DG: Expected damage if all attacks are non-critical hits.
Conjure Animals
Spoiler: CR OptionsConjuring Animals gives the Druid four options for summoning:
- Eight CR 1/4 Beasts
- Four CR 1/2 Beasts
- Two CR 1 Beasts
- One CR 2 Beast
Technically, the DM gets to pick the creature(s) you get; in practice, most DMs let the player choose the creatures.
Conjuring Eight CR 1/4 Beasts: Extremely powerful option - the total HP pool and damage of eight CR 1/4 creature are generally superior to those of four CR 1/2 creatures, two CR1 creatures or a single CR2 creature. It's also better to have 8 chances of restraining or knocking Prone instead of one or two.
There are three main reasons why you'd prefer to conjure higher CR beasts instead:
- CR 1/4 creatures are extremely vulnerable to AoE damage.
- It can be difficult to maneuver so many creatures around, especially if they are Large.
- It can take too long for a player to control so many creatures around
Conjuring Four CR 1/2 Beasts: These creatures are barely more durable than the CR 1/4 options, and don't do much more damage either. Frankly, you are almost always better off getting twice as many CR 1/4 creatures instead.
Conjuring Two CR1 Beasts: A few creatures at this rating (Dire Wolf, Giant Octopus, Giant Toad, etc.) have decent hit points - enough to have a good chance to survive a Fireball. Summoning these creatures is a good compromise between damage and durability.
Conjuring One CR2 Beast: Almost all the creatures at this tier are durable but getting half as many as the CR1 option hurts. Good choice if you need durable creatures and the best CR1 options don't work for you.
Spoiler: CR <= 1/4Axe Break, AC11 19HP, 6.5DG: 50' speed. Poor damage and no features.
Boar, AC11, 11HP, 4.5DG: 40' speed. Awful stats and a mediocre Charge for 3.5 extra damage, and can knock Prone (DC11).
Constrictor Snake, AC12, 13HP, 6.5DG: 30' swim, 10' Blindsight. The auto-restrain attack (DC14) is great.
Cow/Ox/Rothe (VGtM), AC10, 15HP, 7.5DG: Powerful Charge for 7 extra damage but no Prone effect.
Deep Rothe (VGtM), AC10, 13HP, 7.5DG: Like the Cow, but with 2 less hp and the ability to cast dancing lights.
Dimetrodon (VGtM), AC12, 19HP, 9DG: 20' swim. Okay stats.
Draft Horse, AC10, 19HP, 9DG: 40' speed. Slow mount with good HP.
Elk, AC10, 13HP, 6.5DG: 50' speed. Has an amazing Charge that does 7 extra damage & knocks Prone (DC13).
Giant Badger, AC10, 13HP, 10.5DG: 10' dig speed and good damage.
Giant Bat, AC13, 22HP, 5.5DG: 60' Blindsight and impressive durability, but low damage.
Giant Centipede, AC13, 4HP, 15DG: 30' Blindsight. Great poison damage (DC11) but extremely fragile.
Giant Frog, AC11, 18HP, 4.5DG: 30' swim & Amphibious. Auto-restrain attack (DC11) & can swallow the restrained creature. Substantially more durable than the Constrictor Snake. Medium size.
Giant Lizard, AC12, 19HP, 6.5DG: Poor stats but has variants with Swimming / Spider Climb.
Giant Owl, AC12, 19HP, 8DG: 60' fly. Quite durable and versatile, and can avoid damage through Flyby.
Giant Poisonous Snake, AC14, 11HP, 17DG: 30' swim, 10' reach, 10' Blindsight, the best AC and the most damage if not resisting poison (DC11). An amazing beast with low hp.
Giant Wolf Spider, AC13, 11HP, 11.5DG: 40' speed, Spider Climb, 10' Blindsight and good Poison damage (DC11).
Hadrosaurus (VGtM), AC11, 19HP, 7.5DG: 40' speed. Okay stats but no features.
Mastiff, AC12, 5HP, 4.5DG: 40' speed. An extremely fragile Medium size mount that can knock Prone (DC11).
Panther, AC12, 13HP, 5.5DG: 50' speed. Underwhelming Pounce for Prone (DC12) & chance to do 4.5 extra damage.
Pony, AC10, 11HP, 7DG: 40' speed. A fragile Medium size mount.
Pterandon (VGtM), AC13, 13HP, 6DG: 60' fly. Has Flyby. A worse version of the Giant Owl, but that's still pretty good.
Riding Horse, AC10, 13HP, 8DG: 60' speed, can act as a fast mount.
Stench Kow (VGtM), AC10, 15HP, 7.5DG: Like a Cow, but has resistance to Fire/Cold/Poison and automatically poisons creatures (DC12) within 5' of it with (!).
Velociraptor (VGtM), AC13, 10HP, 10DG: Pack Tactics and good damage. Tiny size.
Wolf, AC13, 11HP, 7DG: 40' speed, Pack Tactics, and its attack can Prone (DC11).
Adventure-specific Beasts
Cave Badger (OotA), AC12, 13HP, 10.5DG: 15' dig speed, Tremorsense 60', and does good damage. Variant of the Giant Badger.
Fastieth (ERLW), AC14, 9HP, 8.5DG: 50' speed, can take Dodge as bonus action about 1/3 of the time. Dodging compensates for poor HP, but little else here is of value.
Giant Riding Lizard (OotA), AC12, 19HP, 6.5DG: 30' speed, but 30' climbing speed and Spider Walk. An excellent mount for vertical travel.
Guthash (TftYP), AC12, 16HP, 4.5DG: Pack Tactics but awful damage. Unique variant of the Giant Rat.
Male Steeder (OotA), AC12, 13HP, 12DG: Has Spider Climb and good Acid damage (DC12).
