[RPG] Does the Durable feat improve the Constitution score of a druid in Wild Shape

ability-scoresdnd-5edruidfeatswild-shape

My druid has the Durable feat (PHB, p. 166):

Hardy and resilient, you gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Constitution score by +1, to a maximum of 20.
  • When you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, the minimum number of hit points you regain from the roll equals twice your Constitution modifier (minimum of 2).

My druid has the Wild Shape feature (PHB, p. 67), which lets my character take the form of a beast. Its description states (among other things):

  • You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so.

When in Wild Shape, does my druid have the base Con score of my beast form? Or does the beast form also have its Con score increased by +1?

We know that some aspects of feats carry over into Wild Shape; does that include the increase to the Con score? (After all, my form is capable of having its Constitution score raised by +1…)

Best Answer

You have the Con score of your beast form.

The first benefit of the Durable feat states (PHB, p. 166):

Increase your Constitution score by +1, to a maximum of 20.

This is a one-time benefit you receive when you take the feat. You level up, select Durable, and your Con score goes up by 1.

For contrast, take a look at the other half of Durable:

When you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, the minimum number of hit points you regain from the roll equals twice your Constitution modifier (minimum of 2).

This is an ongoing benefit that is triggered whenever you roll a hit die to regain hit points.

So Durable increases your Con score by 1, but when you enter Wild Shape:

Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast.

and your Con score becomes that of the beast form.

This does open the game up to potential shenanigans around leveling up while Wild Shaped, but that issue already existed, and this is one of the least problematic examples.