Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Rasaro Jul 16, 2014 16:49:48	Need some help! DM told me earlier today that we are starting a new campaign tomorrow, at level 9, and my group asked me to play a druid. Never done this before, can anybody help me with a good build? The group i play with does big time optimizations, and the DM makes sure the campaign is crazy enough to still be challenging so i dont want to screw up
#2 VorpalBunny Jul 16, 2014 18:22:05	Well, if you can answer some questions, we could provide some good advice.  Its good to know at which level you're starting, at 9th you can stay wild shaped all day, so your physical ability scores are basically irrelivant (asside from constitution).  We DO need to know what books are allowed, any house rules, and what build goals you might have.   That being said:   http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=940   and    http://dictummortuum.blogspot.com/2011/08/quickstart-druid.html   are both useful.   Check them out, the only thing you NEED is Natural Spell, everything else is gravy.   Perhaps we can give you more specific advice if we know what you'd like to do/try out with your druid.   VB
#3 Andarious-Rosethorn Jul 16, 2014 18:26:18	http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-character-optimization/threads/4060711
#4 StevenO Jul 16, 2014 20:22:37	When it comes to class you can be pretty "optimized" as just a Druid 9.  When it comes to feats you have Natural Spell in there somewhere which VorpalBunny already mentioned.  If you've got those two things the rest pretty much DOESN'T MATTER although having a good source of shape change possibilities and your (player) knowledge of spells are big helps.
#5 Tempest_Stormwind Jul 16, 2014 20:54:55	See the thread Andarious linked, then read VorpalBunny's links.    And take a deep breath, because you're starting above level 6. That makes your build unbelievably easy: It's Druid 9 with Natural Spell and the rest of the feats drawn out of a hat. (Toughness? Skill Focus: Perform (Interpretive Dance)? Why not?). That's really all there is to it.   Vorpal Bunny's links go into more detail with strategy, such as with companion choice, Wild Shape, and spell preparations, so read those after you've taken enough deep breaths to calm down.
#6 Andarious-Rosethorn Jul 16, 2014 21:10:35	Basically you pick feats from there on depending if you want to be better at being a Druid (IE caster), or at being a gigantic frightening beast that rips people apart while flying around on a lightning cloud and casting spells for fun.
#7 Rasaro Jul 17, 2014 5:47:35	Thanks for the link's guy's, i will check these all out now.   We are playing with PHB1/2, DMG, and MM. No UA or anything like that. My original intent was to focus on summons, but my brief look yesterday through the books did not make it seem like it is a build that would be capable of keeping up with the group.   We will be playing to 20, supposedly, with this new campaign. I expect at the very least we will stick with it until 15+. I dont really have any concrete build goal in mind, I will be RPing my druid based on how i build him. Summoner - > super in tune with nature, melee w/ the changing forms - > more intune with animals.    Starting gold is 25k to outfit with. Party composition is Cleric, Beguiler, Ranger, Barbarian.
#8 Rasaro Jul 17, 2014 7:32:45	So reading the guide's helped a ton! I think i will be doing something like this (i cannot determine skill ranks as will be rolling stats tonight)   Level 9 Human Druid (5 feats total)   ACF - Shapshift(PHB2) - > Give up animal companion(i dont see this being super useful? Correct me if wrong) and Wild shape(Seems like shapreshift is the same but better) ACF - Spontaneouss Rejuvenation -> IS this worthwhile? I give up my spontaneous summoning, and the party already has a cleric.   Level 1 - Spell Focus: Conj + Human racial feat - Augment Summoning Level 3 - Improved Initiative Level 6 - Natural Spell Level 9 - I have no idea here     Items - 25k to outfit but I dont have an item book handy at work and no idea what to pick. Anybody able to offer some assistance here? We are playing a land based campaign if that matters.     Spells - Not 100% on exact spells i will regularly use, and maybe i missed it but do druid's gain access to their entire spell list or are they limited like wizards to learning certain amount per level?   Level 0 (6 per day) - Detect Magic x2, Create Water x1, Light x1, Guidance x1, Read Magic x1 - This sound about right?   Level 1 (4 + ? day) - I have no idea what to utilize, as the guide book doesnt offer much for core that seems usefull.   Level 2 (4+ ?  day) - Barkskin x1, Gust of Wind x1, Flaming Sphere x1, Owl's Wisdom x1 - ?? any good?   Level 3 (3 + ? day) - Alter Fortune x1, Call Lightning x1, Plant Growth x1 - ??   Level 4 (2 + ? day) - Flame Strike x1, Giant Vermin( Seems awesome!), Scrying x1 -   Level 5 (1 + ? day) - Animal Growth x1
#9 Tempest_Stormwind Jul 17, 2014 10:45:09	Rasaro wrote:
#10 Rasaro Jul 17, 2014 11:49:12	Tempest thanks for the link, i will check out what you suggest to the other guy.   Thanks for breaking things down,  i passed on magic fang because i didnt have a companion anymore with the shapeshift.  How is wild shapre better then shapeshift? Could you go into details on that for me?   I know i am getting shafted on the GP, but the DM said thats what he wanted
#11 Andarious-Rosethorn Jul 17, 2014 12:52:39	Low wealth hurts melee more than it hurts caster's as an FYI, I find it's one of those things that DM's do without thinking about it that further says "Fighter's can't have nice things!"
#12 Tempest_Stormwind Jul 17, 2014 13:39:05	Rasaro wrote:
#13 Krusk Jul 17, 2014 17:36:06	Rasaro wrote:
#14 Pheonix042 Jul 17, 2014 18:31:39	I'll throw in another voice in favor of natural spell.   Also, don't throw away the animal companion. They're incredible. Pick up spells that make them even better, and then cast them on both of you (since you'll both be a bear anyway).   Wild shape is extremely powerful. I mean, bears are great, solid monsters in melee. But then you can just wake up and decide to be an eagle for a day, and summon/buff from the wing. Or fly entirely over the encounter.   It's hard to screw up druid feats after you've got natural spell. You can pick whatever, but if you're determined to be even MORE powerful than you already are (instead of wasting your feats on bullshit for the lulz), then extend spell, improved initiative, augment summoning, improved natural attack, hover, all the feats krusk and tempest mentioned are great options.   Of course, you could even burn your feats on worthless stuff like weapon focus (scimitar) if you want. It doesn't matter much, as long as you have natural spell and you're using wild shape and an animal companion, and not wasting too many of your spell slots on spells like call lightning (storm or not) or flame strike or anything that heals anyone for any points of damage.   Entangle is even great at the mid levels sometimes, since it can stop even powerful creatures in their tracks. Look for other, similar spells, and heap on a healthy helping of buffs.   Otherwise, just summon armies out of thin air and make them all enourmous.   Remember this very important piece of advice: when you're single-handedly crushing encounters, outshining the ranger in every way, and making your enemies dance for you before you eat them whole, you might wish you had a higher touch AC, so your DM would have a harder time hitting you with his books.   Oh, don't heal people. Kill the other things before they do damage: it's more effective.   Wands of cure light wounds are a great purchase though, for out of combat healing (unless you can get wands of lesser vigor, which are better). Read tempest's link about healing if you have time.
#15 Slagger_the_Chuul Jul 18, 2014 6:07:06	Tempest_Stormwind wrote: