The New 2024 Druid: DnD 5e Class Changes

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When it comes to fifth editions Dungeons & Dragons, the Druid has often been overlooked among the core DnD classes, with these nature-loving spellcasters overshadowed by the magic and martial abilities of classes like the Cleric and the Ranger. They’ve also been completely untouched for over a decade, with the current DnD 5e Druid receiving only a few minor touchups and a scattering of new subclasses.

That’s about to change, however, with the Druid coming out of the wilderness and back into view thanks to new 2024 Player’s Handbook. Many of these changes will be familiar to anyone whose kept a close watch on the One D&D playtest, but Wizards of the Coast has also made a number of other significant changes, including a radical overhaul of Wild Shape, enhanced combat and spellcasting, and even a brand new subclass.

So are these all-natural updates to the Druid for the better? Below, we circle all the key changes.

What’s changed in the new 2024 Druid for DnD 5e?

Below are all the changes to the 2024 Druid versus the 2014 Druid (notably, both still fall under the DnD 5e rules).

Druid Feature	Level	Changes to the 2024 Druid Class
Spellcasting	1	Druid Spell List has been revised and expanded.
Druidic	1	Now also gives you Speak with Animals.
Primal Order	1	-Lets you choose from the following Druid Orders: – Warden: Grants proficiency with martial weapons and medium armor – Magician: Grants an extra cantrip and lets you add your Wisdom modifier to Intelligence Arcana and Nature checks
Wild Shape	2	– Druids can now Wild Shape as a Bonus Action – Druids can now speak while in Wild Shape beast form
Wild Companion	2	Can use Wild Shape to cast Find Familiar
Druid Subclass	3	– Now at level 3 instead of level 2. – Circle of the Moon: New features that tie into Wild Shape. – Circle of the Land: A retooling of how lands work and the ability to choose different lands during a Long Rest. Can also burn Wild Shapes to tap into land powers. – Circle of the Sea: A brand new subclass that provides a range of sea and water based magical effects. – Circle of the Stars: Largely unchanged from the 2014 rules.
Wild Resurgence	5	– New feature lets you expend a spell slot to regain a Wild Shape. – You may also expend a use of Wild Shape to restore a level 1 spell slot per Long Rest.
Elemental Fury	7	Choose between: – Potent Spellcasting: Allows you to add your Wisdom modifier to damage dealt with a Druid cantrip. – Primal Strike: Attacks deal 1d8 Cold, Fire, Lightning or Thunder damage once per turn (increases to 2d8 at level 15).
Beast Spells	18	Lets you cast spells when in Wild Shape form
Epic Boon	19	Choose one Epic Boon feat, or another feat of your choice.
Archdruid	20	– If you have no Wild Shapes left you get one back when you roll Initiative – Improved version of Wild Resurgence let’s you spend a spell slot once per day to recover one use of Wild Shape

How will the 2024 Druid changes impact gameplay?

Level 1: Spellcasting

Spells have been significantly changed for the 2024 Druid, including the total number of spells that Druids can use and the specific effects associated with them. In addition, Wizards of the Coast has also introduced a number of new Druid-specific cantrips, including Starry Wisp and Elementalism (we’ll learn more about these when the 2024 PHB launches).

Level 1: Druidic

In the 2014 rules, Druidic is the secret language which all Druids can speak and write, and which you can automatically detect on any nearby surfaces. In the 2024 rules, this still applies, however, the Druidic feature now also provides you with the Speak with Animals spell.

Level 1: Primal Order

This is a new 2024 Druid feature that allows you to choose from a “Druid Order.” The goal here is to be able to customize your character towards either a more magical or a more martial bend (a theme which is repeated at later levels). There are currently two Orders as follows:

• Warden: Grants proficiency with Martial weapons and medium armor
• Magician: Provides an extra cantrip and lets you add your Wisdom modifier to Intelligence checks Arcana and Nature checks (so when rolling you add both your Wisdom and Intelligence modifiers)

Level 2: Wild Shape

The new 2024 Wild Shape is a dramatic overhaul of the 2014 Druid. First, you can now Wild Shape as a bonus action (rather than a full action as per the 2014 rules). You also get significantly more uses than the older version (up to a maximum of 14 Wild Shapes per day by the time you hit Level 17). Additionally, you can now replenish the feature more often, regaining one use of Wild Shape during a short rest and with various new features you get as advance in level. You also no longer assume the Hit Points of your your beast form, but instead retain your Druid’s Hit points, while also receiving temporary hit points to act as a buffer when you first change.

One additional major change is that 2024 Druids now have a limited list of known shapes to choose from for their Wild Shape (not unlike the spells a DnD 5e Wizard has in their spellbook). For example, at Level 2 when you first access Wild Shape you have 4 known Beast forms to choose form. You can, however, choose new forms during a Long Rest. This is to avoid having players and DMs wasting time looking up new monster stat blocks every time a Druid wanted to Wild Shape.

Level 2: Wild Companion

This first appeared as an optional feature in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything but is now a core feature of the 2024 Druid. As an action, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to cast the Find Familiar spell, without material components. When you cast the spell in this way, the familiar is a fey instead of a beast, and the familiar disappears after a number of hours equal to half your Druid level.

