5e Druid Guide - Dreams, Land, Shepherd, and Spores

[Merudo]

Druid Circles

Circle of Dreams (XGtE)

Spoiler: Features

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The Circle of Dreams provides bonus action healing at level 2, the ability to take rests more safely at level 6, a bonus action teleport at level 10, and a free Scrying/Dream/Teleport Circle at level 14.

The bonus action healing and teleport are great abilities that work wonderfully in tandem with your spellcasting. The issue is that this Circle has little else of value. For levels 2 to 9, the only combat feature of this Circle is a few d6s of healing, which is a harsh pill to swallow. The bonus action teleport at level 10 can be a life saver, but it's rarely used.

A decent circle, overshadowed by the Moon, Land & Shepherd circles.

Balm of the Summer Court (2): Healing Word with twice the range. Excellent to bring back someone from 0HP and still cast a non-cantrip spell.

Hearth of Moonlight and Shadow (6): This lets you rest more safely. Useful if nobody has access to Leomund's Tiny Hut, but near useless otherwise. A kind DM might let you start a "fake" rest just to trigger the +5 to Perception/Stealth.

Hidden Paths (10): Misty Step with twice the range, or you can teleport someone else 30' instead. It's not a spell, so you can cast a non-cantrip spell with your Action. Amazing!

Walker in Dreams (14): Once per long rest, you can cast either Dream, Scrying or Teleport Circle for free at the end of a short rest.

• Scrying you could already do, but using it without a spell slot is nice.
• Dream is great to harass enemies. By RAW you can take a short rest in the middle of your long rest, so you can cast this in the middle of the night without missing out on a long rest.
• Teleport Circle can open a portal to the last location where you took a long rest. Frankly, I don't see much use for this beside teleporting out of dungeons.

Circle of Land

Spoiler: Features

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This Circle improves the Druid's ability to cast spells. The main draws are Natural Recovery for more spell slots per day, and extra spells for more versatility. Additionally, you also get 3 defensive buffs, but these are limited in scope.

Bonus Cantrip (2): Decent, especially at early levels where you would otherwise only have 2 cantrips

Natural Recovery (2): Recover some spells slot on a short rest, just like a Wizard. Greatly increases your stamina.

Circle Spells (3,5,7,9): The main reason you'd pick this as your circle. The Grassland & Underdark lands are probably the best choices.

Land's Stride (6): Makes you immune to your own Plant Growth spell. Also helps with saving throws from Entangle & Spike Growth.

Nature's Ward (10): Immunity to Disease and Poison, plus you can't be charmed/frightened by Fey or Elementals. The later part is extremely circumstantial.

Nature's Sanctuary (14): Similar to the Sanctuary spell - but only against Beasts & Plants, which are rarely encountered at level 14+.

Spoiler: Land Choices

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N: New option that isn't on the Druid's list

Arctic: Decent enough spells you'd likely want to prepare. The access to Slow is the main draw of this; with Cone of Cold being an unremarkable damage spell.

Level 2: Hold Person, Spike Growth
Level 3: Sleet Storm, Slow (N)
Level 4: Freedom of Movement, Ice Storm
Level 5: Commune with Nature, Cone of Cold (N)

Coast: The Level 2 spells are arguably the best defensive spells in the game, and they don't use your concentration. The rest is not so hot unless you play an aquatic campaign.

Level 2: Mirror Image (N), Misty Step (N)
Level 3: Water Breathing, Water Walk
Level 4: Control Water, Freedom of Movement
Level 5: Conjure Elemental, Scrying

Desert: You get Silence, Wall of Stone, and a bunch of crappy spells. Avoid this.

Level 2: Blur (N), Silence (N)
Level 3: Create Food and Water (N), Protection from Energy
Level 4: Blight, Hallucinatory Terrain
Level 5: Insect Plague, Wall of Stone

Forest: Plant Growth is great & Divination is occasionally helpful, but the rest is bad. Go Grassland instead.

Level 2: Barkskin, Spider Climb (N)
Level 3: Call Lightning, Plant Growth
Level 4: Divination (N), Freedom of Movement
Level 5: Commune with Nature, Tree Stride

Grassland: You gain access to the wonderful Invisibility & Haste, as well as the occasionally useful Divination & Dream. Plus, you always have Pass without Trace prepared. Solid.

Level 2: Invisibility (N), Pass without Trace
Level 3: Daylight, Haste (N)
Level 4: Divination (N), Freedom of Movement
Level 5: Dream (N), Insect Plague

Mountain: There is not much of value here. Only get this if you really want Lightning Bolt.

