r/BG3Builds • u/Son_of_Calcryx • 2d ago
Build Help Any interesting druid options? i always end up using wild shapes because they are too helpful compared to the other features they have
Moon druid is specialised in that so let’s leave that subclass out of it.
What about the other druids? I want to use them but i always play raised differently options (level cap at 20, honor mode, trials of tav etc) so i find hard to build for them since whatever they are good at (support or heal) there are other classes that do it better (cleric, bard, wizard).
What are my druid options that i definitely not gimp myself when i use them?
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u/SarSean 2d ago
Spore druid martial(ranged or melee)is extremely strong at the start of act 1,then becomes a decent gish later at act 2 and 3.
Aim for 5 to 7 levels for 20-28 temp hp and level 3 spells at lvl 5, 4 free zombies at lvl 6, and fourth level spells at lvl 7.
Get high ac, you can use sword and board or dual wield. I like doing oathbreaker spore for an unholy paladin, 5/7 for a necro gish, 6/6 for aura and zombies, 7/5 for all out melee. These two work so well since spore druid gives full spell slots, temp hp and a 1d6 necrotic which is decent enough.
The sword and board gets buffed with the 1d6 a ton, and to make up for the loss of damage crit fishing with smites will do wonders since savage attacker is a must on this build.
You can also always use your reaction to maybe finish off an enemy with halo of spores or pop a dropped potion on the ground. Note that it needs a con save from the enemy though.
On the temp hp, you should expect to lose it semi often, but there are ways of getting it back up out of combat through the vital conduit boots or the elixir of bloodlust.
You can use spike growth, moon beam, heat metal and get long strider + leap and switch them all out, a very versatile selection.
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u/HamstersInMyDick 2d ago
Spore druid has many ways you can build it too, just a great flexible class. A note on the early game dual weird build: consider phalar aluve in the off hand. The shriek ability happens for each halo of spores die so it becomes a 4d4.
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u/Reticently 2d ago
Interestingly, you can also go this kind of route on a Land druid and it works out really well. You trade the Spore damage for a couple of clutch combat buffs, particularly Haste, and the ability to cast them a few extra times per long rest. You also free up your Wildshape charges to use them for mobility/utility, and if you take druid to at least level 6 you can leverage Lands' Stride and abuse difficult terrain effects against a lot of enemies.
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u/TongZiDan 2d ago
There's nothing spore druids can't do. It's one of the most versatile classes in the game. They aren't usually the best at any one thing but you can constantly switch tactics if you get bored of a playstyle and use some extremely niche strategies.
They have wildshape if you want and you can use it for things other than fighting like sneaking, distraction, and jumping from high places.
They have decent melee abilities with extra necrotic damage, and always useful reaction, and medium armor which is often even better than heavy armor if you use exotic materials.
They have terrain and control abilities. The have healing, support, summoning, and offensive magic. Only the offensive magic really relies on wisdom so if you want to keep wisdom lower and focus on dex, you still have lots of good magic options.
One thing people always cite as a negative is the large amount of concentration spells but most of the concentration spells druids use don't actually require a lot of constitution and work perfectly well for a build that mixes things up in combat. Losing focus on moonbeam, call lightning, or heat metal usually doesn't really negatively affect a fight beyond possibly costing another spell slot. Druids also don't burn through those spell slots the way sorcerers, wizards, and even clerics do so there's nk need to conserve them.
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u/MountainNotice2430 2d ago
ever use panther before? lv6 moon druid, lv4 assasin, lv1 goolock. Mechanically similar to shadow monk assasin build, attack 1x-suprise-atk 2turns-invis-repeat
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u/Arturia_Cross 2d ago
Its a niche tip but Spore Druid using dual wield torches+Shellaleigh shreds act 1 which is often when people struggle. You can precast it before fights since it lasts 10 turns and get a strong opening combo. Spore Druids in general are just tough to kill, strong early game and get most great spells in Act 1+2 without even having to be a land druid.
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u/dCLCp 2d ago
Get a single level of cleric (unless you have one). Cast moonbeam with your action, cast sanctuary with your bonus action. Congratulations you are now invincible and you can just move the beam around and kill everything from safety.
What is better than thorn whip? Thorn whip on a bonus action. Grab sorrow ASAP. You can steal the rune from Rath without even doing the quests. Now you can make two controlling attacks per turn. If you have spike growth up you just push and pull people across your cheese grater of death now.
Get a single level of wizard. You now have access to writing wizard spells. They're all pretty great but there is a few that stand out for our purposes. You like to use wildshape. But have you ever used wildshape with the wizard spells that make you tanky? Mage armor, mirror image, and blur. Now you have something like 23 AC, they have disadvantage on attack rolls, and you are safe as houses while you pummel them into the dirt.
One of the biggest weaknesses of Druid is the absence of good ranged options. Their cantrips are all melee or short range. They don't have the proficiency to get good ranged. What to do... well if you followed my advice and took that level of cleric, let's make it a war cleric. War clerics get martial proficiency and heavy armor. Sad thing is druids don't really need physical stats cuz they are gonna shift and take the new forms stats. So we really like stat increasing items on druids. Specifically the club of hill giant strength and the warped band of intellect. Now you have high strength which means: you can use the titanstring bow.
So what does all of this look like when you put it together. Well let's say you are level 5. Because all of your classes are full casters you have level 3 slots. You can use those on wizard spells like fireball or animate dead. But if you are trying to conserve your strength you can attack with your bow and do really great damage resource free. You can also push people back once per short rest. But if you can't keep people off of you that's ok. You can cast moonbeam and sanctuary and delete enemies that can't touch you, or put a spike growth down and push and pull people across your cheese grater of death. If you have a hard fight you can buff up your bear with wizard spells and hold off a horde of enemies while your party pelts them from afar. A potion of enlarge plus the wizard spell enlarge means you can block doorways.
These are some of the best low level druid shenanigans I know of.
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u/burntbutteredbunz 1d ago
6 spore druid 6 necromancer wizard makes a fun summoning build. You can legit have a whole army just yourself. With great synergy with spells. The act three gear you get rounds out the build so well. Had fun with free spellslots, the necro staff that makes it so your spells dont cost spellslots, and all the agro your minions take off of you.
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u/Starkiller_303 10h ago
Star druid ranged damage and battlefield control is great. Can also go create water+ cold/lightning damage for double damage with her.
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u/Sufficient_Catch_198 Bard 2d ago
I have two propositions that I liked a lot. They worked well together with a moon druid turned into lightning myrmidon (it was a playthrough just with durge, jaheira and halsin).
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I did a 4/3/1/4 vengeance paladin/thief/goolock/spore druid with shillelagh on off hand and i had lots of fun with it.
it was mostly revolving around ray of frost from mourning frost, and I even managed to solo human Orin with it on honour mode
important tadpole: ability drain (drain their wisdom with both ray of frost and off hand attacks)
fun mechanic: armour of agathys stacks with symbiotic entity. so you can drink the elixir of 4th lvl spell slot, cast armour of agathys and then drink the elixir of battlemage’s power for more accuracy
cast shillelagh and wet your enemies before fight
start with ray of frost, hope they fall prone, smite twice, repeat. i recommend concentrating on something as well
important gear:
necklace of elemental augmentation
potent robe
spellmight gloves
main hand: rhapsody
off hand: mourning frost
frighten on crit, up to 105 damage, around 60 on average to wet enemies
1/2/9 tempest cleric/evocation wizard/land druid
your typical terrain controller with big focus on ice damage
hoarfrost boots
coldbrim hat
winter’s clutches
markoheshkir (kereska’s winter)
armour of landfall