Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Epicweaver 01-18-06, 11:42 AM	I haven't really ever used a druid as a BBEG.. and figured it might be fun... For the appropriate range he'd be about 15th level. So what is a solid build for druid capable of challenging a group of 5? Should I stick with all levels in druid or what? What feats do you like for druids? What do you recommend for a companion? (Any suggestions offered I appreciate, but I'm really only considering classes/prestige classes from Complete series and Core.. with a bit of some tweaked Scarred Lands).
Rez 01-18-06, 11:59 AM	Try this: Drow Druid 8/Warshaper 5 Drow +2 level adjustment I believe (If +3, Druid 7/Warshaper 5-Complete Warrior) I'd probably take a Wolf or maybe a bear (don't have the list in front of me) Feats: level 1 Feat-Stealthy level 3 Feat-Weapon Focus (Scimitar) level 6 Feat-Improved Initiative level 9 Feat-Quick Reconnoiteur (Complete Adventurer) level 12 Feat-Improved Critical (Scimitar) This would give you a quick BBEG (+6 Initiative topped with probably a high dex) w/a nasty weapon, the ability to Wildshape a few times, make yourself immune to flanking and crits, ability to shape your body into different natural weapons (and increase the damage) and shift as a standard action into a varity of things every round (Warshaper is cool. I'd say go with Master of Forms but that PRC seems very BROKEN...) I just threw this together quick (I'll think bout it more later when I can look at my books. I had pondered using a Druid/Blighter in my game as a BBEG-though downside of Blighter is you lose all your old Druid abilities...)
Epicweaver 01-18-06, 01:01 PM	Try this: Drow Druid 8/Warshaper 5 Drow +2 level adjustment I believe (If +3, Druid 7/Warshaper 5-Complete Warrior) I'd probably take a Wolf or maybe a bear (don't have the list in front of me) Feats: level 1 Feat-Stealthy level 3 Feat-Weapon Focus (Scimitar) level 6 Feat-Improved Initiative level 9 Feat-Quick Reconnoiteur (Complete Adventurer) level 12 Feat-Improved Critical (Scimitar) This would give you a quick BBEG (+6 Initiative topped with probably a high dex) w/a nasty weapon, the ability to Wildshape a few times, make yourself immune to flanking and crits, ability to shape your body into different natural weapons (and increase the damage) and shift as a standard action into a varity of things every round (Warshaper is cool. I'd say go with Master of Forms but that PRC seems very BROKEN...) I just threw this together quick (I'll think bout it more later when I can look at my books. I had pondered using a Druid/Blighter in my game as a BBEG-though downside of Blighter is you lose all your old Druid abilities...) It would actually be drow 9 Druid / 5 Warshaper.. Scarred Lands uses a different racial trait list for dark elves (basically the same, but no SR and different spells) so they ended up as a +1 LA. I was thinking Dire Wolf or a Dire Bear of some sort. This was pretty dependent on the direction I took with him... if I go with a Bear I'm going to make him more caster... if I go wolf... probably more buffed up melee. Anymore ideas?
Rhomphaia 01-18-06, 01:10 PM	I am thinking probably five levels in druid, going into warshaper, and as an added bonus, make it a green half dragon, or perhaps something more mundande, like a lizardfolk. Try something reptilian for a companion here. Since you are the DM, you can stretch the rules to fit a cool theme, but do not take it over the top. Something like a shocker lizard may be appropriate here.
Epicweaver 01-18-06, 01:18 PM	I am thinking probably five levels in druid, going into warshaper, and as an added bonus, make it a green half dragon, or perhaps something more mundande, like a lizardfolk. Try something reptilian for a companion here. Since you are the DM, you can stretch the rules to fit a cool theme, but do not take it over the top. Something like a shocker lizard may be appropriate here. Dropping in a cool race might be fun... but I'd like before anything else to keep him a challenge (but not overkill) to the party... so the fight lasts more then the 2 rounds it usually takes my group to kill things (A few are optimizers... one's an obvious munchkin). At the moment they're 8th level... which puts him probably 1-2 levels away before inclusion (though he's working behinds the scene and stuff)..
