Well, i realized after searching the handy links that we haven't yet an official druid build! I mean, there is a general skeleton floating around, but rarely anyone elaborates on feat selection, spells, wild shape forms, what to do pre-wild shape, equipment etc.
So post your builds CO druid fans! Please provide detailed information on as many aspects of the character as you can. I'll try to compile the information into a general build, so that people can read this thread and get quick tips on the druid.
First of all check the latest handbook and the spells for the optimized druid threads!
This is pretty straightforward. You need two things: constitution and wisdom. Unfortunately races that give bonuses to those attributes are quite rare. The following are the best druid races, according to the books you are using:
Core:
- Human: Probably the best pick even in a non-core environment. That extra feat is what makes the difference. Druids are not feat starved, but it helps getting more powerful abilities at earlier levels.
- Dwarfs: Not much, but it's an ok choice. Stability and constitution bonus along with darkvision and some nice racial bonuses.
- Forest Gnome: Better than the normal gnomes and dwarves due to their innate ability to use the pass without trace spell at will. Also three automatic languages and a very basic that allows them to communicate with forest animals, which fits a lot more thematically with druids.
Free For All:
- Anthropomorphic Bat: Huge bonus to wisdom and blindsense.
- Dragonborn Buomman: The first race to provide bonuses to both wisdom and constitution! The drawbacks are not important. Note that the racial vow of silence buommans have is waived due to the dragonborn transformation.
- Dragonborn Desert Half-orc: A +4 bonus to constitution with penalties to intelligence and dexterity. It's the best half-orc race around for druids. It is mentioned because of the awesome half-orc druid substitution levels.
- Venerable Dragonwrought Jungle Kobold: Jungle because it's the only one without a hit to constitution. You end up with -4 str +2 dex +1 int +3 wis +3 cha.
Class Skills:
- Concentration: Because you'll probably be casting in melee after you get wild shape, you need to max it out. Even if you use wild shape forms as a defensive form for casting (such as a high AC flying form), i'd still wouldn't pass on this.
- Craft: Unless you want to fulfill a certain requirement, i wouldn't get this. This skill however, has some use. To create a bogun with the beget bogun spell, you need to make a craft (basketweaving or weaving - i don't even have to say which is better) 12 check. I love those little critters, so i'd probably get 2 ranks in the legendary craft (basketweaving) skill and take 10.
- Diplomacy: With this you can even be the party's face if need be. You can also use it to haggle and get a discount on items.
- Handle Animal: Important due to the synergy with animals and your animal companion. You need a total score of +20 to make the most of this skill, which means that you need to spend ten ranks more or less (assuming you use take 10). I'd get it to 5 ranks if i needed the wild empathy synergy bonus. Check the handle animal guide for more information.
- Heal: Not much here. If you feel like it, you can spend 5 ranks and take 10 to use some of the skill's functions.
- Knowledge (Nature): It's your only knowledge, so it would be best to max it. It's quite important and gives information for many creature types.
- Listen: Spend at least 12 ranks in this skill to make use of the listening lorecall spell.
- Profession: Nah, i'll pass.
- Ride: Only useful if you want to use your animal companion as a mount. Still, only a few ranks are needed.
- Spellcraft: This depends entirely on the campaign. If you have another spellcaster in your team that is able to identify spells, just spend one rank on this. Otherwise it's a good idea to max it. If you are going to play in an epic campaign, max it, as you'll need it for epic spellcasting.
- Spot: This usually comes with listen. Spend a few points if you feel like it or your party is in need of a scout.
- Survival: Get it to 5 ranks for the synergy bonus. You can max it out, it's a skill with druidic feel. You can get the track feat to benefit most from it.
Cross Class Skills:
- Balance: Getting it to 5 ranks will make sure that you won't be flat-footed when you are balancing. Also you'll be able to use balancing lorecall to a greater effect.
- Use Magic Device: If you have ranks to spare, invest just one here.