Snarl (LMoP), AC13, 18HP, 7DG: Unique variant of the Wolf with 7 more HP.
Spoiler: CR 1/2Ape, AC12, 19HP, 13DG: Has a ranged rock attack for 6.5DG, and Athletics +5 for Grappling.
Black Bear, AC12, 19HP, 12.5DG: 40' speed. Faster than the Ape but without the ranged attack or Grappling.
Crocodile, AC12, 19HP, 7.5DG: 20' speed, 30' swim. Auto-restrain on a hit (DC12). Slower on land than Giant Frog but otherwise slightly better.
Giant Goat, AC11, 19HP, 8DG: 40' speed. Has a Charge attack that does 5 extra damage & knocks Prone (DC13). Advantage against Prone. Similar to an Elk but with 6 more HP.
Giant Sea Horse, AC13, 16HP, 4.5DG: 40' swim. Charge attack does 7 extra damage & knocks Prone (DC11). The best aquatic animal that charges.
Giant Wasp, AC12, 13HP, 16DG: 50' fly. Good poison damage (DC11). Essentially a Giant Poisonous Snake without reach but that can fly.
Reef Shark, AC12, 22HP, 6.5DG: 40' swim, 30' Blindsight. Has Pack Tactics.
Warhorse, AC11, 19HP, 11DG: 60' speed mount. Has a Trampling Charge that knocks Prone & give another attack (DC14). Beside the charge, it's very similar to CR1/4 horses.
Adventure-specific Beasts
Clawfoot Raptor (WGtE), AC14, 16HP, 10DG: 50' speed, has a Pounce attack to knock Prone (DC13) & allow a Bonus Action attack for 8 damage. Medium mount quite similar to the Warhorse, but with more AC and less HP.
Fiendish Giant Spider (OotA), AC13, 11HP, 11.5DG: 40' speed, Spider Climb, 10' Blindsight, resistance to Cold/Fire/Lightening and Immunity to Poison. Variant of the Giant Wolf Spider that isn't worth the extra CR.
Giant Sea Eel (GoS), AC14, 19HP, 13DG: 40' swim, can only breath underwater. Great damage but doesn't have the Reef Shark's abilities.
Jaculi (ToA), AC14, 16HP, 9DG: 30' Blindsight. Can do a "spring" attack that can grant advantage and do 7 extra damage.
Sea Lion (GoS), AC16, 15HP, 18.5 DG: 15' speed, 30' swim, hold breath for 15 minutes. Amazing AC and damage.
Spoiler: CR1Brown Bear, 11AC, 34HP, 19.5DG: 40' speed. Good HP and damage, but terrible AC.
Deinonychus (VGtM), 13AC, 26HP, 19.5DG: 40' speed. Pounce attack to knock Prone and give extra attack (DC12), but low HP. Why not get four times as many Elk instead?
Dire Wolf, 14AC, 37HP, 10DG: 50' speed, Pack Tactics. Excellent defensive form. Relatively weak damage but can knock Prone (DC13).
Giant Eagle, AC13, 26HP, 16.5DG: 80' fly. Why not get four times as many Giant Owls instead?
Giant Hyena, 12AC, 45HP, 10DG: 50' speed. If Rampage procs, can be as damaging as the Brown Bear.
Giant Octopus, 11AC, 52HP, 10DG: 10' speed, 60' swim. Its 15' range tentacles auto-restrain enemies on hit (escape DC16). Low mobility on land.
Giant Spider, 14AC, 26HP, 16.5DG: Spider Climb, 10' Blindsight, good Poison damage (DC11), a Web attack that auto-restrain on a hit (no saves). Summoning four times as many Giant Wolf Spiders may be preferable.
Giant Toad, 11AC, 39HP, 13DG: 20' speed, 40' swim. A Bite that auto-restrain (escape DC13). Can Swallow the grappled enemy to inflict 10.5 acid damage but the process is very slow (takes 3 turns minimum for the acid to kick in).
Giant Vulture, AC10, 22HP, 16DG: 60' fly speed, with Pack Tactics. Decent offense & defense for a flyer.
Lion, 12AC, 25HP, 7.5DG: 50' speed. Has Pack Tactics and a Pounce attack (DC13). Weak damage and defense.
Tiger, 12AC, 37HP, 8.5DG: 40' speed. Has a Pounce attack (DC13), but unlike the Lion doesn't have Pack Tactics.
Adventure-specific Beasts
Archelon (BotJR), 14AC, 26HP, 12DG: 10' speed, 40' swim. Terrible stats, plus no special features.
Clawfoot (ERLW), AC13, 19HP, 15 DG: 40' speed, Pack Tactics, and a Pounce attack (DC11). Amazing offense, but extremely vulnerable.
Crag Cat (SKT), 13AC, 34HP, 8.5DG: 40' speed, Nondetection, Spell Turning, and a Pounce attack (DC13).
Dilophosaurus (BotJR), 13AC, 26HP, 6.5DG: Has a ranged spit attack that does no damage but can Blind and Paralyze an enemy (DC12).
Female Steeder (OotA), 14AC, 30HP, 16.5DG: Crazy 90' jump, Spider Climb, 120' darkvision, good Acid damage (DC12).
Giant Rocktopus (OotA), AC11, 52HP, 10 DG: A variant of the Giant Octopus that evolved to live on land. Has a 20' speed on land & advantage on stealth checks, but no swim speed.
Mutated Hunting Dog (RotLK), AC14, 39HP, 9DG: 40' speed. Its attack can knock the target Prone (DC12). Has Pack Tactics. Can do 1 extra damage as a BA if it had advantage on the attack roll. Immune to Cold but Vulnerable to Fire. Roughly as good as the Dire Wolf.
