It’s an understatement to say that a lot has changed for Druids in '24.
Please share your responses and assessments of the changes in the replies.
Druids are spellcasters and shape-changers, so the two central aspects of the class are their spells and the Wild Shape feature.
Spellcasting
Still available from 1st level, the number of prepared spells available to the Druid is now a fixed number by level, rather than 2014’s formula of Wisdom modifier + Druid level. After 3rd level, the number of prepared spells is equal to the sum of available spell slots for that level.
Prepared spells with a level may still be changed at a Long Rest. One cantrip can be changed when gaining a Druid level.
Druid Spellbook
Only one spell has been removed, refer to the section on removed spells in the Topic on spell changes for details.
Cantrips
- Elementalism
- Message
- Spare the Dying
- Starry Wisp
- Thunderclap
Level 1
- Ice Knife
- Protection from Evil and Good
Level 2
- Aid
- Augury
- Continual Flame
- Enlarge/Reduce
- Summon Beast
Level 3
- Aura of Vitality
- Elemental Weapon
- Revivify
- Summon Fey
Level 4
- Charm Monster
- Divination
- Fire Shield
- Fount of Moonlight
- Summon Elemental
Level 5
- Cone of Cold
Level 6
- Flesh to Stone
Level 7
- Symbol
Level 8
- Befuddlement
- Incendiary Cloud
Wild Shape
Still becomes available at 2nd level, this central class feature has undergone some substantial changes.
Now activated as a Bonus Action (previously an Action), the free-form “beast you have seen before” is replaced with a limited selection of forms known to the Druid. The known forms may be changed at a Long Rest. The 2nd level restriction of forms no longer includes beasts with Swim speed, so only flying beasts are restricted to higher-level Druids.
Additional uses of Wild Shape become available at 6th and 17th level, granting more uses than PHB14’s fixed count of two.
Previously, Wild Shape replaced the Druid’s Hit Points with those from the stat block of the beast they shaped into, forcibly reverting them and carrying over any damage when the beast’s HP reached 0. Any legendary or lair actions on the beast were disallowed, as were the Druid’s own special sense (like Darkvision), and the Druid couldn’t speak while in their Wild Shape.
PHB24 changes all of this: the beast’s Hit Points total is added as Temporary HP to the Druid’s total, meaning that the Wild Shaped beast has HP equal to the Druid’s current total plus the HP from the beast’s stat block. Wild Shape will still revert when they hit 0 HP and the Druid is rendered Unconscious. The exclusions on legendary actions, lair actions, and special senses are removed, and the Druid is able to speak while in Wild Shape regardless of the morphology of the beast they have shaped into.
It should be noted that the default selection of beasts available for Wild Shape in Appendix B of PHB24 contains none with legendary or lair actions, use of the Monster Manual to select forms is only by permission of the DM, and the new version of the Monster Manual has made significant changes to both of these traits (written 2025-02-07T05:00:00Z, ahead of the 2025 Monster Manual street date).
Core Class
The basic Druid loses the Medium Armor proficiency from PHB14, as well as proficiency with Scimitars by virtue of that being a Martial weapon and Druids having only Simple weapon proficiency. Interestingly, the Druid also loses its prohibition against metal armor and shields.
The starting equipment gets cut down to a choice between some starting gear and an equivalent amount of GP. Of that gear, though, it should be noted that one of the items is a Quarterstaff that serves as a Druid Focus for spellcasting. The PHB14 listed a few options for a Druidic Focus, but none of them were otherwise usable items, while the Quarterstaff is a Simple weapon with which the Druid is proficient.
Primal Order - at 1st level, choose between:
- Magician: learn an additional cantrip and add your Wisdom modifier to Arcana and Nature checks, in place of Intelligence.
- Warden: Gain proficiency with Martial weapons and Medium Armor.
At 2nd level, the Wild Companion class feat enables casting Find Familiar once per long rest without Material components. This spell normally has a Material cost that is both consumed by the casting and that has an assigned value, making it otherwise ineligible to be cast with a Druidic Focus.
As with all classes, subclass selection has been moved 3rd level. The subclass options will be covered in separate sections below.
Wild Resurgence, at 5th level, allows a Druid to expend one spell slot and regain a use of Wild Shape. Alternatively, the Druid could trade one use of Wild Shape to regain a Level 1 spell slot once per Long Rest.
