Gestalt Druid // Something - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Gestalt Druid // Something

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
paladinonline
Jul 18, 2009 16:59:07 I'm hopefully starting a gestalt 3.5 game with my group in a bit and flaws are allowed as it stands at the moment. Not entirely sure on the starting level yet, but I do have an idea of what I want to play. Usually I play Wizards (though I'm partial to ToB too) but this time I've decided in playing a druid - at least on 1 half of the progression. The problem is, I'm not sure what to put on the other half...

Currently, I have two ideas:
Totemist (flavour fit with druid, very nature/beast themed)
Unarmed Swordsage (focusing on boosts and the like; a more spiritual druid)

I'm fairly certain that both of these are potentially workable - though I'm not entirely sure how to go about doing it exactly. In either case, I'm probably going to end up taking an elemental companion instead of the regular beast companion for the greater utility; it's not as if the loss of 'combat prowess' will hurt. Druid combined with anything has more than enough of that...

Options

Also, I'm unsure, but might it be a reasonable idea to take something like Warshaper on the non-druid side...? I don't know if the loss of other class abilities will be worth it. Maybe, maybe not. And finally, I'm pondering a Vow of Poverty. I know magic items are usually better than VoP - but I quite fancy the idea of a completely independant character. At one with himself and nature so to speak.

If playing a Totemist, the option to go Totem Rager is a possibility though I'm unsure how viable it is all things considered. Interestingly, the Druidic Avenger varient from UA would satisfy the Rage requirements here which may be better than losing Meldshaper levels to Barbarian.

For feats, natural spell is an obligatory choice. Improved grapple would be a nice one (especially if unarmed swordsage is go). Extend spell is always useful. Multiattack is great (especially if totemist is go). And...after that I'm stuck. Adaptive style if a swordsage or the bonus essentia if a totemist but I'm really not sure what else to go for at this point.

Build

Basic Build (offer advice as necessary): Human or Azurin Druid 20 // Swordsage or Totemist 20
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Natural Spell
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
#2
lo77o
Jul 18, 2009 17:16:25 Ill just come with some of the suggestions based on what i would play combined with a druid.

Rogue... I would love the "house cat form" + 10d6 sneak attack and skill monkey aspect of the 2.

I might want to try a simple druid/cleric setup. Spells galore.

It might be an odd mix, but druid/warlock could make for a fun predator type. Bad ass combat form + invisibility + dimension door and so on.
#3
jgumbyrx
Jul 18, 2009 18:42:59 I've always liked Druid/Rogue -- savage grapple definitely makes it worth while (well, if you plan on spending any appreciable time in wild shape, that is) -- nothing like doing a boat-load of damage while grappling.
#4
playswithfire
Jul 18, 2009 22:03:18 I don't know that much about the totemist, but this might do alright

Dwarf Druid 20//Moon-warded Ranger 2/Totemist 4/Deep Warden 2/Totemist +12

BAB 16, Saves 12/12/12. WIS to AC unarmored, CON to AC instead of DEX.
Full Druid casting and wildshaping and 16th level totemist soulmelding.
#5
nice2meetu
Jul 19, 2009 13:42:44 In case Races of Eberron, Cityscape Web enhancement, and CoV is allowed,
I'd go shifter:
Shifter druid 20 (all ACFs) //
Fangshield (ACF at 3, maybe 5) streetfighting barbarian 20

Thematically speaking, fangshields are 100%. The streetfighter seems a little awkward, as it is city based.