Level 2: Spider Climb (N), Spike Growth
Level 3: Lightning Bolt (N), Meld into Stone
Level 4: Stone Shape, Stoneskin
Level 5: Passwall (N), Wall of Stone

Swamp: If you want Stinking Cloud that badly, go Underdark instead.

Level 2: Darkness (N), Melf's Acid Arrow (N)
Level 3: Water Walk, Stinking Cloud (N)
Level 4: Freedom of Movement, Locate Creature
Level 5: Insect Plague, Scrying

Underdark: Gives you the largest list of Circle spells not on the Druid's list. Greater Invisibility, Stinking Cloud & Web are all good, but the rest is bit lacking.

Level 2: Spider Climb (N), Web (N)
Level 3: Gaseous Form (N), Stinking Cloud (N)
Level 4: Greater Invisibility (N), Stone Shape
Level 5: Cloudkill (N), Insect Plague

Spoiler: Extra Spells

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B : Bonus Action Spell
C : Concentration Spell
R : Ritual Spell

Level 2 Spells

Blur (C, Desert): Doesn't provide enough defense to be worth your precious concentration

Darkness (C, Swamp): You already have Fog Cloud.

Invisibility (C, Grassland): Always useful, although Pass Without Trace is often better for stealth missions

Melf's Acid Arrow (Swamp): This spell does embarrassingly little damage.

Mirror Image (Coast): An amazing defensive spell that doesn't take concentration

Misty Step (B, Coast): Teleport as a Bonus Action. Quite useful for your entire career.

Silence (C, R, Desert): Can cripple spellcasters, if you have some way to keep them in the sphere.

Spider Climb (C, Forest, Mountain & Underdark): You can already turn into a spider.

Web (C, Underdark): A powered-up version of Entangle that restrains every turn

Level 3 Spells

Create Food and Water(Desert): You already can cast Goodberry, and Create Water.

Gaseous Form (C, Underdark): Circumstantial, especially for someone who can turn into a small critter at will.

Haste (C, Grassland): Good buff - a nice use of your concentration against enemies resistant against your magic.

Lightning Bolt (Mountain): Decent blasting spell, although the area of effect is more awkward to use than Fireball.

Slow (C, Arctic): A powerful debuff that is also party friendly.

Stinking Cloud (C, Swamp & Underdark): Okay AoE debuff, but works wonderfully when combined with Poison immunity such as your Nature's Ward or Heroes' Feast.

Level 4 Spells

Divination (R, Forest & Grassland): Lets you ask a question to your god(?). Highly DM dependent.

Greater Invisibility (C, Underdark): Amazing buff providing excellent offense & defense.

Level 5 Spells

Cloudkill (C, Underdark): Mediocre damage unworthy of concentration & a level 5 slot

Cone of Cold (Arctic): An okay AoE damage spell that doesn't take concentration. The Druid list lacks those.

Dream (Grassland): Lets you harass your enemies in their sleep. Can be game breaking or a mere annoyance, depending on the target & campaign.

Passwall (Mountain): Can make a whole in the wall, which is extremely situational. A better use is to create pits & remove bridges, although a saving throw might apply.

Circle of the Shepherd (XGtE)

Spoiler: Features

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This stellar Circle makes the Druid even better in two areas it was already excelling at: summoning and healing. The Mighty Summoner ability provides more HP to your summoned Beasts & Fey, and more importantly lets them ignore resistance to nonmagical weapons. Meanwhile, the Totem provides impressive AoE healing to potentially your entire party, including all minions and summoned creatures. This Circle really starts shining at level 5, when Conjure Animals becomes available.

Speech of the Woods: You learn Sylvan - which helps while Conjuring Boggles & Pixies, and you get a permanent Speak with Animals.

Spirit Totem (2): *The* reason to go Shepherd Druid. You can summon a Totem 1/rest, which provides powerful buffs to *any* ally in the area.

• Bear: Provides 5 + your druid level in THP - note that you can take a short rest right after to regain use of the totem & retain the THP. The bonus to Strength Checks & Saving Throws helps a lot with Grappling.
• Hawk Spirit: You can provide advantage to a single attack roll as a reaction, and it gives advantage to Perception rolls. Helpful if you have a Rogue in the party. By far, the worst of the Totems.
• Unicorn Spirit: Provides advantage on ability checks to detect creatures, which is nice. And each time you use a healing spell, it also heals every ally inside the aura HPs equals to your druid level. The later can result in absurd amounts of healing if your party is huge or uses minions.

