Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Druid build guide – race, subclass, BG3 skills

Looking for the best Baldur’s Gate 3 Druid build? The Druid is one of Baldur’s Gate 3 classes that focus on versatility, letting them surpass most challenges thrown at them. It can be difficult to master, especially with D&D’s complex mechanics.

If you’re looking for a more straightforward class, here’s our best Baldur’s Gate 3 Barbarian build. And yes, Druids can turn into cats and enter small spaces like those in the Baldur’s Gate 3 Arcane Tower. Here’s what you need to know about the Druid in BG3.

Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Druid build

The Druid class offers excellent versatility and support options for players in Baldur’s Gate 3. Shapeshifting into Wild Shapes unlocks a variety of ways to deal damage, suppress enemies, or fix up allies. Their Nature affinity also grants them some solid spells that control the environment and aid your team. Considering how the Druid jumps between damage dealer, spellcaster, and support, it’s not a class for everyone. But for those willing to experient and test the water, the Druid class is a good selection.

Being limited to medium armour can hamper their effectiveness in direct combat unless the Druid has transformed into a beast. And while they do have access to spells, their spell selection is quite different from your Wizard and Sorcerer options.

Druid proficiencies in BG3

Here are the proficiencies available to the Druid class in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Armor Proficiencies – Light Armor, Medium Armor, and Shields
• Saving Throws – Intelligence and Wisdom
• Skill Proficiencies – Choice 2 from Arcana, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Nature, and Perception
• Weapon Proficiencies – Club, Dagger, Javelin, Quarterstaff, Scimitar, Sickle, and Spear

Best race for a Druid in BG3

While Larian Studios has done away with ability score differences for races, their traits can still aid specific class combinations. Here are the best races for a Druid in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Wood Half-Elf – This is a great pick thanks to Fleet of Foot (bonus movement to 10.5 m) which lets you position yourself better in combat. Darkvision (up to 12m) is a good perk in the Underdark and so is stealth proficiency. Fey Ancestry reduces the likelihood of being charmed or put to sleep.
• Gold Dwarf – This is another good pick thanks to Dwarven Resilience and Dwarven Toughness. These boost poison resistance and health points respectively. Dwarves also have darkvision to explore the depths. Their weapon proficiencies are another sweet perk to wield handaxes, battleaxes, light hammers, and warhammers.

Best background for a Druid in Baldur’s Gate 3

Backgrounds determine what actions give you inspiration points. This resource can be used to reroll dice rolls at key narrative moments. Remember that you can only have four at a time and they must be spent before a Long Rest. Here are the best backgrounds for a Druid in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Folk Hero: Proficient in Animal Handling and Survival. This leans into the strengths of the Druid class. Here’s the in-game description: “You’re a champion of the common people, challenging tyrants, and monsters to protect the helpless.”
• Acolyte: Proficiency in Insight and Religion. This compensates for your shortcomings in the abilities that influence these skills. Here’s the in-game description: “You have spent your life in service to a temple, learning sacred rites and providing sacrifices to the god or gods you worship.”
• Outlander: Proficiency in Athletics and Survival. Druids aren’t known for Strength so this is a good pick. Here’s the in-game description: “You grew up in the wilds, learning to survive far from the comforts of civilization.”

Druid Ability Scores in BG3

Here’s the optimal ability score distribution for a Druid in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Strength – 10
• Dexterity – 14
• Constitution – 16
• Intelligence – 10
• Wisdom – 16
• Charisma – 8

Best Feats for a Druid in Baldur’s Gate 3

As a Druid, you get access to Baldur’s Gate 3 feats at level 4. Here are the best feats for a Druid in BG3:

• Ability Improvement – Using two ability points to boost Wisdom will improve your odds of landing spells and attacks.
• War Master – You gain Advantage on Saving Throws to maintain Concentration on a spell. You can also use a reaction to cast Shocking Grasp at a target moving out of melee range. This one’s a good pick to keep concentration going across multiple turns.
• Mage Slayer – When a creature casts a spell within melee range of you, you have Advantage on any Saving Throw against it, and you can use a reaction to immediately make an attack against the caster. Enemies you hit have Disadvantage on Concentration Saving Throws.

Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Druid Subclass

Here are the subclasses in the Druid class of Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Circle of the Moon – This subclass focuses on the WIld Shape offerings of the Druid. You get to transform into powerful creatures earlier than other subclasses. You also get to transform as a bonus action with extra HP. Melee-focused players will enjoy this build.
• Circle of the Land – This one’s for the spellcasters. As a Circle of the Land Druid, you’ll get extra spells based on the terrain you pick. These are Arctic, Coast, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Mountain, Swamp, and Underdark.
• Circle of Spores – This subclass focuses on wielding the power of fungi and decay. Raise your own mushroom army to clear enemy combatants.

We picked the Circle of the Moon as it’s great at offering high damage while keeping survivability in mind. You also get a variety of utility options thanks to the amped-up WIld Shape choices.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Druid features explained

Here are the features that a Circle of the Moon Druid gets access to:

• Lunar Mend (Level 2): Use spell slots to regain Hit Points while in Wild Shape form.
• Combat Wild Shape (Level 2): Wild Shape now uses a Bonus Action instead of an Action. This greatly improves your versatility.
• Available Wild Shapes (Level 2): Badger, Bear, Cat, Spider, Wolf
• Available Wild Shapes (Level 4): Dire Raven and Deep Rothé options unlocked
• Wild Strike (Level 5): You can make an additional attack after making an unarmed strike while in Wild Shape. Boosts damage output.
• Primal Strike (Level 6): While in beast form, your attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical damage. Helps in Act 2 and 3.
• Available Wild Shapes (Level 6): Panther and Owlbear options unlocked.
• Available Wild Shapes (Level 8): Sabre-Toothed Tiger unlocked.
• Improved Wild Strike (Level 10): You can make 2 additional attacks after making an unarmed strike while in Wild Shape. Further improves combat prowess.
• Available Wild Shapes (Level 10): Dilophosaurus, Air Myrmidon, Earth Myrmidon, Fire Myrmidon, Water Myrmidon. These are very powerful transformations.

Best BG3 Druid equipment

Here’s the best equipment for the Druid in Baldur’s Gate 3:

• Killer’s Sweatheart – When you kill a creature, your next Attack Roll will be a critical hit. Once spent, this effect refreshes after a Long Rest.
• Selune’s Spear of Night – Gain Advantage on Wisdom Saving Throws and Perception Checks. You can see in the dark up to 12m. Cast Moonbeam and Moonmote once per Long Rest.
• Disintegrating Night Walkers- Can’t be Enwebbed, Entangled, or Ensnared and can’t slip on grease or ice. Grants Misty Step.
• Armour of Moonbasking – You gain 22 temporary hit points after casting Wild Shape. While those temporary hit points are active reduce all incoming damage by 1. You also have a +2 bonus to Armour Class. Gain Advantage on Saving Throws against spells in Wild Shape.
• Cloak of the Weave – You gain a +1 bonus to Spell Save DC and Spell Attack Rolls; Absorb elemental damage once per Short Rest. Take half damage from the next elemental attack targeting you, and deal an additional 1d6 of that element type on your next attack.
• Shapeshifter Hat: Nature’s Embrace – Increase your Wild Shape Charge by 1. Nature +1. This one’s a must-have, especially since later Wild Shapes can cost two Wild Shape charges.

Druid Wild Shape Forms in Baldur’s Gate 3 explained

Here are all the versatile Wild Shape forms you can transform into as a Druid in BG3:

