PDA

View Full Version : [3.5] Druid Build



Mauril Everleaf
2009-05-09, 01:58 AM
I have (including tonight) played a total of 2.5 hours of 3.5 DnD. The group was playing a tribe of "barbarians" (only one has the barbarian class) in search of their spirit protector. The group included a barbarian, a paladin, a cleric, a TWF ranger, and a ranged Scout (and a couple of players who weren't there tonight). I opted to play a Druid, and rolled some nice stats (10, 13, 13, 15, 18, 13). They were all level 6, so I got a level 6 character.

Having never played 3.5 (I have a good amount of 1e and 4e experience) I kinda stumbled through character creation. The group leveled to 7 tonight and I need help. I can probably talk the DM into letting me swap some stuff (feats and skill points mostly, class levels are likely stuck). I could also use some help with equipment.

Currently I am just a Human Druid 6, with a black bear companion. Consider all currently assigned skill point to be fluid. The feats I took were Natural Spell, Fast Wildshape, Extra Wildshape and Cheetah Something (gives me base move 50 for hrs/day).

I don't know what PrCs to aim at (if any), what skills I should bother investing in, and what feats I should look at. Cheetah Something is more useless than it looked, so that will likely need to be swapped out.

Thanks!

Tempest Fennac
2009-05-09, 02:01 AM
Scribe Scroll could be a good feat choice if there's a chance that you'll need come spells in an emergency, or Spell Gocus (Conuration) would be good if you summon a lot due to it being a prequisite for Augment Summoning. For equipment, there's an item called Weilding Clasps which each keep 1 equiped item functioning when you Wildshape. What have you donw with your skill points do far?

Talic
2009-05-09, 02:16 AM
While normally not nitpicky on spelling, I'm giving corrections to ability names used above, as our OP is new, and may not be familiar with all abilities listed. It should help if you're doing searches for them.

I believe he refers to "Spell Focus (Conjuration)" and "Wilding Clasp".

If you want to focus on Wild Shape, one consideration is "Master of Many Forms". When taken to level 7, it gives you many Extraordinary abilities you'd not normally have, as well as the ability to wildshape into a wide assortment of non-animals. The tradeoff? Your casting ability won't improve. But it really buffs up wildshape.

Other good feats for caster druids, if allowed, include Ashbound (from the Eberron Campaign setting).

Mauril Everleaf
2009-05-09, 02:22 AM
Currently I have maxed ranks in Concentration, Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge(Nature), Knowledge(Tribal) as well as Listen(4), Ride(5), Spot(5) and Survival(4). I wasn't sure on those. I just kinda took what I thought looked right. Since I wasn't aiming at any PrCs yet, I didn't really have any direction with them beyond that.

Also, please mention the source of the feat/class/item/whatever so that I can find it.

Tempest Fennac
2009-05-09, 02:38 AM
Sorry about the typos. I can't remember where the clasps can be found or what their cost is, the feats I mentioned are all in the Player's Handbook. I would recommend not bothering with Heal; you and the Cleric both have healing magic to take care of the things that Heal can do (looking at it from a pure optimization standpoint), and Spot and Listen will be more useful to you.

penbed400
2009-05-09, 02:49 AM
Wilding Clasps can be found in the Magic Item Compendium and are 4,000 gold each. A cool item to look into getting might be a Monk's Belt which can be found in the DMG, it's listed as Belt, Monk's so that should help you find it. It gives you your wisdom modifier into AC which is cool. I can't remember how much gold you get at level 7 but if you have enough it would be cool to get. But if you can that's an extra 4 AC for you. Wilding Clasps were already suggested, I would suggest getting a light armor and not really focusing on it too much because all of the really cool armor comes in higher levels.

For now I guess it matters on what you want your role to be. Are you going to be a summoner, blaster, buffer or melee? If you're a summoner than the spell focus and then augmented summoning is definitely cool to have. I guess it matters how core your DM wants you to stay. Are there any limits to what books you can look into? If it's being a blaster your after Spell penetration is the way to go, Natural Spell is always good but I'd dump the Extra Wild Feat and Cheetah Something Feat as well. You know they have a guide for this kind of stuff...

So yea look into some of that stuff and then look here: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=733400 I hope you have fun, I wouldn't multi-class though. Just a suggestion but Druid's get really powerful if they stay pure.

Haha I just realized how many times I said cool....

Salt_Crow
2009-05-09, 02:51 AM
I think feats are a bit off. Since druids get their Wild Shape at level 5, they can only take feats with WS prerequisite after lvl 5. Unless Extra Wild Shape and Cheetah's whatever (a wild feat, iirc) do not have WS requirement despite beingd dependent on having it, you cannot take them.

Straight druid is very very powerful and multiclassed druid is much less so unless you're taking one of very narrow range of PrCs that advance your Wildshape and Spellcasting (maybe except master of many form from Complete Adventurer even though I don't like that PrC).

If you're not too hard-pressed to optimise, you'll be just happy with straight druid w/ 6th level feat as natural spell and nothing more. It's a very self-sufficient class indeed ;)

Talic
2009-05-09, 03:15 AM
Prestige Classes:
Master of Many Forms: Complete Adventurer.
Nature's Warrior: Complete Warrior
Warshaper: Complete Warrior

FEATS:
Ashbound: Eberron Campaign Setting.

I will echo that Prestige classes tend to weaken druid (with the possible exception of Hierophant - DMG). But they can be fun. Ultimately, it's your call.

Either way, Strength and Dex are dump stats.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-05-09, 08:16 AM
It looks like you didn't meet the prerequisites for any of your feats when you took them except for one. You gained two feats at level 1 when you didn't have Wild Shape yet, so you can't take any of those feats at that level, same for the feat you got at level 3. Natural Spell at level 6 should definitely stay, but it's against the rules to pick those other feats the way you did.

