Firbolg Druid or Firbolg Cleric 5e dnd?
The 5e Firbolg Druid is an intriguing race that combines a rare combination of powerful innate spellcasting and ability score increases. They are described in their flavor text as natural druids. However, that is not the only option. Unfortunately, their unique combination of ability increases and fun is severely restricting their build options.
Speech of Beast and Leaf
Although the Speech of Beast and Leaf feature of Firbolg is very simple, it cannot be easy to understand. Speech of Beast and Leaf doesn’t replicate the effects of Speak With Animals or Speak With Plants spells. It also works differently from the Gnome’s Speak With Small Beasts function. Speech of Beast and Leaf is similar to Kronk talking with squirrels, but you don’t get to understand the animal or plant.
Also, the ability text doesn’t explicitly state that Speech of Beast and Leaf applies only to creatures. It’s also not clear how it applies to inanimate plants, plant-like mundane trees, or something. We can still solve it with some critical thinking.
The hardest part is speaking to beasts. “Beasts” refers to a variety of creatures that include animals and large bugs. They can range from tiny rats to the largest dinosaurs. Since creatures like mundane bugs (house flies, normal spiders, etc.) They don’t have stat blocks, so it isn’t clear if they can be talked to. However, as a DM, I would allow them.
It is harder to talk to plants. Without magic, mundane plants are not able to communicate with their environment. They don’t have the same senses as humanoids and are therefore inanimate. Although your DM may allow mundane plants to respond to simple commands like asking a venus flytrap to open or close, anything beyond its normal capabilities would require magic, no matter how charming.
Plant creatures are a different story. They have more in common than mundane plants with animals. It is possible to encounter a shambling mound and convince it to stop eating you instead of getting into a fight against what amounts to a compost elemental. That is the only way to handle most plant creatures that don’t speak English.
You’ll need to learn Face skills such as Persuasion to make the most of Speech of Beast and Leaf. It is a rare role for the Firbolg, as it doesn’t require a natural Charisma boost. However, a Persuasion skill proficiency may be sufficient to negate most threats from plant creatures to your party. That might make it worth the investment.
What is a firbolg?
It is completely different in 5E than in previous editions. To the point that you can ignore all older lore and treat the two races/species as distinct races/species that share the same name, but not much else,
One type of giant kin. Although their exact nature has changed over time, they have always been outside of the “true giants” group (Cloud, Fire and Frost, Hill and Stone being the most well-known and common) and in the same category as the ogres and other creatures. They are approximately 7-8 feet tall and weigh at least 250lbs, according to 5e statistics. Although they were larger in the past, they can shrink to human size. They were once raiders and tricksters similar to Vikings, but they are now much more druidic.
They are now connected to the Feywild in the fifth edition. They consider themselves protectors and isolationists. They retain some magical abilities. They can disguise themselves as smaller humanoids and even temporarily become invisible. They can be played as a race (see Volo’s Guide to Monsters), but most adventurers will end up being outcasts.
The FirBolg from Irish mythology loosely inspired them. This Fir Bolg ruled before Tuatha de Dannan came to power. They were large, often identified with the Fomorians (also incorporated as a Dungeons and Dragons species/monster). They were fierce warriors who tried to outsmart them.
Here’s a FirBolg meeting featuring a Tuatha de Dannan representative in mythology. D&D’s earliest editions were based on this. They looked a lot like 10-11′ tall rough humans. They were able to change themselves and create fool’s Gold, which they used as a way to satisfy their greed. They could be provoked into combat and were able to wield powerful halberds and big two-handed swords. Although they were often found in remote areas, they didn’t share any kinship with nature.
Firbolg Druid in 5e dnd
They are completely different from mythology and earlier editions. 5E describes them as gentle protectors of the land that love the land. They try to make peace and convince intruders to leave. They hate greed and try to keep out of sight whenever possible.
5E does not define their physical appearance. There is no official 5E legend that states that their faces look like cows or deer or oddly colored (e.g., blue) skin. Volo’s Guide to Monsters has a picture showing a blue-skinned Firbolg. Still, The Forgotten Realms’ wiki page states that the 5th edition artwork for firbolgs doesn’t match the descriptions in previous editions. Volo’s Guide to Monsters also does not describe the size of firbolgs. We assume the artist made an error in describing the skin color of firbolgs until another 5th edition source does.
It is not possible to attribute animal- or cow-like characteristics to them in official lore. Critical Role has home-brewed Firbolgs that have cow-like noses and forward-facing nostrils. However, there is nothing in the normal 5E rules.
