Help with 5e Druid/Barbarian?

[sarrsharo]

As the title says, I could use some advice for setting up a Circle of the Moon Druid/Barbarian multiclass.
I've read tons of threads and have narrowed down some options.

For character theme, I wanted an angry druid that embodies the untethered rage of nature, shifting into animal form and going to town. I'm going with a homebrew 5e Killoren as a race, since it fits the angry druid theme quite well. So Druid 2 is a bare minimum for Circle of the Moon transformations.
I'm also going into a minimum Barbarian 3 to dip into the UA Wildsoul Barbarian path. I'm aware that Totem Barbarians bring a lot more to wildshape, but thematically I like the idea of a bear, direwolf, or constrictor snake running into the middle of a pack of enemies, raging, and unleashing unpredictable wildmagic with nature's wrath.
Fillng the role of tank/offtank.

I know moon druids are only worth it at higher levels once they gain access to better CR creatures, so going heavier on the druid levels would probably pay off more. Druid 10 helps since you get access to elementals, and druid 15 would get access to CR3 creatures like giant crocs.

For barb I only need the minimum 3 levels, since the rest of the wildsoul barb doesn't help a ton. I know the unlimited spellslot recovery is nice, but doesn't matter thematically. How much barb would actually help?

Also considered a single dip in monk for the wisdom score unarmored defense while in wildshape.

My question is, since I'm not going full druid, and only need a minimum of 3 in barb, what would be the best combination?

[Teaguethebean]

Firstly what stats does this homebrew race give and secondly definitely starting 2 levels of druid for cr1 wild shape followed by 1 level of barb then bring druid to 6 then 2 more barb and then finish off with druid. Getting cr2 beasts at druid6 is great along with rage and you are one hell of a tank. Then getting your wild rage for the flavor by nine and then up to cr3 creatures at character lv10 making you one hell of a tank. And considering you won't really need any stat boosts focus feats like. on sentinel, tough, and mage slayer.

[Fable Wright]

I... genuinely think you've found the least compatible multiclass. Kudos.

Druids' greatest power from levels 7-9 and 12+ are from Concentration spells. Which you can't use while raging.

For maximum power in tier 1, Moon Druid 2/Barbarian 2 is the strongest character on the block. At level 5, suddenly less so. After that point... well, your wildshape will always be dramatically behind curve, and your spellcasting is down. Your Barbarian features are increasingly propping up an increasingly weak dip, or you're a moon Druid 3 levels behind the party who can do OK damage and crowd control when he rages.

I honestly got nothing on how you make this work. Sorry.

[sarrsharo]

Firstly what stats does this homebrew race give and secondly definitely starting 2 levels of druid for cr1 wild shape followed by 1 level of barb then bring druid to 6 then 2 more barb and then finish off with druid. Getting cr2 beasts at druid6 is great along with rage and you are one hell of a tank. Then getting your wild rage for the flavor by nine and then up to cr3 creatures at character lv10 making you one hell of a tank. And considering you won't really need any stat boosts focus feats like. on sentinel, tough, and mage slayer.

Apologies for not mentioning what bonuses the race is giving.
Wis +2, Str +1
Cold Iron Anathema: Disadvantage with iron weapons
Darkvision
Feytype: advantage on being charmed, can't fall asleep
Speak with animals
and Thunderous Smite once per day, increase damage at higher levels

Between my rolls and the racial bonuses, I can potentially have wis at a 20 at level 1. Even though it's next to useless once I'm in wildshape since I won't get the ability to cast spells at druid 18, I guess it'll help when I'm out of wildshape? None of the other stats really matter. I guess a high con would help survive out of wildshape, and help with the wild surge DC, but I dunno.

Multiclassing at those levels makes a lot of sense. I completely forgot about taking feats over stat bonuses since I've never really played a character that didn't want the stats. That's a great help.

[Teaguethebean]

I... genuinely think you've found the least compatible multiclass. Kudos.