Sangzor (CoS), AC11, 33HP, 8DG: 40' speed. Resistance to nonmagical attacks. Has a Charge attack that does 5 extra damage & knocks Prone (DC13). Has advantage against most Prone effects. Excellent at defense but poor offense. Unique variant of the Giant Goat.
Spider (Flying) (DotMM), 14AC, 26HP, 16.5DG: 40' Fly, 10' Blindsight, good Poison damage (DC11), a Web attack that auto-restrain on a hit (no saves). Variant of the Giant Spider.
Spider (Giant Snow) (EotT), 14AC, 26HP, 16.5DG: A variant of the Giant Spider with Cold resistance and Ice Walk.
Spider (Ice) (SKT), AC14, 26HP, 16.5DG: A variant of the Giant Spider with Cold resistance, and its Webbing does 1 cold damage per turn but is no longer immune to bludgeoning damage.
Spider (King) (OotA), AC14, 44HP, 16.5DG: Unique variant of the Giant Spider with Proficiency in Perception, Constitution & Wisdom saving throws. Advantage on Perception checks, and against many debuffs.
Troodon (BotJR), 13AC, 22HP, 7.5DG: Has Pack Tactics & Improved Critical. Pretty much strictly inferior to the Dire Wolf.
Spoiler: CR2Allosaurus, AC13, 51HP, 15DG: 60' speed. Has a Pounce attack (DC13). Okay form, but much inferior to the Zealoraptor.
Aurochs (VGtM), AC11, 38HP, 14DG: 50' speed. Has a Pounce attack (DC15) for 9 extra damage. Has offensive & defensive capacities close to the Brown Bear - so why not get twice as many of the later?
Giant Boar, AC12, 42HP, 10DG: 40' speed. Has a Charge attack (DC13) for 7 extra damage. Relentless 10. About as bad as the Aurochs.
Giant Constrictor Snake, 12AC, 60HP, 13DG: 30' swim Amphibian, 10' Blindsight. Has auto-restrain attack (escape DC16). Slightly better than the Giant Octopus in almost every way, and has much better mobility on land.
Giant Elk, 14AC, 42HP, 11DG: 60' speed. Can Ram an enemy from 10' away, then retreat. If Charging, can knock the target Prone (DC14) and do 7 more damage.
Hunter Shark, 12AC, 45HP 13DG: 40' swim. Blood Frenzy gives advantage very often, but the damage is lackluster and it lacks the restraining ability of the Giant Constrictor Snake & Giant Octopus.
Plesiosaurus, 13AC, 68HP, 14.5DG: 20' speed, 40' swim. Great defenses but little else.
Polar Bear, 12AC, 45HP, 21.5DG: 40' speed, 30' swim. Slight upgrade to the Brown Bear, but at this CR there are much better forms. The Cave Bear variant has 60' Darkvision.
Quetzalcoatlus (VGtM), AC13, 30HP, 12.5DG: 80' fly speed. Dive Attack is easy to trigger and can do 10 extra damage. Has both Flyby and Reach 10 to keep it out of trouble. Barely stronger than a Giant Eagle.
Rhinoceros, AC11, 45HP, 14DG: 40' speed. Has a Charge attack (DC15) for 9 extra damage. Another mediocre charging/pouncing form.
Saber-Tooth Tiger: 12AC, 52HP, 12DG: 40' speed. Has a Pounce attack (DC14). Yawn.
Adventure-specific Beasts
Giant Crayfish (TftYP), 15AC, 45HP, 14DG: 30' swim, 30' Blindsight. Has two claw attacks that can auto-grapple.
Giant Spitting Lizard (RotLK), 12AC, 45HP, 13.5DG: A ranged attack that can hit two adjacent creatures for 13.5 damage, and a melee grapple attack. Oh, and a reaction that pushes enemies away, knocks them prone, and ends their movement. What!?
Giant White Moray Eel (GoS), 12AC, 60HP, 13DG: 40' swim, 10' Blindsight, can only breath underwater. A variant of the Giant Constrictor Snake that can't breath air or constrict, but with a +4 to stealth checks. The constrict attack is the main draw of the Giant Constrictor Snake, so this variant is pretty useless.
Ice Spider Queen (SKT), AC14, 44HP, 16.5DG: A variant of the Giant Spider. Its webbing does 2.5 cold damage per turn. Resists cold damage, and does 5 cold damage to creatures that start their turn near it.
Mutated Giant Vulture (RotLK), AC10, 37HP, 16DG: 60' fly speed, with Pack Tactics. Can do 2 extra damage as BA. Beside the HP, extremely similar to the Giant Vulture.
Krenshar (RotLK), 13AC, 28HP, 14DG: 40' speed. Has a 60' Frightening Roar (DC11 Charisma) that knocks enemies Prone and Frighten them. A creature making the saving throw becomes immune - use this before combat until your team is immune. Beside its roar, the form is mediocre.
Pachycephalosaurus (BotJR), 13AC, 68HP, 8.5DG: 40' speed. Has a Charge attack (DC14) for 5 damage. Great defenses but its damage is a joke at this point.
Zealoraptor (BotJR), 15AC, 52HP, 19DG: 50' speed. Has a Pounce attack (DC13) and Pack Tactics. Excellent at offense and defense.
Conjure Minor Elementals
Spoiler: CR OptionsConjuring Minor Elementals gives the Druid four options for summoning:
- Eight CR 1/4 Elementals
- Four CR 1/2 Elementals
- Two CR 1 Elementals
- One CR 2 Elemental
Technically, the DM gets to pick the creature(s) you get; in practice, most DMs let the player choose the creatures.
Conjuring Eight CR 1/4 Elementals: Decent enough choice. The Mephits can fly, have excellent HPs for their CR, trigger Deathburst on death, & use breath weapons that can either inflict status or do damage. Sadly their ability DC are really low (10-11). Its also nice to ask for a single Chwinga, for Pass without Trace.
