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Druids are lots of fun to play in Dungeons & Dragons thanks in part to their unique spell list. But which Druid spells are the best?
Some of the most interesting spells in Dungeons & Dragons are designed specifically for the Druid class, playing up their intimate relationship with plants, animals and the natural elements. While that makes them perfect for role-playing, it also makes them trickier to optimize.
Because Druids draw power from nature to cast spells, making the right spell choices is an important part of any character build. Not all the Druid spells available are wise choices. While some are among the best options in the game, others will most likely be a waste of space that could be better filled by a better option.
Cantrips are an important part of any caster’s spell list, but Druids, unfortunately, don’t have access to some of the best offensive options in the game like Fire Bolt or Eldritch Blast. In their absence, Druids may be tempted to take Poison Spray or Shillelagh, but neither are good options, with limited range that would make a more reliable weapon a better alternative. Create Bonfire or Frostbite prove far better. Even though their damage doesn’t seem impressive, their ability to control an area or impose disadvantage can be valuable.
One of the first Druid spells available that any caster should take is Entangle. It brings the plant life in a 20 foot square alive around a target, creating difficult terrain and potentially restraining any creatures within its span that cannot make their Strength saving throws. Crowd control is always valuable, especially at lower levels, but one which contests Strength while also imposing difficult terrain is a particularly good option. Most ranged attackers a D&D party is likely to face are ranged for a reason: they don’t like melee. Entangle can not only trap them in place, but it make it extremely hard for them to escape.
Goodberry is another lower level option that’s easy to overlook. Though producing 10 berries that give one hit point each does not seem like much, the berries last for 24 hours, so any Druid with spare spell slots can use them up at the end of an adventuring day to walk around with a bag full of extra health for the party. Goodberries are an indispensable source of nutrition in campaigns where Dungeon Masters impose more realistic restrictions on how often characters are eating and nourishing themselves.
Not all a Druid’s best options are lower level spells, though. Fourth level’s Giant Insect creates a handy way to multiply the number of allies fighting alongside the party in combat, fifth level’s Maelstrom is one of the best area control spells in the game and eighth-level’s Tsunami is a devastating way to control the battlefield that cranks all the benefits of Entangle up to 11. With such options, there is plenty for a Druid to look forward to as they level up. If they choose wisely they can become the best support a party could ask for in battle.
Compared to other classes, Druids do not scale up all that well in terms of their power at higher levels. Abilities like Wildshape start to lose their value the weaker the beasts they turn into become in comparison to the monsters a party faces. This makes choosing the right spells critical for staying competitive at higher levels. Controlling the field of combat and the movement of enemies is a unique niche to fill that not all casters excel at, but as beings who are one with the lands around them, Druids can turn the land itself into another ally.
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