Mighty Summoner (6): All your summoned fey & beasts get more HP, and their weapons are considered magical. The later really help with damage against resistant creatures.

Guardian Spirit (10): Helps to keep your summoned beasts & feys alive by providing them a bit of HP while in your Totem's aura.

Faithful Summons (14): If incapacitated or downed, you get four CR4 beasts to protect you. Decent effect, although at this level CR2 creatures don't exactly dazzle anymore. You can trigger this voluntarily by having an ally render you unconscious or incapacitated.

Spoiler: Mighty Summoner HP: Conjure Animals

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CR 1/4
Axe Break: 6 (19/25)
Boar: 4 (11/15)
Cave Badger: 4 (13/17)
Constrictor Snake: 4 (13/17)
Cow/Ox/Rothe/Deep Rothe/Stench Kow: 4 (15/19)
Dimetrodon: 6 (19/25)
Draft Horse: 6 (19/25)
Elk: 4 (13/17)
Giant Badger: 4 (13/17)
Giant Bat: 8 (22/30)
Giant Centipede: 2 (4/6)
Giant Frog: 8 (18/26)
Giant Lizard: 6 (19/25)
Giant Owl: 6 (19/25)
Giant Poisonous Snake: 4 (11/15)
Giant Riding Lizard: 6 (19/25)
Giant Wolf Spider: 4 (11/15)
Hadrosaurus: 6 (19/25)
Male Steeder: 4 (13/17)
Mastiff: 2 (5/7)
Panther: 6 (13/19)
Pony: 4 (11/15)
Pterandon: 6 (13/19)
Riding Horse: 4 (13/17)
Velociraptor: 6 (10/16)
Wolf: 4 (11/15)

CR 1/2
Ape: 6 (19/25)
Black Bear: 6 (19/25)
Crocodile: 6 (19/25)
Fiendish Giant Spider: 4 (11/15)
Giant Goat: 6 (19/25)
Giant Sea Horse: 6 (16/22)
Giant Wasp: 6 (13/19)
Jaculi: 6 (16/22)
Reef Shark: 8 (22/30)
War Horse: 6 (19/25)

CR 1
Archelon: 8 (26/34)
Brown Bear: 8 (34/42)
Crag Cat: 8 (34/42)
Deinonychus: 8 (26/34)
Dilophosaurus: 8 (26/34)
Dire Wolf: 10 (37/47)
Female Steeder: 8 (30/38)
Giant Eagle: 8 (26/34)
Giant Hyena: 12 (45/57)
Giant Octopus/Rocktopus: 16 (52/68)
Giant Spider: 8 (26/34)
Giant Toad: 12 (39/51)
Giant Vulture: 6 (22/28)
Ice Spider: 8 (26/34)
Mutated Hunting Dog: 12 (39/51)
Lion: 8 (25/33)
Tiger: 10 (37/47)
Troodon: 8 (22/30)

CR 2
Allosaurus: 12 (51/63)
Aurochs: 8 (38/46)
Giant Boar: 10 (42/52)
Giant Constrictor Snake: 16 (60/76)
Giant Crayfish: 14 (45/59)
Giant Elk: 10 (42/52)
Giant Spitting Lizard: 12 (45/57)
Hunter Shark: 12 (45/57)
Ice Spider Queen: 8 (44/52)
Mutated Giant Vulture: 10 (37/47)
Krenshar: 16 (28/44)
Pachycephalosaurus: 16 (68/84)
Plesiosaurus: 16 (68/84)
Polar Bear: 10 (45/55)
Quetzalcoatlus: 8 (30/38)
Rhinoceros: 12 (45/57)
Saber-Tooth Tiger: 14 (52/66)
Zealotraptor: 14 (52/66)

Spoiler: Mighty Summoner HP: Conjure Woodland Beings

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CR <= 1/4
Blink Dog: 8 (22/30)
Boggle: 8 (18/26)
Pixie: 2 (1/3)
Sprite: 2 (2/4)

CR 1/2
Alewife: 8 (22/30)
Darkling: 6 (13/19)
Satyr: 14 (31/45)
Urban Sproutling: 6 (13/19)
Yeastling: 16 (28/44)

CR 1
Dryad: 10 (22/32)
Quickling: 6 (10/16)

CR 2
Darkling Elder: 10 (27/37)
Meenlock: 14 (31/45)
Nereid: 16 (44/60)
Sea Hag: 14 (52/66)