- Autohypnosis: This is great! It has wisdom synergy and a synergy bonus from concentration, so you can get it at high levels without investing many ranks. It has cute functions, too.
Skill Tricks:
- Listen to This: Useful if you are going to be the party's scout.
- Swift Concentration: Druids have many duration: concentration spells to make this wonderful skill trick useful enough to get.
The feats druids need can be broken down to three categories: summoning, casting and wild shaping. The newest druid's handbook has detailed information about all of them. I'll just note here the most important feats:
- Augment Summoning: +4 bonus to strength and dexterity is a good bonus, but the problem is that it requires a useless feat, spell focus (conjuration). Luckily for us, there are ways around that (like initiate of malar or the 7th half-orc substitution level).
- Natural Spell: This feat is so good, all druids should get it. When playing a druid, just remember to take this no matter what at 6th level.
- Greenbound Summoning: Very powerful feat, especially at low levels. It's so good, it's cheesy. Most DMs will ban this outright.
- Dragon Wild Shape: Another great feat, a must have at level 12. You get all supernatural and extraordinary abilities of the dragon you wild shape into. Note that dragons normally speak and can cast spells, so you probably don't need natural spell, but i need input in this one.
- Initiate of Nature: This feat allows you to rebuke animals and plants. You have the ability to control 2HD per class level, which results in quite a few creatures. Combined with the animal buffing spells you receive, it's like creating a personal army.
Lvl: 5 Human Druid
Stats (Rolled 4d6)
Str: 9
Dex: 13
Con: 14
Int: 12
Wis: 19
Cha: 11
Notable Equipment:
Armor of the Fallen Leaves (MiC): DM is really generous.
Animated Heavy Wooden Shield:
Ioun Stone: +1 AC Insight
Feats:
Improved Unarmed Strike
Improved Grapple- (I love being an unstoppable grapple machine when I get to lvl 8)
Companion Spellbond (phb 2) Really useful, extends share spells ability to 30 short range
Animal Companion: Ape
Choose the ape because dinosaurs aren't around in the DMs world and I think Fleshraker is overpowdered.(sic) Ape if fine.
So far before I got wild shape I would just heal, buff, entangle, and shoot things with Produce Flame.
Here are my stats when I change into a Dire Hawk (MMII)
Wild shaped Dire Hawk lvl 5 Druid
Hp: 5d8 +10
AC: 29 (+6 Dex, +3 Nat, +6 Armor, +3 Shield, +1 Insight)
Bab: +3
Attacks: 2 Claws +4 (1d4+1), Bite -1(1d6)
Ranged: +9 (Produce Flame (1d6+5)
Str: 12 Dex: 22
For starters it's a touch AC attack so it helps offset the druid's medium BAB.
Second it can be used in any form so you can do trip attacks for animals who might not normally do so, like a bear. It is even a decent feat when not wild shaped like during early levels.
Third is that combat expertise isn't a bad feat for a druid given how most wildshape forms only have so-so to poor AC.
Finally unlike most warriors, a druid can use improved trip effectively at higher levels as his wildshape forms get bigger and bigger.
I've been reading the CO boards for quite some time now and was lurking for a bit before i create an account. In all those years, i think that the most common threads are those asking for help on druids.
Well, i realized after searching the handy links that we haven't yet an official druid build! I mean, there is a general skeleton floating around, but rarely anyone elaborates on feat selection, spells, wild shape forms, what to do pre-wild shape, equipment etc.
I call that thread the Handbook.
I call that thread the Handbook.
No, this isn't a replacement of the handbook. Check the latest handbook, there are a lot of suggested races, feats, spells, etc, but no builds. This is just a compilation of quick tips and tricks (that is, a lot smaller than a handbook), so that a player can create his druid easily.
