Druids play a surprisingly large role inBaldur’s Gate 3, from the druids of the Emerald Grove to the two recruitable druid companions who can join the party. Offering a mixture of spellcasting and shapeshifting druids is one of my favorite classes inBG3andDungeons & Dragons. And some feats will make playing this unusual class even more fun for everyone.
As with most classes in the game, druids can select three feats at levels four, eight, and 12 to help customize theirclass builds forBG3. The tricky part of choosing the best feats for druids is finding which ones will work alongside the class’s iconic feature, Wild Shape. But withfeats that help with spellcasting to those that focus on melee, this list will provide helpful options to suit every play style.
10Alert - Boost To Initiative
Wild Shape As Quickly As Possible
It’s hard to go wrong with Alert, which suits many classes needing to jump on enemies.Alert gives the druid a fantastic plus-five boost to their initiative rollat the start of combat, pushing them up the initiative order. This is particularly useful for druids relying on Wild Shape to give them a chance to transform and get into a position to best help the party.
Alert
Plus five bonuses to initiative rolls, and you cannot be surprised.
The second aspect of Alert is that itprevents the druid from being surprisedand, therefore, missing a turn. This is brilliant for Wild Shape-focused druids as their animal forms provide extra health pools. But Alert is also great for spellcasting focused builds as it allows them to use crowd control spells such asEntangleorHold Personto tip the scales back in the party’s favor.
9Defensive Duellist - Boost To AC
Get The Most Out Of Finesse Weapons
Rather than having a block of weapon types, like simple or martial, they are proficient in druids have a specific list of eight weapon types they can use at level one. This list includesfinesse weapons such as daggers and scimitars, as seen with Jaheira, who dual-wields scimitars. Defensive Duellist is the perfect feat for any druid also usingfinesse weapons inBG3or just looking to get the most out of the High Harper when she joins the party.
Defensive Duellist
After being attacked in melee, as a reaction, add a proficiency bonus to AC while wielding a finesse weapon.
With Defensive Duellist, the druid will be able touse their reaction when they are attacked in melee to add their proficiency bonus to their AC. This is a bug bump to AC, even at lower levels, and can easily prevent an attack from landing. Defensive Duellist is one of the few feats inBG3that has an ability score prerequisite, as it requires the character to have a Dexterity score of 13 or higher.
A character’s proficiency bonus increases as they level up, going from plus two at levels one through four, to plus three (levels five to eight), and finally plus four after level nine.
8Mage Slayer - Combat Options Against Spellcasters
Impose Disadvantage On Enemy Concentration Checks
Enemy spellcasters are always a problem, and whether building a druid specializing in spells or one prioritizing combat Wild Shape, Mage Slayer is an incredibly useful feat. The feat can be broken down into three different features, the first of which grants the druidadvantage on saving throws against spells cast within melee range of them. Mage Slayer also imposes disadvantage on concentration saving throws for enemies that the druid hits with an attack.
Mage Slayer
Saving Throw Advantage: Advantage on saving throws against spells cast within melee range. Attack Caster: Use a reaction to attack caster if a spell is cast within melee range. Break Concentration: Enemies hit have disadvantage on concentration saving throws.
This is fantastic for disabling some of the more powerful control spells inBG3that can cause other party members to skip turns, such asHypnotic Pattern,Hold Person, orslow. Finally, Mage Slayer allows the druid touse their reaction to make an attack on enemy casters when they cast a spell within melee range, however, the Attack Caster reaction does not work in Wild Shape.
7Spell Sniper - Learn New Cantrip
Better Odds Of Spell Critical Hit
Spell Sniper is a fantastic feat for any spellcasting class inBG3and works well with many different druid builds. The feat allows the druid tolearn a new cantrip from a list of six, which include many they would not usually be able to learn. The cantrips on offer areChill Touch,Eldritch Blast,Fire Bolt,Ray of Frost,Shocking Grasp, andThorn Whip, and will use the druids Wisdom modifier for spellcasting.
Spell Sniper
Learn one new cantrip and reduce the number needed for a critical hit by one when attacking with a spell.
The different cantrips allow the druid to fill any gaps in their repertoire and adapt to their playstyle. Spell Sniper also has a powerful passive feature, whichreduces the number needed for a critical hit when attacking with a spell by one. This will only apply to spells that need an attack roll, such as anice knife, and not those that require saving throws.
Spell Sniper’s passive stacks with other items or effects that reduce the critical hit threshold likeBloodthirstor theElixir of Viciousness.
6Resilient - Proficiency In Constitution Saves
Increase Constitution Score & Maintain Spell Concentration
Sticking with spellcasting, Resilient is a brilliant and versatile feat for many classes, but can really come in handy for spellcasters. Resilient covers all six of a character’s abilities and allows one ability score to be chosen and increased by one. For druids,the best choice is Constitution, as this will directly impact their hit points and their ability to maintain concentrationon spells.
Resilient
Increase an ability score by one to a max of 20 and gain proficiency in that ability’s saving throws.
