Every Dungeons & Dragons class is fully capable in its own right. D&D players can go from first level to twentieth in a single class and not miss out on anything. However, many players enjoy multiclassing to gain additional abilities or create unique combinations. Players can help their character stand out or cover their weaknesses by taking levels in a new class.
The D&D 5e druid is already one of the game's most versatile and capable classes. They can make powerful combatants, tanks, support characters, and more depending on their build. However, some players want to take their druid further with multiclassing. Some classes are a much better choice for this than others.
Updated November 22nd by Isaac Williams: Even though the druid is one of D&D 5e's more versatile classes, some players want even more. This list has been updated to match CBR's current formatting guidelines and to guide players even more to the best druid multiclass builds in D&D 5e.
12 Sorcerer Benefits Take Too Long To Be Rewarding
Best Subclass: Draconic Bloodline
Any druid multiclass combination in D&D 5e can work. However, some are much more rewarding than others. There are some specific and effective D&D 5e sorcerer multiclass combinations. However, the class is built around specialization and rewards players for keeping it as their only class.
A sorcerer and druid D&D multiclass splits a character's focus without much reward, particularly as the classes use different ability scores in their spellcasting. There are no sorcerer features that justify slowing down a druid's own impressive abilities. Even if a druid wants Metamagic, the Metamagic Adept D&D 5e feat is a much safer option. Being supplanted by a feat ensures that this combination is lowest on the list for best druid multiclass builds.
11 Artificer Clashes On A Thematic And Mechanical Level
Best Subclass: Alchemist
Of all the multiclass combinations in D&D 5e, there are few with more opposed themes than the artificer and the druid. The D&D 5e artificer is an engineer and technological expert, blending science and arcane magic. The druid is more at home in the wilds than in the city and channels more natural divine magic in their casting.
These differences extend to these classes' mechanics. The D&D 5e druid and artificer both excel at healing and buffing if they choose, but there is very little complementary about the two. A druid D&D 5e multiclass with an artificer doesn't particularly fill any gaps missing in a character's abilities. Neither do their mechanics enhance each other. As a result, it isn't one of the best multiclasses for a druid in D&D 5e, with many options higher on this list.
10 Warlock Uses A Different Kind Of Spellcasting
Best Subclass: The Fiend
D&D 5e warlocks have one valuable feature they can give to spellcasters by multiclassing. Owing to their unique Pact Magic, they regain spell slots on a short rest rather than a long rest. These spell slots can be used for any class' spells, including the druid's. However, the trade-off is unlikely to be worth it.
The D&D 5e warlock and druid focus on different ability scores with little overlap. Druids have little use for Charisma, meaning warlock spells will almost always be underwhelming. The D&D 5e Circle of the Land subclass is a much more straightforward choice for druids who want to get spell slots back on a short rest.
9 Bard's Best Support Abilities Come In Too Late
Best Subclass: College of Lore
The D&D 5e druid and bard can seem like ideal multiclass partners. They both have a heavy emphasis on support spells in their repertoire. In addition, they're both among D&D 5e's most versatile classes. However, they actually don't complement each other well. They have different resources and ability scores that don't combine effectively.
Many of the bard and druid's best D&D 5e support spells overlap. Healing Word and Enhance Ability are already available to the class. In addition, a bard's best support abilities like Font of Inspiration, take many levels to come online. A D&D 5e druid could instead spend these levels becoming a devastating spellcaster.
8 Paladin Is Too Expensive A Multiclass
Best Subclass: Oath of Vengeance
D&D 5e multiclassing isn't simply a case of sticking two classes together at will. Every class in the game has minimum requirements to multiclass in the form of high ability scores. The druid only needs a Wisdom of 13 for multiclassing. The D&D 5e paladin, on the other hand, is one of the most prohibitive in the game, requiring both Strength and Charisma.
Neither of these stats is particularly useful for a druid, which emphasizes Wisdom and Constitution. Some paladin abilities have significant benefits should the player go out of their way. Nonetheless, features like Divine Smite don't justify the effort and expense needed for this D&D 5e druid multiclass.
7 Wizard Shares A Focus On Spellcasting
Best Subclass: School of Divination
The druid and the wizard are the two most versatile classes in D&D 5e. Wizards get access to the most spells of any class, enough to overcome nearly any obstacle. Druids also get versatile and expansive casting, but combine it with their powerful subclass features and the ability to Wild Shape.
Combining these two creates a D&D 5e druid multiclass with endless tricks that is restricted to low-level abilities and spells. A character with several levels in both could cast nearly any low-level spell in the game, regain spell slots several times over, and still have shapeshifting to fall back on. However, this D&D 5e druid multiclass would struggle to deal with anything requiring high-level abilities. As a result, it occupies a middle position on this list with far more synergistic combos above it.