Human/ Shifter/ Anthromorphic Bat
Druid 20
1 Extend Spell
1 Spell Focus (Conjuration)
3 Augment Summoning
6 Natural Spell
9 *Free* (Augment Elemental)
12 *Free* (Rashemei Elemental Summoning)
15 *Free* (Ashbound)
18 *Free* (Greebound)
Here's my Druid stats that I'm using now in a campaign.
Here are my stats when I change into a Dire Hawk (MMII)
Wild shaped Dire Hawk lvl 5 Druid
Hp: 5d8 +10
AC: 29 (+6 Dex, +3 Nat, +6 Armor, +3 Shield, +1 Insight)
Bab: +3
Attacks: 2 Claws +4 (1d4+1), Bite -1(1d6)
Ranged: +9 (Produce Flame (1d6+5)
Str: 12 Dex: 22
for an absolutely boss aerial/combat form, one should take a good look at the Dire Eagle (Races of Stone)
Nat is +5, Dex is 18, so your AC will be pretty much the same.
Attack line up is 2 talons at 1d8, and a bite which is also at 1d8, str is 20! Also, flyby attack as a feat.
of special note is the fact that it's size large, and does give you reach! However, this delays use until 8th lvl, making it basically an upgrade, rather than a better option.
About the only downside it has to a dire hawk is 60ft fly instead of 80, and +4 rather than +6 init.
They also make super animal companions! By the RoS text (rather than that in the PHBII), a druid can have one at 4th level, at level -3.
with ECS, a 7th level druid could debateably have a Horrid Dire Eagle at level -6! Nice to have a pet that can dish out 8-10d6+20 damage a turn when Growth'd.
What about spell selection?
I'd be much in favor of a detailed strategy to build an effective druid at low levels. I'm playing in Living Greyhawk, so they're plenty of opportunities to die, not ot mention you're a jeopardy for your own party if you can't contribute effectively... which is kind of the essence of the low level druids from what I've seen here ("sorry dudes, I can't yet wild shape, I'm useless now")
No, this isn't a replacement of the handbook. Check the latest handbook, there are a lot of suggested races, feats, spells, etc, but no builds. This is just a compilation of quick tips and tricks (that is, a lot smaller than a handbook), so that a player can create his druid easily.
I like the idea of having a thread to point to when someone asks "What's a good [druid/cleric/wizard/etc.] build?". But the problem is that 75% (say) of a druid's effectiveness comes from which particular spells, wild shapes, and animal companion he selects, and 25% is from what feats, race, skills, etc. he chooses. So a build by itself doesn't really say much.
Here's my build:
Forest gnome druid
Feats: SF: Conj, Augmented Summoning, Sudden Widen, Energy Subst (Elec), Born of the Three Thunders, 3 more
xoraxx: ashbound and greenbound are both available a lot earlier, and are a lot more useful than some of the other low level feats.
Core druid:
1) SF(Conj)
1) Augment Summoning
3) Improved Init
6) Natural Spell
9) Extend Spell
12) Quicken Spell
15) *free*
18) *free*
There are plenty of good core spells that can own encounters ranging from the low-level Entangle to the mid-level Control Wind and the high-level Shapechange. Although I will admit that I get more mileage of the Spell Compendium than any other non-core book when playing a druid.
I am aware that better feats are available outside of core. But this build is for people restricted to core-only.
Or a Druid 5/Primeval 10/XXX :P.
Still no spell suggestions? I've never played a druid...
1st: Magic Fang, Shillelagh, Obscuring mist, I guess. Entangle if in wilderness.
2nd: Barkskin & Buffs. Tree Shape = safe sleeping.
3rd: GMF, Sleet Storm, Stone Shape. Imminent Nat. Spell.
4th: Dispel, FoM, Flame Strike or Ice Storm, although Direct Damage isn't relevant for many more levels. no Dispel if Wiz in party. Air Walk for party buff, maybe?
5th: Animal Growth! Awaken! Death Ward, Stone Skin, Tree Stride, Commune With Nature ( awesome ). Lv 9 is druid hitting jackpot, spell-wise, it seems.
