Wardens of the forest, hearing whispers on the wind. Keepers of ancient secrets, hidden magics, and friends to all animals.

Are we talking about the Druid class or the Firbolg race? Who knows!

Deciding to play a Firbolg as a Druid adds both flavor and mechanical power to an already strong class. Consider this short guide as a primer on how to build an effective character and start playing, even if you’re completely new to D&D.

How to Make a Firbolg Druid

The Druid is a relatively straightforward class to build, no matter the subclass you’re choosing. 

Your main stat should always be Wisdom. Aim for at least 16 at character generation, and as you level, always pump it first as it governs 90% of the character’s abilities. 

Good secondary stats are Dexterity and Constitution, which help make the character tougher and help with skills and concentration checks. 

Druids have reasonable proficiencies, with medium armor and shields offering decent AC, but lack in skills and tool use. Once you have a few levels, spellcasting generally makes up for this, though, so it’s nothing to be concerned about. Choose one or two skills that use Wisdom as their stat, like Perception or Survival, and you’ll be fine. 

A final thing to consider is languages. Between the Firbolg race, the Druid class, and your spell list, the character can already speak three languages, as well as communicate with animals and plant life, with Advantage on the checks for the latter, all at level 1. Grabbing Persuasion proficiency and another language from your background is far more useful here than it is with almost any other Druid build, and comes highly recommended.  

How to Play a Firbolg Druid

When it comes to playing this combination of Race and Class, there are two general builds; Melee Bruiser, using the Circle of the Moon subclass, and Primary Spellcaster, using any of the other subclass options. 

Circle of the Moon is an incredibly powerful choice, in the running for one of the strongest subclasses in the game. If you’re unfamiliar, it focuses on one thing: Shifting form into a wild animal and tearing its enemies limb from limb. (You can find our comprehensive guide on the Circle of Moon subclass here.) This subclass is so powerful, at early levels it’s a better melee character than the dedicated fighters, and can end encounters by itself. 

Every other Druid Circle is some flavor of caster. The Druid is a primary spellcasting class, with a flexible spell list that can be changed daily, and is thick with control spells, buffs, and debuffs. 

While the Druid can deal damage, your best spell choices will also generally focus on enabling allies or controlling the encounter. 

At lower levels, spells like Entangle and Spike Growth allow you to lock off sections of the battlefield. Druids have ready access to healing and resurrection, allowing you to keep the party up and running. And of course, the Druid spell list is packed full of powerful and effective summons, from Beasts at low levels all the way to powerful Elementals and even Dragons at higher levels.  

The available Subclasses back this up with a ton of choices. Do you want to summon more allies? The Circles of the Shepherd and Wildfire can do this, in utterly different ways. The Stars Druid is a fantastic damage dealer that also pulses with utility. You can even splash melee prowess and positive necromancy using the Spores Druid, and live out your Last Of Us infected fantasies. 

Druids tend to have very niche and focused out-of-combat utility, and choosing to play a Firbolg only builds upon this. The racial spells it gains are handy to have in your spell list, and also not traditionally accessible to the Druid class. Short term invisibility and carrying all the things both come up more often than you might think, too.  

Finally, as we’ve said, the Firbolg gains automatic advantage to skill checks when speaking with Beasts and Plants, and the Druid has the spells to allow them to speak back. This is huge, both mechanically and as a roleplaying aid. Trust us, your party will always remember the time you solved that grand mystery by talking to the potted plant on the villain’s desk!

How to Roleplay as a Firbolg Druid

When it comes to RPing this character combination, you’re in luck, because there’s already a confluence between both the race and the class. Both the Firbolg and Druids originally come from deep within Celtic history and lore, and the modern 5e interpretations build on the myths. Start practicing your Irish brogue. 

Originally, the Firbolg were a race of giants, a member of the fey. In 5th edition, the race is tied to green places, wardens of the forest, and nature. Which is conveniently also what the Druid class is built around. 

The core of many characters is why they are adventuring. What causes them to step out into the world and put themselves at risk? For the Firbolg, who already tend towards the insular and solitary, a solid reason to adventure, to walk away from their lands and people, is key to your RP interactions. Are their ancestral lands threatened? Does the Big Bad Evil Guy want to take over the world and risk the natural order? Are they simply looking for a more exciting life, building a tapestry of myth and song?

It’s worth also considering whether your character fully understands modern society. Firbolg live a long time, and their Druidic circles might have much different morality to a thriving, diverse, metropolitan city. They may have a more animalistic aspect, or a strong honor culture, which can heavily color how your character sees and interacts with the world. On top of this, someone brought up in a hidden, reclusive tribe might not understand how the modern world actually works because the last time they went outside the forest was 200 years ago. Both of these angles offer tons of fun RP interaction potential. 

Druids also tend towards hidden knowledge, and the Celtic influence gives you plenty of reason to spin up a character who tells tall tales and remains inscrutable, their allies never knowing just what the truth might be. 

Whichever way you color it, the Firbolg and Druid are classes that simply play well together. It’s a build that is always mechanically viable, has easy access to story hooks, and adds a touch of RP flavor that’s going to be fun to dance with.