Conjuring Four CR 1/2 Elementals: You get this for the spells; Dust Mephit for Sleep, Ice Mephit for Fog Cloud, & Magma Mephit for Heat Metal. The Mephits of this tier are not any more durable than their CR 1/4 cousins. The Gens can cast Tongue which isn't on your spell list. They have other cool spells but their HP are really low.
Conjuring Two CR1 Elementals: These creatures are not any sturdier than the CR 1/4 options, and their increased damage doesn't compensate for the fact that there are 4x less of them.
Conjuring One CR2 Elemental: The Gargoyle makes a decent scout. If you have access to the four-armed Gargoyle, this is actually really nice.
Spoiler: CR <= 1/4Mephit (Mud), AC11, 27HP, 4.5DG: 20' fly. Single target Mud Breath & AoE Deathburst that can both restrain (DC11) Medium or smaller creatures. Creatures restrained by the Breath have a saving throw every turn (with disadvantage) to end the effect. A more durable alternative to the Constrictor Snake & Giant Frog.
Mephit (Smoke), AC12, 22HP, 4.5DG: 30' fly. Cinder Breath cone that can Blind (DC10), Dancing Lights 1/day. Death Burst creates a cloud of smokes which works against its Breath: Blinded enemies can just go inside the cloud to negate the penalties.
Mephit (Steam), AC10, 21HP, 5DG: 30' fly. Steam Breath cone and Death Burst AoE both do 4.5 damage, Blur 1/day. For pure damage, Conjure Animals probably works better.
Adventure-specific Elementals
Chwinga (ToA), AC15, 5HP, 0DG: 60' Blindsight, Evasion & Natural Shelter, can cast Druidcraft/Guidance/Pass without Trace/Resistance at will. Can also give a Supernatural Charm, which is so easy to abuse that no sane DM would allow it. Getting one Chwinga for Stealth is useful, but I wouldn't get more.
Geonid (TTP), AC17, 26HP, 3.5DG: 30' tremorsense & excellent defenses, but no offensive abilities beyond spamming the Help action.
Spoiler: CR 1/2Magmin, AC14, 9HP, 7DG: Resistance to nonmagical attacks. Has Deathburst for 7 damage within 10', and its attack sets an enemy on fire for 3HP every round. Decent offensively, but vulnerable.
Mephit (Dust), AC12, 17HP, 4.5DG: 30' fly, Blinding Breath cone and Death Burst can both Blind with DC10. The Blinding lasts 1 minute or until the creature makes its saving throw. Can cast Sleep 1/day. Good against lower CR minions.
Mephit (Ice), AC11, 21HP, 6DG: 30' fly, awful Bludgeoning & Fire vulnerabilities. Has Frost Breath cone & Death Burst for 4.5 damage, Fog 1/day. Steam Mephits are a better choice, unless you combine Fog Cloud with a Wild Shape form with Blindsight.
Mephit (Magma), AC11, 22HP, 6DG: 30' fly, Fire Breath cone & Death Burst for 7 damage. Can also cast Heat Metal 1/day, which is amazing.
Adventure-specific Elementals
All Gens can cast Detect Evil and Good & Tongues.
Gen (Air) (XLNtEE), AC12, 7HP, 11DG: 60' fly, Resistance against nonmagical attacks & Magic Resistance, Fog Cloud & Tongues 2/day. Not a lot going on with this, but you could combine Fog Cloud with a Wild Shape form with Blindsight.
Gen (Earth) (XLNtEE), AC11, 10HP, 9DG: 40' fly. Magic Resistance, Tremorsense 30', can cast Entangle & Earth Tremor (DC12). Useful spells but extremely fragile.
Gen (Fire) (XLNtEE), AC12, 9HP, 11DG: 50' fly, Resistance against nonmagical attacks & Magic Resistance. Can cast Heat Metal 1/day, which is amazing. Faster version of the Magma Mephit, but without the Fire Breath & Death Burst.
Gen (Water) (XLNtEE), AC12, 10HP, 9DG: 60' fly, 90' swim Amphibian, 30' Blindsight, Magic Resistance. Has a Tidal Wave attack that does 5 damage in a cone and can knock Prone (DC 13). Extremely fragile.
Spoiler: CR1Fire Snake, AC14, 22HP, 14DG: Resistance to nonmagical attacks. Does 3.5 damage if hit by a melee attack. For raw damage, the lower CR options are superior.
Adventure-specific Elementals
Galvanice Weird (GGtR), AC12, 22HP, 10.5DG: Resistance to nonmagical attacks. Deathburst for 7 damage within 10'. Its attack can cause the target to lose its reaction for a turn (DC13). Mediocre damage & debuff.
Spoiler: CR2Azer, AC17, 39HP, 15.5DG: Does 5.5 damage if hit by a melee attack. Mediocre damage.
Gargoyle, AC15, 52HP, 11DG: 60' fly. Resistance to nonmagical attacks. Excellent at defense but awful at offense. Good scout, especially if someone in the party can understand its language.
Adventure-specific Elementals
Gargoyle (Four-Armed) (TftYP), AC15, 63HP, 16.5DG: Strictly better version of the Gargoyle, with three attacks instead of two and 11 more HP.
Conjure Woodland Beings
Spoiler: CR OptionsConjuring Woodland Beings gives the Druid four options for summoning:
- Eight CR 1/4 Fey
- Four CR 1/2 Fey
- Two CR 1 Fey
- One CR 2 Fey
Technically, the DM gets to pick the creature(s) you get; in practice, most DMs let the player choose the creatures.
Conjuring Eight CR 1/4 Fey: You get this to exploit the heck out of Pixies & Boggles. Absolutely devastating.