6th: Meh. Find The Path. Wall of Stone is good, though. SNA 6 is okay.
7th: Heal, True Seeing.
8th: Reverse Gravity, Animal Shapes, Finger of Death, Word of Recall.
9th: Shapechange, Foresight.
This in SRD, though.
I like the idea of having a thread to point to when someone asks "What's a good [druid/cleric/wizard/etc.] build?".
Illumian Cloistered Cleric1/Wizard1/Druid8/Arcane Hierophant10
Feats: DMM: Persistent+requirements, Natural Spell, Abberant WS, [Knowledge Devotion], Improved Sigil: Krau.
- Illumian takes care of caster level & early qualification
- Cloistered Cleric for DMM (extend for free, turning) and knowledge devotion.
- Wizard improves your companion familiar: abilities (Intelligence, speak with master, Improved Evasion, Alertness, Spell Resistance etc) and spells (improve familiar line). There is also some useful stuff like movement (Abrupt Jaunt) and spellcasting (6th).
- Aberrant Wildshape (+Enhance Wildshape) for really really strong forms. Take a look at the 12HD Thoon Elder Brain (MM5). You get all his ex. attacks and ex. abilities. E.g., one mental and one physical round each round... (or, at 9HD, pick the Will O' Whisp for natural invisibility and spell immunity)
dawnmor, those really aren't the druids we're looking for.
Dictuum wasnt specific. If he was then I would have come up with something more specific. So the Fault is you guys not mine.
xoraxx: ashbound and greenbound are both available a lot earlier, and are a lot more useful than some of the other low level feats.
Well those feats slots are basically free, so you can switch around, I just put them there because I really like them :P, but yeah you could switch Extend spell With Ashbound/greenbound or take flaws to get them earlier. I just put Extend first because there are a lot of good Druid buffs out there to extend (Shapechange and the Bite of the... spells being just a few of these).
Extend at 1st level is kinda stupid :P it's only useful after 3rd level.
True, I said it was swappable, but Augment and Greenbound are useless at level 1 aswell (With summons lasting 1 round and all), so its just a matter of prefference I guess.
hogarth: your build lacks a very important feat: natural spell.
I don't really care for the aesthetics of looking like a bear all day. YMMV.
Now, since the biggest danger zone is the first 4-5 lvls so that when you ACTUALLY need to be exedingly careful on how you play and fight. The only thing that you should need to worry about is tactics and spell selection.
The tactic's are simple:
1. Don't get in melee
2. If things get bad, run/hide.
3. Attack from range (i.e. cast spells, thowing a spear, ect...).
Here is a quick list of the spells that I would choose for a generic druid build.
1st lvl
Entangle
Produce Flame
Cure Light Wounds
Longstrider
Pass without Trace
Summon Nature’s Ally I
2nd lvl
Barkskin
Bear’s Endurance
Bull’s Strength
Cat’s Grace
Soften Earth and Stone
Gust of Wind
Owl’s Wisdom
Restoration, Lesser
Spider Climb
Summon Nature’s Ally II
3rd lvl
Call Lightning
Cure Moderate Wounds
Daylight
Poison
Water Breathing
Summon Nature’s Ally III
4th lvl
Cure Serious Wounds
Dispel Magic
Flame Strike
Ice Storm
Freedom of Movement
Summon Nature’s Ally IV
5th lvl
Baleful Polymorph
Call Lightning Storm
Control Winds
Cure Critical Wounds
Transmute Mud to Rock
Transmute Rock to Mud
Tree Stride
Summon Nature’s Ally V
6th lvl
Bear’s Endurance, Mass
Bull’s Strength, Mass
Cat’s Grace, Mass
Owl’s Wisdom, Mass
Cure Light Wounds, Mass
Dispel Magic, Greater
Summon Nature’s Ally VI
7th lvl
Changestaff
Control Weather
Cure Moderate Wounds, Mass
Fire Storm
Heal
Transmute Metal to Wood
True Seeing
Wind Walk
Summon Nature’s Ally VII
8th lvl
Cure Serious Wounds, Mass
Earthquake
Finger of Death
Repel Metal or Stone
Reverse Gravity
Sunburst
Whirlwind
Summon Nature’s Ally VIII
9th lvl
Cure Critical Wounds, Mass
Elemental Swarm
Regenerate
Shambler
Storm of Vengeance
Summon Nature’s Ally IX
Now this is just skimming the SRD for multi function spells. there are prolly a few that I missed and/or a few that don't work as well as they sound like they would but that can get picked thru as the thread moves on.
