Druid Point Buy: Wisdom, Then Concentration
Wisdom takes the 15 and Constitution takes 14, and the second of those is doing more work than it looks. Wild Shape swaps the physical scores out, but the moment a beast form drops the Druid is back on its own d8 hit points, and that is usually the worst round of the fight.
The Druid array, point by point
| Ability | Score | Point cost |
|---|---|---|
| STR | 8 | 0 |
| DEX | 13 | 5 |
| CON | 14 | 7 |
| INT | 12 | 4 |
| WIS | 15 | 9 |
| CHA | 10 | 2 |
| Total spent | 27 | |
Holding concentration at each Constitution
Entangle, Spike Growth and Call Lightning are all concentration, and a Druid that drops one has spent its turn on nothing. Constitution 14 is what that risk costs, at a flat +2 with no save proficiency behind it.
| CON | Modifier | Save bonus | DC 10 check | 22 damage (DC 11) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | -1 | -1 | 50% | 45% |
| 10 | +0 | +0 | 55% | 50% |
| 12 | +1 | +1 | 60% | 55% |
| 13 | +1 | +1 | 60% | 55% |
| 14 ← | +2 | +2 | 65% | 60% |
| 15 | +2 | +2 | 65% | 60% |
| 16 | +3 | +3 | 70% | 65% |
| 18 | +4 | +4 | 75% | 70% |
Trading the primary score for Constitution
No trade is available because both ends of the swap already sit on the same step. Wisdom 14 produces DC 12 exactly as Wisdom 15 does, Constitution 15 concentrates at exactly the +2 that 14 does, and the two points would buy a modifier this array already owns.
Scores where the next point stops paying
- Wisdom 15
- Entangle and Faerie Fire land at DC 12 instead of DC 11, on spells that decide whole encounters.
- Constitution 14
- The hit points the Druid comes back to when a beast form drops mid-fight.
- Intelligence 12
- Intelligence is a Druid save proficiency — the only class where dumping it wastes a proficiency the class was given.
What this array gives up to afford that
- Strength at 8
- Wild Shape replaces Strength with the beast's, and a Druid out of beast form is casting, not shoving.
Subclasses that change the array
- Circle of the Moon — STR 8 · DEX 13 · CON 15 · INT 12 · WIS 15 · CHA 8
- Combat Wild Shape means the Druid's own body is the fallback, so CON 15 is the safety net.
- Circle of the Land — STR 8 · DEX 14 · CON 14 · INT 10 · WIS 15 · CHA 10
- This circle never enters melee, so Dexterity 14 and studded leather beat a third physical score.
- Circle of Spores — STR 10 · DEX 14 · CON 15 · INT 10 · WIS 14 · CHA 8
- Symbiotic Entity spends temporary hit points as a resource, which makes Constitution the subclass's ammunition.
Races that fit this spread
| Race | STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elf (Wood) | 8 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 10 |
| Firbolg | 9 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 17 | 10 |
| Dwarf (Hill) | 8 | 13 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 10 |
- Elf (Wood). Dexterity and Wisdom in one package, with the movement speed a Circle of the Land Druid uses to stay out of reach.
- Firbolg. Wisdom +2 and Strength +1, on the one class where the Strength is genuinely wasted and the Wisdom carries everything.
- Dwarf (Hill). Constitution and Wisdom, which is exactly the pair a Moon Druid needs and rarely affords.
The mistake this array is built to avoid
Dumping Constitution because Wild Shape swaps it out anyway. The Druid lands back on its own d8 the moment the beast form drops — 5 hit points a level at Constitution 10 against 7 at Constitution 14 — in the round the fight is already going badly.
Wisdom is what puts Spike Growth on the ground. Constitution is what keeps it there for the four rounds that make it better than a cantrip.
Druid ability score questions
What array should a Moon Druid use?
Wisdom 15, Constitution 15, Dexterity 13, Intelligence 12 spends all 27. Constitution 15 matters more here than for other circles because Combat Wild Shape means the Druid returns to its own hit points mid-fight rather than after it.
Why does a Druid keep Intelligence at 12?
Intelligence is one of the two Druid save proficiencies, alongside Wisdom. Leaving it at 8 wastes a proficiency the class was given for free, and the 4 points that take it to 12 are the cheapest defensive purchase on the sheet.
Can a Druid dump Strength to 8?
Yes, more safely than most classes. Wild Shape replaces Strength with the beast form, and out of that form the Druid casts rather than grapples. Strength 8 costs 0 points and funds the Wisdom 15.
Does Dexterity matter for a Druid in point buy?
Dexterity 13 gives AC 14 in leather, which is enough for a caster staying at range. A Circle of the Land Druid that never melees pushes it to 14 for AC 15, paying for it with the Intelligence point.
Where to go next
- Cleric — The other Wisdom full caster, where armour rather than Wild Shape drives the second score.
- Ranger — Also casts from Wisdom, but has to fund Dexterity first, which is the harder version of the same problem.
- Every array on this page is a plain 27-point spread, so you can build the array yourself and see each step priced as you go.