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#1 the_yakk Aug 15, 2010 23:17:47

So I'm looking to homebrew up some stuff for a multiclass druid whose main class is barbarian for a 4e game.  Druids don't multiclass well at the best of times... First, a power that allows weapon powers to be used while wild shaping.  This makes multiclassing with a melee class much, much easier. The weapons are not top-notch (aiming for sub-superior), but they aren't bad either.  Unarmed is a very unsupported weapon type. Red in Tooth and Claw: Druid feat. While in beast form, you may also use at-will and encounter powers with the weapon keyword, and are considered equipped and proficient with a double weapon:  The main end is called Bite, and is a +2 proficiency/1d10 damage unarmed high-crit stout weapon that is also of the mace, hammer or pick weapon groups (pick at the time you gain this feat), and the offhand end is called Claw, a +3 proficiency/1d6 damage off-hand unarmed/light blade weapon.  These weapons can use your implement enhancement bonus to hit, damage, critical effects and attack properties. Any suggestions on improved wording or tweak mechanics?  I wanted both mc druids, and druids that mc out, to be able to use it practically. The claw is based off a short sword, and the bite is a greatsword with a -1 to hit and high crit properties (or a two-handed battleaxe with an extra die size). The inability to use daily weapon powers is intended, to give you some reason to switch out of beast form if you are multiclassing druid from a weapon class.  Otherwise you could completely neglect your non-beast form weapons, which is not intended. Some other half-finished feat ideas: Thick Hide: Druid and Barbarian class, wild shape class feature While in Beast form in Hide armor, you may replace your Dexterity modifier bonus to AC with the lower of your Strength or Wisdom modifiers.  Once per encounter as an immediate interrupt when hit, you may use wild shape to polymorph into your beast form. A Str/Wis barbarian has abysmal AC.  This helps shore it up.  The interrupt means that he isn't completely gimped out of beast form. Ancestrial Totemic Weapon: Druid and Barbarian class Select a single weapon.  You may use that weapon as an implement with your druid powers. Multiple item dependency sucks! Rampaging Beast: Barbarian, Druid, Wild Shape class feature, Rampage class feature. When you trigger your Rampage class feature outside of beast form, you may shift 1 and wild shape into a beast as a free action immediately before using the Rampage class feature.  If you do so, add half your level plus your wisdom modifier to your damage roll from the Rampage attack. Strong enough?  Too strong?  The beast form change is fun flavour, the shift 1 is good utility, and the damage boost is modest given it only goes off on a crit. Next is a paragon path: Raging Beast Prerequisite: Druid and Barbarian classes Raging Beast Path Features: Blessings of the Primal Spirits (11th level): You may equip a totem without holding it in your hands, and you may use the totems enhancement bonuses, critical damage, and properties to enchant attacks made through melee weapons.  If you do so, ignore the magic properties and enhancements of your melee weapon for that attack. Raging Beast Action (11th level): When you spend an action point to gain an extra action in beast form, as a free action you may make an at-will attack with a beast form druid at-will power you know as a non action immediately before or after the extra action.  If you can only use the druid at-will once per encounter, you may use it even if expended, and this does not expend your use of the power. Rage in Tooth and Claw (11th level): Gain the Red in Tooth and Claw feat.  While raging, you can use your Claw and Bite weapons outside of beast form as if they where equipped, while still holding other items in your hands.  If you are raging and in beast form, your at-will barbarian and druid form attacks strike a critical on a 19-20, or an 18-20 at level 21 and higher. Fury of the Beast (11th level): Gain a Druid Beast encounter attack power of 7th level or lower you do not already possess.  If you use this power while raging, it also deals 1/2 damage on a miss.  At 21st level, you can replace the Druid Beast encounter attack power with one of 13th level or lower. While this looks like 4 11th level features, it is actually 3.  The 4th is your level 11 encounter attack power.  The first one, meanwhile, is just a way to practically be able to be both a barbarian and a druid without problems juggling... Beastial Charge (16th level): When you charge you may choose to use wild shape as a free action after the charge.  If you do so, the charge does not end your turn.  In addition, if you missed on the charge attack and dealt no damage on the miss, you may make an at-will attack after the use of wild shape as if you had charged in your new form as a free action. I hope you see what I'm trying to do there, but it needs better wording.  The idea is two fold--first, the character gets to act after the charge, and second you get a 2nd chance to hit, but only in your other form. Beastial Rage (20th level): Select a Barbarian daily rage power of 15th level or below that you do not already possess.  You gain it, and it gains the beast keyword.  If you miss with the power, you may choose to reroll your attack roll, but you must use the result of the second roll. This is actually your level 20 daily attack power, in path feature form.  The reroll-on-miss justifies it being 15th level instead of 19th level.  Note that adding the beast form keyword gives you a rage that you can activate only in beast form. Howl of Fury + Raging Beast Utility 12 The sweet song of the primal spirits can be quite unsettling. Encounter + Primal, Thunder Minor Action + Close Blast 5 Requirement: You must be raging to use this power. Target: Each enemy in blast Effect: Each target suffers a -5 penalty to attacks until the end of their next turn, and your rage ends. Special: When bloodied by an attack, you may use this power as an immediate interrupt so long as you include the attacker in the blast. I wanted to inject a controller power into the lineup, but keep the rage connection around.  Ending a rage makes this a quite expensive power to use, even though it is theoretically an encounter power!  Too strong?  Is the penalty of losing a rage so great that nobody would ever use it?