I don't really care for the aesthetics of looking like a bear all day. YMMV.
You don't need to look like a bear all day long to benefit from natural spell. You can buff yourself up/heal without shifting back to human form. You can switch between spellcasting and melee-ing with no thought whatsoever. You only need look like a bear while in combat. Which, generally speaking, is when you want to look like a bear.
On a slightly different topic, what are people's general viewpoints of the druid's role in the party? Do people focus on melee, summoning, battlefield control, blasting, something else, combination of the above, etc...?
On a slightly different topic, what are people's general viewpoints of the druid's role in the party? Do people focus on melee, summoning, battlefield control, blasting, something else, combination of the above, etc...?
I prefer melee+BFC. However, occasionally I love pulling out Fire seeds for massive damage.
Bear is fine small Bird flying over the battle field is awsome
I agree that flying is great; I like to use a dire bat/hawk/eagle for an animal companion.
If you want to, throw Natural Spell into the build I suggested; it can't hurt! But I'm "just not that into" Wild Shape.
I prefer summoning & casting in battle.Core druid:
1) SF(Conj)
1) Augment Summoning
3) Improved Init
6) Natural Spell or Leadership
9) Leadership or Natural Spell
12) Extend Spell
15) Quicken Spell
18) *free*
I'm curious as to which is better: Leadership or Natural Spell ??
Semi-gestalting the best class with itself, or getting another Summoner Druid, just not quite as good yet ??
For most other classes, Leadership is the choice at 6th level, but Druid ...
Yeah, Leadership doesn't usually show up for exactly the reasons above. But that's the power of the Druid, that there would even be a question. What build wouldn't have Leadership, and Druid raises it's hand. I've done a few Psiotheurgist builds (Dr #349) that take Metamorphic Transfer at level 6, and finish a psi-recharge set-up at level 9, putting off Leadership to *gasp* 12th level. And even then it's shaky.
Is this : Druid For "Dummies" ??
Or the Final Answer: Druid ??
human. First level sacred vow+VOP
take your slew of exhaulted feats. important ones are intuitive attack(just in case) exhaulted wildshape(gotta have this) and whatever others you feel like.
alertness, toughness.
5 druid/5warshaper/10 MoMF. your level of what you can wildshape into is limited to 15th.
you get +8+6+4+2 to your stats. I would do +8 to con, +6 to STR +4 wis +2 int.
you can change forms as many times as you want 24/7/365 not using wildshaping abilities. wildshaped for 15 hours per use.
immune to crits, fast healing, extra reach, extra dice damage.
MoMF gives you sick abilities. War troll with a STR of 31+4=35. VOP abilities give +6 str and it is an EX ability. so you keep it(if i am wrong please let me know) str of 41. or cave troll with rend/rake/pounce. regeneration with EX abilities through MOMF makes this pretty cool.
the correct way to level this is druid 5/MoMF 3/Warshaper 5/MoMF7. combat expertise/imp sunder/imp trip or power attack/shock trooper/leap attack variants.
Free For All
Water Halfling: +2 Con, +2 Dex, -2 Str - natural Swim-speed (saving your wildshapes on that part). If you need to start, this is the race you want with their bonus to thrown weapons, kickass attack bonus (+2 Dex, +1 size, +1 racial), and +2 Con for the longterm game with a hit to dumpstat. Very good if you need to stay in Humanoid Form for extended periods of time. Also, Dragonborn version would have +4 Con for -2 Str.