Druids' greatest power from levels 7-9 and 12+ are from Concentration spells. Which you can't use while raging.

For maximum power in tier 1, Moon Druid 2/Barbarian 2 is the strongest character on the block. At level 5, suddenly less so. After that point... well, your wildshape will always be dramatically behind curve, and your spellcasting is down. Your Barbarian features are increasingly propping up an increasingly weak dip, or you're a moon Druid 3 levels behind the party who can do OK damage and crowd control when he rages.

I honestly got nothing on how you make this work. Sorry.

The build is based around never dieing it is a low level hp tank and it works pretty well if you can pick up sentinel to keep your quarry near you.

[sarrsharo]

I... genuinely think you've found the least compatible multiclass. Kudos.

Druids' greatest power from levels 7-9 and 12+ are from Concentration spells. Which you can't use while raging.

For maximum power in tier 1, Moon Druid 2/Barbarian 2 is the strongest character on the block. At level 5, suddenly less so. After that point... well, your wildshape will always be dramatically behind curve, and your spellcasting is down. Your Barbarian features are increasingly propping up an increasingly weak dip, or you're a moon Druid 3 levels behind the party who can do OK damage and crowd control when he rages.

I honestly got nothing on how you make this work. Sorry.

It's difficult working within the confines of a very limiting system when you find something that is thematically interesting, but may not play the best.
I think it'd be an interesting character if the classes weren't so keen on sticking with themselves and nothing else. But that's most of 5E in general.

EDIT:
What would you suggest instead? Just go with bear totem barb at level 3 instead of wildsoul and call it a day?

[Fable Wright]

It's difficult working within the confines of a very limiting system when you find something that is thematically interesting, but may not play the best.
I think it'd be an interesting character if the classes weren't so keen on sticking with themselves and nothing else. But that's most of 5E in general.

EDIT:
What would you suggest instead? Just go with bear totem barb at level 3 instead of wildsoul and call it a day?

No, the Barbarian subclass chosen isn't the problem. The issue is a fundamental difference in the Barbarian and Druid classes. The Barbarian is designed to Rage during combat, and his features are designed to work around that fundamental fact.

The Druid is designed to cast one big, impressive spell and Concentrate on that throughout the combat. Refreshing or switching spells as appropriate, since they have the most efficient damage per slot spells per level, but can't nova them.

The disconnect is that Rage prevents Concentration. The most Concentration dependent class plus the one class that can't concentrate is just difficult to work when Wild Shape is no longer a focus, unless you have a staggering amount of wealth to work with for Planar Binding every day. Or Animate Dead through Spore Druid. Or have a literal army of animal helpers via Animal Friendship.

... hm. If you're willing to fluff things differently, actually, a Spore Druid could make this work. You get full Rage benefits, a pile of temp HP, Animate Dead to burn spell slots on (refluff with DM to allow you to turn corpses into animals, or avenging spirits?), don't need Concentration... and a lot of healing out of combat. It could work with Wild Soul, if you like, at Wild Soul 5+/Spore Druid whatever. Just get the Extra Attack and you'll be fine.

[chando]

I really like the path of the berserker on this build. one more attack as a bonus action migth be a very effective way of increasing your tankness but increasing your theart level. You can suffur through a couple levels of exhaustion without so much loss in efficiency playing a caster when out of rages or even using greater restaration to ignore some levels if you deem this a whorty useage of the spell slot on that given day...
Path of the Ancestral Guardian is also good at providing a tanking mechanism so foes dont ignore due to low damage/threat by comparasion to its other targets (animal damage, especially on a underleveled druid, migth be an issue, but rage damage and rackless attack help remediate that).

