Some of the beast’s attack bonuses are a bit lackluster, reckless attacks can push those natural weapons through by giving us advantage on attack rolls. Advantage on Dex saving throws is a nice extra way to make sure your giant wolf doesn’t die to fireballs. The druid can't wear metal armor anyway so your unarmored defense even just in humanoid mode is still likely to be better than any medium armor or light armor. This means that with some wild shapes you’ll be improving their AC by using unarmored defense, and with some you’re better off using their existing AC. But the unarmored defense feature can still be used in wild shape, it just uses the beast’s physical scores instead. However, you lose all your physical scores when they’re replaced by the animal’s. Normally as a barbarian you’d want to maximize your Constitution and Dexterity scores to get your unarmored defense score as high as possible. You can’t cast or concentrate on spells while raging, but wild shape is specifically not a spell, and you can’t cast spells in wild shape anyway so they mesh perfectly. This class feature is 100% the reason the multiclass works at all, rage functions perfectly well while you’re in a wild shape giving your bear, wolf, and other assorted creatures resistance to all physical damage, advantage on Strength checks and saves, and a few points of additional damage.

There are still plenty of features to gain later on, but you can rock a rage bear as early as 3rd level and the power increase is significant compared to just 3 levels of druid or 3 levels of barbarian.Įach barbarian and druid class feature lines up well but in some very strange ways that will take a bit of detailed explanation. 2 levels of druid and a single level of barbarian is all you need to make the class “kick in”. Not an issue if you’re shy to roleplay anyway but get used to pantomiming using wolf barks or bear growls when you want to speak up in character. A multiclassed character takes longer to get to key features and in general will feel a bit lagging compared to a single-class character, especially when it comes to ability score increases.Īs a side issue, you’re also planning on spending most of the adventure in wild shape, which depending on how your DM rules it means you won’t be talking much. Multiclass options are automatically foregoing the higher end features you would otherwise gain as a single class.

You can't use spellcasting abilities while raging, but you’ll still have those options in your back pocket if you really need them but anticipate a very simple party role 99% of the time. We’re also essentially ignoring the entire spellcasting half of the druid, taking a class with wide-utility and essentially making it work like other martial characters. The druid is a powerful class already and dipping into anything pushes you a bit down that curve. This means all those ASI’s are free to apply towards feats for your entire run of 1st level to 20th. The build also sits in a rather unique and odd place regarding ability scores as it really doesn’t care about any of them. You can spend every combat situation transformed into your animal of choice and you’ll still be a lynchpin of your adventuring party as your rage ability functions in beast mode. This is, fundamentally, the best way to just play “as a wolf” or whatever other beast you’ve got your sights set on. The rage ability and unarmored defense function perfectly well while in a wild shape, serving to seamlessly make your wild shapes tanky and brutal with extra damage. With a few levels dipped into barbarian a druid’s wild shape is a force to be reckoned with, a damage sponge and damage dealer that just won’t go down. The wild-shape focused strategy for 5E druid builds is powerful but can lack the resilience and damage output needed to be viable at later levels. If you’re looking to make a barbarian / druid multi-class, get ready to get mad for nature’s sake as we go through everything you need to know. Put them together and you get frothing mad rage bears! Barbarian druids harness the powers of nature and pure anger together to make for some of the most dangerous wild shapes possible. Druids are masters of nature and primeval magics, capable of transforming into beasts. A 5e Guide to Barbarian Druid Multiclassingīarbarians are rage monsters able to deflect blows and crush skulls through sheer muscle and fervor.

Dnd 5e wild shape magic items