Strongheart Halfling: Human (feat), but instead of the extra skills (which are great), you get small size, +2 Dex (so much better early game before Wildshape) and miscellaneous bonuses.
Dragonborn Lesser Aasimar: Thanks to their type change, Lesser Planetouched qualify for Dragonborn. This is +2 Wis, +2 Cha, +2 Con, -2 Dex form.
Also, Dreamsight Shifters are a solid race (+2 Wis when Shifting) and qualify for Moonspeaker. Then all naturally telepathic races are good for when you get Wildshape.
Adax the Human druid, level 10. And Dax. His animal companion, a smilodon. (Book: Frostburn, Page 118)
Jermlaine: -6 Str +6 Dex -2 Con -2 Int +6 Wis -6 Cha, tiny, fey. Yeah, if the DM is so stupid to allow anything from MM2, go for it. The thought of a tiny creature wild shaping into a large polar bear is too funny.
Thanks again, DM, for a great thread.
ShriekingDrake
Hide Armor: 15
Scimitar: 15
Heavy Wooden Shield: 7
... What else for the last 13?
War Trained Riding Dog, lv. 1 Companion:
HD:3d8 + 12 BAB: +2 Atk: Bite +5 1d6+6, AC 16, Speed 50, Alertness, Track, Trip (As Wolf). 1 Free Feat (Power Attack? Combat Reflexes?), S 18, D 15, C 18, I 2, W 14, C 6.
At first level, if you just memorize Enrage Animal twice, you're bringing as much or more to the table than a level 1 barbarian.
DM: I'd also recommend putting a note about Vow of Poverty, which is quite good for druids, as they're quite equipment independent. Also, consider mentioning the Summon Elemental Reserve Feat. -- ShriekingDrake
Summon elemental is a nice idea, but i will never ever suggest vow of poverty. I don't consider it even close to optimized (in general - not only for druids).
Summon elemental is a nice idea, but i will never ever suggest vow of poverty. I don't consider it even close to optimized (in general - not only for druids).
Excellent point. VoP is all flavor with a few bennies, but given all the great magic items out there, I was out in left field. -- ShriekingDrake :D
I'm one level away from Exalted Wild Shape, which means that by level 20 I'll be wildshaping into a Celestial Dire Polar Bear with a Mouthblade Greatsword. I've nearly got enough money to enchant my Darkleaf Fullplate into +1 Wild Darkleaf fullplate, which means that with just one spell I'll be able to run around in a form with 59 strength and power attack, for attacks at a +24 with damage equal to 3d6+76 (If I full power attack.) Overall, not too bad, really. Not to mention that I get 3 of those per round. I'm thinking of going into Nature's Warrior, although then I'd lose shapechange if I went in more than 3 levels.
I'm strongly considering dying and (hopefully) coming back as a human or something else so that I can keep those lovely bonuses and lose that awful level adjustment.
Since this is a quickstart thread, I'd recommend that we think about what the starting equipment might be. Once we settle on some good equipment, perhaps the OP will add it to the first post.
ShriekingDrake
Isn't there an "Standard Dungeon Equipment" thread somewhere?
Deckinhand
I'm playing an Aasimar Druid8 right now. It's a pretty sweet deal, having proficiency with all Martial weapons as well as the bonuses to stats.
I'm one level away from Exalted Wild Shape, which means that by level 20 I'll be wildshaping into a Celestial Dire Polar Bear with a Mouthblade Greatsword. I've nearly got enough money to enchant my Darkleaf Fullplate into +1 Wild Darkleaf fullplate, which means that with just one spell I'll be able to run around in a form with 59 strength and power attack, for attacks at a +24 with damage equal to 3d6+76 (If I full power attack.) Overall, not too bad, really. Not to mention that I get 3 of those per round. I'm thinking of going into Nature's Warrior, although then I'd lose shapechange if I went in more than 3 levels.
