Achieve peak wild shape form with this 3rd party, Eberron subclass from Keith Baker.
In a land like Eberron where synthetic life like Warforged exist, it’s natural for some druids, who are protectors of both nature and life, to question whether life given to machines is also to be protected. For druids of the circle of the forged, the answer to this is yes. They not only protect synthetic life, but it is also merged into their magic, including their wild shape capabilities, transforming them into part machine and part beast.
Originally, this circle was started by Warforged themselves who sought to unify themselves with nature, with steel and sinew. As rare as druids of the circle of the forged are, they are more likely to be Warforged than any other creature.
You’ll also notice that in some respects, their capabilities with wild shaping are not dissimilar from those possessed by the circle of the moon, with enhanced wild shape powers.
The circle of the forged is a 3rd party subclass designed by Keith Baker (creator of the Eberron setting). It can be found in his supplement Exploring Eberron on DM’s Guild. In my article below, I dive into how good this subclass is, tactics you can use and how to build an optimised forged druid.
At a glance
- Full spellcasters with a range of buffs and debuffs
- Wild shape provides lots of out of combat utility
- Enhanced wild shape transforms you into something of a melee warrior and tank
- Add effects to your attacks using spells slots to cause problems for your enemies
5/5 – The circle of the forged is a very powerful subclass. Perhaps a little too powerful. They possess better wild shape than a moon druid and are incredibly resilient while able to cause all sorts of problems to their enemies.
Circle of the forged features
Circle forms – Lv2
How it works
You can now transform into wild shape forms that are of CR1 and from level 6 onwards, can transform into beasts with a CR equal to your level divided by 3 (rounding down).
Tactics
- This is exactly the same as the moon druid. You now have advanced wild shape options making wild shape a strong combat option that’s not just for the extra HP or out of combat utility.
- The big difference here is that forged druids can’t wild shape as a bonus action. They do get quicker wild shapes at a higher level, but more on that in a later feature.
- The important thing is looking carefully at your wild shape options to find those that will be best in combat, as well as those that can offer other utility like flight or stealth.
Skin of steel – Lv2
How it works
Your wild shape form is made of the same material as a Warforged. This grants you +2 AC, advantage against being poisoned, resistance to poison damage, immunity to disease and magical sleep and you don’t need to eat, drink or breathe.
Tactics
- +2 AC is a big buff and makes your wild shape form more durable than that of a moon druid.
- You’ve also got a few other durability bonuses with poison being less effective against you. Many of the other things are only quite situationally useful though.
- One thing to note is that you don’t need to breathe while in wild shape form. With some beasts able to swim fast but not breathe underwater, this may enable a few more forms to be much better in aquatic situations. You’ll find this is the case for things like bears, snakes and hippos.
Elemental fury – Lv6
How it works
The first time you hit a creature on a turn, you can expend a spell slot to deal extra damage equal to a number of d6s equal to the level of the spell slot used (up to 5d6). You’ll also cause another effect based on the damage type you choose on a failed saving throw:
- Acid – Reduce target’s AC
- Cold – Reduce movement to 0 and disadvantage on strength and dexterity saving throws
- Fire – Small amount of damage each turn
- Lightning – Loses its reaction and first attack each turn has disadvantage
Tactics
- This is quite potent and handily, allows you to use spell slots while wild shaped.
- The damage is fine, but I actually think the extra effects are more potent. I’d almost argue that it’s not worth expending higher level spell slots on this unless you really know you won’t need those slots later. This is because the scaling per level is only 1d6, but the effects remains the same.
- I’d argue that fire is the weakest of these effects. The damage is small and takes time whereas other effects nullify the enemy more profoundly.
- Cold is potentially very useful against creatures without a ranged attack or that you don’t want escaping. You can use lightning against creatures you want to move away from. Acid is better for tough creatures that might take many attacks to kill and you need it to be easier to hit.
- One of the big benefits of this feature over using spell slots is you can easily have multiple effects ongoing simultaneously without the need to maintain concentration.
Adamantine hide – Lv10
How it works
While in wild shape form, you gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from non-magical attacks. You can also wild shape as a reaction to taking damage.
Tactics
- Resistance to some of the more common forms of damage is a big buff.