Level 5: Wild Resurgence

This is a new feature for the 2024 Druid that lets you restore one use of Wild Shape by expending a spell slot. Conversely, you may also expend one use of Wild Shape to restore a level 1 spell slot per Long Rest. The goal here is to make Wild Shape both more accessible and more useful as a character resource.

Level 7: Elementary Fury

This is also a new 2024 feature that lets you choose from two options (which again, ties back to your earlier selection of Primal Order at Level 1):

• Potent Spellcasting: Allows you to add your Wisdom modifier to any damage dealt with a Druid cantrip.
• Primal Strike: Lets you deal 1d8 of Cold, Fire, Lightning or Thunder damage once per turn with your attacks (increases to 2d8 at level 15).

Level 18: Beast Spells

This is a 2014 feature that let you cast spells when in Wild Shape form. The 2024 rules, however, have made a slight adjustment in that can perform the somatic and verbal components of a Druid spell while in a beast shape, but you aren’t able to provide material components.

Level 20: Archdruid

In 2014 rules, Archdruid was the capstone feature of the Druid. This allowed you to use your Wild Shape an unlimited number of times and ignore the verbal, somatic and material components of Druid spells (both in your human and Wild Shape form).

In the 2024 rules, all of the above still applies, but in addition, if you have no uses of Wild Shapes left you get one back when you roll Initiative. You also recieve an enhanced version of Wild Resurgence that lets you spend more than one Wild Shape use per day to recover spell slots.

What are the changes to the 2024 Druid subclasses?

In the new 2024 Player’s Handbook, there are four official Druid subclasses: Circle of the Land, Circle of the Moon, Circle of the Sea and Circle of the Stars. Notably, Land and Moon first appeared in the 2014 Player’s Handbook, while Stars was introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. Circle of the Sea, however, is a complete brand new subclass that has never appeared before and was only previously available in Unearthed Arcana playtest materials.

One key change for subclasses, is that Druids now choose their Circle at Level 3 (as opposed to Level 2, as per the 2014 rules). This is an across-the-board change to the 2024 rules, with all subclasses now being selected at Level 3, regardless of the class.

In addition, the existing Druid subclasses have seen the following changes:

• Circle of the Land: In the 2014 rules your magic was permanently connected to one land type throughout your adventuring career. In the 2024 rules, you can now change the land type after each Long Rest. Land types have also been renamed to Arid Land, Temperate land, Polar land and Tropical land. A new ability called Land’s Aid lets you burn a Wild Shape to cause a magical eruption that can either harm or heal targets. The Natural Recovery feature also now lets you cast one of your Level 1 Circle spells without spending a slot. Finally, Natures Ward also provides resistance to your land of choice and Nature’s Sanctuary also lets you burn a Wild Shape to cause plant life in the area to harm enemies or protect allies.
• Circle of the Moon: Your AC in Beast form becomes 13 plus your Wisdom modifier (unless your Beast form’s AC is higher) and you also gain three times your Druid level in Temporary Hit Points (i.e. 9 Temporary Hit Points at level 3). The maximum CR for your new Beast form also equals your Druid level divided by 3. Additionally you cast spells in Beast form at Level 3 and can now choose to deal radiant damage during an attack. Additionally, the new Moonlight Step feature lets you teleport 30 feet away as a Bonus Action. Finally, the new Lunar Form feature replaces the Thousand Forms feature and lets you deal an additional 2d10 Radiant damage while in your Beast form. Notably, Wizards of the Coast has outlined the changes to the subclass in a recent blog post.
• Circle of the Sea: This new subclass lets you access new sea and storm themed spells (i.e. Fog Cloud, Gust of Wind, Ice Storm etc.). The Wrath of the Sea feature lets you expend a use of your Wild Shape to create an ocean spray aura around yourself that can damage and push nearby targets. The Aquatic Affinity feature means you also have the Water Breathing spell prepared and you gain a Swim Speed equal to your Walk speed. At Level 10, the Stormborn feature grants you a Fly Speed equal to our Walk Speed and resistance to Cold, Lightning and Thunder Damage. At Level 14, Oceanic Gift is an enhanced version of the Wrath of the Sea feature.
• Circle of the Stars: Largely the same as the 2014 rules version.

Final Thoughts on the New Druid

The Druid has often been an overlooked and underestimated DnD 5e. The 2024 rules, however, are likely to convince more players to give the class a try. The thematic choice between a more martial or magical character and the new version of Wild Shape really do allow for far more customization and versatility. They also make the Druid far more interesting both in combat, as well as exploration and social encounters.

Of course, fan reactions to some of the new classes have been fairly mixed (particularly for the nerfed 2024 Paladin and the Hunter’s Mark heavy 2024 Ranger), so it remains to be seen just whether they’ll embrace these changes or send the Druid back into the wilds of 2014.

You can find the complete rules for the new Druid in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, which is available for pre-order now on D&D Beyond and Amazon.

Below is also a video from the official Dungeons & Dragons YouTube channel, with DnD lead designer Jeremy Crawford offering a closer look at the new class features.

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