I'm strongly considering dying and (hopefully) coming back as a human or something else so that I can keep those lovely bonuses and lose that awful level adjustment.
How are you getting 59 strength instead of 39 strength and a +6 item?
War Trained Riding Dog, lv. 1 Companion:
HD:3d8 + 12 BAB: +2 Atk: Bite +5 1d6+6, AC 16, Speed 50, Alertness, Track, Trip (As Wolf). 1 Free Feat (Power Attack? Combat Reflexes?), S 18, D 15, C 18, I 2, W 14, C 6.
What am I missing? The Riding Dog entry in srd (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dogRiding.htm) says the dog has 2 HD, 40ft. speed, and different stats (e.g. 15 Str).
The PHB p.36 says to use the base statistics given in the Monster's Manual. And that the companion gains first bonus HD on level 3.
STR 11 DEX 8 CON 14 INT 8 WIS 17 CHA 14 (WIS>CON=CHA>STR>DEX>/ = INT)
Druid 1. Spell Focus (Conjuration), Track; Goodberry, Entangle, Faerie Fire
Druid 2. Shillelagh
Druid 3. Augment Summoning; Barkskin, Summon Swarm
Druid 4. Boost WIS; Bull's Strength or Resist Energy
Druid 5. Stone Shape, Greater Magic Fang
Druid 6. Natural Spell; Spike Growth or Protection From Energy (do not duplicate Druid 4 choice)
Druid 7. Dispel Magic, Ice Storm
Druid 8. Boost WIS; Air Walk (cast on the poor BSF – you've got Wildshape or a flying mount)
Druid 9. Extend Spell; Animal Growth
Druid 10. Baleful Polymorph
Druid 11. Mass Bear's Endurance
Druid 12. Empower Spell; Boost WIS; Transport via Plants
Druid 13. Heal
Druid 14. Changestaff
Druid 15. Silent Spell; Finger of Death
Druid 16. Boost WIS; Sunburst or Animal Shapes
Druid 17. Shapechange
Druid 18. Still Spell; Elemental Swarm
Druid 19. Shambler
Druid 20. Boost WIS; Storm of Vengeance
Buy and use Lesser Vigor/Vigor and Lesser Restoration/Restoration potions and wands. I personally prefer Charger-type Animal Companions like the various big cats, as they can regularly go first, maul someone, and make the NPCs react to them.
Starting Gold: 50
Hide Armor: 15
Scimitar: 15
Heavy Wooden Shield: 7
... What else for the last 13?
I'd actually dispense with the scimitar in favor of a club. At low levels, you shouldn't be fighting in melee most of the time, and if you do need to mix it up, a Shillelagh-ed club will hit harder anyway. Use the extra cash to get barding for your dog, turning Fido into a respectable tank. (At first level, he's better in melee than you are, and roughly on par with the party fighter).
Awaken DM golem, that might depend on what level you start at. It's either level 1 or level 20, generally.
Should never be level 1, because it messes your skills (unless of course you grab able learner or something like that). Level 20 is a waste, because you just can get a monk's belt. I believe that you should get it at 2nd or 4th, depending on your build and your wisdom.
cuz this thread is soooo good.Should never be level 1, because it messes your skills (unless of course you grab able learner or something like that). Level 20 is a waste, because you just can get a monk's belt. I believe that you should get it at 2nd or 4th, depending on your build and your wisdom.
I would even wait until after 5th level. You don't really need the Wis to AC before you start using wild shape + natural spell. Before that you can wear armor.
Augment Summoning: +4 bonus to strength and dexterity is a good bonus, but the problem is that it requires a useless feat, spell focus (conjuration). Luckily for us, there are ways around that (like initiate of malar or the 7th half-orc substitution level).
Augment Summoning gives +4 STR and CON, not DEX.