6 Fighter Allows For An Armor Buff
Best Subclass: Battle Master
The best forms of multiclassing in D&D 5e typically don't see a character taking equal levels in two classes. Instead, the character prioritizes one class and takes enough levels in another to get useful abilities and features. A fighter and druid multiclass taking this approach can be valuable, depending on what the player wants.
The D&D 5e fighter has some moderately useful abilities for a druid multiclass, including Action Surge. However, only one druid subclass has any real focus on attacking over casting spells. Furthermore, the fighter's heavy armor proficiency, one of the best reasons to take it as a spellcaster's first level, is almost useless due to the D&D 5e druid's equipment restrictions.
5 Barbarian Lets A Druid Rage As An Animal
Best Subclass: Path of the Totem Warrior
When a D&D druid uses Wild Shape, they primarily use the statblock of the creature they've transformed into, but they still retain the benefits of their classes. This isn't always relevant, with the animal form doing much of the lifting. However, a barbarian and druid multiclass in D&D 5e can still Rage in animal form.
Rage lets a character do additional damage on each attack while reducing damage from the most common sources. It's an effective buff for a D&D 5e Circle of the Moon druid. However, it prevents the druid from spellcasting while Raging, and the character has to choose between more Rages or more capable Wild Shapes. Ultimately, it's only a practical D&D 5e druid multiclass for specific builds.
4 Rogue Makes For An Ideal Infiltrator
Best Subclass: Arcane Trickster
There's no requirement for a rogue to be good at stealth in D&D 5e, but their abilities often lean in that direction. Rogues are better at using their skills than almost any class in the game. In particular, their Expertise ability has some interesting synergy when taken with the druid's Wild Shape.
Most D&D 5e druids can't use their Wild Shape effectively in combat. However, many beasts have an easier job bypassing terrain or going unnoticed than humanoids. They maintain their skill proficiencies and Expertise in their animal forms, letting rogue levels enhance the character's Stealth or Perception immensely. Rogue is one of the best druid multiclass builds in D&D 5e for effective infiltration and out-of-combat utility.
3 Cleric Is A Fellow Wisdom Spellcaster
Best Subclass: Twilight Domain
Spellcaster multiclasses suffer in D&D 5e because each class uses its own spellcasting ability scores. With how rare Ability Score Improvements are, characters can't afford to keep two ability scores as high as possible. As such, a character has to split their focus and weaken all of their spellcasting, or emphasize one and neglect the other. The D&D cleric and druid bypass this problem, however.
The cleric and druid are D&D 5e's Wisdom-based full spellcasters. They both prioritize increasing their Wisdom to make their spells as devastating as possible. In addition, their spell lists overlap but not completely. The D&D 5e cleric's low-level spells are ideal for a druid multiclass. However, this does come at the cost of high-level druid spellcasting.
2 Ranger Is Another Wilderness Specialist
Best Subclass: Fey Wanderer
D&D 5e multiclassing is especially effective at creating a character who splits the focus of two different classes. The result is a character who can do both classes' roles somewhat well, but neither as effectively as a specialist. The D&D 5e ranger is already something of a hybrid character, combining martial prowess with divine spellcasting. A druid can gain a bit of that martial prowess with a short dip.
Several D&D 5e ranger levels can create a capable healer who can hold their own in a fight. In particular, the Shillelagh cantrip works well with this combination. However, some D&D 5e druids might not want to multiclass for better combat abilities at the cost of their game-changing high-level spellcasting.
1 The Monk Provides An Excellent Defensive Boost
Best Subclass: Way of Long Death
Most of a D&D 5e monk's abilities aren't all valuable for a druid. Druids are not martial characters. They don't benefit from the increases to Unarmed Strikes or the ability to attack more often. In addition, the D&D monk's most useful abilities come at higher levels and use Ki, which a multiclass won't get much of.
However, one single monk ability can make this druid multiclass worth it: Unarmored Defense. This lets a character add their Wisdom modifier to their Armor Class when not wearing armor. A Circle of the Moon druid's Wild Shapes suddenly become much more survivable, while other Circles no longer have to worry about finding non-metal armor. This trade-off is more than worth it for many characters, easily giving the monk the top spot on this list as the druid's best multiclass in D&D 5e.
Dungeons and Dragons
A fantasy roleplaying tabletop game designed for adventure-seekers, the original incarnation of Dungeons & Dragons was created by Gary Gygax in 1974.