When played well, the Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition Druid retains its long-held status as one of the best D&D classes. A vast, prepared spell list that covers all bases, plus the unique utility (or combat potential) of Wild Shape makes for a fearsome class.

However, the D&D 5e Druid only hovers at ‘very good’ status if you make any old build choices with it. For most tables and players, this is more than enough. However, you can push this to the limit with the best Druid builds or even with a few sensible choices.

Despite the vast power of the base Druid class in D&D 5e, its subclasses range from ‘quite powerful’ to ‘eye-watering.’ If you want to up your game, optimise, or simply have an easier time of things, you could do far worse than playing with these D&D 5e Druid subclasses.

Circle of the Moon Druid is a Classic for a Reason

Everyone knows the Circle of the Moon Druid subclass in D&D 5e. It’s the one that spends its time turning into animals (not Owlbears, I’m afraid) and mauling enemies. When people imagine or describe a Druid, this is what they go for. Every other subclass typically falls by the wayside.

Luckily, the D&D 5e Circle of the Moon Druid is as effective as it is iconic. It turns out that transforming into an animal and mauling your foes is powerful. Who knew?

The main strengths of the Circle of the Moon Druid are threefold. The first is how many disposable hit points it gives you. Being monsters, the Beasts for Combat Wild Shape are relatively low-damage (compared to a player character) but very high in hit points. You won’t hit like a truck, but you sure will withstand damage like one.

It only costs a bonus action to use D&D 5e Combat Wild Shape and you get two per short rest. Most damage pumped into a Moon Druid is effectively wasted. As a port of last call, you can even heal yourself in beast form – but this is very inefficient. Save it for when you really need a specific form.

Inbuilt status effects are another strength of the Circle of the Moon in D&D 5e. Even though Beasts (and later Elementals) are fairly conventional as far as monsters go, they can still auto-grapple, poison, deal damage over time, hurt enemies just by being near them, and more.

The third is light spellcasting restrictions. For most of the time as a D&D 5e Wild Shape Druid build, you can’t cast spells in Beast form, similar to a Barbarian’s Rage. However, you can still Concentrate on spells and take actions related to them. Sit as a Bear and Heat Metal an unfortunate knight, or slam people with Call Lightning as a tyrannosaurus rex. If these things don’t thrill you, you’re in the wrong class.

The main downside of the Circle of the Moon as a D&D 5e Druid subclass is Combat Wild Shape’s uneven power level. It’s near-broken at second level, spikes again at sixth level, becomes more relevant at level ten, and is then unbelievably powerful at level 20 (when you gain infinite Wild Shapes you can cast spells in).

In short, the main weakness of this D&D 5e Druid build is that it’s not eye-wateringly powerful all the time, and you sometimes need to rely on your powerful base class.

Oh no.

Circle of Spores Thrives Up Close – If You Know What You’re Doing

The Circle of Spores is an evocative D&D 5e Druid subclass. Become one with rot and decay – but not in an evil way (necessarily) – to show bad guys that nature isn’t always cuddly. The bear maulings left an inkling of doubt.

Similar to the Circle of the Moon, the D&D 5e Circle of Spores Druid opens up new ways to fight while boosting tankiness. In this case, it’s a significant shot of temporary hit points and some powerful close-range effects that don’t impede spellcasting.

The best D&D 5e Druid builds tend not to go in close. Poor armour, mediocre hit points, and a reliance on Concentration spells make safe distance look very attractive. The Circle of Spores’ signature Symbiotic Form offsets this with more durability. Four temporary hit points per level is a genuinely monstrous amount, especially twice per short rest.

This is lucky because a Circle of Spores build has reasons to get up close and personal. Halo of Spores makes enemies suffer just for being within ten feet of you, in a cool shot of extra damage that only uses your Reaction. Even when this drops off, it’s never unwelcome.

The Symbiotic Entity ability also makes your melee weapon attacks deal an extra 1d6 Necrotic damage. As a result, many people like to make a D&D 5e Circle of Spores melee build using Shillelagh to dump Strength. I can see the temptation, but I urge caution.

To make the most of this, you need either a cantrip like Green-Flame Blade or Booming Blade, or Polearm Master. This either monopolises your race (to Variant Human/Custom Lineage or something that gives cantrips) or costs feats. On top of that, it means you need to emphasise Dexterity to handle yourself in melee – on top of Wisdom and Constitution.

All this to get 1d6 or 2d6 extra damage per turn. When you have some of the best spells in D&D 5e.

I’m not saying a melee Druid build can’t work in D&D 5e. But a Circle of Spores Druid build works best when you hang around at close range, carry a shield, and blast spells at close range.

