D&D Druid Level Up – a step by step guide (5e)

I always found the level-up process to be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding nuances of any RPG, including Dungeons & Dragons.

It’s the feeling of seeing your character finally getting stronger after you spent so many hours slaying ferocious beasts, exploring dark dungeons, making new acquaintances, escaping from situations you couldn’t handle at your previous level, opening treasure chests filled with coins and jewels (and sometimes empty ones), and so on, that makes this part of the game so exciting.

When it comes to progress through levels in D&D there are quite a few things to remember and all the information you need are scattered on different pages of the Player’s Handbook (and sometimes on other manuals).

I’m pretty sure most of the players have already memorized all the pages they need to look at to level up their alter-ego, but for all the new players, for my friends that constantly ask me what to do when they have to level up and even for veterans who just want a tidy recap, I thought it would be handy to have a step by step guide to follow that will hopefully make the whole level-up process faster.

In this article, I’ll dive deep into the D&D Druid level up process, and in particular what new abilities and feats you’d unlock, as well as any change of the character’s stats.

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D&D Druid Level Up Advancement Table

Here’s a quick overview of the Druid level up advancement if you want to get a sneak peek or if you need a quick recap.

Keep scrolling for a deeper description of each level.

1st Level – Druid Starting Features & Abilities

Hit Points

• Basic Hit Points: 8 + Constitution (CON) modifier.
• Hit Dice: 1d8.

Proficiencies

• Armour: Light armour, medium armour, shields (druids won’t wear armour or use shields made of metal).
• Weapons: Clubs, daggers, darts, javelins, maces, quarterstaffs, scimitars, sickles, slings, spears.
• Tools: Herbalism kit.
• Proficiency bonus: +2.
• Saving Throws: Intelligence (INT) and Wisdom (WIS).
• Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, and Survival. 

Class Features

• Druidic
  You know Druidic, the secret language of druids. You can speak it and use it to leave hidden messages for your fellow druids (or to whoever can read the language).
• Spellcasting
  You may use spells to bend the divine essence of nature itself to your desire by drawing from it. At level 1 you have the following:
  Cantrips known: 2.
  Prepared spells: your Druid level (1) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
  Spells slots: 2 (1st level).

2nd Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (2) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Spell slots: +1 (1st level).
• Wild Shape (CR 1/4)
  You can assume the shape of a creature you have seen during your adventures. Your Druid level determines the limits of the transformation.
• Druid Circle
  You can choose your subclass between the Circle of the Land, the Circle of the Moon, the Circle of Dreams, the Circle of Spores, the Circle of Stars, the Circle of Wildfire, and the Circle of the Shepherd.

3rd Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (3) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Spell slots: +2 (1st level), +2 (2nd level).

4th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Cantrips known: +1.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (4) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Spell slots: +1 (2nd level).
• Wild Shape (CR 1/2)
  You can assume the shape of a creature you have seen during your adventures. Your Druid level determines the limits of the transformation.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

5th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (5) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Spell slots: +2 (3rd level).

6th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (6) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Spell slots: +1 (3rd level).
• New Druid Circle subclass feature: this depends on which Druid Circle you have chosen for your Druid.

7th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (7) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Spell slots: +1 (4th level).

8th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (8) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Spell slots: +1 (4th level).
• Wild Shape (CR 1)
  You can assume the shape of a creature you have seen during your adventures. Your Druid level determines the limits of the transformation.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

9th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (9) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Spell slots: +1 (4th level), +1 (5th level).

10th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Cantrips known: +1.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (10) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Spell slots: +1 (5th level).
• New Druid Circle subclass feature: this depends on which Druid Circle you have chosen for your Druid.

11th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (11) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Spell slots: +1 (6th level).

12th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (12) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

13th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (13) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Spell slots: +1 (7th level).

14th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (14) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• New Druid Circle subclass feature: this depends on which Druid Circle you have chosen for your Druid.

15th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (15) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Spell slots: +1 (8th level).

16th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (16) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

17th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (17) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Spell slots: +1 (9th level).

18th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (18) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Spell slots: +1 (5th level).
• Timeless Body
  You’ll age more slowly than other creatures. For every 10 years that pass you’ll only age 1 year.
• Beast Spells
  You can cast spells while you’re assuming a creature shape given by the Wild Shape feature. You can’t cast spells that require the use of material components.

19th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (19) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Spell slots: +1 (6th level).
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

20th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Prepared spells: your Druid level (20) + your Wisdom (WIS) modifier.
• Spell slots: +1 (7th level).
• Archdruid
  You can use Wild Shape an unlimited number of times.