The druid ACF nets +2 size increases for natural weapons, shifter savagery another 2, while raging and shifting.
If you hit elemental wildshape, you will have tons of fun. Even more, the moment you hit the streetfighter ACF "cleaving charge".
With INA you get +7 size on natural weapons (including huge elemental wild shape).
Assume, gorebrute and leap attack. Get a valorous amulet and that should pretty much do it.
Strenght: You get +16 bite of the werebear (swift action with beast spirit 1/day), +8 rage, +6 beast spirit, +2 shifter trait, having the base of the chosen elemental.
As an huge earth elemental that would turn out as 60, or +25.
A gore ends up as (table from shifter savagery):
2d6-3d6-4d6-6d6-8d6-12d6-(assuming the lower pattern of "1-1-2-2-4"-4-8-... and not the monster manual):16d6-24d6
24d6+37+5*+5* (average 131)
* gorbrute and +5 ammy
Leap attack boosts to 211, valourus to 422. That should about do it in most cases.
If you drop a foe, get another charge, if at least 10 ft move are left. Repeat until either all is killed, or something survives.

Fangshield ACF for +60 ft enhancement while charging.
So speed will be 30 base, 10 fast movement and 60 enhancement. In a charge thus 400 ft. More if you are not an earth elemental, but Str will suffer a little.

Required feats are
Power attack, leap attack, and shifter savagery.
Shooktrooper might be an option.

At lower levels:
Use the beast spirit to add to your constitution.
Starting from level 6, you have a 4d6 gore attack, 6d6, with INA. Level 8 will up to 8d6 - if you decide to charge that early.
You can better cast druid spells. Your summons are a standard action after a short while.

There will be better charge options as an orc / half-orc, as they can take a feat for double charge damage. However, not all natural attacks deal 1+1/2 str damage - and none does on a pounce.

Edit: All weapon size enhancers are "as if". So, the real calculation would be the INA table - 2d6 go up to 12d6 (the cap) and then use the real size (huge +2), that turn out to be 12d6-18d6-27d6, as described by 2d6-3d6 in the monster manual. I prefer the lower value of 24d6.
There is still room left for +2 more real size increments.
#6
Balthanon
Jul 19, 2009 20:14:18 Totemist would work well with druid to supplement the lack of magic items in wild shape-- particularly if your DM doesn't allow wilding clasps. (Or just to save the money, particularly at low levels.) Particularly if you go Vow of Poverty, this could work well. Losing meldshaper levels tends to be a bit less of a problem than caster levels as well. While it doesn't multiclass quite as well as Tome of Battle, it is still fairly independent.

Swordsage wouldn't be bad either though and you could jump into Bloodclaw Master to bring in more of the nature theme.

You could indeed take Warshaper on your non-druid side as well, and/or Master of Many Forms, though your DM might limit the stacking of uses per day with druid wild shape.
#7
malkavon
Jul 19, 2009 22:07:16 My recommendation would be Druid 20//Barbarian (or Fighter, or anything with good BAB) 1/Totemist 4/Master of Many Forms 10/Warshaper 5. If you didn't care about your BAB, you could just take Totemist 5/Master of Many Forms 10/Warshaper 5 to simplify.

This way you get all the goodies of Improved Wild Shape and the ability to turn your wild shape into mini-shapechange with Warshaper, while maintaining decent BAB.

I would say don't go VoP, because while Druids can cope with it better than most classes, it still imposes some harsh restrictions, and it also can impose RP restrictions on the rest of your party. That, and there are simply better feats to take.
#8
ninjafudo
Apr 24, 2010 18:58:02 Master of many forms and masks/spellwarp sniper/daggerspell shaper= pwn's everything

1st/ druid avenger1/ranger1
2nd/ druid avenger2/rogue1
3rd/ druid avenger3/ranger2
4th/ druid avenger4/rogue2
5th/druid avenger5/ranger3

6th/spellwarp sniper1/natures warrior 1
7th/natures warrior2/master of masks 1 ("savage" mask and any other)
8th/master of masks2(any other mask)/daggerspell shaper1
9th/spellwarp snipper2/master of many forms1
10th/spellwarp snipper3/master of many forms2
11th/spellwarp snipper4/master of many forms3
12th/spellwarp snipper5/master of many forms4
13th/daggerspell shaper2/master of many forms5
14th/daggerspell shaper3/master of many forms6
15th/daggerspell shaper4/master of many forms7
16th/daggerspell shaper5/master of many forms8
17th/daggerspell shaper6/master of many forms9
18th/daggerspell shaper7/master of many forms10
19th/daggerspell shaper8/warshaper 1 (or) natures warrior 3
20/daggerspell shaper9/warshaper 1st/2nd or (or) natures warrior 4

I'm still working this out, but it seems pretty promising so far.