I would suggest taking Natural Bond from Complete Adventurer at level 3. You take a -3 to your effective druid level for your black bear's extra HD and other benefits. Natural Bond adds a +3 to this but no higher than your character level, and you get to add your own bonuses and penalties in the most beneficial order, so you'll still get to count your full druid level. Maybe even consider replacing the bear with a fleshraker dinosaur from Monster Manual 3, it's considered to be the most powerful animal companion choice in the game. It doesn't even need to be native to that area, you just go pray for 24 hours and your new companion shows up.

For your two feats at level 1, you should take Talic's advice and get Ashbound. I'd get Companion Spellbond from PHB2 as your other one. Your ability scores should definitely be Con 15 and Wis 18, and put your 4th level point into Con. Your other stats really don't matter, but the 10 should probably go on Str unless you want Power Attack, in which case it should go on Dex instead. Wear basic leather armor and use a heavy wooden shield. Get a Monk's Belt asap, it gives you your Wisdom bonus to AC but you'll have to get rid of your armor, but it will be worth it. 6th level wealth by level is actually enough to start with one, so if you can just have clothes and a Monk's Belt and be penniless. Get a Wilding Clasp for it asap, so you don't have to take it off before Wild Shaping then put it back on in animal form. Another useful item to get is a Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend, I'd get at least two of them and secure them in your belt after you've wild shaped so they can still be used.

Useful spells to have prepared include Entangle, Enrage Animal for your companion, Produce Flame, Barkskin, Bull's Strength, (Rod of Extended) Creeping Cold, Nature's Favor for your companion, Mass Snake's Swiftness, Icelance, Greater Magic Fang to share with your companion just always stay within 30 ft. of it, and Mass Lesser Vigor. There are other good spells to use, but those are a good place to start, many of those are in the Spell Compendium. Note that Produce Flame can be used as either a ranged attack or to add fire damage to each of your natural weapons in animal form. Summon Nature's Ally 2 or 3 is also useful, stick to Wolverines and Lions.

Book Wyrm
2009-05-09, 08:39 AM
Swift Wild Shape from Complete Champion lets you wildshape as a swift action. You only need 13 dexterity and you already have Fast Wild Shape. I'd give up the Cheetah Feat. If its the feat I'm thinking of, you probably have to use a wildshape to activate it. Better to just turn into a cheetah, or better yet an eagle or something.

As for Prestige Classes go, Master of Many Forms is good if you only want to wildshape, but by the looks of your party there isn't that much magic there, so I'd stick to classes that increase your caster level. Straight druid is fantastic by itself.

I'd drop the ranks in Ride unless you plan to ride you animal companion. Not sure what Know(Tribal) is though. If your DM has a purpose for it, keep it, otherwise put the ranks towards something else. Max out Spot and Listen, then Survival.

Otherwise your doing a good job so far. Druids are a fun and powerful class.

Zergrusheddie
2009-05-09, 09:19 AM
Planar Shepherd is a great Prestige that is probably overpowered: Full casting progression, full Animal companion progression, full Wildshape progression, and gains some very nasty abilities. One of the nastiest ones is worshiping the Realm of Fire and turning into an Efreeti for 3 Wishes per casting of Wildshape. However, pull that stunt and your DM will likely pull a "rocks fall" on you.

Fleshrakers are amazing. If you can, swap out the bear for one. Pounce, Trip, Pin, Rake, and Poison makes them nasty. He should be able to kill anyone that can't cope with the Grapple Checks and Poison Saves. Remember that the Poison can auto-kill people because they become helpless and adding in Venomfire makes things really nasty.

Companion Spellbond is a great feat considering that buffs fade when you get too far away from your pet, so increasing that distance 6 times over is extremely handy. If your DM lets you reduce the modifier on having Advanced Animals, Natural Bond is also nice. Keep Natural Spell; every Druid should have it.

Best of luck
-Eddie

grinner666
2009-05-09, 09:44 AM
Druids are probably the best summoners in the game . . . certainly the monsters they can summon have better HD than any other spellcaster. I would go with SF: Conjuration and Augment Summoning at 1st level. Though SF: Conjuration is really only useful against undead (the various Cure Wounds spells are about the only conjuration spells Druids have that even allow saving throw), Augment Summoning is useful at every level, and it improves a druid's Summoned creatures from extraordinary to awesome.

Ashbound is also an excellent feat if the DM allows it in a non-Eberron setting (or if you happen to be in Eberron; you didn't say). I could easily see taking this at level 3, or taking this at 1st and waiting until level 3 to take Augment Summoning; the extra duration on Summoning spells is probably worth more at lower levels, though you've already passed the level where this will matter (i.e you can take both by 7th level, not the extra duration from Ashbound is worthless; that'll never be true). :smallsmile:

Natural Bond is definitely worthwhile at level 3 if you can't take Ashbound; personally I think it slightly more worthwhile than Companion Spellbond, but only slightly. Then take Natural Spell at 6th level unless you prefer to start enchanting items for yourself or the party, in which case I'd take Craft Wondrous Item; there's a lot a druid can do with that feat. :smallbiggrin:

Ignore the advice about increasing your Con at 4th level; +2 HP per level is plenty; you want to add to Wis until it's as godlike as you can get it, for the extra spells and bonuses to Save DC.

As to skills, Spot and Listen are your best friends, and combined with your high Wis and alternate forms will make you an awesome scout.

Personally I like taking the Druid all the way to level 20; I've never seen much reason to multiclass it (well, I did have this half-orc Druid/Barbarian once; he was pretty awesome :smallwink:). Any class that combines full spellcasting power with a new or improved class ability at every level is A-OK in my book.

:smallbiggrin: