Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Multiclass Options For Druids

In the mystical realms of Baldur’s Gate 3, the Druid class stands out as a versatile force, embodying the primal powers of nature. With the ability to shapeshift into fearsome beasts and wield potent spells, Druids can adapt to any situation, whether healing allies or unleashing wild fury upon foes. This guide delves into the intricacies of building a formidable Druid, particularly focusing on the Circle of the Moon subclass, where players can harness the true essence of nature’s wrath. Discover how to maximize your Druid’s potential, from selecting the best race and abilities to mastering the art of Wild Shape for unparalleled combat effectiveness.

Best race for a Druid

The best race for a Druid in Baldur’s Gate 3 is widely considered to be the Wood Elf. This choice offers several advantages that enhance a Druid’s capabilities. Wood Elves benefit from a +2 Dexterity and +1 Wisdom bonus, which is crucial since Wisdom is the primary ability for spellcasting and effectiveness in combat. Additionally, their increased movement speed and proficiency in stealth align well with the Druid’s nature-themed abilities, allowing for greater mobility and tactical advantages in various situations. Other viable options include Human for their versatility and Half-Elf, which provides a balance of attributes and additional skills, but the Wood Elf stands out as the most synergistic choice for maximizing a Druid’s potential in both spellcasting and combat scenarios.

In the full release of Baldur’s Gate 3, the developers have removed exclusive racial bonuses. From now on, when choosing a race, you can add 2 and 1 bonuses to any stat you’d like. Despite this, some racial abilities come in handy for certain classes.

1. Wood Elf – this subrace grants a useful bow proficiency and higher base movement range.
2. Drow – this race grants useful weapon proficiencies, Superior Dark Vision and racial spells Faerie Fire and Darkness.

Ability Points

In Baldur’s Gate 3, Druid characters utilize Ability Points primarily to enhance their core attributes, which significantly impact their performance in both combat and utility roles. The main attributes for Druids are Wisdom and Constitution. Wisdom is crucial for spellcasting, influencing the potency and effectiveness of their nature-based spells, while Constitution boosts their hit points, enhancing survivability during encounters. Players should strategically allocate Ability Points to maximize these attributes, ensuring a balance between offensive capabilities through spellcasting and defensive resilience when engaging in melee combat or utilizing Wild Shape transformations. Additionally, selecting the right race can provide beneficial modifiers that further complement a Druid’s abilities, making thoughtful distribution of Ability Points essential for optimizing gameplay.

When assigning ability points, first pay attention to a high Wisdom indicator, as it is responsible for the strength of the spells cast by the Druid.

Secondly, focus on Constitution and Dexterity.

1. Constitution will allow your Druid to endure a bit more during intense clashes, and will also make it easier for you to stay focused when casting spells that require concentration.
2. High Dexterity will provide you with several additional armor class points when using medium and light armor – Druids are naturally proficient in using them.

The best origin for a Druid

In Baldur’s Gate 3, the best origin for a Druid is the Wood Elf, which offers significant advantages that align perfectly with the Druid’s abilities. Wood Elves receive a bonus to Dexterity and Wisdom, enhancing their combat effectiveness and spellcasting capabilities. Additionally, their increased movement speed and proficiency in stealth make them adept at navigating both wilderness and urban environments. This origin choice not only complements the Druid’s affinity for nature but also provides essential skills that enhance their role as versatile spellcasters and shapeshifters, allowing players to maximize their tactical options in various scenarios throughout the game.

When choosing origins for your Druid, try to choose those that will provide you with proficiency in skills based on Wisdom. In a complementary way, this will enhance the strengths of your character and allow you to easily handle dice rolls. Origins worth considering are among others. e.g.

1. Hermit ensures proficiency in medicine and religion;
2. Folk Hero will give you proficiency in animal handling and survival.

Wild Shape

Druids in Baldur’s Gate 3 harness the power of Wild Shape, a defining ability that allows them to transform into various animal forms. This transformation not only enhances their combat capabilities but also provides unique tactical advantages depending on the chosen beast. For instance, shifting into a bear grants increased hit points and melee damage, while becoming a spider offers stealth and climbing abilities. Wild Shape is accessible from level 2 and can be used strategically to adapt to different situations, whether for offense, defense, or utility. Additionally, Druids can regain their Wild Shape charges after a short rest, making them versatile and resilient in the heat of battle.

After reaching level 2, the Druid gains access to their signature ability – Wild Shape. It allows them to transform into an animal. This option is available both during exploration and combat as well.

Turning into an animal has a number of consequences:

1. Druid gains newstatistics, armor class, and beast stamina points, but keeps his Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.
2. When the Druid’s hit points in wild shape drop to 0, the Druid returns to their original form as it was before the transformation.
3. You can use the ability twice before making a short rest.

The best form

In Baldur’s Gate 3, the Druid class shines brightest in its Circle of the Moon subclass, which offers players unparalleled versatility and power through its signature ability, Wild Shape. This mechanic allows Druids to transform into a variety of powerful beasts, enhancing their combat capabilities and survivability. The Circle of the Moon Druid excels in close-quarters combat, leveraging high damage output and tank-like resilience while also providing essential support through healing and crowd control spells. With a focus on Wisdom and Constitution, this build not only maximizes the Druid’s potential in battle but also enriches the gameplay experience by embodying the primal forces of nature.

Each animal form has its own advantages and disadvantages. Some of them will be more useful in combat. Others will be helpful during exploration. Here are a few interesting examples of forms and their uses:

1. Bear – a powerful form useful in combat. Available onlyfor the Circle of the Moon subclass.
2. Cat – a rather useless form in combat. The cat’s small size is useful in thorough exploration, while the ability to meow distracts the nearby NPCs.
3. Giant spider– useful in combat, and with the ability of long jump, a form that allows you to get into hard-to-reach places.

Best spells for a Druid

Druids in Baldur’s Gate 3 have access to a versatile array of spells that enhance their role as nature’s guardians and spellcasters. Among the best spells for Druids are Healing Word and Cure Wounds, which provide essential healing support to allies. For offensive capabilities, Moonbeam and Call Lightning stand out, delivering significant area damage while capitalizing on the Druid’s connection to nature. Additionally, spells like Spike Growth offer excellent crowd control, hindering enemy movement while dealing damage over time. As Druids progress, they can further customize their spell selection to suit their playstyle, making them adaptable in various combat scenarios.

The spells choice will largely depend on your play style and whether your Druid will be standing on the front line or perhaps providing support for the rest of the team, casting spells from afar from the enemies.

Here are a few spells worth considering:

Cantrips:

1. Guidance – a useful cantrip providing the target with 1d4 to skill checks. Choose it if your party lacks a Cleric.
2. Shillelagh – your club or staff becomes a magic weapon dealing bonus damage and using your Wisdom for attack rolls. Extremely useful if you want to use blunt weapons.
3. Thorn Whip – the target hit receives 1d6 damage and is pulled 3 meters towards the Druid.

Spells:

1. Goodberry – a classic Druid spell creating 4fruits that restore 1d4 health points. It can also serve as provisions when you are in a camp (provides one unit of Camp Supply).
2. Cure Wounds and Healing Word – classic healing spells. The first restores 1d8 health through touch, the second 1d4 through eye contact.
3. Create or Destroy Water – summons rain or removes water from a given area. Useful when paired with another magic user, because a wet opponent will take extra damagefrom cold and electricity.
4. Thunderwave – a level 1 offensive spell. It deals 2d8electric damage, and pushes creatures and objects away.
5. Entangle – a concentration spell that creates vines that wrap around the target and immobilize it.
6. Flame Blade – level 2 spell. Creates a fiery saber that deals 3d6 fire damage. The weapon also produces a blinding light. It can be holster and drawn by the caster.
7. Spike Growth – Druid transforms the ground into sharp spikes. A creature moving through this area takes 2d4 damage for every 1.5 meters it walks.
8. Pass without Trace – a practical spell granting the Druid and nearby companions a 10to Stealth checks.
9. Heat Metal – a level 2 spell that allows you to heat an opponent’s metal weapon and armor. Depending on the opponent’s actions, they may discard the weapon, receive a penalty to attacks, or receive damage from fire.
10. Lesser Restoration – a level 2 spell that removes negative effects and poisoning from its target.

Best subclass

The best subclass for Druids in Baldur’s Gate 3 largely depends on your preferred playstyle, but the Circle of the Moon stands out for its versatility and combat effectiveness. This subclass allows Druids to transform into powerful beasts, enhancing their melee capabilities significantly. With abilities like Wild Shape, Circle of the Moon Druids can assume forms such as bears or wolves, gaining increased hit points and access to unique attacks. This makes them formidable in battle, as they can deal damage while also serving as frontline tanks. Additionally, their ability to cast spells while in Wild Shape provides a strategic advantage, allowing them to maintain support roles without sacrificing damage output. Overall, the Circle of the Moon offers a perfect blend of offense and defense, making it an excellent choice for players looking to maximize their Druid’s potential in both combat and utility situations.

After reaching level 2, the Druid chooses so-called Circle representing a subclass. In the early access version of Baldur’s Gate 3, you can choose from the Druid’s two subclasses. The third Circle will be added after the launch:

Circle of the Land – a subclass focused on casting spells. By choosing this class at level 2, you immediately get access to 1 extra cantrip. The druid also gains access to Natural Recovery. A skill that allows you to regenerate some of your spell slots outside of combat. When reaching level 3, you will be able to choose the Spell Circle. It will provide you with 2 additional spells, which from now on will always be prepared and ready for your Druid to use. The choice of Spell Circle will ultimately depend on your play style, but it’s worth paying attention to the following groups:

1. Coast – you will gain access to the spells Mirror Image and Misty Step. Useful for enemy spotting.
2. Underdark – you will gain access to the spells Web and Misty Step. Spells useful in combat and for surprising enemies.
3. Swamp – you will get access to the spells Acid Arrow and Darkness. This Circle will suit a more offensive style of play.

At level 5, you will gain access to the next Circle. However, a pair of spells identical to those at level 3 will differ.

Circle of the Moon – a subclass focusing on the Wild Shape, which in this subclass you can even activate during a bonus action(Combat Wild Shape). Apart from the additional form (bear), this Circle provides access to Lunar Mend starting from level 2. This ability allows the Druid in animal form to use a spell slot to recover some health points. At level 4, a Druid using Circle of the Moon also receives an additional crow form which will allow them to fly.

Circle of the Spores – a Circle focused on utilizing fungi, molds, and spores to control living and dead beings. The Halo of Spores ability lets the Druid release a cloud dealing 1d4 necrotic damage. This damage can, importantly, be dealt as a Reaction. It also works well with Symbiotic Entity, which doubles the damage of Halo of Spores and provides extra 8 temporary HP for a Druid from the Circle of the Spores.

Best build for a Druid

To create the best build for a Druid in Baldur’s Gate 3, players should focus on maximizing their Wisdom and Constitution attributes, as these are crucial for spellcasting and survivability. Selecting the Circle of the Moon subclass enhances combat effectiveness by allowing the Druid to transform into powerful beasts, making them formidable in melee. It’s advisable to choose cantrips like Shillelagh and Thorn Whip for versatility, alongside spells such as Healing Word and Moonbeam to provide both support and damage options. Additionally, feats like War Caster or Lucky at higher levels can significantly improve performance in battles. By carefully selecting spells, proficiencies, and equipment, players can craft a Druid that excels in both healing and damage-dealing roles while maintaining strong utility in various situations.

As a summary, below we present 2 exemplary builds for a level 3 Druid using the above tips.

Druid as a mage:

1. Race: Drow
2. Subclass: Circle of the Land
3. Origin: Hermit
4. Abilities: Wisdom and Constitution 16, Intelligence around 14, Dexterity around 13/12, Strength around 10, Charisma around 8
5. Spells Circle: Swamp

Druid as a shape-shifter:

1. Race: Wood Elf
2. Subclass: Circle of the Moon
3. Origin: Folk Hero
4. Abilities: Wisdom and Constitution 16, Dexterity about 14, Intelligence about 12, Strength about 10, Charisma about 8

What are the key differences between the Circle of the Moon and Circle of the Land Druid builds

The Circle of the Moon and Circle of the Land are two distinct subclasses for Druids in Baldur’s Gate 3, each tailored to different playstyles and strategies.

Circle of the Moon

• Focus on Wild Shape: This subclass emphasizes the Druid’s ability to transform into powerful beasts. Circle of the Moon Druids can use Wild Shape as a bonus action, allowing them to shift forms and attack in the same turn, which enhances their combat effectiveness significantly1.
• Combat Versatility: They gain access to stronger beast forms earlier, such as bears and eventually owlbears, which provide high hit points and damage output. This makes them formidable melee combatants and effective tanks in battles.
• Healing Abilities: Circle of the Moon Druids can heal themselves while in Wild Shape by expending spell slots, allowing them to maintain their presence in combat longer.

Circle of the Land

• Spellcasting Emphasis: In contrast, Circle of the Land Druids focus more on spellcasting, gaining additional spells based on their chosen terrain type (e.g., Forest, Mountain). This subclass is ideal for players who prefer a more traditional spellcasting role rather than engaging directly in melee1.
• Restoration Features: They have abilities that allow them to regain spell slots during short rests, enhancing their sustainability as spellcasters throughout adventuring days.
• Terrain-Specific Spells: The spells available to Circle of the Land Druids often reflect their environment, providing thematic and tactical advantages depending on the setting of their adventures.

In summary, while the Circle of the Moon excels in melee combat and shapeshifting capabilities, making it ideal for aggressive playstyles, the Circle of the Land offers a more strategic approach centered around spellcasting and versatility in varied environments.

Which subclass is better for solo play, Circle of the Moon or Circle of the Land

For solo play in Baldur’s Gate 3, the Circle of the Moon subclass is generally considered the better choice compared to the Circle of the Land. Here are the key reasons:

Circle of the Moon

• Enhanced Wild Shape: Circle of the Moon Druids can transform into powerful beast forms as a bonus action, allowing for immediate combat engagement. This ability provides significant survivability and damage potential, especially in solo scenarios where self-sustain is crucial .
• Combat Effectiveness: They excel in melee combat, particularly early in the game, where they can outmatch many foes. Their ability to heal while in Wild Shape using spell slots further enhances their durability against tough enemies .
• Tank Role: With access to high hit point forms like bears, Circle of the Moon Druids can effectively serve as tanks, absorbing damage while dealing it back, which is beneficial when adventuring alone .

Circle of the Land

• Spellcasting Focus: While Circle of the Land Druids offer versatility through additional spells based on terrain type, their reliance on spellcasting may not provide the same level of personal survivability or immediate combat effectiveness that a solo player might need .
• Less Melee Capability: This subclass is more suited for players who prefer a spellcasting role rather than direct melee engagement. They can regain spell slots during short rests, but this feature may not compensate for their weaker combat presence compared to Circle of the Moon Druids .

In summary, while both subclasses have their strengths, the Circle of the Moon provides a more robust toolkit for solo play, combining strong melee capabilities with excellent survivability through Wild Shape.