#9
elthenar
Apr 28, 2010 9:22:03 If you want something weird, go Druid/Binder. Turn into a T-rex that can move up to his speed and bite everyone he passes, or be a T-rex with Whirlwind attack. Or gain a bonus to your natural armor equal to half your con bonus. While you're at it, at will, make some poor mook take half the damage you take instead of you. You can also use Binder to get pounce at will and ghost touch and imp crit for all of your natural attacks . Lots of odd stuff to do with Binder, more than I can name, could be a load of fun.
#10
necrosnoop110
Apr 29, 2010 14:06:52 Crazy Super Unarmed VoP Yoda
Race: Jermlaine
Build: Druid 20 // Chaos Monk 2/ Psion 4/ Warshaper 4/ Slayer 10
Feats: Vow of Poverty, Standard Druid Feats (natural spell, etc.), & Cherry pick from The King of Smack build

Chaos Monk can be found in (Dragon #355) and lets you run a Druid/Monk VoP build without alignment conflicts. You might try to dip into Shou Disciple if possible then you could add Wis mod to Attk & Dam!
#11
dropsonexistance
Jun 02, 2010 3:49:14 Druid//Swordsage (tiger claw focus)

I'm currently playing a more complex version of this, with Planar Shepherd and Wilder and a template thrown in, but at its core, the most effective stuff is from these two classes.

Wildshape a dire wolverine, rage, and use maneuvers like Claw at the Moon. Ridiculous fun! There's even a feat in ToB that will give you knockback if you use Tiger Claw while wildshaped and/or raging, called Tiger Blooded.

