.

You can, however, blast unliving things, which nature abhors. The protagonist frequently uses said magic to obliterate and liquefy vampires & other undead.

[ciarannihill]

I like Armor of Agathys, but I can't see any other reason I'd want to dip Warlock. It seems like a waste! Are there any other truly redeeming features to giving a Druid a Warlock?

One of my big issues is you're not just pushing the spells known but the spell slot progression back a turn as well, and there are easier cheaper ways to get cantrips and spells...

I wish you could upcast the magic initiate spell with spell slots...

In addition to what @MaxWilson said, this multiclass combo makes for an excellent sustained healer for a party. Warlock gives you short rest spell slots, which can be useful on sustained dungeon dives, particularly with some of the healing spells Druid gets access to, in particular Healing Spirit. Level 3 Druid/Level 3 Warlock gets short rest Healing Spirit meaning essentially free use every short rest, which is potentially powerful (You can do the same build to a degree with Bard/Lock, but it comes online much later because of how late you get Magical Secrets).

Shepherd Druid is great, as are Dreams or Land. Any Warlock will do, really. Something like this at level 6 can keep your party going for a loooooong time and you still have the at-will damage of a Warlock to lean on for combat scenarios. You also have the option of dipping into Cleric for Disciple of Life, but that might be a bit overkill -- and it delays your spell progression slightly as well.

Protector Aasimar:
8 Str / 12 Dex / 14 Con / 8 Int / 15 (16) Wis / 14 (16) Cha
Dreams Druid 3 / Celestial Tome Warlock 3

Then probably focus Druid the rest of the way, possibly get one extra level in Warlock for the ASI if you're not planning on hitting level 20 for 9th level spells.

I dunno, I just find this build concept interesting because it has so many tools to heal in combat that don't require spells, and when you have the chance to rest it can totally rejuvenate your party without real resource cost thanks to Healing Spirit using a Warlock slot, meaning you can be a healer that still has use of nearly all of your spellslots for combat anyway, plus the at-will damage @MaxWilson outlined.

[samcifer]

If you go hexblade, the hexblade's curse damage can be applied to all your beast form's attacks and gives you a crit boost as well

[Grod_The_Giant]

Don't forget telepathy-- go Great Old One and with a one-level dip you can ignore one of the biggest drawbacks of Wild Shape.

[DarkKnightJin]

Don't forget telepathy-- go Great Old One and with a one-level dip you can ignore one of the biggest drawbacks of Wild Shape.

That's what I was thinking about, too.
Just be a bear or a dog, walk up to some random NPC, and blow his gorramn mind when the animal TALKS!

Partly why I wanna get my EK/Goolock infected with lycanthropy.. That, and being able to turn into an animal without Druid levels would be sweet.

[Beelzebubba]

Archfey Pact makes for a great pairing thematically - a High Elf or Eladrin Druid that makes friends with one of the powerful beings in, say, the Seely Court in the Feywild.

[Ruebin Rybnik]

I like Armor of Agathys, but I can't see any other reason I'd want to dip Warlock. It seems like a waste! Are there any other truly redeeming features to giving a Druid a Warlock?

One of my big issues is you're not just pushing the spells known but the spell slot progression back a turn as well, and there are easier cheaper ways to get cantrips and spells...

I wish you could upcast the magic initiate spell with spell slots...

If you really like AoA, then one level dip into warlock would be a better way to get it than MI. You're already giving up the ASI, and now you'll be able to up cast it because it's now part of you spell list.