Second, you're gambling you’ll take damage in the first round since your rage might end early as you have no action to attack and the enemy might avoid you rather than fight you. First, if the battle is short you will be standing around for a turn instead of fighting, kinda disappointing. The main benefit is that you immediately gain the benefit of both effects, ready to take and deal damage for the rest of the fight. Combo 1 - Instant Primal: this completely consumes your first turn to use an Action to wildshape and your bonus action to rage.This creates three ways to use this combo, each of which have benefits and drawbacks: Rage requires a bonus action and Wildshape requires either your action or bonus action. When using this combo, it is important to keep the action economy in mind. To do this, you'll start with 2 levels in druid, then 3 levels in Barbarian, then max Druid afterwards. It doubles the health of your wildshapes while you're raging, something that is arguably stronger than anything you can get from that extra level in druid. Note: Barbarian 3/Druid 17 - This small adjustment unlocks the barbarian subclass - Totem warrior. Danger Sense can also be nice since most versions of this have a pretty high dexterity. However, getting easy advantage on your attacks while transformed is an amazing option to have. Level 20 Barbarian: This extra level in barbarian is optional.You'll remain a powerful caster as well for your team, and at level 19 you can even start casting spells in your beast form. That means you need to always increase it to obtain stronger and stronger forms. Level 4-19 Druid: One thing to always remember is that the strongest beast you can turn into is equal to 1/3 your Druid level.Having 2 rages and 2 wildforms almost feels like they were meant to be used together! Your unarmored defense can also occasionally give you a higher AC than the wildshape would normally have, which is nice. Level 3 Barbarian: Rage is an incredible damage and tankiness steroid.Immediately you can change into a bear, a powerful combat form. Level 1-2 Druid: You're going for the Circle of the Moon.Yuan-Ti: Racial features remain while in wildshape, including your Magic Resistance and Poison Immunity!Īlthough there are a number of ways to do this, you'll find the most success with this base build by doing the following:.Firbolg: While not having dexterity isn't great for your AC, you can use powerful build in your wildshape.Plus their natural resistance to psychic is amazing if you choose the totem warrior barbarian subclass, giving you resistance to litterally all damage. Kalashtar: Their ability to speak telepathically removes one of the main reasons people revert from wildshape early.Other Races: While this build and it's variants focus on only using the Core rules, here are some other options if your using other sources as well. Half-Orc: Their Relentless endurance is an amazing feature that can preserve a wildshape through massive attacks!.Wood Elf: You keep racial features while Wildshaped, and that includes the +5 feet of movement from this subrace.Human, Variant: Being able to start with a feat like Sentinel can really boost your effectiveness in combat.Forest Gnome: While their spell casting will be weaker, advantage on intelligence, wisdom, and charisma saves against magic is amazing.However, if your looking to optimize your non-bear combat and spell casting, a few stand out. Just include your alternatives or changes as part of the document.Īny race works for this build, since your physical ability scores get replace with your wildshapes. This makes it harder for the casual reader. If you want to leave a record of what you edit, please leave it on the discussion page under the "edits" section and not in the middle of the build. This build takes advantage of the "onioning" mechanic of the druid, which is the way it gains another layer of hit points when using Wild Shape, and the damage resistance from the barbarian's rage, making it effectively unkillable.Ī note to those that make edits. This build is a multiclass druid/barbarian that is really powerful mechanically while being really cool. 6.4 Mighty Mama Bear: Barbarian 3/Paladin 7/Druid 10.6.3 Dwarven Endurance Bear: Druid 10/ Monk 5/ Barbarian 3/ Warlock 2.6.2 Smite Bear: Barbarian 3/Paladin 2/Druid 15.