How to create a Druid Player from scratch [Archive] - Wizards Community

How to create a Druid Player from scratch [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Roxlimn
07-12-04, 09:15 PM Sorry about the delay. My computer got totaled and work got in the way. Took a week before I could get the thing back on its feet again.

Anyways, assuming you're an absolute newbie, the portions of the PHB that I would suggest you read are the following:

1. Introduction and Chapter One: very basic stuff.

2. Human race and Druid class: since you're playing these things, it behooves you to know them inside and out. You don't need to read the entire Druid class, just the levels you have and about 2 or 3 levels ahead. But be sure to master them! Ideally, you should not need to look up the PHB at all for anything. Feel free to make notes on your character sheet.

3. Skills: read up lightly on all Druid class skills and decide which ones you'd like. Ask your DM which skills are the most likely to find use in his campaign. After you pick your skills, reread and master the ones you take. You have only 5 + Int maxxed skills and they don't really take that much reading. Again, know enoug about each such that you don't need to look up the PHB before using them.

A note on knowing about Skills: it has been my experience that skill adjudication is one of the more annoying sticking points between players and DMs in 3e. You should at least know enough about your skills to know when you can use them, in what manner, and how the check should be made. Having said that, if your DM directly countermands what you know (even going against the PHB), don't antagonize him. Just go with the flow and ask him how the skill works in his game.

4. Feats: Go over the feat lists once. There's a list summary of what the feats do so you shouldn't have to read the entire chapter to find the one you like. Pick your feats and know them by heart. As always, ask the DM about how feats work in his game.

5. Equipment: read the Wealth and Money portion and familiarize yourself with your DM's world's coinage, which might be different from the PHB one. Being adept with money calculations will save you a lot of headaches later.

On Weapons, read Reach Weapons, Thrown Weapons, Projectile Weapons and Ammunition. Read Light, One Handed, and Two Handed Weapon rules, too. These rules will help you to select the weapon you will want to use.

On Weapon Qualities, read Damage, Critical, Range Increment, and Type. Cost, Weight, and Special are really self-explanatory so reading those won't benefit you any. Go to Table 7-5:Weapons and select your weapon based on its Weapon Qualities. Don't forget your proficiency list as a Druid. Once you have selected your weapon, find out any Special Features it may have and special rules in relation to it.

On Armor: read Armor/Shield Bonus, Maximum Dex bonus, Armor Check Penalty, and Speed. Arcane Failure doesn't apply to you, and Cost and Weight are again self-explanatory. Also read Getting Into and Out of Armor. Ask your DM about whether this will matter in his games. Select your Armor from Table 7-6 and read up its entry. Entries here are largely flavor text, though.

Adventuring Gear, Special Substances and Items, Tool and Skill Kits, Clothing, Food Drink and Lodging, Mounts and Related Gear should all be read in detail. Ask your DM about modifications in his game. Your character is as much as what he wears, uses, and carries and what he can do. Indiana Jones wouldn't be the same Indiana Jones if he insisted on always carrying a gun he doesn't use and wearing police uniforms. Read all the entries and outfit your PC as you like. Ask your DM if he will allow flavorful but largely decorative pieces you may imagine. If you want your character to always wear a wool-fleeced vest, then go get it!

6. Combat: No way around it. You have to read and understand the entire chapter. Even if you won't be using the tactics yourself, your enemies will want to use everything against you eventually, so its best to know the whole lot. Use the Combat Basics portion to orient yourself if you get lost.

7. On Adventuring, read Carrying Capacity, Movement, and Exploration: You don't need to reread this. Chances are, the portions that are important will stick to you at this point. Makes notes on the points that apply to your character.

8. Magic: You have to read most of Chapter Ten to make sense of spell entries. You can ignore Arcane Spells, but everything else is important.

9. Go to the Druid Spells List in Chapter 11 and pick out 3 spells per spell level you have. Prepare this to start with and know the spells by heart. Once you know how the spell functions in your DMs world, add spells to your repertoire one per session. Read one spell before or after your session and make sure you master it before next session so that you can prep and use it. Read spell entries on schedule even if they don't seem very appealing in the list description. Additional uses unique to your campaign may suggest themselves as you go along.

10. Special: Druids have animal companions so you have to lightly read through all your choices in the MM to make a choice that suits you. Once you've made your choice, list the Companion's statistic block on a separate sheet and attach it to your PC sheet. This makes it easier to run your companion. As you play your PC, it would help for you to add one statistic block to your Companion sheet every adventure or so. Remember that you can switch out Animal Companions according to your need, if you like. Having 4 of your favorite Companion stat blocks on your PC sheet makes changing between them easier for you and your DM.

This also prepares you for your eventual Wild Shape powers.
Edymnion
07-12-04, 11:41 PM Um, no...
If you want to make a new Druid Player from scratch, you have to start with a man and a woman that love each other very very much...