Natural weapons get the Swordsage weapon focus too.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 paladinonline Jul 18, 2009 16:59:07	I'm hopefully starting a gestalt 3.5 game with my group in a bit and flaws are allowed as it stands at the moment. Not entirely sure on the starting level yet, but I do have an idea of what I want to play. Usually I play Wizards (though I'm partial to ToB too) but this time I've decided in playing a druid - at least on 1 half of the progression. The problem is, I'm not sure what to put on the other half... Currently, I have two ideas: Totemist (flavour fit with druid, very nature/beast themed) Unarmed Swordsage (focusing on boosts and the like; a more spiritual druid) I'm fairly certain that both of these are potentially workable - though I'm not entirely sure how to go about doing it exactly. In either case, I'm probably going to end up taking an elemental companion instead of the regular beast companion for the greater utility; it's not as if the loss of 'combat prowess' will hurt. Druid combined with anything has more than enough of that... Options Also, I'm unsure, but might it be a reasonable idea to take something like Warshaper on the non-druid side...? I don't know if the loss of other class abilities will be worth it. Maybe, maybe not. And finally, I'm pondering a Vow of Poverty. I know magic items are usually better than VoP - but I quite fancy the idea of a completely independant character. At one with himself and nature so to speak. If playing a Totemist, the option to go Totem Rager is a possibility though I'm unsure how viable it is all things considered. Interestingly, the Druidic Avenger varient from UA would satisfy the Rage requirements here which may be better than losing Meldshaper levels to Barbarian. For feats, natural spell is an obligatory choice. Improved grapple would be a nice one (especially if unarmed swordsage is go). Extend spell is always useful. Multiattack is great (especially if totemist is go). And...after that I'm stuck. Adaptive style if a swordsage or the bonus essentia if a totemist but I'm really not sure what else to go for at this point. Build Basic Build (offer advice as necessary): Human or Azurin Druid 20 // Swordsage or Totemist 20 Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Natural Spell Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Druid // (swordsage or totemist) : Druid // (swordsage or totemist) :
#2 lo77o Jul 18, 2009 17:16:25	Ill just come with some of the suggestions based on what i would play combined with a druid. Rogue... I would love the "house cat form" + 10d6 sneak attack and skill monkey aspect of the 2. I might want to try a simple druid/cleric setup. Spells galore. It might be an odd mix, but druid/warlock could make for a fun predator type. Bad ass combat form + invisibility + dimension door and so on.
#3 jgumbyrx Jul 18, 2009 18:42:59	I've always liked Druid/Rogue -- savage grapple definitely makes it worth while (well, if you plan on spending any appreciable time in wild shape, that is) -- nothing like doing a boat-load of damage while grappling.
#4 playswithfire Jul 18, 2009 22:03:18	I don't know that much about the totemist, but this might do alright Dwarf Druid 20//Moon-warded Ranger 2/Totemist 4/Deep Warden 2/Totemist +12 BAB 16, Saves 12/12/12. WIS to AC unarmored, CON to AC instead of DEX. Full Druid casting and wildshaping and 16th level totemist soulmelding.
#5 nice2meetu Jul 19, 2009 13:42:44	In case Races of Eberron, Cityscape Web enhancement, and CoV is allowed, I'd go shifter: Shifter druid 20 (all ACFs) // Fangshield (ACF at 3, maybe 5) streetfighting barbarian 20 Thematically speaking, fangshields are 100%. The streetfighter seems a little awkward, as it is city based. The druid ACF nets +2 size increases for natural weapons, shifter savagery another 2, while raging and shifting. If you hit elemental wildshape, you will have tons of fun. Even more, the moment you hit the streetfighter ACF "cleaving charge". With INA you get +7 size on natural weapons (including huge elemental wild shape). Assume, gorebrute and leap attack. Get a valorous amulet and that should pretty much do it. Strenght: You get +16 bite of the werebear (swift action with beast spirit 1/day), +8 rage, +6 beast spirit, +2 shifter trait, having the base of the chosen elemental. As an huge earth elemental that would turn out as 60, or +25. A gore ends up as (table from shifter savagery): 2d6-3d6-4d6-6d6-8d6-12d6-(assuming the lower pattern of "1-1-2-2-4"-4-8-... and not the monster manual):16d6-24d6 24d6+37+5+5 (average 131) * gorbrute and +5 ammy Leap attack boosts to 211, valourus to 422. That should about do it in most cases. If you drop a foe, get another charge, if at least 10 ft move are left. Repeat until either all is killed, or something survives. Fangshield ACF for +60 ft enhancement while charging. So speed will be 30 base, 10 fast movement and 60 enhancement. In a charge thus 400 ft. More if you are not an earth elemental, but