Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 march1studios Jan 02, 2015 18:35:53	I'm currently playing in a homebrew game, where my character is being sacrificed for the good of the party. Theme is Scottish/Celtic. There's Dwarves, Halflings and Humans, and we're fighting Humans, Undead, Orcs and Necromancers.    I'd like to build a Druidic style character - older, gruff, a bit of  hermit that's been living off in a wintery region, and has been called upon by the Druidic Order of the Thistle to assist the adventurers in turning back the invaders.    Main features I like is the Wildshape, Trackless Step, that kind of thing. Don't want the animal companion (our DM loves to kill them). But I'm looking to make him a more powerful healer and undead fighter, if possible.   Restoration is a key spell. Spontaneous Healing would be better than spontaneous Summon Nature's Ally.    Starting Level 10.    I'm looking at Mystic Theurges, Holt Wardens, Hierophants... Nothing seems to get me where I want to be. Suggestions?
#2 Tempest_Stormwind Jan 02, 2015 18:46:35	Shapeshift druid is the simplest by far, and does more or less what you're looking for, but it's a downgrade. (That's not to say it's an unwelcome downgrade, though, as the druid is horrifyingly powerful).   I recommended a Swift Hunter to you a while back for a different character, and for here it's similar - just use the Wild Shape ranger and make liberal use of wands (or the Shooting Star substitution levels). This has the advantage of Favored Enemy (Undead) + Swift Hunter to break through their critical hit immunity.   The only other thing coming to me is the shifter druid sublevels, but shifters aren't in this campaign.
(Reply to #2) march1studios	Tempest_Stormwind wrote:
#4 march1studios Jan 02, 2015 20:03:22	The more I think about it, I think a spellcaster cleric might be a better option. Polymorph might get me the flavour I'm looking for. I'm thinking the animal form might be better just for utilitarian purposes, not for combat.
#5 Andarious-Rosethorn Jan 02, 2015 20:05:29	There are domains that will give you Polymorph and or Shapechange.
#6 Tempest_Stormwind Jan 02, 2015 20:25:31	march1studios wrote:
#7 march1studios Jan 02, 2015 21:27:20	LOL! I kept my distance. The fighters didn't. The Rogue and one of the Clerics both got Finger of Death'd.    I was looking at combining a Druid with a Cloistered Cleric or an Archivist, but I think a mystic theurge is as close as I'm going to get to what I was thinking. I can flavour the spell selection and equipment, and just forgo the wildshaping.
#8 Andarious-Rosethorn Jan 03, 2015 10:44:37	Actually, Cloistered Cleric with the Alteration Domain (Dragonlance Campaign setting) would get the job done really well. The domain brings a fairly nice buff suite to the table. Possibly get Minor Shapeshift reserve feat (at level 9) as well to be able to stretch the usefulness of Polymorph.   You'd be pretty buff dependant for any melee ability, but ignore that for a moment and consider Polymorph just for defensive benefits. There are encounters (combat and otherwise) that the spell is serious utility for. Don't crutch on it too much for offensive ability as a Cloistered Cleric you'll get that from spells much more efficiently.