Good background for a wildfire-druid firbolg 5e
Acolyte: Worships a nature diety that is death/rebirth, whose priest has taught them death is sometimes necessary to live. Setting fires isn’t just a way for the forest to regrow but also part of your worship.
Hermit: Your life is shared with an order that cares about the forest’s health, maintaining its beauty, and ensuring its safety. Because of the isolation of the job, your coworkers might not know how to socialize with the outside world.
Outlander: This land has been home to you and your family for thousands of years. You know it better than anyone. Although it may appear to others that you are razing forests out of savagery and chaos, your elders have taught you that this is important so that the land can thrive for future generations.
Sage: You are a wildlife biologist/renegade Botanist. You were fed up with the ignorance of the city where you studied. So, you went into the forest to continue the work. It could also be where you did your thesis. You decide to stay there after completing your dream Ph.D.
Which class is best for a Firbolg?
Cleric for sure. The Firbolg is a more powerful cleric than a Druid, despite their flavor text. Clerics have to use Strength or Dexterity for melee attacks, while Druids can rely upon Wisdom, thanks to Shillelagh in dnd 5e. That makes it possible to build a variety of melee clerics by increasing your Strength.
Classes (Default Rules).
This section assumes you are not using Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything’s “Customizing Your Origin” options. Scroll up to the unit if you’re using these rules.
Artificer
There is no Intelligence growth.
Barbarian
The Barbarian is supported by the Firbolg, which endows it with a Strength increase of just barely enough.
Bard
The Bard requires a Charisma or Dexterity increase. The Firbolg receives neither.
Cleric
The Firbolg is a more powerful cleric than a Druid, despite their flavor text. Clerics have to use Strength or Dexterity for melee attacks, while Druids can rely upon Wisdom, thanks to Shillelagh. That makes it possible to build a variety of melee clerics by gaining Strength. Nature is another great option if you want to retain a druidic feeling.
Druid
The Druid only needs Wisdom, so the Firbolg makes sense both thematically and mechanically. Although Strength increases might tempt you to melee, Wild Shape and Shillelagh are better choices than relying solely on Strength.
Fighter
The Fighter is supported by the Firbolg, which helps Strength increase but not enough.
Monk
Wisdom is great, but the Monk is a Striker. They can’t afford to be defensive by getting a Dexterity boost.
Paladin
The Paladin is supported by the Firbolg, which helps only a small strength increase.
Sorcerer
There is no Charisma growth.
Warlock
There is no Charisma growth.
Wizard
There is no Intelligence growth.
Ranger
The primary ability score of the Ranger is Dexterity, but in medium armor, they can use Strength. The Firbolg’s inherent spellcasting gives the Firbolg some useful stealth and magical options that the Ranger can’t. It allows you to compensate for your poor Dexterity.
Rogue
Although the Firbolg’s ability to cast spells is a nice bonus for rogues, it is not sufficient to make them a viable option.
Summary
Firbolgs are gentle and nature-loving races. Firbolgs are a soft, nature-loving race. They are fey-oriented half-giants. Their tribes live in isolated forest strongholds and prefer to be in harmony with the woods. Firbolgs are skilled with weapons and druidic magic when provoked. Source: Volo’s Guide to Monsters
- Ability score increases: Your Wisdom score goes up by 2, and your Strength score goes by 1.
- Age: Firbolg, like humanoids related to the fey to the fey, have long lives. The average firbolg is around 30 years old, and the oldest can live up to 500 years.
- Alignment: Firbolg in 5e dnd observes the rhythms of nature and view themselves as to its caretakers. Firbolg that are evil are uncommon and often sworn enemies to the rest of their species.
- Size: Firbolg can be between 7 and 8 feet high and weigh between 220 and 300 pounds. Medium is your size.
- Speed: Your walking speed base is 30 feet
- Firbolg Magic: Casting is possible to detect Magic 5e & Disguise Self. This trait allows you to use Wisdom as your spellcasting capability. After casting either spell, this trait will not allow you to release it again until you have completed a short or lengthy rest. This disguise self will enable you to appear up to 3ft shorter than normal. It makes it easier to blend in with humans or elves.
- Hidden Step: You can become invisible as a bonus action until your next turn, attack, roll damage, or force someone else to make a saving throw. This trait can only be helpful once, and you cannot use it again until your short or long rest is over.
- A powerful build: When determining your carrying capacity or the maximum weight you can push, drag, lift, or pull, one size is enough.
- Speech of Beast and Leaf: You can communicate with animals and plants in limited ways. Although they can understand your words, you can’t translate them into their language. All Charisma checks that you perform to influence them give you an advantage.
- Languages: You can read, speak, and write Common, Elvish, and Giant.