Conjuring Four CR 1/2 Fey: What's the draw of this, exactly? The special abilities are underwhelming, the HP & damage aren't good... I guess you can get this if you want semi-durable critters with Magic Resistance. The exception here is getting four Satyrs with Panpipes, which is almost as broken as getting eight Pixies.
Conjuring Two CR1 Fey: Good options if you can make good use of the Quickling's absurd speed or the Dryad's charm.
Conjuring One CR2 Fey: The Nereid is excellent around water but the rest is quite mediocre.
Spoiler: CR <= 1/4Blink Dog, AC13, 22HP, 4.5DG: 40' speed. Can teleport 40' and attack in the same turn. A kind DM might let a small PC ride on the Blink Dog & teleport with it.
Boggle (VGtM), AC14, 18HP, 2.5DG: Makes Oil Puddles that last one hour each - amazing to prepare a battlefield. Can secrete sticky oil from its body, giving it Spider Climb & advantage on Grapples. It can also teleport Grappled creatures 30' through Dimensional Rift - great for moving PCs around or for dropping enemies into hazards.
Pixie, AC15, 1HP, 0DG: 30' fly, Magic Resistance, Superior Invisibility, and an almost broken spell list including Confusion, Fly and Polymorph.
Sprite, AC15, 2HP, 1DG: 40' fly. Can turn invisible, and its Shortbow can Poison (DC10). Its main draw is its touch (Heart Sight), which reveals a creature's emotions and can break social campaigns by revealing its alignment (DC10, auto-fails against Celestials/Fiends/Undead)
Adventure-specific Fey
Willow Wilden Watcher (RotLK), AC12, 11HP, 7.5DG: +3 THP when an ally goes down 1/rest. At will Thorn Whip, & can cast Cure wounds, Faerie Fire, & Longstrider (DC13, 1 slot). Good damage, and the Thorn Whip could be abused.
Spoiler: CR 1/2Darkling (VGtM), AC14, 13HP, 5.5DG: 30' Blindsight but Light Sensitivity. Does an extra 7 damage if it has advantage on the attack roll. Death Flash blinds in a 10' radius (DC10 Con). Very low HP.
Satyr, AC14, 31HP, 6.5DG: 40' speed, Magic resistance, ranged attack and good defense but awful damage.
Satyr Pipes, AC14, 31HP, 6.5DG: Variant of the Satyr with Panpipes to Charm / Frighten / Put to Sleep creatures within 60' (DC13). Creatures that make their saving throws become Immune. Excellent for mass debuff.
Adventure-specific Fey
Alewife (DGtT), AC13, 22HP, 5.5DG: 20' speed. Magic Resistance, 30' Intoxicating Aura (DC14) to become Charmed & compelled to drink alcohol. Can cast useful spells: Charm Person, Grease, & Tasha’s Hideous Laughter. It's unclear if the Aura works during battle, but in any case it isn't party friendly.
Pine Wilden Warrior (RotLK), AC13, 22HP, 7.5DG: +5 THP when an ally goes down 1/rest. Has a Sentinel-ish ability that does 3 damage as a reaction (DC11). Okay HP & damage, but lacks interesting features.
Urban Sproutling (XLNtEE), AC11, 13HP, 9DG: 20' speed, 60' Blindsight, Magic resistance. Too slow & weak to be of much use.
Valenar Hound (ERLW), AC14, 19HP, 6.5DG: 40' speed, attack can prone (DC13). The 1 hour duration means it can't bond with you.
Valenar Steed (ERLW), AC13, 22HP, 10DG: 50' speed. The 1 hour duration means it can't bond with you.
Yestling (DGtT), AC15, 28HP, 5.5DG: 40' speed, 30' Tremorsense, Intoxicating Sludge can Poison a creature (DC11) at 30' range, and Death Burst also Poisons within 10'. Similar enough to the Mud Mephit, but you only get half as many.
Spoiler: CR1Dryad, AC11, 22HP, 8.5DG: Magic Resistance. Fey Charm is amazing & can work against 1 Humanoid or up to 3 Beasts (DC14). Can cast excellent spells including Entangle & Pass without Trace. Tree Stride makes it highly maneuverable in forests.
Quickling (VGtM), AC16, 10HP, 25.5DG: 120' speed. 20' Ranged attack and absurd speed means it can harass melee enemies relentlessly. Low HP but resilient thanks to AC, Blurred Movement, and Evasion.
Spoiler: CR2Darkling Elder (VGtM), AC15, 27HP, 13DG: 30' Blindsight, 21 extra damage if the attack roll has advantage. Can cast Darkness 1/rest, and on death causes 7 damage and Blindness (DC11) in a 10' radius. Good if you can fight among it inside its Darkness spell with a Wild Shape form with Blindsight/Tremorsense, but its low HP make it unreliable.
Meenlock (VGtM), AC15, 31HP, 7DG: Its attack can paralyze, and it has a party unsafe 10' Fear Aura against Humanoids (DC11). Also has Telepathy, Light Sensitivity and a Shadow Teleport. Hard to use well.
Sea Hag, AC14, 52HP, 10DG: 40' swim. Horrific Appearance can Frighten Humanoids in a 30' radius (DC11), but those who make their saving throws become immune. Death Glare can be used on any Frightened creature to drop them to 0HP (DC11). The later works best when combined with other Frightening effects such as the Fear spell.
Adventure-specific Fey
Nereid (TftYP), AC13, 44HP, 16DG: 60' swim. Its attack automatically Blinds an enemy. Also has a 17 damage Water Lash that can knock Prone and a Drowning Kiss that does 22.5 damage (DC13). Has permanent Invisibility while in water, and can cast Control Water at will. Excellent choice in water.
Pine Wilden Ranger (RotLK), AC14, 55HP, 20.5DG: : +10 THP when an ally goes down 1/rest. Has a Sentinel-ish ability that does 5 damage as a reaction (DC12). Good damage & HP, but little else.
