Post/Author/DateTime	Post
nubman76 02-24-08, 12:46 PM	We are starting a new campaign and I am a Bugbear Shapeshifting Druid. Since this has nothing to do with wild shape I am looking for some help to making this druid kickass and I would just like some input on what feats I should take. oh and I am level 3 so equivalent to a 4th level character with the Bugbear LA. Any help would be awesome. Thanks and to note this character and the other people in the group got their classes by drawing them from a hat, so we wouldn't play our normal character types. Then we rolled our stats. Here's the stats i rolled for this druid. And these numbers are already added to the bugbears racial traits. Str: 20 Dex: 20 Con: 19 Int: 14 Wis: 16 Cha: 14 The rest of the group is a half-ogre fighter, aasimar paladin, catfolk swashbuckler
jaelis 02-24-08, 09:02 PM	By "kickass", you mean you want to be a melee monster? Or just generally effective? In combat, you're going to be hurting for AC and hp, you might aim to shore up your defenses.
tyrecian 02-25-08, 07:31 AM	i posted under your spells post in the magic section, looks like you are gonna be healing and battlefield control, since you are the only caster, and everyone else is melee. You might think about Craft Wondrous Item, so that you can make items at half price for the gang (healing belts, stuff like that :)). You can't go wrong with Improved Initiative. Dodge might be a nice option, as you will want to have as high an AC as possible as you are likely to get targetted a lot. If you want to orient to melee, you might think about Power Attack (since you will be getting strength when you take animal forms later). wait Since this has nothing to do with wild shape you arent getting wildshape?!?!?! and you are a shapeshifter? I am afraid i am lost, i have never seen the PHBII, but that variant just sounds weird... hehe maybe in that case (you are still getting an animal companion?) you should take Point Blank Shot, cause you aren't gonna be in melee :P Get good at archery, and take the line up so that you can shoot into melee. Point blank, precise, rapid... with a pet, you should be fine with that line, and you will still have an open hand to heal your compatriots with (err cast spells of any type.. ) lol what kinds of things can a shapeshifting variant druid turn into? is it broader than wildshape? can you still cast? weird, hehe. Those are phenomenal stats btw
Tordak 02-25-08, 09:54 AM	You should really look into becoming (eventually, and if your DM allows it) Nature's Warrior or Warshaper (PrC, both in Complete Warrior); I don't remeber if they had requirements for feats, so look it up and make sure you take those feat(s) (I think, perhaps with the DM's approval, that the druid shapeshifting from PHB2 would work with Nature's warrior; at any rate, it definitely works with warshaper). For general feat, you'll want Improved Natural Weapon for a starter. Improved Initiative is also good for that type of character. Dodge, mobility and spring attack will help take advantage of increased movement capability (I think you do get faster movement with some of the shape). For Tyrecian : Shapeshifting variant lets you assume animal shapes, but instead of getting there stats you gain bonus to stats based on the level of shapeshifting, not the form. You can use shapeshifting at will.
nubman76 02-26-08, 03:04 PM	What book is improved natural weapon in and what does it do?
tyrecian 02-26-08, 03:30 PM	oh wow, so whether you are a rhino or a wolf, guerilla or a tiger, you get the same stats? that is a nice way of dealing with the errata and opens up some more forms that were kinda wak comparitively... do you still get the base form improvements? (like 2 claws and a bite from tiger? which wouldnt be in rhino...)
nubman76 02-26-08, 03:54 PM	The Shapeshifting druid gets a predator form at level 1 - the druid can turn into any medium sized animal gets +4 str +4 NA and has reach of medium long creature and 50ft speed. Level 5 you get an aerial form, level 10 or so is a larger predator form, level 14 is a shambling mound form, and level 18 or around there is Elemental Fury Form which makes you two sizes larger +16 to str and NA and other benefits. Please note these aren't 100% accurate I'm just trying to recite the classes abilities off the top of my head.