Firbolg makes a better cleric than druid in 5e dnd..
Firbolg Druid or Firbolg Cleric 5e dnd?
The 5e Firbolg Druid is an intriguing race that combines a rare combination of powerful innate spellcasting and ability score increases. They are described in their flavor text as natural druids. However, that is not the only option. Unfortunately, their unique combination of ability increases and fun is severely restricting their build options.
Speech of Beast and Leaf
Although the Speech of Beast and Leaf feature of Firbolg is very simple, it cannot be easy to understand. Speech of Beast and Leaf doesn’t replicate the effects of Speak With Animals or Speak With Plants spells. It also works differently from the Gnome’s Speak With Small Beasts function. Speech of Beast and Leaf is similar to Kronk talking with squirrels, but you don’t get to understand the animal or plant.
Also, the ability text doesn’t explicitly state that Speech of Beast and Leaf applies only to creatures. It’s also not clear how it applies to inanimate plants, plant-like mundane trees, or something. We can still solve it with some critical thinking.
The hardest part is speaking to beasts. “Beasts” refers to a variety of creatures that include animals and large bugs. They can range from tiny rats to the largest dinosaurs. Since creatures like mundane bugs (house flies, normal spiders, etc.) They don’t have stat blocks, so it isn’t clear if they can be talked to. However, as a DM, I would allow them.
It is harder to talk to plants. Without magic, mundane plants are not able to communicate with their environment. They don’t have the same senses as humanoids and are therefore inanimate. Although your DM may allow mundane plants to respond to simple commands like asking a venus flytrap to open or close, anything beyond its normal capabilities would require magic, no matter how charming.
Plant creatures are a different story. They have more in common than mundane plants with animals. It is possible to encounter a shambling mound and convince it to stop eating you instead of getting into a fight against what amounts to a compost elemental. That is the only way to handle most plant creatures that don’t speak English.
You’ll need to learn Face skills such as Persuasion to make the most of Speech of Beast and Leaf. It is a rare role for the Firbolg, as it doesn’t require a natural Charisma boost. However, a Persuasion skill proficiency may be sufficient to negate most threats from plant creatures to your party. That might make it worth the investment.
What is a firbolg?
It is completely different in 5E than in previous editions. To the point that you can ignore all older lore and treat the two races/species as distinct races/species that share the same name, but not much else,
One type of giant kin. Although their exact nature has changed over time, they have always been outside of the “true giants” group (Cloud, Fire and Frost, Hill and Stone being the most well-known and common) and in the same category as the ogres and other creatures. They are approximately 7-8 feet tall and weigh at least 250lbs, according to 5e statistics. Although they were larger in the past, they can shrink to human size. They were once raiders and tricksters similar to Vikings, but they are now much more druidic.
They are now connected to the Feywild in the fifth edition. They consider themselves protectors and isolationists. They retain some magical abilities. They can disguise themselves as smaller humanoids and even temporarily become invisible. They can be played as a race (see Volo’s Guide to Monsters), but most adventurers will end up being outcasts.
The FirBolg from Irish mythology loosely inspired them. This Fir Bolg ruled before Tuatha de Dannan came to power. They were large, often identified with the Fomorians (also incorporated as a Dungeons and Dragons species/monster). They were fierce warriors who tried to outsmart them.
Here’s a FirBolg meeting featuring a Tuatha de Dannan representative in mythology. D&D’s earliest editions were based on this. They looked a lot like 10-11′ tall rough humans. They were able to change themselves and create fool’s Gold, which they used as a way to satisfy their greed. They could be provoked into combat and were able to wield powerful halberds and big two-handed swords. Although they were often found in remote areas, they didn’t share any kinship with nature.
Firbolg Druid in 5e dnd
They are completely different from mythology and earlier editions. 5E describes them as gentle protectors of the land that love the land. They try to make peace and convince intruders to leave. They hate greed and try to keep out of sight whenever possible.
5E does not define their physical appearance. There is no official 5E legend that states that their faces look like cows or deer or oddly colored (e.g., blue) skin. Volo’s Guide to Monsters has a picture showing a blue-skinned Firbolg. Still, The Forgotten Realms’ wiki page states that the 5th edition artwork for firbolgs doesn’t match the descriptions in previous editions. Volo’s Guide to Monsters also does not describe the size of firbolgs. We assume the artist made an error in describing the skin color of firbolgs until another 5th edition source does.
It is not possible to attribute animal- or cow-like characteristics to them in official lore. Critical Role has home-brewed Firbolgs that have cow-like noses and forward-facing nostrils. However, there is nothing in the normal 5E rules.