Elemental Fury (7th level) presents a choice of:
- Potent Spellcasting: add the Wisdom modifier to damage from cantrips
- at 15th level, this option also adds 300 feet to the Range to cantrips with at least 10 feet of Range
- Primal Strike: once per turn, add 1d8 of your choice of Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Thunder damage when attacking with a weapon or during Wild Shape
- at 15th level, this damage is increased to 2d8
At 18th level, Beast Spells now enables the casting of spells with Material components as though they were cast using a Druidic Focus. Previously, this feature allowed for casting of spells with no Material component only.
Epic Boon becomes available at 19th level, as it does for other classes, and replaces the Ability Score Increase previously granted at this level.
At 20th level, the Druid becomes an Archdruid, though this is different in '24 than in PHB14. First, the 2014 feature Timeless Body (previously 18th level), is incorporated into this class feat. The previous grant of unlimited Wild Shape is replaced by a single-use replenishment when all are expended and rolling for Initiative (dubbed Evergreen Wild Shape). Finally, the Nature Magician allows the Druid to convert uses of Wild Shape into spell slots, without taking an Action, at a rate of 2 levels per use. This feature is limited to once per Long Rest.
Subclass Options (Druid Circle)
Circle of the Land
No longer receives a Bonus Cantrip as it did in PHB14.
The way that this subclass’s always-prepared spells are determined has been completely redesigned. Under the old rules, a single land type would be chosen from among arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, mountain, swamp, and Underdark. This was an immutable choice and permanently defined the character’s available spells.
Under PHB24, the land type may be chosen at a Long Rest from a smaller set of Arid, Polar, Temperate, or Tropical, granting a fixed assortment of spells for specific levels.
Land’s Aid, 3rd level, creates a 10-foot-radius Sphere within 60’ that does 2d6 Necrotic damage within it on a failed Constitution saving throw, half as much on success. A single target within the Sphere gains 2d6 HP. The dice pool increases by 1d6 at 10th and 14th levels.
Natural Recovery moves from 2nd level to 6th and adds the ability to cast one of the Circle-specific prepared spells without expending a spell slot once per Long Rest.
Nature’s Ward, 10th level, now grants Resistance based on the chosen Circle land type rather than immunity to being charmed or frightened by elementals or fey. The reference to disease is also removed, though this appears to be because disease was removed overall in PHB24.
Finally, at 14th level, Nature’s Sanctuary no longer imposes a Wisdom saving throw on beasts or plants in order to attack, replacing that feature with the ability to expend one use of Wild Shape and make a 15’ Cube of Half Cover within 120’, granting the same Resistance as Nature’s Ward to allies within the cube. It can be moved up to 60’ (within the 120’ Range) as a Bonus Action.
Circle of the Moon
This subclass has been completely re-designed for PHB24, with every single feature being changed.
It loses Combat Wild Shape, which allowed for using Wild Shape as a Bonus Action, because this change was already made to the core class.
The 3rd level Circle Forms has its language simplified such that the maximum CR beast that can be Wild Shaped into is 1/3 of the Druid level. Previously this was a max CR of 1 until 6th level. With the change to the subclass level selection, these are now equivalent. However, Circle Forms now also grants that the AC during Wild Shape is either 13 + Wisdom modifier or the AC from the Beast’s stat block, whichever is higher. and a grant of Temporary HP equal to three times the Druid level.
Circle of the Moon Druids did not get any always-prepared spells in PHB14, in '24 they get:
- 3rd level: Cure Wounds, Moonbeam, Starry Wisp
- 5th level: Conjure Animals
- 7th level: Fount of Moonlight
- 9th level: Mass Cure Wounds
At 6th level, Improved Circle Forms replaces Primal Strike’s “attacks are magical while in Wild Shape” with the option of dealing either normal or Radiant damage on attack (selected upon hit), and the ability to add your Wisdom modifier to Constitution saving throws.
Previously, Elemental Wild Shape at 10th level allowed the Druid to Wild Shape into an elemental at the expense of two uses of Wild Shape. PHB24 replaces this with Moonlight Step, a teleportation feat that costs a Bonus Action to move up to 30’ and grants Advantage on the Druid’s next attack this turn. This can be used a number of times equal to the Wisdom modifier and is replenished on a Long Rest. Expending a Level 2 or higher spell slot can also restore a use of it.
Lunar Form, at 14th level, replaces Thousand Forms ability to cast Alter Self at will with Improved Lunar Radiance, inflicting 2d10 Radiant damage once per turn while attacking in Wild Shape and Shared Moonlight, the ability to bring a willing creature while teleporting with Moonlight Step.
Circle of the Sea
This subclass is all-new for the 2024 Players Handbook.
Circle of the Stars
Originally published in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, the features are level-corrected to align with PHB24’s higher subclass selection level and there are minor changes to the descriptive text.