Giant Insect
Spoiler: Giant Insect10 Giant Centipedes, AC13, 4HP, 15DG: 30' Blindsight. Great poison damage (DC11) but extremely fragile. You only get 2 more than from Conjure Animals.
5 Giant Wasp, AC12, 13HP, 16DG: 50' fly. Good poison damage (DC11). Essentially a Giant Poisonous Snake without reach but that can fly. You only get 1 more than from Conjure Animals.
3 Giant Spiders, 14AC, 26HP, 16.5DG: Spider Climb, 10' Blindsight, good Poison damage (DC11), a Web attack that auto-restrain on a hit (no saves). You get 1 more than from Conjure Animals.
Giant Scorpion, 15AC, 52HP, 42.5DG: 40' speed, 60' Blindsight. Multiattack with 2 claws that auto-grapple, and a stinger that does ridiculous poison damage (DC12). Can't get this from Conjure Animals.
Conjure Elemental
All Elementals have resistance to nonmagical attacks
Exceptions: Flail Snail, Xorn, & Frost Salamander
Spoiler: Upcasting OptionsConjure Elemental can be upcasted to summon stronger Elementals.
No Upcasting: The 4 Elementals & the Salamander offer a wide variety of good options.
CR6: Great if you need a Invisible Stalker, but unimpressive choice otherwise. The Galeb Duhr is finicky to use and not appreciably stronger than the Earth Elemental.
CR7: The Elemental Myrmidons have Plate Armor and Magical Weapons, but very little else. Their Strikes only recharges on a 6, too. You are probably better off getting a Fey instead.
CR9: The Frost Salamander is a decent choice, if you can use its Breath every turn. Just have a minion poke at it with a torch or something.
Spoiler: CR3Flail Snail (VGtM), AC16, 52HP, 32.5DG: 10' speed, 60' Tremorsense. Can stun within 30' for a turn 1/rest (DC13) and it has a very random pseudo Anti-Magic shell. Doesn't have weapon resistances. Too vulnerable to compete with the CR5 Elementals.
Water Weird, AC13, 58HP, 13.5DG: 60' swim, 30' Blindsight, Water Bound & Invisible in Water. Its attack has 10' reach and auto-restrains. The CR5 Water Elemental is much better.
Spoiler: CR4Adventure-specific Elementals
Blistercoil Weird (GGtR), AC13, 45HP, 14.5DG: 40' speed, 60' swim. Can feed on fire to become larger, increasing its DG to 27 and eventually creating an explosion for 28 damage in 30' (DC12). Sets creatures on fire if they hit it with a melee attack or if they share the same space. Fun creature but its low HP make it extremely vulnerable.
Spoiler: CR5Elemental (Air), AC15, 90HP, 28DG: 90' fly. Arguably the worst of the Elementals for combat, it has bad HP and a weak Whirlwind ability (DC13). It does make for an excellent scout, and it can fight well against flying enemies or highly maneuverable opponents.
Elemental (Earth), AC17, 126HP, 28DG: 30' burrow, 60' Tremorsense. No-nonsense elemental with excellent defense and good offense. With Earth Glide, it can burrow at the end of its turn to be fully protected against AoE and other attacks. Works wonderfully with abilities that obscure vision.
Elemental (Fire), AC13, 102HP, 20DG: 50' speed. Set enemies on fire, by walking into them or touching them. An enemy on flame takes 5.5 damage per turn unless an action is spent to douse the flame. With such low AC, it shines brightly but doesn't last long.
Elemental (Water), AC14, 114HP, 26DG: 90' swim speed. Its Whelm ability is its main feature. It can restrain up to two creatures and has a relatively high DC (15). Cold damage destroys its mobility.
Salamander, AC15, 90HP, 34.5DG: Excellent damage and an attack with auto-restrain (DC14). Too bad it has such low HP.
Xorn, AC19, 73HP, 20DG: 20' speed, 20' burrow. Doesn't resist bludgeoning damage. Has a "Treasure Sense" ability, but otherwise inferior in every way to the Earth Elemental.
Spoiler: CR6 (Upcast Required)Galeb Duhr, AC16, 85HP, 12DG: 15' speed (30' when rolling, 60' downhill). 60' Tremorsense. Can create two copies of itself for 1 minute 1/day (requires Concentration) and has a Charge that does 7 damage and can knock Prone (DC16). Mediocre if it loses concentration or after the 1 minute is up.
Invisible Stalker, AC14, 104HP, 20DG: 50' fly. Always invisible, and can track down a quarry anywhere on the same plane. Knowing Primordial is recommended to work with this.
Spoiler: CR7 (Upcast Required)All Elemental Myrmidons yield magical weapons.
Elemental Myrmidon (Air) (MToF), AC18, 117HP, 25.5DG: 30' Fly, has a Lightning Strike attack for 26.5 damage that can Stun (DC13).
Elemental Myrmidon (Earth) (MToF), AC18, 127HP, 22DG: Has a Lightning Strike attack for 27.5 damage that can knock Prone (DC14). Awful mobility, and the Stun effect of the Air Myrmidon is much more useful.
Elemental Myrmidon (Fire) (MToF), AC18, 117HP, 22.5DG: 40' Speed, has a Fiery Strikes attack for 39 damage. Low HP and regular damage for a Myrmidon.
Elemental Myrmidon (Water) (MToF), AC18, 127HP, 22.5DG: 40' Speed & 40' Swim, has a Freezing Strikes attack for 39 damage that also reduces mobility. Almost strictly better than the Fire Myrmidon.
Adventure-specific Elementals
Fluxcharger (GGtR), AC16, 60HP, 60DG: 60' Fly. Lightning spells with the Fluxcharger in their area do 9 more damage. Its Arc Lightning can damage a second target as well (DC15 to avoid), but using it costs 5.5 HP. Powerhouse offensively but the low HP combined with the self-hurt attacks makes it quite hard to keep alive.