Dragon Wild Shape: Another great feat, a must have at level 12. You get all supernatural and extraordinary abilities of the dragon you wild shape into. Note that dragons normally speak and can cast spells, so you probably don't need natural spell, but i need input in this one.
It's clearly RAI that a druid can cast when wildshaping into a form capable of speech. Sadly, the RAW is not crystal-clear: "A druid loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)".
However, even if it's ok, there's another reason to consider Natural Spell: access to material components and focuses, which is otherwise hardly possible while wildshaped. It's basically Eschew Materials++: "You can also use any material components or focuses you possess, even if such items are melded within your current form."
1: Spell Focus Conjuration; Augment Summoning (flaw); Ashbound (Flaw)
3: Greenbound Summoning
6: Natural Spell
9: Extend Spell
12: Dragon Wild Shape
15: Elemental Summoning (Reserve Feat)
18: Initiate of Nature
If you get a bonus feat at first level for being human, etc., I'd bump Greenbound Summoning to 1st and take Extend Spell at 3rd, Initiate of Nature at 9th, and Quicken Spell at 18th. --ShriekingDrake
People keep saying that taking VoP is a bad idea, but never elaborate beyond that. Why is it a bad idea?
Unless your DM allows you to pick and choose custom-made all-in-one items with Wildling Clasps (which seem to work only on amulet- and vest-slot items, and make you look relatively stupid, for those who care about this sort of thing), VoP seems like a nice way for a druid to deal with the wild shape errata, not to mention avoid the gear-related headaches added on top of an already complicated class.
Giving up two feats for it is crazy, I agree (mostly because 10 out of the 11 exalted ones you get are more or less useless), but it's still a decent choice for people who aren't familiar with all the intricacies of wealth optimization (especially if flaws are allowed).
How come none of these druid threads mention anything about equipment?
People keep saying that taking VoP is a bad idea, but never elaborate beyond that. Why is it a bad idea?
Unless your DM allows you to pick and choose custom-made all-in-one items with Wildling Clasps (which seem to work only on amulet- and vest-slot items, and make you look relatively stupid, for those who care about this sort of thing), VoP seems like a nice way for a druid to deal with the wild shape errata, not to mention avoid the gear-related headaches added on top of an already complicated class.
Giving up two feats for it is crazy, I agree (mostly because 10 out of the 11 exalted ones you get are more or less useless), but it's still a decent choice for people who aren't familiar with all the intricacies of wealth optimization (especially if flaws are allowed).
Sigh.
You can duplicate nearly all of the abilities granted from vow of poverty and still have money to spent for wands and metamagic rods. Even using the DMG, the equipment selection is pretty straight: animated shield, dragonhide full plate, druid's vestments, etc. Can't really go wrong :p
Sigh.
You can duplicate nearly all of the abilities granted from vow of poverty and still have money to spent for wands and metamagic rods. Even using the DMG, the equipment selection is pretty straight: animated shield, dragonhide full plate, druid's vestments, etc. Can't really go wrong :p
Agreed. What I was trying to say is that these choices are not really obvious, especially for novice players.
Or at least, not more so than the choice of feats, or the choice of gear for any of the other classes (and I've seen equipment sections for quite a few of them).
It just struck me as something that should be addressed, at least in passing.
Aberrant Wild Shape (2nd feat in chain) + Natural Spell
and wild shape into a Will O Wisp after casting SC's Enhanced Wild Shape.
Small
Insane touch AC
Darkvision
Immune to Magic
Free Action invis
Fly 50 perfect
(books allowed: core, complete, eberron)
1) Improved Unarmed Strike
3) Powerful Charge (ECS)
6) Wild Spell
9) Lions Pounce (CD)
12) Improved Grapple
15) Multi-Attack
18) improved multi-attack
Eberron you can use an action point to give another use of wild shape which can be turned into a pounce attack. Action point = pounce. *****in.
This is Druid 20, but she might pick up one or two levels of Warshaper.