- But what’s perhaps even more useful is wild shape without using up much of your action economy. Moon druids get wild shape as a bonus action much earlier than this, but this means you can cast spells until you most need to wild shape (when you’ve been harmed) to get tanky and become a support martial.
Constructed perfection – Lv14
How it works
While in wild shape form, you can’t be charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified or poisoned and are immune to poison damage.
Tactics
- You’re even tougher in wild shape form making this an even more important resilience feature. This is especially the case against conditions with 3 of the most common conditions represented here.
How good is the circle of the forged subclass?
The circle of the forged is sort of like a moon druid on steroids. Moon druids are exceptionally tough with wild shape and all its many extra hit points. Forged druids take this a step further with lots of resiliences and immunities, extra AC and nullifying attacks.
It also deals more damage and has a wild shape that’s kinder on your action economy. The only blemish in the forged druid is that moon druids get more convenient wild shaping from level 2, 8 levels earlier.
The forged druid is really good, perhaps a little too good. Moon druids were already a strong option and the circle of the forged is better. I don’t think it’s broken, but it is possibly the most resilient subclass I’ve come across, especially at higher levels and that may feel a little too overpowered in comparison to other characters.
5/5
Building a Circle of the forged druid
Chances are, as a circle of the forged druid, you’ll spend a considerable amount of time in your wild shape form. But your capabilities in your humanoid form will also matter too.
Below I’ve gone through how you can build an optimised forged druid.
Ability scores
Recommended options
Wisdom: Important for your spellcasting as well as a saving throws and skills. Forged druids will also need this for their elemental fury saving throws.
Dexterity: You’ll mainly need this for your AC. How high you take this will depend on the type of armor you intend to use. Non-metal medium armor will protect you less than 20 dexterity in studded leather, but you’ll have to invest a lot more in dexterity to achieve this. You shouldn’t need dexterity much for weapon attacks (druids can use cantrips instead) and you’ll be in wild shape often enough and can easily use a shield meaning I’d be tempted to stick to 14 dexterity and use the medium armor and shield.
Constitution: More hit points and more reliable concentration are going to be useful for a druid.
Options to avoid
Strength: You can dump strength. Just use cantrips for ordinary attacks or if desperate, use finesse and ranged weapons.
Intelligence: You can dump this too. Druids have little need of intelligence.
Charisma: Druids aren’t built to be party faces and you don’t have another reason to take much in charisma.
| Ability score | Point Buy | Standard Array |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 8 | 10 |
| Dexterity | 14 | 14 |
| Constitution | 15 | 13 |
| Intelligence | 8 | 8 |
| Wisdom | 15 | 15 |
| Charisma | 10 | 12 |
Skills
Recommended options
Perception: High wisdom and a propensity towards survival and scouting make this a good option for a druid.
Insight: You may not be the face of the party, but you will excel in wisdom. Let others do the talking while you consider the things they’re saying.
Arcana: Useful knowledge skill and if you don’t have an intelligence caster, you may be relied on for these types of checks
Nature: Not the most important knowledge skill, but still useful and you’re the best option for this one.
Religion: Another important knowledge skill you might want to take if there are no better options for this.
Options to avoid
- Animal handling: You make a natural fit for this, but it also comes up very little and even less at mid-high levels when beasts become scarcer.
- Medicine: You’re better off healing magically.
Races
I’d consider a race that enhances the following kinds of features for a forged druid:
- Ability score: Wisdom is usually the most important ability score for a druid with dexterity coming second. constitution is also often a good option too. As such, you’ll want to prioritise races with the right ability score improvements (though many recent race releases let you choose anyway).
- Innate spellcasting: Druids have plenty of spell slots and are great at casting spells so innate spellcasting gives you a chance to grab some spells from other class lists that you can repeat use effectively.
- Increased resilience: Forged druids can be used as tanks and melee combatants with the addition of wild shape hit points and attacks. This means that the more resistances and other other durability features you can pick up with a race, the better! Just be aware that forged druids already get plenty of resistances so be aware of double dipping here.
Recommended races
The races of D&D 5e have gone through various iterations. Below I’ve recommended races that work well with a forged druid using the most recently published version from D&D 5e (2014).
Interestingly, Warforged don’t make the cut for a forged druid. This is because many of their features crossover too much with resilience features you already get through this subclass, or that won’t stack while in wild shape. It works for the times you’re in humanoid form, but they aren’t the most optimal choice.