Resilient also grants proficiency in saving throws for the chosen ability, letting the druid add their proficiency bonus to any saving throws made to concentrate. Best of all,this proficiency persists when in Wild Shape,which often has higher Constitution scores. To get the best use out of Resilient, it is best to leave the druid’s Constitution score on an odd number at character creation, so the plus one increase will also increase the modifier value.
5Mobile - Better Movement Options
Increases Speed & Prevents Issues When Moving
Mobile is a brilliant feat for druids as it’s one of many whose effects fully persist whether the druid is in Wild Shape or not. Firstly,Mobile increases the druid’s movement speed by three meters/10 feet, and given that some of theWild Shape forms inBG3already have significant movement speeds, this increase canmake things fun in combat. But Mobile has two more tricks that are perfectly geared towards Circle of the Moon druids who will be using Combat Wild Shape.
Mobile
Increases speed by three meters/10 feet.Evade Difficult Terrain:When using dash difficult terrain doesn’t reduce speed.Evade Opportunity Attack:After making a melee attack on a target, moving doesn’t not provoke opportunity attacks from that target.
The first prevents difficult terrain from reducing the druid’s speed when they use the dash action. The secondprevents targets from gaining attacks of opportunitywhen the druid moves after they have attacked that target. Both of these are fantastic for repositioning, allowing the druid to quickly get where they are most needed on the battlefield to backup other party members.
4Durable - Better Short Rests
Heal Fully Between Long Rests
While Circle of the Moon druids benefit from increased Wild Shape hit points, other druids can feel squishy. Durable is perfect for this, as itincreases the character’s Constitution ability score by one. This might not sound like much, but when used alongside other feats that increase the score, or if the score was left on an odd number at character creation, it can bump up the modifier, increasing hit points at each level.
Durable
Increases Constitution score by one, to max of 20 and allows full hit points to be regained on short rest.
But what makes Durable work so well with druids is that it also improves how their short rests work. Durable allows the druid toregain their hit point every time they short rest, instead of just half. As Wild Shape charges also recharge on a short rest, the druid can keep going for longer between visits to camp.
The full hit point heal from Durable will work in Wild Shape, however, the change in Constitution score doesn’t affect Wild Shape Constitutions.
3Elemental Adept - Better Elemental Damage
Ignore Enemy Resistances & Deal More Damage
Elemental Adept is another feat that works fantastically with Wild Shape and various druid builds. The feat allows the druid tochoose from five elemental damage types and let any spell they cast of that damage type ignore any resistancesan enemy may have. Many fiends are resistant to fire, while some undead are resistant to cold, for example, with Elemental Adept allowing the druids fire or cold spells to deal full damage to them.
Elemental Adept
Choose from acid, cold, lightning, fire, or thunder. Any spells of that type ignore resistances, and anyone’s rolls are treated as twos.
Elemental Adeptprevents the druid from rolling ones when dealing damageof their chosen element. This means when rolling damage, anyone is treated as two to get the most out of every spell cast. This feat is perfect for more spellcasting focused druids like Circle of the Land, however, Wild Shape forms that deal elemental damage also benefit from Elemental Adept’s passive features.
Elemental Wild Shapes include the four Myrmidons and Dilophosaurus forms.
2War Caster - Maintain Spell Concentration
Advantage On Saving Throws & New Reaction Option
The best feat for a spellcasting-focused druid is easily War Caster. War Caster is designed with the simple premise of helping casters inBG3keep their powerful concentration spells active by specificallygranting them advantage on Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration. This advantage also carries over into Wild Shape, further increasing the chances of keeping a spell going, especially for Circle of the Moon druids.
War Caster
Gain advantage on saving throws to maintain concentration on spells and gain shocking grasp to use as an attack of opportunity.
War Caster also grants the druidShocking Grasp, one of thebest cantrips inBG3, touse as a reaction if an enemy moves out of melee range.Shocking graspis great as it not only deals damage but also prevents the target from using their reactions for a turn. Obviously, this aspect of War Caster doesn’t work in Wild Shape but is excellent for Circle of the Land or Circle of Spores druids.
1Tavern Brawler - Better Wild Shape Damage
Deal Out Awesome Damage With Unarmed Attacks
Finally, the best feat for a druid is one that primarily benefits those who prefer to use Wild Shape in combat. Tavern Brawlerincreases the druid’s Strength or Constitution ability score by one, which is not the main reason this feat is so perfect for druids. It is perhaps best to opt for Constitution here, pairing it with Durable or Resilient for more hit points and better Constitution saving throws.
Tavern Brawler
Increases Strength or Constitution score by one, to a max of 20. Unarmed attacks add Strength modifier twice to damage and attack rolls.
However, the main reason for choosing Tavern Brawler when playing as a druid inBaldur’s Gate 3is its awesome bonus to unarmed attacks. With Tavern Brawler,when the druid makes an unarmed attack, their Strength modifier is added twice to both the damage and attack roll. As Wild Shape attacks count as unarmed and the forms often have higher Strength scores, this can lead to Moon druids dealing with devastating damage in battle.