That, or two ugly people and a lot of liquor. ;)
Roxlimn
07-13-04, 12:44 AM Yes. This is actually the third portion of that series. Maybe I'll post the first two portions on the Mature Boards, but I doubt that it'll be very informative.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Roxlimn 07-12-04, 09:15 PM	Sorry about the delay. My computer got totaled and work got in the way. Took a week before I could get the thing back on its feet again. Anyways, assuming you're an absolute newbie, the portions of the PHB that I would suggest you read are the following: 1. Introduction and Chapter One: very basic stuff. 2. Human race and Druid class: since you're playing these things, it behooves you to know them inside and out. You don't need to read the entire Druid class, just the levels you have and about 2 or 3 levels ahead. But be sure to master them! Ideally, you should not need to look up the PHB at all for anything. Feel free to make notes on your character sheet. 3. Skills: read up lightly on all Druid class skills and decide which ones you'd like. Ask your DM which skills are the most likely to find use in his campaign. After you pick your skills, reread and master the ones you take. You have only 5 + Int maxxed skills and they don't really take that much reading. Again, know enoug about each such that you don't need to look up the PHB before using them. A note on knowing about Skills: it has been my experience that skill adjudication is one of the more annoying sticking points between players and DMs in 3e. You should at least know enough about your skills to know when you can use them, in what manner, and how the check should be made. Having said that, if your DM directly countermands what you know (even going against the PHB), don't antagonize him. Just go with the flow and ask him how the skill works in his game. 4. Feats: Go over the feat lists once. There's a list summary of what the feats do so you shouldn't have to read the entire chapter to find the one you like. Pick your feats and know them by heart. As always, ask the DM about how feats work in his game. 5. Equipment: read the Wealth and Money portion and familiarize yourself with your DM's world's coinage, which might be different from the PHB one. Being adept with money calculations will save you a lot of headaches later. On Weapons, read Reach Weapons, Thrown Weapons, Projectile Weapons and Ammunition. Read Light, One Handed, and Two Handed Weapon rules, too. These rules will help you to select the weapon you will want to use. On Weapon Qualities, read Damage, Critical, Range Increment, and Type. Cost, Weight, and Special are really self-explanatory so reading those won't benefit you any. Go to Table 7-5:Weapons and select your weapon based on its Weapon Qualities. Don't forget your proficiency list as a Druid. Once you have selected your weapon, find out any Special Features it may have and special rules in relation to it. On Armor: read Armor/Shield Bonus, Maximum Dex bonus, Armor Check Penalty, and Speed. Arcane Failure doesn't apply to you, and Cost and Weight are again self-explanatory. Also read Getting Into and Out of Armor. Ask your DM about whether this will matter in his games. Select your Armor from Table 7-6 and read up its entry. Entries here are largely flavor text, though. Adventuring Gear, Special Substances and Items, Tool and Skill Kits, Clothing, Food Drink and Lodging, Mounts and Related Gear should all be read in detail. Ask your DM about modifications in his game. Your character is as much as what he wears, uses, and carries and what he can do. Indiana Jones wouldn't be the same Indiana Jones if he insisted on always carrying a gun he doesn't use and wearing police uniforms. Read all the entries and outfit your PC as you like. Ask your DM if he will allow flavorful but largely decorative pieces you may imagine. If you want your character to always wear a wool-fleeced vest, then go get it! 6. Combat: No way around it. You have to read and understand the entire chapter. Even if you won't be using the tactics yourself, your enemies will want to use everything against you eventually, so its best to know the whole lot. Use the Combat Basics portion to orient yourself if you get lost. 7. On Adventuring, read Carrying Capacity, Movement, and Exploration: You don't need to reread this. Chances are, the portions that are important will stick to you at this point. Makes notes on the points that apply to your character. 8. Magic: You have to read most of Chapter Ten to make sense of spell entries. You can ignore Arcane Spells, but everything else is important. 9. Go to the Druid Spells List in Chapter 11 and pick out 3 spells per spell level you have. Prepare this to start with and know the spells by heart. Once you know how the spell functions in your DMs world, add spells to your repertoire one per session. Read one spell before or after your session and make sure you master it before next session so that you can prep and use it. Read spell entries on schedule even if they don't seem very appealing in the list description. Additional uses unique to your campaign may suggest themselves as you go along. 10. Special: Druids have animal companions so you have to lightly read through all your choices in the MM to make a choice that suits you. Once you've made your choice, list the Companion's statistic block on a separate sheet and attach it to your PC sheet. This makes it easier to run your companion. As you play your PC, it would help for you to add one statistic block to your Companion sheet every adventure or so. Remember that you can switch out Animal Companions according to your need, if you like. Having 4 of your favorite Companion stat blocks on your PC sheet makes changing between them easier for you and your DM. This also prepares you for your eventual Wild Shape powers.
Edymnion 07-12-04, 11:41 PM	Um, no... If you want to make a new Druid Player from scratch, you have to start with a man and a woman that love each other very very much... That, or two ugly people and a lot of liquor. ;)
Roxlimn 07-13-04, 12:44 AM	Yes. This is actually the third portion of that series. Maybe I'll post the first two portions on the Mature Boards, but I doubt that it'll be very informative.