Circle Of The Forged Druid: D&D 2024 Optimisation Guide

Transform into a creature of steel and stone with this transformer subclass from Keith Baker’s Exploring Eberron book, updated for D&D 2024

The circle of the forged is a fairly rare druid circle. Most druids are attracted to the preservation and oneness of nature, but those of the circle of the forged expand this definition to include living things of steel and stone, like Warforged, within that definition.

This circle grants access to the ability to transform into advanced animal forms made of the same material as warforged; steel, wood and other such things. In some instances, they are warforged that were created with the ability to transform themselves. For others, they are druids that have developed this affinity for such powers through druidic training.

If you play a forged druid, you’ll find similarities with the moon druid, possessing advanced wildshape abilities that make melee combat a strong option alongside their druidic magic.

Keith Baker, the legendary creator of the Eberron setting, has released a revised version of his 3rd party book, Exploring Eberron. It’s been updated for D&D 2024 and adds extra lore and character options for the Eberron setting and is available on D&D Beyond now. In this article, I’ll take you through the updated circle of the forged druid subclass from this book including tactics, optimisations, how good the subclass is and what’s changed.

At a glance

A highly melee-focused druid subclass
Gain access to enhanced wild shape including higher CR creatures and better AC
Can cast a wide-range of spells
Or use those spells to enhance wild shape attacks

5/5 – The forged druid is much like the moon druid; has access to enhanced wild shape forms and improved durability making them strong melee combatants that also happen to possess powerful spellcasting. They pack a punch, can outlast most characters and are full spellcasters making this a very strong subclass.

How has the circle of the forged changed in D&D 2024?

Druids and their wild shaping got a big change in D&D 2024, and with that, the moon druid underwent a bunch of design changes. With the forged druid sort of emulating the moon druid, but for mechanical creatures, we see a lot of changes from the 2014 forged druid that match with the design philosophies seen in the new moon druid. These include:

Advanced wild shape forms kick in at level 3: In D&D 2024, your druid subclass arrives at level 3 instead of level 2. This means you have to wait a little longer for advanced wild shape forms and the skin of steel feature.
Probably better AC from skin of steel: Most beasts have a fairly low AC. The 2014 version granted +2 AC to this but the new version gives you an AC of 15 + wisdom modifier. Many beasts have a lower AC than 15 and most druids have more than +2 to wisdom making this probably superior and giving you a not too difficult to achieve AC of up to 20.
Circle spells: You gain spells from your subclass now. This wasn’t the case for the 2014 forged druid.
Always the possibility of elemental attacks: At level 6, all your attacks can use elemental damage, not just those you empower with a spell slot.
Adamantine hide now works against saving throws: You can use your reaction to wild shape when making a saving throw as well as when taking damage.
Constructed perfection now increases your AC: AC increases by +1 as well as remaining immune to the same conditions and damage as before.

Circle of the forged features

Skin of steel (Lv3) – 5/5

This is very similar to what the moon druid gets, but arguably, even better. You get the same upgrade on challenge rating of creatures you can wild shape into. The temporary hit points aren’t upgraded, but your AC is 2 higher. You also get poison resistance and advantage against the poisoned condition and a few extras. I think the higher AC is better at lower levels when the difference in temporary hit points is smaller. How much this remains the case as that gap widens is debatable, but they’re both strong wild shape options.

As a result, you’ll often want to be using wild shape for combat as well as the normal utility it provides.

Circle of the forged spells (Lv3) – 3/5

Mostly, forged spells are about setting up a buff for improvements for benefits for the rest of combat. But they will limit your effectiveness in turn 1. The good news is you can maintain them while in wild shape.

This is less of a problem when trying to close the gap between yourself and enemies. However, sacrificing a round of attacks can be a bit of a pain. Haste is certainly worthwhile here, mirror image might be when survivability is more important than damage. Fire shield gives both defence and offence and is often worth the spent action.

Its a decent bunch of spells, but nothing spectacular and lacks a variety of options.

Elementally imbued (Lv6) – 5/5

The option to change damage types means you should rarely be resisted. Converting spell slots into damage is interesting. The extra damage is not as potent as a spell of those levels, even when you throw in the extra effects. It might add up at levels 1 and 2 when you throw in your wild shape attacks, but level 3+ spells are generally more potent.

However, in practice, if you find yourself in wild shape enough that it’s hard to use up those spell slots, then this is a great way to actually make use of them. If you’ll be using those spell slots for more useful things, then don’t bother with this, but if those spell slots just won’t get used anyway, this is a great way to make some worth of them.

Adamantine hide (Lv10) – 4/5

Resistances to 3 very common damage types is great. Wild shape as a reaction can be useful too. If you get hit before you’ve had a turn in combat, you now have a bonus action free on your first turn to do something other than wild shape. You likely have more resistances and better AC in your wild shape form too. This means you can have these ready for subsequent attacks.

It’s debatable whether your AC and resistances from wild shape take effect for this hit. Because you’ve already been hit, I’d argue that your wild shape AC isn’t in effect for that attack. However, because you transform on the hit rather than when you take damage, I’d argue that your wild shape resistances do function for this attack. This was also specified in the 2014 version of this feature.

Construction perfection (Lv14) – 5/5

+1 AC and a lot of resilience through immunity to quite a few conditions and poison damage makes you very durable. This essentially makes you a very tough druid.

How good is the circle of the forged subclass?

Like the moon druid, the forged druid is a top druid subclass. With similar levels of wild shape power scaling, the forged druid is also really resilient and capable of some strong melee damage. With some spellcasting that lasts on your wild shape form too, you’ve got options to be even more resilient or effective. All of this makes for a top druid subclass.