Spoiler: CR9 (Upcast Required)Frost Salamander (MToF), AC17 168HP, 49DG: 60' Speed, 40' burrow, 60' Tremorsense. Attacks with Reach. Can do a Cone of Cold Breath for 44 damage, which recharges if the Salamander takes Fire damage. Vulnerable to Fire, and no resistance to weapons. Powerful choice if you can keep it alive and recharge its Breath reliably.
Conjure Fey
Spoiler: Upcasting OptionsConjure Fey can be upcasted to summon a stronger Beast or Fey.
No Upcasting: The Elder Dryad is the only powerful choice here, if you don't have access to the form, this is really weak.
CR7: Access to the amazing Korred, plus the Bheur Hag, Titanosaurus & Sarcosuchus. If you have lack access to either BotJR or VGtM, the Giant Ape is your only option, which is awful.
CR8: The extra dinosaurs are less useful and weaker than the CR7 Fey.
CR9: The Conclave Dryad has the unique ability to disable magic items, can cast spells, and can stun with its multiattack. Decent enough choice.
Spoiler: CR3Ankylosaurus, AC15, 68HP, 18DG: 10' Reach attack that can knock creatures Prone (DC14). Worse than the CR6 options.
Giant Scorpion, AC15, 52HP, 42.5DG: 40' speed, 60' Blindsight. Multiattack with 2 claws that auto-grapple, and a stinger that does poison damage (DC12). The CR6 Beasts are much stronger than this.
Green Hag, AC17, 82HP, 13DG: Can turn invisible, hide, or cast cantrips. Weak without being part of a covenant.
Killer Whale, AC12, 90HP, 21.5DG: 60' swim, 120' Blindsight. Has decent HP, but the CR5 Giant Shark performs much better.
Redcap (VGtM), AC13, 45HP, 27DG: 25' speed. Has a attack that moves 25' & trip, and terrible stats.
Adventure-specific Beasts & Fey
Amphisbaena (TftYP), 12AC, 60HP, 24DG: 30' swim Amphibian, 10' Blindsight, and its attack auto-restrains (escape DC16). A variant of the Giant Constrictor Snake that can attack twice.
Giant Lightning Eel (TftYP), AC13, 42HP, 29DG: 5' speed, 30' swim. Terrible defenses. Blindsight 60'. Its Lightning Jolt can stun multiple creatures (DC12), but that's not enough to prefer it to CR6 options.
Giant Snapping Turtle (ToA), AC17, 75HP, 18DG: 40' swim. The CR6 Beasts are much stronger than this.
Mutated Crocodile (RotLK), AC12, 60HP, 11DG: 30' swim. Its attack auto-restrain (DC13), and it can reduce the HP of the restrained enemy by 3 as a Bonus Action. Worse than the CR2 Giant Constrictor Snake.
Siren (TftYP), AC14, 38HP, 7.5DG: 30' swim. Magic resistance, a Stupefying Touch that stuns (DC13), & can cast Greater Invisibility once per day. Extremely fragile compared to the CR6 options.
Spoiler: CR4Elephant, AC12, 76HP, 19.5DG: 40' speed. Trampling Charge (DC12) to knock Prone & attack again for 22.5 DG. The CR6 Mammoth is much better than this.
Stegosaurus (VGtM), AC13, 76HP, 26DG: 40' speed. The CR6 dinosaurs are much superior to this.
Yeth Hound (VGtM), AC14, 51HP, 11DG: 40' fly. Immunity to nonmagical attacks that aren't silvered, which is huge. Has Telepathy, and a Bay that frightens every enemy within 300 feet (DC13). Does 14 more DG to frightened creatures. Is evil & banished by sunlight. CR6 creatures are preferable for damage, but this makes a great scout & AoE debuffer.
Adventure-specific Beasts & Fey
Giant Coral Snake (GoS), AC13, 90HP, 8DG: 30' swim. On a hit, stuns for a round and inflicts a short-term madness (DC12), most of which are incredibly debilitating. Unfortunately, the low DC and damage makes this beast highly unreliable.
Giant Subterranean Lizard (TftYP), AC14, 66HP, 28DG: 50' swim. Multiattack with a Bite that auto-restrains and a Tail with Reach that knocks Prone (DC15). Can also Swallow a grappled creature for 16 damage immediately and 10 acid damage every round. The CR5 Giant Crocodile is superior.
Mammoth (Young) (PUS), AC11, 90HP, 14DG: 40' speed. Charge attack to knock Prone (DC16) & do a BA attack (21.5 DG). Strictly inferior to the Mammoth.
Willow Wilden Sentinel (RotLK), AC12, 66HP, 8.5DG: +15 THP when an ally goes down 1/rest. Cannot be surprised and has advantage on its initiative rolls. Is a level 8 spell caster (DC14), with spells like Heat Magic, Call Lightning, Dispel Magic, Confusion, & Ice Storm. Decent spells, although they are probably not worth your concentration & a level 6 slot.
Spoiler: CR5Brontosaurus (VGtM), AC15, 121HP, 32DG: 20' reach. Also has alternative tail attack that does 27.5 damage but knocks enemies Prone (DC14). Inferior to the CR6 Brachiosaurus.
Giant Crocodile, AC14, 85HP, 35.5DG: 50' swim. Multiattack with a Bite that auto-restrains and a Tail with Reach that knocks prone (DC16). Decent aquatic animal.
Giant Shark, AC13, 126HP, 22.5DG: 50' swim, 60' Blindsight, Blood Frenzy gives advantage against the wounded. Decent aquatic animal.
Triceratops, AC13, 95HP, 24DG: 50' speed. Like the Elephant, has a Trample attack that knocks Prone (DC13) & gives extra attack. Get the CR6 Mammoth instead.