The genuinely fantastic bonus spell list encourages this. With debuffs, damage spells, and even Animate Dead, you can thrash opponents without ever picking up a quarterstaff. Combine Animate Dead with Fungal Infestation to drown your DM in bodies.

Later level either boost your tankiness as a Circle of Spores Druid D&D 5e build or give you more utility. Spreading Spores lets you add to the Druid’s impressive area denial without costing an action, your reaction, or your Concentration. Fungal Body just makes you almost impossible to stop.

If you just want to tank damage, or you really want to play a melee Druid, there’s no denying that Circle of Spores might be the best D&D 5e Druid subclass for you.

Circle of Wildfire Heats Up the Right Campaign

The Circle of Wildfire Druid in D&D 5e can catch players off-guard. Despite its name, it’s actually one of the best support Druid builds. The subclass focuses on fire’s warm and life-giving nature almost as much as its tendency to burn and kill things. Wholesome.

For bonus spells, the Circle of Wildfire splits the difference between healing and blasting options. This includes Druid damage staples (Flaming Sphere), fire-and-forget options the class lacks (Scorching Ray, Burning Hands), genuinely useful support options (Mass Cure Wounds, Revivify), and bad spells (Flame Strike).

The features follow suit, minus the bad parts. Many either bolster your damage as a D&D 5e Druid build or let you heal even better. From bonus dice on either, to a battlefield area that can burn or heal depending on your mood, to simply not dying, there’s a lot to like.

The main attraction, other than murder spells, is that the D&D 5e Circle of Wildfire gets a pet. The Wildfire Spirit takes after similar features in that it acts with your bonus action. However, it also gets flight, a ranged attack, and an unlimited short-range teleport that damages things. This makes it one of the most useful of its ilk.

This runs the full gamut of damage, support, and – with the Wildfire Spirit’s teleport – utility. However, it comes with a catch.

The Wildfire Druid subclass basically only improves your Fire damage. With your Wildfire Spirit and spells, you genuinely hit harder than most other builds. However, this is only relevant if your enemies fear Fire damage.

Devils? Nope. Fire Elementals? Not a chance. Red/Brass/Gold Dragons? You wish. Fire is one of D&D 5e’s most commonly-resisted damage types, including vast swathes of beloved creatures like Fiends. If you run into too many of the wrong foes, you basically have half a subclass.

Circle of Wildfire can be one of D&D 5e‘s best Druid subclasses. However, it’s more campaign-dependent than others. Check with your DM before engaging in (make-believe) arson.

Circle of Stars Does It All – No, Really

The Circle of Stars is one of the newest D&D 5e Druid subclasses. Even before its release, it caused raised eyebrows due to how well it’s able to do so much.

Let’s start with the very first feature this Druid subclass gets – Star Map. Apart from cool flavour, you get Guidance (one of D&D 5e‘s best cantrips) and Guiding Bolt (a decent first-level attack spell). On top of that, you can cast Guiding Bolt for free 2-6 times per day. This starts off almost doubling your spells and remains a viable combat option throughout.

However, the D&D 5e Circle of Stars Druid has another iconic feature. Instead of using Wild Shape to adopt beast forms, you instead get three unique options that make you better at healing, fighting, or casting powerful spells. Luckily, it’s not like Druids do those things all the time.

The Archer Starry Form gives you a decent bonus action attack that costs nothing. Chalice heals a second creature every time you heal one (basically double Healing Words). Dragon makes it almost impossible to fail Concentration checks with any investment, as well as boosting a Druid’s good saving throws.

Later levels actually buff these. The straight numerical bonuses for Chalice and Archer are good, but the Dragon gets free flight for the duration. Did I mention these fantastic D&D 5e Druid subclass abilities cost only a bonus action to activate, and you get two per short rest?

Oh, and at 14th level, your Starry Form gets the same damage resistances as Rage.

The sheer versatility doesn’t stop there. Cosmic Omen lets you help allies or hinder enemies on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws as a reaction. The only downsides are it being a d6 and whether it’s a buff or a debuff changing day by day. You can live with those.

Do you want to reduce damage like a Barbarian, blast like a discount Warlock, heal better than many Clerics, buff and debuff like a Bard, and wield Concentration spells like a Sorcerer? A high-level D&D 5e Circle of Stars Druid build can do all of these at the drop of a hat.

Even at lower levels, you’re hard-pressed to argue it isn’t one of the best D&D 5e Druid subclasses.

These have been four Druid subclasses in D&D 5e that stand far above their peers. The others are good, but these four add significant power to a highly capable base class.

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If you’re into the Druid for its supportive abilities – and they’re great fun – check out ‘How Every DnD 5e Class Does A Support Build‘ to learn more.

You might want to take your D&D character-building to the next level. In that case, try ‘How to Multiclass in D&D 5e: Mistakes to Avoid‘.