Verdict
Still the toughest Druid, and the 2024 version leans harder into it. From level 3 you get three times your Druid level in temporary hit points each time you shift, which no other subclass comes close to. The trade is that your spells and your beast form still compete for your turn.
How it plays
You shift as a Bonus Action, soak damage with the extra temporary hit points, and fight in melee. The rule change to remember: a Wild Shape form no longer has its own hit point pool. You keep your Druid's hit points, and temporary hit points sit on top, so being knocked out of the form is harder than it used to be.
Circle Spells can be cast in Wild Shape, which fixes the old problem of healing the party while furry. Moonlight Step (level 10) gives you a Bonus Action teleport that works as both an escape and a way to get advantage on your next attack.
Features by level
| Level | Feature | What it does, in short |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Circle Forms | In Wild Shape you get an AC floor of 13 + Wisdom modifier, temporary hit points equal to 3 x your Druid level, and a beast CR cap of your Druid level divided by 3 (rounded down). |
| 3 | Circle Spells | Cure Wounds, Moonbeam and Starry Wisp at 3, Conjure Animals at 5, Fount of Moonlight at 7, Mass Cure Wounds at 9. You can cast them while in Wild Shape. |
| 6 | Improved Circle Forms | While transformed, you choose hit by hit whether a blow lands as Radiant damage or keeps its usual type. You also add your Wisdom modifier to Constitution saving throws in that form. |
| 10 | Moonlight Step | Bonus Action: teleport up to 30 feet and gain advantage on your next attack roll that turn. Uses equal your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1) per Long Rest; spending a spell slot of level 2 or higher restores a use. |
| 14 | Lunar Form | Once per turn, a Wild Shape hit adds 2d10 Radiant damage. Moonlight Step can also carry one willing creature within 10 feet. |
Wild Shape planner by level
The two numbers that matter every time you shift are your beast CR cap and the temporary hit points you receive. A regular Druid gets temporary hit points equal to their Druid level in Wild Shape; the Moon gets three times that. The rows show the levels where the CR cap steps up, plus level 20.
| Druid level | Max beast CR | Moon temp HP | Other circles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 9 | 3 |
| 6 | 2 | 18 | 6 |
| 9 | 3 | 27 | 9 |
| 12 | 4 | 36 | 12 |
| 15 | 5 | 45 | 15 |
| 18 | 6 | 54 | 18 |
| 20 | 6 | 60 | 20 |
Two cautions on the table. First, the CR cap only goes up every three levels, but the temporary hit points rise every level, so the levels between rows are "same forms, more cushion" levels (temporary hit points are 3 x level at every level). Second, the base Wild Shape table still has its own rules for known forms and flying. aidedd.org's 2024 Druid page lists flying forms as unlocking at Druid level 8 in that table; we could not confirm that against a second source, so check your book for how it interacts with Circle Forms.
AC floor: 13 + Wisdom modifier, used if it beats the beast's own AC. With Wisdom 16 that is AC 16, and with Wisdom 20 it is AC 18, which makes a form with a high natural AC rarely worth choosing for its armor.
One concrete form: the Brown Bear is a CR 1 option, so it is within the cap from level 3. A Druid of another circle is capped at CR 1/4 at that level, per aidedd.org's Wild Shape table.
Building one
- Ability scores: Wisdom first (AC floor, spell DC, Moonlight Step uses), Constitution second for concentration. Strength and Dexterity matter little in beast form.
- Skills: Perception, Insight and Nature or Arcana. Medicine is weak next to your healing spells.
- Species: Human (extra feat) or Dwarf (more hit points) fit well. Species traits that depend on hands or breath weapons often don't work in beast form.
- Feats: Tough or Resilient (Constitution) early; War Caster to keep Moonbeam going while taking hits.
- Primal Order: Warden lets you wear half plate for your humanoid turns, though you will spend most turns shifted.
Who should pick it
Pick it if you want to be the party's front liner and still keep a full spell list. Skip it if you want to play a pure caster; other circles keep your spells and your hit points apart more cleanly.
Corin Ashdown is the pen name of the editor who writes and checks every guide on Vorbelutrioperbir. How we write and check guides.