• Cat – 2 HP. While this form is no melee fighter, you don’t have to resort to the Claws attack. The Meow move lets you distract foes and your small size lets you enter small spaces to clear puzzles or obstacles.
• Badger – 13 HP. This shape has a Bite melee attack and its Claw action knocks enemies hack. It also has a Burrow attack that can knock enemies Prone.
• Bear – 30 HP. Roar forces enemies to attack you, taking the pressure off your weaker allies. You also have access to a powerful claw attack.
• Wolf – 18 HP. This Wild Shape is a more offensive option than the Bear. Howl increases ally movement while Bite deals solid damage. But the best part of the Wolf is its Exposing Bite, which guarantees the next attack to be a critical strike. Pair this with the Barbarian’s Brutal Critical bonus for some mass destruction.
• Spider – 20 HP. A venomous bite can potentially poison targets. The Spider can also cover an area with flammable webbing to slow down enemies. It’s a good pick against aggressive enemies.
• Dire Raven – 21 HP. It’s a decent amount of HP for a bird that can peck at enemies and use Rend Vision to Blind enemies. But more than direct combat, it’s a good option to Fly to hard-to-reach areas during combat.
• Deep Rothé – 23 HP. Gore is a solid combat attack while Charge can knock enemies prone. It’s a good way to use crowd control and suppress enemy forces.
• Owlbear – 65 HP. Enrage and Rupture are solid area damage and stun options. You can also get a perk that eliminates fall damage, letting you pounce on enemies from alarming heights.
• Panther – 45 HP. This Wild Shape can turn invisible and gain an advantage while attacking. It’s also got Jugular Strike and Pounce for solid damage output.
• Sabre Toothed Tiger – 62 HP. This option has a lot of health too. Jugular Strike is a good offensive ability and Shred Armour makes enemies easier to hit. An ideal support pick that’s both tanky and strong in combat.
• Dilophosaurus – 74 HP. Corrosive spit from this dinosaur can reduce an enemy’s Armour class, making them easier to hit. This Wild Shape also has access to Bite and Pounce.
• Myrmidon – 90 HP. Can pick from Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. They have unique skills and spells based on their elemental affinity. Water Myrmidon gets a heal so we recommend that one. Note that these cost two Wild Charges.

Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Druid Build explained

Here’s how we specced our Circle of the Moon in Baldur’s Gate 3. At level 1, you get to pick two cantrips and four spells. Here are our recommendations in level 1 for the Druid in BG3:

• Shillelagh: Imbue your staff or club with nature’s power. It becomes magical, deals 1d8+2 Bludgeoning damage, and uses your Spellcasting Ability for Attack Rolls. It’s a good bonus action that relies on your Wisdom stat.
• Thorn Whip: Strike at a creature with a thorny, vine-like whip and pull it 3m closer to you. Particularly potent at sending enemies off cliffs or into a trap.
• Guidance: The target gains a +1d4 bonus to Ability Checks. A good cantrip for skill checks if you don’t have a Cleric on your team.
• Thunderwave: Release a wave of thunderous force that pushes away all creatures and objects (2d8 Thunder). A good spell for sending multiple enemies away.
• Cure Wounds: Touch a creature to heal it. Has to be done via contact.
• Healing Word: 18m range heal 1d4. Can be done from a distance.
• Ice Knife: Throw a shard of ice that deals 1-10 Piercing damage. It explodes and deals 2-12 Cold damage to anyone nearby. Deals damage even if it misses.
• Enhanced Leap: Triple a creature’s jumping distance. Reach hidden areas and solve puzzles with this option.

At level 2, you get to pick your subclass. Pick Circle of the Moon and you’ll get access to two Wild Shape charges per Short Rest and the Lunar Mend heal. With another spell slot, consider Entangle to slow enemies or hold them in place. Your Wild Shapes will let you assist your party in a variety of ways. The Wolf is good at damage while the Spider can ensnare enemies. As for the Badger, it’s good at suppressing foes with its Burrow attack that can drop enemies Prone. And don’t worry about dying due to low health. You’ll transform back to human form when your health bar is over in Wild Shape form. But remember that you can’t cast spells in Wild Shape. 

At level 3, you get access to level 2 spells and more slots for level 1. We recommend picking Flaming Sphere as it can deal solid damage to enemies and objects. But remember that it requires concentration to maintain. And at level 4, you get access to Baldur’s Gate 3 feats. Consider increasing your Wisdom by two. You also get a cantrip and a level 2 spell slot. Pick the cantrip from the previous list. As for the spell, Heat Metal lets you force enemies to drop armour or a weapon and get damaged in the process. You also get access to the Deep Rothé Wild Shape, which is great at crowd control with its Charge ability.