Rez 01-18-06, 01:24 PM	How bout another out of the way idea: Human Druid 5/Rogue 3/Assasin 7 Feats: lvl 1 Feat (Human) Two-Weapon Fighting Regular Weapon Finesse (Kukris) lvl 3 Feat Stealthy lvl 6 Feat Weapon Focus (Kukris) lvl 9 Feat Improved Initiative lvl 12 Feat Improved Critical (Kukri) lvl 15 Feat Improved Two-Weapon Fighting Use Kukries of Speed for extra attacks Take a Wolf as a Animal Companion and max out the ride skill Max out hide/ms/listen/spot :) Have fun. Or.... Wild Elf Druid 5/Barbarian 5/Warshaper 5 Feats 1-Stealthy 3-Point Blank Shot 6-Rapid Shot 9-Far Shot 12-Weapon Focus (Composite Long Bow, or Javelins/Sling/Throwing Axes) 15-Alertness
cmanos 01-18-06, 01:25 PM	How about a druid who is focused on the destructive aspects of nature...plague, famine, pestilence, extremes in weather. Will have to sit down and see what I can come up with.
Sereno 01-18-06, 01:25 PM	How about a treant? They make scary druids ... especially if it's an evil one who's angry about foresting in its woods.
Epicweaver 01-18-06, 01:29 PM	How bout another out of the way idea: Human Druid 5/Rogue 3/Assasin 7 Feats: lvl 1 Feat (Human) Two-Weapon Fighting Regular Weapon Finesse (Kukris) lvl 3 Feat Stealthy lvl 6 Feat Weapon Focus (Kukris) lvl 9 Feat Improved Initiative lvl 12 Feat Improved Critical (Kukri) lvl 15 Feat Improved Two-Weapon Fighting Use Kukries of Speed for extra attacks Take a Wolf as a Animal Companion and max out the ride skill Max out hide/ms/listen/spot :) Have fun. Definately some lethality to it... but a little more on the rogue/assassin then druid for my taste for this BBEG. Looks like a killer combo tho, so I'll definately consider it some more.
Rez 01-18-06, 01:30 PM	A evil treant druid would be brutal actually. I think the problem with that is (if you go by Savage Species) its like a +10 level adjustment... Could do like a Treat Druid 5. Huh. Use a Scythe :)
Epicweaver 01-18-06, 01:34 PM	How about a druid who is focused on the destructive aspects of nature...plague, famine, pestilence, extremes in weather. Will have to sit down and see what I can come up with. Ironically, the villains backstory would put him in league with such powers such as you describe. He would be a servant to one of the defeated Titans (Scarred Lands, basically the old gods who were basically forces of nature), who would be seeking to bring *blah blah blah* Evil *blah blah blah* death to mankind *blah blah blah* and probably trying to restore his master. The harsher side of nature I definately would like to see him use.
Epicweaver 01-18-06, 01:35 PM	How about a treant? They make scary druids ... especially if it's an evil one who's angry about foresting in its woods. Maybe! But, I've already read too much about Treants and killing a newbie Scout player on this board today to even want to make it one! ;)
Epicweaver 01-18-06, 01:39 PM	A evil treant druid would be brutal actually. I think the problem with that is (if you go by Savage Species) its like a +10 level adjustment... Could do like a Treat Druid 5. Huh. Use a Scythe :) I guess... but I'd probably just use the MM version and improve it the way the DMG/MM says to (Savage Species conflicts here and there, so I tend to not use it as much, since it's not in the Core). But... I'd probably still avoid a Treant as I said before.
codemancac 01-18-06, 01:51 PM	I would definitely go with a halfling druid living in a swamp-cave. Then he can have a big aquatic animal companion; hopefully something with tentacles. I would probably make him Druid 15. However, I might consider giving him a few Rogue (even wilderness Rogue from Unearthed Arcana) or Ranger levels to make better hide checks in the swamp, and have him memorize Chameleon (found in Complete Arcane, among other places) for even better hide checks (~21 with a high dex and skill focus). The area around his lair would be full of pits and snares, along with deadly animals such as advanced venomous snakes and dire wolves. Story hooks to bring PC's to his lair could include 1) the attacking of nearby settlements or loggers, 2) corrupting the land, causing good druids or fey to ask the party to intervene, 3) driving non-animals out of the land, which increases the amount of monster attacks near villages.