5/5

Building a circle of the forged druid

Warforged: Visionary Production and Design Inc.

The circle of the forged works much like the circle of the moon with a wild shape focus and something of a tanky melee build. This is supplemented with spellcasting. You’ll want to focus on durability where you can for this build as druids aren’t as tough as barbarians and other frontline warriors, but will often get stuck into this kind of role.

Ability scores

Recommended options

Wisdom: Crucial for spellcasting and enhancing your AC in wild shape to make you more durable.
Dexterity: Important for AC when out of wild shape if you need to do more spellcasting.
Constitution: Important for durability, especially when charging into melee combat. It’ll also help you maintain concentration on spells, which you might do a fair bit of as these can last while in wildshape.

Options to avoid

Strength: Not important for a forged druid.
Intelligence: Only important for knowledge skills, not important enough to invest in.
Charisma: Only important for face skills but druids aren’t really built for this.

Ability score	Point Buy	Standard Array
Strength	8	8
Dexterity	15	13
Constitution	15	14
Intelligence	8	12
Wisdom	15	15
Charisma	8	10

Skills

Recommended options

Perception: Important for anyone in the party and highly used, especially someone with a high wisdom.
Insight: Important face skill and it uses wisdom which you’re good at.
Animal handling: If anyone will find use for this, it’s you, especially with your high wisdom.

Options to avoid

Medicine: Magic is a much more effective form of healing.
Survival: Often not used much, but some campaigns may have more survival elements where this could be important.

Species/race

There are a few things to consider when choosing a species for a forged druid. Because you’ll likely spend lots of time in wild shape when in combat, you’ll likely want to pick species that enhance things that remain in place when in wild shape. For example, innate spellcasting, a Dwarf’s extra HP or a Human’s extra skill and origin feat all work alongside wild shape:

Innate spellcasting: Druids can repeat cast innate spells and have the wisdom to backup casting these competently.
Utility features: Druids are a utility class, but you may want to be careful with certain species traits as they may overlap with things your wild shape, features or spells can easily do, like flight.
Durability: Any features that help you survive longer are useful, just remember though, that wild shape may override these. For example, you won’t retain resistances gained from your species while in wild shape but an orc’s relentless endurance should still be useful.

Recommended options

Dwarf (2024): More HP will benefit you while in wild shape and tremorsense is handy for out of combat situations.
Elf (2024): Grab some innate spells and an extra skill, plus you’re hard to charm.
Human (2024): Everything about a Human can work while in wild shape. An extra skill, origin feat (you could grab tough) and more heroic inspiration
Tielfing (2024): Lots of innate spells to repeat cast and a resistance for extra durability.

Backgrounds

Backgrounds are much more important now with D&D 2024 as the ability score increases previously tied to your race/species are now linked to your background. You also get an origin feat linked to your background too.

For a forged druid, you need to make sure you prioritise wisdom for your ability score increase, spellcasting capabilities and your wild shape AC. Constitution and dexterity are the other ability scores worth investing in.

Of these backgrounds, the ones with the best other features for a forged druid are:

Name	Ability scores	Origin feat	Skill proficiencies	Tool proficiency
Farmer	Strength, constitution, wisdom	Tough	Animal handling, nature	Carpenter’s tools
Guide	Dexterity, constitution, wisdom	Magic initiate (druid)	Stealth, survival	Cartographer’s tools
Sage	Constitution, intelligence, wisdom	Magic initiate (wizard)	Arcana, history	Calligrapher’s tools
Sailor	Strength, dexterity, wisdom	Tavern brawler	Acrobatics, perception	Navigator’s tools
Scribe	Dexterity, intelligence, wisdom	Skilled	Investigation, perception	Calligrapher’s supplies
Wayfarer	Dexterity, wisdom, charisma	Lucky	Insight, stealth	Thieves’ tools

Skilled, lucky and tough will all work when in wild shape form so all make good options. Wayfarer has the slightly better skills of that bunch, but tough can be very useful for a druid playing melee warrior.

Feats

Feats can make a great way for enhancing your character, but be aware that in many instances, your wild shape will mean you temporarily lose the benefits of many feats during some of the times you most want them. This means that there aren’t many feats I’d recommend for a forged druid, but below are a few good options.

Origin feats

To help with picking your background (or if you’re playing a Human, which works really well for a druid), I’ve evaluated your origin feat options for a druid:

Alert: Ensures your initiative rolls are higher allowing you to go earlier in combat. Great for landing AoE spells early in combat or getting into wild shape before the action gets started.
Lucky: Great on any class to have some extra rerolls available.
Musician: A generally excellent origin feat for helping your allies out with some heroic inspiration (kind of like a slightly better lucky, you give to your friends).
Tough: Really valuable extra hit points for a forged druid who can expect to take a beating.

General feats

At level 4, you can start picking up general feats.

Resilient: Grab proficiency in constitution saving throws to help you maintain concentration while in your wild shape form (saving throw proficiencies remain in place while in wild shape).
Shadow touched: Invisibility and an illusion spell are great for a caster class. Taking more utility spells is often the better way to go for the circle of the forged.
Warcaster: Great for better concentration. It’ll be especially useful if you plan on casting concentration spells before getting into your wild shape form as being on the front lines will mean plenty of concentration saving throws.

Weapons

Weapons aren’t important for a forged druid. You should either be casting spells or using wild shape to make attacks.

Armor

Use studded leather armor and a shield. A shield is definitely worth taking as you’ll rarely need both hands for something more useful.

If you take the warden primal order, half plate might be your best option for medium armor if you haven’t taken your dexterity too high. Keep in mind that there’s no longer a restriction on the use of metal armor for druids.