Spoiler: Mighty Summoner HP: Conjure Fey

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CR 4
Elephant: 16 (76/92)
Giant Subterranean Lizard: 14 (66/80)
Stegosaurus: 16 (76/92)
Yeth Hound: 12 (51/63)

CR 5
Brontosaurus: 18 (121/139)
Giant Crocodile: 18 (85/103)
Giant Shark: 22 (126/148)
Hulking Crab: 16 (76/92)
Large Subterranean Lizard: 18 (85/103)
Triceratops: 20 (95/115)
Therizinosaurus: 22 (104/126)
Urban Dryad: 24 (78/102)

CR 6
Annis Hag: 20 (75/95)
Brachiosaurus: 20 (145/165)
Dusk Hag: 30 (82/112)
Elder Dryad: 28 (105/133)
Mammoth: 22 (126/148)

CR 7 (Upcast Required)
Bheur Hag: 28 (91/119)
Giant Ape: 30 (157/187)
Korred: 24 (102/126)
Sarcosuchus: 20 (137/157)
Titanosaurus: 26 (201/227)

CR 8 (Upcast Required)
Huge Giant Crab: 28 (161/189)
Mosasaurus: 22 (159/181)
Tyrannosaurus Rex: 26 (136/162)

CR 9 (Upcast Required)
Conclave Dryad: 44 (143/187)

Circle of Spores (GGtR)

Spoiler: Features

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The Spells are good and thematically appropriate. Animate Dead is especially welcome here, and can be a game changer if you wish to build a skeleton army. The fluff of your class also helps shed some of the stigma associated with the undead.

The main feature of this class is Symbiotic Entity. It provides a considerable amount of THP & increases your damage output.

Unfortunately, this circle has a few issues:

• The extra damage doesn't scale well at all
• The Halo & Infestation both use your reaction, which you might want for OAs & Absorb Elements.
• Symbiotic Entity lasts 10 minutes & takes an action to activate. It can be tricky to have it ready before combat.
• Symbiotic Entity uses up your Wild Shape, reducing your utility.
• Symbiotic Entity is turned off early if you lose all your THP, discouraging investing in the ability

The best thing about the circle is the substantial Temporary HP it can give. It's even better if your DM rules that a reduction to THP doesn't trigger a concentration check, although the Sage disagrees.

Extra Spells:

The early spells are rather good, with spells that play up to the Druid's strength without taking concentration (Blindness/Deafness, Animate Dead) and that patch a hole in the Druid's healing spell list (Gentle Repose). Contagion is nice to have always prepared, although it already was on the Druid's list. More details about the spells can be found in the Spell Analysis section.

N: Not on the Druid's list

Cantrip: Chill Touch (N)
Level 2: Blindness/Deafness (N), Gentle Repose (N)
Level 3: Animate Dead (N), Gaseous Form (N)
Level 4: Blight, Confusion
Level 5: Cloudkill (N), Contagion

Halo of Spores (2): You do 1d4 necrotic damage to an enemy within 10' as a reaction. Scales rather poorly: +1 damage every 4 levels.

Symbiotic Entity (2): Gives 4THP per level, which is awesome and relevant for your entire career. It also doubles the Halo's damage, and lets you deal 1d6 extra necro damage in melee, both of which start off extremely strong but don't get much better as you level up. Sadly, it uses up your Wild Shape & it only lasts 10 minutes, making it awkward to use.

Fugal Infestation (6): When a beast/humanoid dies, you can use up your reaction to create a 1HP zombie that can only take the attack action. Near useless offensively, the main use is to prevent enemy movement.

Spreading Spores (10): As a bonus action, you can throw your Symbiotic Entity spores to do damage in a 10-foot cube. Good on the action economy, but at level 10, the damage is lacking.

Fungal Body (14): You can't be blinded/deafened/frightened/poisoned, and critical hit don't do extra damage against you. A pretty handy defensive buff.

Spoiler: Extra Spells

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C : Concentration Spell
R : Ritual Spell

Chill Touch: Decent damage with anti-heal & anti-undead effects. The long 120' range is dramatically better than what your other cantrips offer.

Blindness/Deafness: Good debuff that doesn't take concentration. Shines when upcasted.

Gentle Repose (R): If you lack a Cleric & Wizard, you can cast this until you met a Cleric that can cast Revivify or Raise Dead.

Animate Dead: Can make an army of undead skeletons. Really effective if your party is fine with it.

Gaseous Form (C): Circumstantial, especially for someone who can turn into a small critter at will.

Cloudkill (C): Doesn't do enough damage to be worth your concentration.