Rez 01-18-06, 02:01 PM	A Gnome Druid 5/Warshaper 5/Illusionist 5 fed up with people 'Picking on his size and screwing with nature' One day he snaps. Litterally. Starts blowing **** up. Uses Illusions on himself, Warshapes....hehehe.... Take a Wolf animal companion.... Feats: 1-Stealthy 3-Combat Casting 6-Maximize Spell 9-Improved Initiative 12-Mounted Combat 15-(Another Ride Feat)
VerinBlod 01-18-06, 02:34 PM	Druid 15 is always a good bet. Take the usual feats like natural spell, extra wildshape. You could take feats that help you shape into normally not included creatures such as dragons or aberations or undead. They are not in your listed books but could be interesting depending what kind of feel you want. Another option is to go wiz/druid/arcane hierophant fro races of the wild. Able to wildshape, cast wizard spells and druid spells and some other nifty abilities. If you want to stick with core + complete you could go for druid/mmof/warshaper. You give up casting abilities for better wildshapes (eventually with all the Ex abilities) Good luck!
Rez 01-18-06, 02:43 PM	I had pondered suggesting Master of Many Forms but quite frankly-I'd ban the class altogether. Its BROKEN. Overpowered and has little or no drawbacks. There'd be no reason not to take it, and the class as a whole is a DMs nightmare if a PC takes it. Unfortunatly-I don't think there are many Druid PRCs without multiclassing. One idea could be: Druid 5/Bard 1/Rogue 2/Fochluran Lyrist 7 (though think it has to be good) Druid/Blighter would be nasty but unfortunalty-you lose all your Druid powers when you go Blighter. I rolled up a char once (Wild Elf Druid 5/Warshaper 5/Master of Many Forms 10) and you could change into anything. It was oddly so powerful I didn't /want/ to play it and went with a Grey Elf Wizard 5/Archmage 5/Mage f the Arcane Order 10 because at least I was remotely killable :P
Lord_Cabby 01-18-06, 06:00 PM	I don't remember the exact build I used, but my last druid BBEG was a high-ranking member in the Children of Winter (Eberron) who was trying to bring on an eternal winter. I trying to equip him with as many icy druid spells as possible, gave him a decked out magic scythe, and made him a homicidal maniac. Campaign died before I could use him, but I always liked the concept.
SodaGuy 01-18-06, 06:24 PM	I've had a druid in my mind for a while. He would stalk the PC's for a while. Then for some reason they end up near a lake during a thunderstorm. They are relatively unexpecting until.... *CCCRRRRRAAAAAKKKKK* A bolt of lightning strikes one of the PC's. Before anyone can react, 10 giant crocodiles spring out of the water and try to drag the PC's down below. The players battle them for a while with lightning bolts still crashing down. Then a f-ing Tyrannosaurus comes running out of the forest and starts tearing sh*t up. Then the lightning calms and the animals slink away. It's quiet... Then an unholy friggin' Legendary Ape jumps out of nowhere and starts wrassling the players. And umm.. that's the druid.
Rez 01-18-06, 06:29 PM	And yet..yes another idea! Mwahah. Human Druid 7/Fighter 4/Sorceror 4 Give him a Scythe of Keen and Spell Storing (that contains Contagion) Start off with Mage Armor, Longstrider, Invisibility, Bulls Strength, and Shield active.... ...Nasty. Think you can figure out how the char fights: Jump in invisibible, spring attacking, whirlwind attack, perhaps a full power attack... Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (Scythe), Weapon Specialization (Scythe), Stealthy, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack, Power Attack, Cleave Spells: Druid 6/4/3/2/1 (per day+bonus from Wisdom) 0 Level-Detect Magic, Guidance, Light, Resistance, Cure Minor Wounds (x2) 1 Level-Cure Light Wounds, Entangle, Longstrider, Obscuring Mist 2 Level-Bulls Strength, Owl's Wisdom, Spiderclimb 3 Level-Contagion, Meld Into Stone 4 level-Ice Storm Sorceror Spells Known 6/3/1 0-Acid Splash, Flare, Dazzle, Mage Hand, Dancing Lights, Read Magic 1-Mage Armor, True Strike, Shield 2-Invisibility Per day 6/6/3 (+bonus from charisma)
Rez 01-18-06, 10:19 PM	Human Lich Druid 1/Cleric 6/Blighter 4 Human Druid 1/Wizard 8/Blighter 6 Human Druid 5/Wizard 5/Mystic Theurge 5 Human (Vampire) Druid 6/Cleric 4