Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tomada 02-15-07, 05:20 PM	Hi people, I'm going to play a druid in the next campaign, starting at 3rd level. I'm talking with my DM to let me forego wildshape, but be able to cast awaken in my animal companion, starting on level 5. I know it's not normally possible, but either way I'm going to try. Is it going to be overpowered? Extremelly overpowered? Or not? Considering we are basically playing core, I think it will be alright. I'm thinking of building a gnome(or human)summoner who won't get near frontlines (or I'm going to ride my animal companion, not decided yet). Either way, I will not bash nor throw anything at enemies, probably just summon/buff/blast with spells. But mostly summoning, animal growth and such... Another thing, I know I can affect my companion with a spell I cast on myself. Is there a way to do the other way around? like animal growth affecting me? The build will probably be something along those lines: 1-druid Spell Focus (conjuration) 2- druid 3- druid Augment Summoning 4- druid 5- druid 6- druid Craft arms and armor 7- druid 8-druid 9-druid empower spell ... 12- druid forge ring ... 15- druid quicken spell ... 18 - ????? stats: (82 straight points) for 10(-2) int 14 dex 12 wis 18 (+levels) con 18(+2) cha 10 hum... that's about it, I think. Any comments? (don't forget it's core only) Ah, we will have to craft most equipment, monsters will be fairly higher than us in CR (we do have a LOT of stat points), but mostly it will be some tough guys instead of a lot of weaker guys. Now that I think about it... I probably should trade empower spell for spell penetration and eventually get greater spell penetration, since most everything will have SR... but being a summoner should I ever need it? must think... Should I ride my companion (mostly fluff, but I always can make ride checks to avoid being hit). AND, I will start with a wolf companion and eventually get a tiger. And being an awakened animal, what feats should my animal get? The same ones any other would? Improved natural attack, multiattack and such? The Animal Companion I was thinking Tiger, so, by level 20, my tiger should have: 16d10 + 96(22con, 17base+1level+4item) = 256HP (we use maxed dice) while under effects of animal growth(always extended via rod of extend) and 16d10 + 128 = 288 HP BAB 16 Str 23+1(level)+6(item)+8(animal growth)+4(companion) = 42 str AC: 10(base) + 3(dex 15+1level) + 13(nat armor, including companion bonus and animal growth's bonus) = 26 BUT, I will eventually take mounted combat and MAX ride checks to help my animal companion. SAVES: FOrt: 10 + 6(8) + (4) = 16(22) (with animal growth) Ref: 10 + 3 +(4) = 13(17) Will: 5 +1 + 4 +(4) = 10(14) EDIT: If I get the Dire tiger I should have a 20HD companion by level 20, with better overall stats than the above. The only thing is that I can't choose feats and such. EDIT2: An Ape would net me a 18HD companion by level 20 and one that can use weapons at that. But one that can't serve as a ride... nets a nice 42 str like the tiger and can 2hand something nasty... (some shilelagh should be good(sharespells)... wasn't brambles in the SRD?) EDIT3: The 20HD dire tiger would have FIVE attacks per round 4 from BAB and 1 from multi attack. NEAT!
Hyfigh 02-15-07, 06:17 PM	:OMG! A druid without wildshape? Yikes. You shouldn't be too bad off, I guess, but an awakened companion won't help you much. That is unless your DM is allowing you companion to gain class levels and act more as a cohort.
Tomada 02-15-07, 06:35 PM	:OMG! A druid without wildshape? Yikes. You shouldn't be too bad off, I guess, but an awakened companion won't help you much. That is unless your DM is allowing you companion to gain class levels and act more as a cohort. Hey, I can always polymorph/shapechange later, but still. My animal companion will have 2 more HD, more skill points (int), it can speak, have larger hit die (d10) and full BAB. They are almost as good as a fighter (fighter gets bonus feats, and I think +2HD makes up for that...) Since they are intelligent and can speak, it opens up the possibility of using use activated itens and command word itens, as well. well, I wouldn't like to make the barbarian in our group feel bad that the druid is outdamaging him, so I dumped wildshape, and we all know how overpowered druids are. SPECIALLy in core. :That is unless your DM is allowing you companion to gain class levels and act more as a cohort. Hum... give him druid levels and we should have an animal companion's companion? heh No, I'm not doing this... I think it will not be alright with the DM let alone the rest of the group Hum... If I only could use other books... A mount that drops it's AC to abysmal levels for damage and then the rider makes ride checks to protect it... it would be neat!
runestar 02-16-07, 12:04 AM	Note that only its type changes to magical beast. It still uses animal HD for calculating bab/saves etc. You do not retroactively redetermine its stats using magical beast HD... SO you have basically screwed yourself...;)
Phase 02-16-07, 02:53 AM	Yeah... Dropping wildshape for only an awakening? heh...
Tomada 02-16-07, 04:13 PM	Yeah... Dropping wildshape for only an awakening? heh... I really don't want to be uber. and it's not definitive, I will try to get at least one extra feat for each tipe of wildshape that I forego (1 for animal, 1 for plant and 1 for elemental at each respective level). I will not get wildshape anyway, so help me make the best I can with this character.
Tomada 02-16-07, 04:32 PM	Note that only its type changes to magical beast. It still uses animal HD for calculating bab/saves etc. You do not retroactively redetermine its stats using magical beast HD... SO you have basically screwed yourself...;) Hum... but since I'm letting go of wildshape, I think I can convince my DM to let me do this as I said here. Still not as powerful as a normal druid, but very good, in my opinion.
smage 02-16-07, 07:01 PM	Ask him if you could drop Wildshape for a free Animal-based "Leadership" (where all your cohort/followers are Awakened Animals with class levels as appropriate). The level is about right (5th vs 6th), and given the right tactics, the power difference is on par. Make sure he lets you keep your normal animal companion, though, as it's a totally separate class feature. Keep in mind that awakened animals are magical beasts, so all of your best buffs are useless for them (Animal Growth, Nature's Avatar, etc). If you want to be self-limiting, just leave all but your cohort at your base/grove/whatever. Or even leave your cohort if you just want to throw a class feature away (but, you could just as easily do that with wildshape by not using it). An alternative, if you're really munchy, is to ask for being able to use intelligent plants AND animals for the leadership cohort/followers; plants are way more useful than animals. ;)
mod5000 02-16-07, 08:22 PM	If you're really going to go through with this, Druid 5 / Beastmaster 10 / X 5 might be the best bet, with the X advancing your animal companion--at worst, just Druid 10 / Beastmaster 10 will probably be what you'll go with. ...Still think you're trading the best of a druid for a subpar ability, tho...
Drill_Sgt 02-17-07, 01:47 AM	Maybe you can convince the dm to let your animal companion have a template or 2... Half Dragon Lion? Mineral Warrior Lion? etc
Phoenix00 02-19-07, 01:04 PM	Since your animal companion is now a magical beast he can qualify for rapidstrike and improved rapidstrike.