Ultimately, I think I would go for Barbarian 2 druid 10+, but if not going to all the way to 20 than maybe up to Barbarian 3-4 Druid 10+ 16-17,
mostly I think being just two level behind in casting for 2/day Rage half damage, bonus to damage+ works much like a self buff concentration spell, a low level druidic "tenser transformation". its one more tool in your arsenal, not your only one. druids have a lot of tools.
a third barbarian level in almost any subclass makes you a better tank but migth not be needed if you are only off-tanking/have regular melee tanks around. by the level you migth want to take it (you want druid levels 2/4/6/8 as quickly as possible for wildshape progress). If you absolutle need to have might take ir early and have the benefits of being more tank than druid the whole way...

You can play this build in many ways, even in the same day!
Cast non-concentration spells, before turning into a animal and raging, many of wich have huge effect early in the fitgh or during it.
Cast spellsr after the animalHP/rage are over. the figth should be finishing up or really needying a tide turning spell.
Be a casting druid with concentration and control spells, just turn into a animal to help finish up tje figth if better/more fun than cantrip usage. rage only if needed

Some nice non-concentration spells include:
Cantrips shillelagh, thorn whip
1: Absorb elements, charm person, cure wounds, earth tremor, jump, longstrider, ice knife, earth tremor, thunderwave, healing word
2: Lesser restoration, protection from poison
3: Dispel magic, meld into stone, plant growth, speak with plants, erupting earth, tidal wave
4: Blight, charm monster, freedom of movement, stone shape, ice storm
5: Contagion, mass cure wounds, transmute rock


great gereal feats to pick up
-Sentinel, if you want to tank evenmore in Wildshape
-Resilient (con/wis) always good. Warcaster is less useful since in animal form you mostly wont be casting cantrips, but if you tank with shillelagh+shield more/as well than it migh be ok. or if you go for druid 18. If you start barbarian, taking Res(wis) can come much later, especially with a wis 20)
-Savage attack works while wildshaped and might be useful for better damage on some forms. but the gain is marginal at best at a level where you could take it
-Mobilty migth conservate those HP a lot longer with skirmish tactics, althoug you do have resistance and the HP are there to be depleted so you allies dont die.
-Shieldmaster, a defensive feat with bonus action use when engagin enemies in non-WShaped form.

[Foff]

I'm playing a moon druid right now in Princes of the Apocalypse and made it to level 5 of the adventure with quite some satisfaction and I've toyed with the idea of dipping barbarian or monk since the beginning of the campaign.
I just cannot find the right moment to do it, every level until 10 is filled with goodies I really cannot shake.
I don't feel it's worth delaying flying shapes, shape magical attacks, giant toad, level 3 spells for a huge unarmored AC boost or the ability to rage twice a day.
I get the fantasy of being a pissed off bear and going to town on enemies, but you kinda do that already with normal wildshape.
Even if you can focus less on casting than other druid subclasses you still have some extremely powerful spells (spike growth, conjure animals) that compliment very well the high damage output of wildshapes.
I honestly don't feel like wildshapes are really good at tanking, they're much better used for their superior mobility and damage potential.
Unless you can find a way to get really high AC (monk dip, party buffs) they have a lot of HP and are very good on a 1vs1 or even 1vs2 situation, but you're not a sword and board barbarian, you're eventually gonna run out of HP in a melee situation and if you get a bad round you're easily pushed out of wildshape and into the ground (your humanoid form is not gonna be very resilient whatever you do about it).

That being said if you find it worth dipping monk for the AC bonus (most shapes other than bear have really good dexterity, and you're maxing Wis anyway) dire wolf (high ac, high hp pool, knockdown on hit and pack tactics) and giant hyena (highest hp pool of all low lvl beasts, decent AC) make for really good tanks.

[Zhorn]

Personally I like the plan of going for a big hitter.
Druid(moon) 9 / Barbarian(berserker) 5

Wildshape into a Giant Snapping Turtle (ToA p222; CR 3, AC 17, Bite: 4d6+4)
Extra Attack + Frenzy for 3x rage bites per turn.

or any other barbarian subclass since that frenzy cost is a pain.

[col_impact]

Go all druid.