Adventure-specific Beasts & Fey
Hulking Crab (SKT), AC17, 76HP, 41DG: 20' speed, 30' swim, 30' Blindsight. Multiattack with two claws that auto-grapple (DC15), and an interesting Camouflage ability.
Large Subterranean Lizard (TftYP), AC14, 85HP, 35.5DG: Multiattack with a Bite that auto-restrains and a Tail with Reach that knocks prone (DC16). This variant of the Giant Crocodile has no swim speed, a climbing speed of 30', and 60' darkvision. The CR6 creatures are better.
Therizinosaurus (BotJR), AC14, 104HP, 35DG: The CR6 creatures are better.
Urban Dryad (XLNtEE), AC13, 78HP, 38DG: Resistance from nonmagical attacks & Magic Resistance. Has a few level 1 & 2 druid spells, but otherwise the CR6 Elder Dryad is much better.
Spoiler: CR6Annis Hag (VGtM), AC17, 75HP, 46.5DG: 40' speed. Resistance from nonmagical attacks. Has a Crushing Hug that Grapples and do 36.5 damage, which prevent the Hag from attacking but repeats the 36.5 damage every round. Can cast Disguise Self and Fog Cloud 3/day. Evil alignment. Good if you can combine the Fog Cloud with a Wild Shape form with Blindsight/Tremorsense.
Mammoth, AC13, 126HP, 25DG: 40' speed. Has a Trampling Charge with Reach and a wonderful DC18 that knocks an enemy prone & allows an additional 29 damage attack.
Adventure-specific Beasts & Fey
Brachiosaurus (BotJR), AC16, 145HP, 40DG: 20' reach. Also has alternative tail attack that does 34.5 damage but knocks enemies Prone (DC15). Gargantuan size. Alternative to the Mammoth if its Charge can't work.
Dusk Hag (ERLW), AC17, 82HP, 36DG: Magic Resistance, can cast Disguise Self, Dream, Hypnotic Pattern, Sleep (9d8), Scrying. Can heal and damage for 11HP as a reaction when something regains consciousness. Good spells, but vulnerable.
Elder Dryad (XLNtEE), AC15, 105HP, 52.5DG: 40' speed, 60' Blindsight. Resistance from nonmagical attacks & Magic Resistance, Blight 1/day, & a pseudo Entangle power (DC15). Good offense & defense.
Spoiler: CR7 (Upcast Required)Bheur Hag (VGtM), AC17, 91HP, 13.5 DMG: 40' fly (with broom) and cast 3/day Cone of Cold, Ice Storm, & Wall of Ice, as well as 1/day Control Weather. Can devour a dead enemy to incapacitate enemies in a 60' radius (DC15). Can also cast Hold Person at Will. Excellent spellcasting, but fragile. Evil alignment.
Giant Ape, AC12, 157HP, 45DG: 40' speed, 10' reach. Has a ranged attack for 30.5 damage, and that's it. Hardly worth the slot.
Korred (VGtM), AC17, 102HP, 48DG: 30' burrow, 120' Tremorsense, & Resistance from nonmagical attacks. Small Size & 60' ranged weapon. Does half damage if not on ground. Can use its Hair as a Bonus Action to restrain (DC13), but said hair is easily destroyed (20HP). Can cast a restricted Conjure Elemental 1/day (Earth Elemental & Galeb Duhr are the best options), which means this spell could potentially create a whooping 4 minions for you (the Korred, Galeb Duhr, and two Galeb Duhr clones). Can also cast Otto's Irresistible Dance 1/day, but with DC it is unlikely to stick more than a round. Stone Shape at will, which is near broken for building fortifications or tearing apart a stone dungeon. Amazing ranged support.
Adventure-specific Beasts & Fey
Sarcosuchus (BotJR), AC15, 137HP, 47.5DG: 40' speed, 50' swim. Reach 10'. Multiattack with a Bite that auto-restrain and a Tail that knocks Prone (DC17). Good impact on the battlefield, but vulnerable for a melee animal. Arguably the best aquatic form, but lacking otherwise.
Titanosaurus (BotJR), AC17, 201HP, 45.5DG: 20' reach. Has a Stomp attack for 40 damage and knocking Prone (DC16). Good offense and excellent durability. Sadly, you can't use the Legendary Actions.
Spoiler: CR8 (Upcast Required)Tyrannosaurus Rex, AC13, 136HP, 53.5DG: Has a Bite attack with auto-restrain (DC17). Despite the coolness factor, not any better than the CR7 options.
Adventure-specific Beasts & Fey
Huge Giant Crab (TftYP), AC15, 161HP, 27DG: 30' swim. 10' reach. Has a Claw attack that grapples (DC14). A variant of the Giant Crab that is weaker than CR7 creatures.
Mosasaurus (BotJR), AC13, 159HP, 33DG: 50' swim. Can't move or breath outside water. Has a Bite attack with auto-restrain (DC17), and can Swallow. Not any better than the CR7 Sarcosuchus.
Spoiler: CR9 (Upcast Required)Adventure-specific Beasts & Fey
Conclave Dryad (GGtR), AC16, 143HP, 36DG: Comes with an Elk mount (speed 50'). Magic Resistance. Can disable any magic item within 120' with no saves. In melee, attacks three times with each hit restraining (DC17). Can cast Dispel Magic, Moon Beam, Wall of Thorns, & Entangle. Very nice Fey, but rather fragile in melee. Is it really worth a level 9 slot?
View Single Post
-
2019-03-10, 01:14 AM (ISO 8601)Bugbear in the Playground
- Join Date
- Feb 2018
Re: Unleash Your Inner Beast: A Moon Druid Guide
Last edited by Merudo; 2019-11-26 at 11:05 PM.