- Aasimar: Resistance to necrotic and radiant damage for extra durability, some extra healing and extra damage or temporary flight with celestial revelation are all really helpful for druids that get close to the action.
- Autognome: Lots of extra durability from armored casing and mechanical nature and built for success is great at making you more likely to succeed on important rolls. The improved AC will only help you out of wild shape though, but this is probably the most natural fit lore-wise for a forged druid other than a Warforged.
- Eladrin: Teleportation works great for frontline warrior that might urgently need to get into and out of combat. You can add some damage into the mix from this too. Fey step should be the kind of thing you can use with your wild shape.
- Goliath: Reduce the damage you take and resistance to cold damage work great at making your druid more durable.
- Orc: I think relentless endurance works when your wild shape is knocked to 0HP too allowing you to stay in your form a little longer if you want. Dash as a bonus action will get you into the fray quicker and bags you some extra temporary hit points.
- Shadar-Kai: Teleportation as a bonus action without having to use spell slots is excellent plus a turn of damage resistance. Resistance to necrotic damage makes you more durable and proficiency in perception and advantage against charmed are both great extras.
Backgrounds
Backgrounds are great for adding a bit of flavour to a character and providing some small skill perks, gear and minor abilities.
For a druid, I’d probably lean into the types of skills they could be good at, but don’t get naturally through their class. For me, this is mainly scouting skills like stealth, sleight of hand and acrobatics (all of which work great with dexterity). Alternatively, grab some more knowledge skills if no one in the party is going to be good at these.
I’d recommend the following backgrounds:
- Cloistered scholar – If you’re lacking a wizard or artificer, you may need to be the source of knowledge skills. This will give you history and one of arcana, nature or religion.
- Criminal – Deception is less useful for you, but stealth and Thieves’ tools proficiency are great if you don’t have a rogue.
- Faction Agent – Insight and the choice of another skill make a great choice of proficiencies. You also get 2 languages and affiliation with a powerful organisation.
- Far Traveler – Insight and perception gives you a pair of good wisdom skills.
- Sage – Similarly useful for a knowledge druid with arcana and history proficiency.
- Urban Bounty Hunter – 2 skill proficiencies from a choice of 4 great options plus thieves tools and a gaming set proficiency.
- Urchin – Sleight of hand and stealth are great skill proficiencies and thieves tools and disguise kit are great tool proficiencies, plus you can move across cities really quickly.
Feats
When taking an ability score increase or using a variant Human, you can gain access to feats, taking one instead of the ability score increase. Just check with your DM that they allow feats.
I’d recommend the below for a forged druid:
- Fey Touched – Increase your wisdom by +1 and get misty step and another 1st level spell with a free use every long rest. Misty step is great for when your wild shape ends and you need to teleport out of danger.
- Lucky – Making 3 rerolls a day is powerful for any class!
- Metamagic Adept – Enhance your spells with the metamagic ability from the sorcerer class.
- Mobile – Move faster and avoid opportunity attacks sometimes making you much more maneuverable in combat.
- Resilient – Grab +1 in constitution and you now have proficiency in constitution saving throws. Great if you cast a concentration spell and then wild shape to help you maintain the spell in combat.
- Shadow touched – Invisibility will be beneficial for stealth if you go that route. Another spell is decent which you can also repeat cast.
- Telepathic – This will help you overcome any limitations with speaking while in wild shape. It can also be very useful for talking discreetly.
- War caster – This is mainly for advantage on concentration saving throws, but cantrip opportunity attacks could be useful when not in wild shape.
Weapons
The circle of the forged isn’t really built for weapon attacks. You’ll either be making attacks in your wild shape form or using spells and cantrips.
If you must use weapons, your dexterity should be better to invest in so grab a finesse or ranged weapon. You’ll want this to be one handed as a shield makes the most sense for you so a scimitar or dagger is probably your best bet here. Remember though, you usually have better options in combat than weapons.
Armor
Grab studded leather if you intend to go for a high dexterity (18-20). If you want to invest less in dexterity, then medium armor is your best option. You can’t wear metal armor so I’d go for scale mail. I’d grab a shield too as you won’t need your other hand for much else.
Other class guides
Not sure a circle of the forged druid is for you. Why not check out one of our other class guides for more inspiration.