Good background for a wildfire-druid firbolg 5e
Acolyte: Worships a nature diety that is death/rebirth, whose priest has taught them death is sometimes necessary to live. Setting fires isn’t just a way for the forest to regrow but also part of your worship.
Hermit: Your life is shared with an order that cares about the forest’s health, maintaining its beauty, and ensuring its safety. Because of the isolation of the job, your coworkers might not know how to socialize with the outside world.
Outlander: This land has been home to you and your family for thousands of years. You know it better than anyone. Although it may appear to others that you are razing forests out of savagery and chaos, your elders have taught you that this is important so that the land can thrive for future generations.
Sage: You are a wildlife biologist/renegade Botanist. You were fed up with the ignorance of the city where you studied. So, you went into the forest to continue the work. It could also be where you did your thesis. You decide to stay there after completing your dream Ph.D.
Which class is best for a Firbolg?
Cleric for sure. The Firbolg is a more powerful cleric than a Druid, despite their flavor text. Clerics have to use Strength or Dexterity for melee attacks, while Druids can rely upon Wisdom, thanks to Shillelagh in dnd 5e. That makes it possible to build a variety of melee clerics by increasing your Strength.
Classes (Default Rules).
This section assumes you are not using Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything’s “Customizing Your Origin” options. Scroll up to the unit if you’re using these rules.
Artificer
There is no Intelligence growth.
Barbarian
The Barbarian is supported by the Firbolg, which endows it with a Strength increase of just barely enough.
Bard
The Bard requires a Charisma or Dexterity increase. The Firbolg receives neither.
Cleric
The Firbolg is a more powerful cleric than a Druid, despite their flavor text. Clerics have to use Strength or Dexterity for melee attacks, while Druids can rely upon Wisdom, thanks to Shillelagh. That makes it possible to build a variety of melee clerics by gaining Strength. Nature is another great option if you want to retain a druidic feeling.
Druid
The Druid only needs Wisdom, so the Firbolg makes sense both thematically and mechanically. Although Strength increases might tempt you to melee, Wild Shape and Shillelagh are better choices than relying solely on Strength.
Fighter
The Fighter is supported by the Firbolg, which helps Strength increase but not enough.
Monk
Wisdom is great, but the Monk is a Striker. They can’t afford to be defensive by getting a Dexterity boost.
Paladin
The Paladin is supported by the Firbolg, which helps only a small strength increase.
Sorcerer
There is no Charisma growth.
Warlock
There is no Charisma growth.
Wizard
There is no Intelligence growth.
Ranger
The primary ability score of the Ranger is Dexterity, but in medium armor, they can use Strength. The Firbolg’s inherent spellcasting gives the Firbolg some useful stealth and magical options that the Ranger can’t. It allows you to compensate for your poor Dexterity.
Rogue
Although the Firbolg’s ability to cast spells is a nice bonus for rogues, it is not sufficient to make them a viable option.
Summary
Firbolgs are gentle and nature-loving races. Firbolgs are a soft, nature-loving race. They are fey-oriented half-giants. Their tribes live in isolated forest strongholds and prefer to be in harmony with the woods. Firbolgs are skilled with weapons and druidic magic when provoked. Source: Volo’s Guide to Monsters
- Ability score increases: Your Wisdom score goes up by 2, and your Strength score goes by 1.
- Age: Firbolg, like humanoids related to the fey to the fey, have long lives. The average firbolg is around 30 years old, and the oldest can live up to 500 years.
- Alignment: Firbolg in 5e dnd observes the rhythms of nature and view themselves as to its caretakers. Firbolg that are evil are uncommon and often sworn enemies to the rest of their species.
- Size: Firbolg can be between 7 and 8 feet high and weigh between 220 and 300 pounds. Medium is your size.
- Speed: Your walking speed base is 30 feet
- Firbolg Magic: Casting is possible to detect Magic 5e & Disguise Self. This trait allows you to use Wisdom as your spellcasting capability. After casting either spell, this trait will not allow you to release it again until you have completed a short or lengthy rest. This disguise self will enable you to appear up to 3ft shorter than normal. It makes it easier to blend in with humans or elves.
- Hidden Step: You can become invisible as a bonus action until your next turn, attack, roll damage, or force someone else to make a saving throw. This trait can only be helpful once, and you cannot use it again until your short or long rest is over.
- A powerful build: When determining your carrying capacity or the maximum weight you can push, drag, lift, or pull, one size is enough.
- Speech of Beast and Leaf: You can communicate with animals and plants in limited ways. Although they can understand your words, you can’t translate them into their language. All Charisma checks that you perform to influence them give you an advantage.
- Languages: You can read, speak, and write Common, Elvish, and Giant.
