Post/Author/DateTime	Post
the_poison_elf 04-27-05, 08:00 PM	so i'm going about making a Drider that was originally a 6th-level Drow Wizard... Am I the only one that thinks that Drider should be a template and not a "race" in the books? One that has a requisite (like the Vampire template) that it has to be added to a creature of at least 6th levels (and probably of one of the Caster classes). I'm getting a ehadache trying to figure out what this PC should have... I allready know that he retains the spell-casting abilities of a 6th level wizard. Does he keep the bonus feat he'd get as a 5th level wizard? What about his familiar? I've allready decided that there's no reason for him not to keep all the Wizard skills as class skills (i just tossed them in there before divying up skill points. which are coincidentally the same number that a 6th-level wizard would get.). i guess my main sticker can be boiled down the the 2 bonus feats (scribe scroll and a 2nd wizard bonus feat), and the familiar (though i can very well understand the link to that being utterly smashed in the Drider process). but then there's another issue: if the Drider later takes a Wizard level, is he a 7th-level wizard or is he a Drider with innate casting abilities and the separate casting abilities of a 1st-level Wizard? thanks.
Colmarr 04-28-05, 04:32 AM	According to the Drider entry, they retain none of their previous abilities, spellcasting or otherwise. They effectively become a new creature. That creature just happens to have spellcasting ability. If the previous creature was a wizard, it makes sense for the drider to cast as a wizard and know the same spells, but they don't have to. As for the feats and familiars question, note that spellcasting for driders is a special ability, not a class feature. The rules for the special ability are in the glossary at the back of the MM. I've reproduced most of it below from the SRD: Spells: Sometimes a creature can cast arcane or divine spells just as a member of a spellcasting class can (and can activate magic items accordingly). Such creatures are subject to the same spellcasting rules that characters are, except as follows. ... A spellcasting creature is not actually a member of a class unless its entry says so, and it does not gain any class abilities. A creature with access to cleric spells must prepare them in the normal manner and receives domain spells if noted, but it does not receive domain granted powers unless it has at least one level in the cleric class. So no bonus feats or familiar. As for what happens if the drider takes a level in the spellcasting class they already know spells for, I can't find a RAW answer. I recall reading that dragons (who also have innate spellcasting ability) learn new spells according to class level, but caster level stacks. I see no reason why driders would operate diferently. Like I said, I couldn't find the rules in the SRD, so take that aspect of my answer with a grain of salt. Hope that helps.
Minister_for_Moral_Truth 04-28-05, 05:06 AM	The Drider does exist as a template on the main D&D site, I think it was under the Creature Feature section of the retired articles.
Nuntius128 04-28-05, 03:46 PM	The Drider does exist as a template on the main D&D site, I think it was under the Creature Feature section of the retired articles. I remember that. You could make Drider Orcs, if ya wanted to. Now there's a scary creature to run across.
Borris 04-28-05, 07:19 PM	Here's the link for the Drider Template (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mm/20011118a). It can be added to any humanoid creature.