Str will suffer a little. Required feats are Power attack, leap attack, and shifter savagery. Shooktrooper might be an option. At lower levels: Use the beast spirit to add to your constitution. Starting from level 6, you have a 4d6 gore attack, 6d6, with INA. Level 8 will up to 8d6 - if you decide to charge that early. You can better cast druid spells. Your summons are a standard action after a short while. There will be better charge options as an orc / half-orc, as they can take a feat for double charge damage. However, not all natural attacks deal 1+1/2 str damage - and none does on a pounce. Edit: All weapon size enhancers are "as if". So, the real calculation would be the INA table - 2d6 go up to 12d6 (the cap) and then use the real size (huge +2), that turn out to be 12d6-18d6-27d6, as described by 2d6-3d6 in the monster manual. I prefer the lower value of 24d6. There is still room left for +2 more real size increments.
#6 Balthanon Jul 19, 2009 20:14:18	Totemist would work well with druid to supplement the lack of magic items in wild shape-- particularly if your DM doesn't allow wilding clasps. (Or just to save the money, particularly at low levels.) Particularly if you go Vow of Poverty, this could work well. Losing meldshaper levels tends to be a bit less of a problem than caster levels as well. While it doesn't multiclass quite as well as Tome of Battle, it is still fairly independent. Swordsage wouldn't be bad either though and you could jump into Bloodclaw Master to bring in more of the nature theme. You could indeed take Warshaper on your non-druid side as well, and/or Master of Many Forms, though your DM might limit the stacking of uses per day with druid wild shape.
#7 malkavon Jul 19, 2009 22:07:16	My recommendation would be Druid 20//Barbarian (or Fighter, or anything with good BAB) 1/Totemist 4/Master of Many Forms 10/Warshaper 5. If you didn't care about your BAB, you could just take Totemist 5/Master of Many Forms 10/Warshaper 5 to simplify. This way you get all the goodies of Improved Wild Shape and the ability to turn your wild shape into mini-shapechange with Warshaper, while maintaining decent BAB. I would say don't go VoP, because while Druids can cope with it better than most classes, it still imposes some harsh restrictions, and it also can impose RP restrictions on the rest of your party. That, and there are simply better feats to take.
#8 ninjafudo Apr 24, 2010 18:58:02	Master of many forms and masks/spellwarp sniper/daggerspell shaper= pwn's everything 1st/ druid avenger1/ranger1 2nd/ druid avenger2/rogue1 3rd/ druid avenger3/ranger2 4th/ druid avenger4/rogue2 5th/druid avenger5/ranger3 6th/spellwarp sniper1/natures warrior 1 7th/natures warrior2/master of masks 1 ("savage" mask and any other) 8th/master of masks2(any other mask)/daggerspell shaper1 9th/spellwarp snipper2/master of many forms1 10th/spellwarp snipper3/master of many forms2 11th/spellwarp snipper4/master of many forms3 12th/spellwarp snipper5/master of many forms4 13th/daggerspell shaper2/master of many forms5 14th/daggerspell shaper3/master of many forms6 15th/daggerspell shaper4/master of many forms7 16th/daggerspell shaper5/master of many forms8 17th/daggerspell shaper6/master of many forms9 18th/daggerspell shaper7/master of many forms10 19th/daggerspell shaper8/warshaper 1 (or) natures warrior 3 20/daggerspell shaper9/warshaper 1st/2nd or (or) natures warrior 4 I'm still working this out, but it seems pretty promising so far.
#9 elthenar Apr 28, 2010 9:22:03	If you want something weird, go Druid/Binder. Turn into a T-rex that can move up to his speed and bite everyone he passes, or be a T-rex with Whirlwind attack. Or gain a bonus to your natural armor equal to half your con bonus. While you're at it, at will, make some poor mook take half the damage you take instead of you. You can also use Binder to get pounce at will and ghost touch and imp crit for all of your natural attacks . Lots of odd stuff to do with Binder, more than I can name, could be a load of fun.
#10 necrosnoop110 Apr 29, 2010 14:06:52	Crazy Super Unarmed VoP Yoda Race: Jermlaine Build: Druid 20 // Chaos Monk 2/ Psion 4/ Warshaper 4/ Slayer 10 Feats: Vow of Poverty, Standard Druid Feats (natural spell, etc.), & Cherry pick from The King of Smack build Chaos Monk can be found in (Dragon #355) and lets you run a Druid/Monk VoP build without alignment conflicts. You might try to dip into Shou Disciple if possible then you could add Wis mod to Attk & Dam!
#11 dropsonexistance Jun 02, 2010 3:49:14	Druid//Swordsage (tiger claw focus) I'm currently playing a more complex version of this, with Planar Shepherd and Wilder and a template thrown in, but at its core, the most effective stuff is from these two classes. Wildshape a dire wolverine, rage, and use maneuvers like Claw at the Moon. Ridiculous fun! There's even a feat in ToB that will give you knockback if you use Tiger Claw while wildshaped and/or raging, called Tiger Blooded. Natural weapons get the Swordsage weapon focus too.