At level 5 as a Druid, you get access to two level 3 spells. You also get Wild Strike in Wild Shape form. Wild Strike lets you gain an extra attack after an unarmed strike while in Wild Shape form. Here are the spells we recommend at level 5:

• Call of Lightning: Call down lightning to hit all targets within range.  Each turn can call down lightning again without expending a spell slot. Massive damage over an area.
• Sleet Storm: Call forth a storm of sleet that douses fires, creates an ice surface, and disrupts the concentration of spellcasters. Can shut down both ranged and melee opponents.

At level 6, you get an extra spell and two powerful WIld Shape forms as a Druid. Ice Knife is a good pick here and so is Gust of Wind. The latter lets you summon a strong wind that clears all sounds and pushes creatures back 5m, forcing them Off Balance. As for WIld Shapes, the Panther is your main damage dealer that deals bonus damage to prone enemies thanks to Jugular Strike. The Owlbear is a tankier option with area damage and crowd control capabilities.

At level 7, you get to unleash level 4 spells. Drop Gust of Wind and take two level 4 spells. Here are the spells we recommend at level 7 for a Circle of the Moon Druid in BG3:

• Ice Storm: deals 2d8 bludgeoning damage and +4d6 cold damage in a massive 6m radius.
• Conjure Woodland Beings: summons a fey creature friendly.

Level 8 brings with it an additional feat. Here, pick War Master to help with maintaining concentration. You also get another spell slot and a Wild Shape option. We suggest Confusion to cause foes to fight each other, do nothing, or wander about. As for the WIld Shape, the Sabre-Toothed Tiger is a powerful combatant. Think of it as an enhanced Panther that can devastate Prone targets. 

Once you reach level 9 as a Circle of the Moon Druid, you get level 5 spells. Drop Conjure Woodland Being and pick Conjure Elemental instead. As for the extra slot, consider Mass Cure wounds for a powerful heal. This heals up to six allies for 3d8+Spell Ability modifier HP. Here’s what the new spell does at level 9:

• Conjure Elemental: Bend the barrier between the Planes until they disgorge an elemental ally to follow and fight for you. This will summon one of possibly four different Elemental creatures to fight for you. They deal massive damage and do not require concentration. The Earth one can stun enemies. 

At level 10, the Druid becomes a formidable opponent. You gain new WIld Shape forms, a Cantrip, and a spell. Pick Poison Spray for a cantrip that can poison enemies. You’ll rarely need it though. Improved WIld Strike lets you deal two extra attacks after an unarmed Wild Shape attack. This greatly improves your damage output.  As for the Wild Shapes, the Dilophosaurus is a literal dinosaur whose Corrosive spit can make enemies easier to hit. And the Myrmidons are excellent in combat despite costing two Wild Shape charges.

On reaching level 11, you finally get level 6 spell slots. As a support character, here’s what we recommend at level 11 for a Druid:

• Heroes’ Feast: Produce a feast for 12 guests that cure diseases, immunizes to poison, and increases hp by 2d10 for 24 hours. 
• Heal: heal for 70 damage and heal a target’s wounds and remove Blindness and any diseases. Only for a single target.

Level 12 unlocks yet another feat and a spell slot. For the feat, pick Wisdom once more with Ability Improvement for two ability points. As for the spell, Stoneskin turns a creature’s flesh hard as stone. It gains Resistance (half the damage) of all non-magical Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage. This effect lasts until a Long Rest and requires concentration. You can do this outside combat to save a turn.

That covers everything you need to know about the best Baldur’s Gate 3 Druid build. If you’re looking for a more defensive class, consider our best Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin build. The Druid’s Wild Shape lets them sidestep challenges like the Baldur’s Gate 3 Dank Crypt.

Are Druids good in BG3?

Druids are one of the most versatile classes in Baldur’s Gate 3 thanks to their beast transformations.

What is the best Druid build in Baldur’s Gate 3?

The best Druid build in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the Circle of the Moon Druid build.