Dungeons & Dragons 5e: Best Druid Builds

Player Handbook

A variant of the Elf, they have a +2 bonus to Dexterity and +1 to Wisdom, increased movement speed, and the Mask of the Wild ability. It remains one of the best choices for a Druid in 5e.

The Wild Beyond The Witchlight

This is one of the best races for a spellcasting Druid that focuses on DPS, partly because of the power of flight but also thanks to spells like Faerie Fire. It’s also an ideal choice for a support or off-healing build.

Explorer’s Guide to Wildmount

One of the Halfling subraces, they get a +1 to Wisdom and Druid-like powers. These include Timberwalk and spells like Entangle and Spike Growth.

Elemental Evil Player’s Companion

This species can breathe underwater and has acid resistance and two free spells, including the Acid Splash cantrip. These Druids control water and have an aquatic form, including the ability to breathe air and water.

Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

As the name suggests, this Tiefling has the power of flight with some resistance to fire and some related burning cantrips. For players that want to start their Druid build with a Tiefling, this is the best choice in D&D 5e.

Player Handbook

This species knows the cantrip Burning Blade, which works with any casting build. One example is the Circle of Spores because it increases the spell’s melee damage into an AoE nightmare.

The Wild Beyond The Witchlight

Better Perception and Insight skills combined with Lucky Footwork and Rabbit Hop when better mobility for casting or healing is required.

Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

This race has the same skill boosts as Wood Elves and gains limited telepathy, in addition to the usual bonuses of the Halfling Lineage.

Player Handbook

Inspired by the most versatile race in D&D, Variant Humans can choose their ability score boosts and a starting Feat.

Volo’s Guide to Monsters

An exotic race, they have two innate abilities ideal for the best Druid build: Disguise Self and Detect Magic.

Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

The power of flight is the best advantage here, and the exotic Owlin also has Darkvision and can choose any stat to buff up by 2 points.

Volo’s Guide to Monsters

This mysterious race is a challenge to roleplay but is growing in popularity. +1 Wisdom and +2 to Dexterity can have several applications and start one of the best possible Druid builds in 5e.

Player Handbook

One of the branches of Dwarves is currently available in the PHB, and it’s the only one that gives the character a +2 to any stat they choose. Wisdom is the obvious choice but Constitution is also ideal.

Perception and Insight

Powers a Druid’s spells, so this should be the highest number out of all the ability scores.

Agility

A benefit to AC, but more important for a melee Druid.

Endurance

A basic survivalist skill, this might be a higher priority than Dexterity depending on the party role.

Reasoning, Memory

Skills like Nature, Arcana, and Religion are determined by this stat. More important to Druids who are spellcasters and healers.

Personality

Druids who use healing spells or act as the face of the party can make this stat a higher one.

Physical power and melee weapon damage

Some Druids specialize in melee damage and this stat is more important for them.

Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

An ideal choice for Druids who prefer healing, this Druid has all the usual beneficial spells in addition to abilities like Balm of the Summer Court, which offers AoE healing and targeted spells at a longer range.

Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

This Circle uses fire damage in its powerful array of spells and includes a Fire Spirit companion.

Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

This Circle offers a nice combination of healing and damage spells for a mixed damage and healing build.

Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn

This Circle focuses on the power of corruption in the form of fungus, rot, and carrion feeders.

Unearthed Arcana

Some Druids enjoy decomposition and can manipulate the undead, but this Druid is the opposite. They seek out the Undead and the rot they bring, and fight against it using abilities like Harvest Scythe and Paths of the Death.

Player’s Handbook

For the classic spellcasting Druid, your powers are determined by the kind of landform the player chooses: Arctic, Swamp, Mountain, Underdark, Grassland, or Forest.

Player’s Handbook

Summon fire elementals and use the Wild Shape ability as a combat form, allowing the Druid to act as the party’s main Defender.

Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Includes offensive abilities like necromancy and raising undead. Spore Druids gain a host of AoE spells for damage and protecting their party.

Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

This is the Circle to choose for a Druid that surrounds themselves with animal companions.

Skill

Ability Score

Description

Perception

Wisdom

This is easily the most-rolled skill in any D&D campaign, and Druids have high Wisdom anyway, so this is a natural pick.

Arcana

Intelligence

Arcana makes it easier for a character to remember information about spells, magical items, and arcane traditions.

Sleight of Hand

Dexterity

A Druid with high Dexterity and Sleight of Hand proficiency can act as the party’s lockpicker, pickpocket, and trap-finder.

Survival

Wisdom

It fits well with the nature of the class, but how useful it is might depend on the campaign setting.

Nature

Intelligence

The character remembers information about terrain, tracking, animals, and plant life.

Insight

Wisdom

A Druid’s high Wisdom score means they have a better chance of determining a creature’s true intentions.

Religion

Intelligence

Makes it easier to remember information about deities, cults, and anything related to religion.

Acrobatics

Dexterity

This proficiency is ideal for Druids who use ranged or melee physical damage. Swap this out for Athletics if the Druid’s better stat is Strength.

Every party needs a cook anyway, and this adds +1 to the character’s Wisdom score.

The Druid gets a +5 to their Initiative roles. They can’t be ambushed or surprised, and hidden creatures don’t have Advantages on their attack roles.

Grants the Druid a handy spell called Misty Step, which isn’t normally in the Druid’s spell cache but suits the class.

Some extra fire spells are useful to any Druid and even more useful to those of the Circle of Land.

Speed increases by 10 ft. The character can Dash on difficult terrain and doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks in melee. Also applies while in Wild Shape form.

Gives a boost to the Druid’s Wisdom and passive Perception, so one of the most important pieces of the best 5e Druid build.

Better for a Druid who fights in melee combat or has a defender role, this Feat adds +1 to their Constitution. For each hit dice, they can restore hit points equal to 2x their Constitution modifier.

Use this to add +1 to Wisdom and gain the ability to read thoughts and communicate with any other creature in a 60-foot radius.

Increases any one of the following stats; Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, gives the ability to cast Invisibility once a day, and one additional spell from the schools of Illusion or Necromancy.

Spelljamer: Adventures in Space – Astral Adventurer’s Guide

The realm of the Silver Void is the home of this Druid, which makes sense for a class that relies on Wisdom-based skills like Insight and Religion. This choice is better for a spellcaster because it includes Cleric: Magic Initiate as part of the Divine Contact ability.

Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

For Druids who focus more on spellcasting, this grants two extra languages and two more Knowledge skills. Isolation is part of the Druid’s build anyway.

Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

Think of the character Jaheira and her adherence to the Harpers in the Baldur’s Gate franchise, as an example of a Druid from this background. It also gives a Druid Insight and the choice of a wide range of helpful skills, plus two extra languages.

Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

Wisdom is the main driving force behind this background, which relies on talents like Perception and Insight. Druids from this Background can choose an exotic homeland and use a 1d6 to determine their type of traveler, such as Exile, Pilgrim, or Sightseer.

The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

This is the fate of the Changling child, one that was stolen away as a baby and raised in the Fey. You can also learn how to play an instrument.

Player’s Handbook

A Druid would spend time in isolation, far away from human habitation, making this one almost mandatory for the ideal Druid build. This background also makes sense for players who want to double their healing abilities with homemade potions.

Player’s Handbook

A natural and obvious choice, this character was raised in the wilderness and has a close connection to the natural world, and has expertise in Athletics and Survival.

Player’s Handbook

It gives the character two extra languages and two Knowledge skills, giving the player more options for customizing their Druid build in 5e.

Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

There are plenty of D&D adventures that take place in cities. This can be situational depending on the module or setting, but still makes sense overall for the Druid class.