The Ultimate Druid Class Build for Unleashing Nature’s Power in Baldur's Gate 3

In the full version of Baldur's Gate 3, players will have a choice of 12 classes, one of which is the versatile Druid Class. While fans are aware that the Circle of Spores build will be introduced in BG3 at some point, currently, focusing on shapeshifting appears to be the most effective way to build a Druid character.

In Baldur's Gate 3, many character builds revolve around a specific subclass or mechanic of a class. For Druids, this revolves around the Circle of the Moon subclass and the Wild Shape ability. Until the game is updated to include the Circle of Spores, which offers abilities related to poison, toxicity, and necromancy, transforming into a Bear under the Circle of the Moon provides the Druid with the greatest usefulness and damage potential.

This build has been specifically created for the Early Access iteration of Baldur's Gate 3. Once the game is fully launched on August 3, 2023, make sure to revisit this page for refreshed advice on constructing an optimal BG3 Druid build.

Best Druid Build Overview

Druids sworn to the moon draw on its mercurial nature to transform into massive creatures and primal elementals.

Circle of the Moon Druid builds excel in close-combat tanking, thanks to their ability to shift into a Bear form with a Bonus Action. This transformation grants them a Taunt ability, the Claws attack skill, and an increase in HP. In addition to their melee prowess, they are also capable of exerting control in close-quarters combat and providing powerful support from a distance. However, it is crucial for them to prioritize maximizing their damage output while in Wild Shape.

Interestingly, it seems that Concentration-based effects can remain active even when the Circle of the Moon Druid is in Wild Shape. Therefore, it can be advantageous to cast a spell beforehand and then use a Bonus Action to transform, ensuring the continuation of the effect. Outside of melee combat and Taunting enemies, these druids can rely on their other spellcasting abilities.

Circle of the Moon Druid Character Creation

Although Circle of the Moon Druids predominantly excel in direct confrontations with their adversaries, they primarily engage in melee combat rather than ranged encounters. By utilizing formidable powers, such as Thorn Whip, Entangle, and Shillelagh, they effectively sustain themselves in close-quarter combat when not transformed through Wild Shape.

Best Druid Race: Gold Dwarf

The Gold Dwarf race in Baldur's Gate 3 is equipped with the Dwarven Resilience racial passive. This grants them Advantage and resistance against Poison effects, along with their base racial ability, Dwarven Toughness. The passive also increases their HP by an additional point for each level, resulting in a total of 5 extra HP by Level 5. This is particularly beneficial for Circle of the Moon druids who excel at tanking, making their increased HP incredibly valuable compared to other racial passives that may be more focused on non-combat abilities.

In the full release of Baldur's Gate 3, Ability Scores will be tied to Class rather than Race. Regardless of the Race chosen for their character, players will have the flexibility to allocate +2/+1 to two Ability Scores of their choice.

Best Druid Subclass: Circle of the Moon

There are two options for players to choose from when it comes to subclasses for Druids in the Baldur's Gate 3 Early Access: Circle of the Land or Circle of the Moon. The Circle of the Moon focuses on harnessing the Druid's Wild Shape ability, offering additional benefits to this formidable shapeshifting mechanic and reducing the requirements for using it in combat. A Circle of the Moon Druid is able to heal themselves while in Wild Shape and can seamlessly shift forms using a Bonus Action instead of a full Action.

Best Druid Proficiencies and Background: Folk Hero

The Folk Hero background provides Proficiency in Animal Handling and Survival skills, leaving Arcana, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, and Religion available for the two Class options. Considering the advantageous passive advantage of Perception in detecting crucial environmental details, it is recommended to select it as one of the skills. Additionally, either Insight or Medicine can be chosen, with Insight being more advantageous in role-playing scenarios.

Best Circle of the Moon Druid Cantrips

Level 1: Shillelagh, Thorn Whip

Level 4: Guidance

Best Circle of the Moon Druid Spells

Level 1: Entangle, Fog Cloud, Healing Word, Thunderwave

Level 2: Faerie Fire

Level 3: Barkskin, Spike Growth (replace Entangle)

Level 4: Moonbeam

Level 5: Call Lightning

Baldur's Gate 3 is currently in Early Access and will have a full PC release on August 3, 2023. The PlayStation 5 version is set to release on September 6, 2023. Development for a version for Xbox Series X/S is currently underway.