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Thrawn183
2009-07-24, 03:42 PM
Would you play a druid with a starting 8 in every stat?

Honestly, I think I would, and would even enjoy myself.

Pharaoh's Fist
2009-07-24, 03:42 PM
You'd certainly be more effective than several other character concepts I could think of...

RS14
2009-07-24, 03:45 PM
At a starting level of at least six, yes.

Signmaker
2009-07-24, 03:45 PM
Sure. Still got an animal companion that rivals a low-level fighter.

Fenix_of_Doom
2009-07-24, 03:45 PM
Would you play a druid with a starting 8 in every stat?

Honestly, I think I would, and would even enjoy myself.

I'd play an anthropomorphiccheese animal, it wouldn't completely miss the point but it would allow you to function as healer/battlefield control at low levels and if you want you can still wild shape at higher levels, it's a pity about the skill points but you'll live.

Moriato
2009-07-24, 03:46 PM
No, but only because I'm much more interested in the spellcasting side of druids, and I largely ignore whildshape except for flavor and rp uses. So 8 wis would just not do for me.

only1doug
2009-07-24, 03:53 PM
If I had to play a character with 8's in all stats then druid would be the logical choice.

grautry
2009-07-24, 04:01 PM
I'd play an antromorphiccheese animal, it wouldn't completely miss the point but it would allow you to function as healer/battlefield control at low levels and if you want you can still wild shape at higher levels, it's a pity about the skill points but you'll live.

^ Pretty much that.

If a DM gave me insanity like 8 in every stat then I'd respond with the insanity of antropomorphic bat(or maybe a Hawk/Owl if LA buyoff was possible). That would give me 14 in Wisdom which is a respectable score and after level 5 the Strength penalty wouldn't really matter..

woodenbandman
2009-07-24, 08:07 PM
Hey, as long as I can start with at LEAST a periapt of wisdom + 4, I wouldn't complain too hard. though I gotta say, wildshape combat would be rough as heck if I had an 8 con.

AstralFire
2009-07-24, 08:53 PM
No, because I hate shapeshifting as a method of combat.

You could talk me into playing a straight 8 Rogue or Monk, though. (When no one can TWF... or Power Attack... Flurry of hope I get a Nat 20 might actually be halfway decent...)

EDIT: Rogue or Swordsage, I think I would do.

Elfin
2009-07-24, 08:57 PM
No, absolutely not. Negative ability modifiers drive me crazy...the thought of six of them makes me shudder, no matter what the class. :smalleek:

Quietus
2009-07-24, 08:58 PM
Yes, but only if everyone in the party were similarly handicapped, and I knew the DM was going somewhere with it. If he was doing it for the lulz, I'd say no. I'm all for doing wacky things sometimes, so long as there's a good reason for it.

erikun
2009-07-24, 10:20 PM
No, because I wouldn't want to play a spellcaster who doesn't cast spells. :smallannoyed:

I'm with AstralFire though - I'd play a Rogue with straight 8 stats, as it doesn't has class abilities which get deactivated with such penalities.

aje8
2009-07-24, 10:35 PM
Yes...

Dragonborn of Bahamut Anthormorphic Bat= +6 Wis +2 Con which gives me decent hp and 14 Wis allowing up to 4th level spells. From there, using the 4th and 8th level stat ups gets Wis to 16, and buy an item of +2 Wisdom should get you to at the very least level 12 where you get the next stat-up allowing you to cast 9th level spells.

Sweet.......

Also, even without that kinda cheaty stuff, you still have a Fleshraker animla companion plus Wildshape so should work fine.

wykydtron
2009-07-24, 10:41 PM
Yeah, I'd be down with an all 8 druid. Sounds like fun and I've played lower abilities.:smallwink:

Leon
2009-07-24, 10:48 PM
No, but only because I'm much more interested in the spellcasting side of druids, and I largely ignore whildshape except for flavor and rp uses. So 8 wis would just not do for me.

This is my line of thought too with the exception that i don't just ignore WS i remove it for another feature

Lycanthromancer
2009-07-24, 10:55 PM
I could do it well enough with a few racial and age bonuses (and at early-mid levels and later, magic items).

Druids still punt keister, even when dancing the All-Eight Shuffle.

Captain Six
2009-07-24, 11:10 PM
If it came down to straight 8's I think a Warlock is the best choice. They don't actually NEED charisma, dexterity is their most important attribute in my mind. Take halfling for +1 attack bonus from size and +2 dexterity and you're set, Ranged Touch Attacks don't need to much to hit most of the time.

John Campbell
2009-07-24, 11:36 PM
I wouldn't, but only because I hate Druids in general.

And it's not like a Druid with straight-8s isn't still broken.

I'd play a Monk with straight-8s.

Actually, that'd be a lot of fun. If I didn't already have a developed character ready for our upcoming game, I might ask the DM if he'd waive the usual point value and let me play a 0-point-buy Monk.

Pharaoh's Fist
2009-07-25, 02:44 AM
What would you do as a 0 pb monk?

PId6
2009-07-25, 02:50 AM
What would you do as a 0 pb monk?
The same thing you'd do with a 40-point buy monk of course: absolutely nothing.

Adumbration
2009-07-25, 03:29 AM
The same thing you'd do with a 40-point buy monk of course: absolutely nothing.

There is one way for which I make an exception: Yak folk Monk/Fist of the forest. I simply love that combination, even though it's only suitable for 10+ games.

Salt_Crow
2009-07-25, 03:39 AM
There is one way for which I make an exception: Yak folk Monk/Fist of the forest. I simply love that combination, even though it's only suitable for 10+ games.

Pardon me, but what's so great about Yak folks? I know it can do some sort of possession and other things, but I don't see how it would work out with making Monk more enjoyable. Of course, if it's just a personal preference I have no qualms about that, but I'm quite curious.

Adumbration
2009-07-25, 04:02 AM
Pardon me, but what's so great about Yak folks? I know it can do some sort of possession and other things, but I don't see how it would work out with making Monk more enjoyable. Of course, if it's just a personal preference I have no qualms about that, but I'm quite curious.

The stats are quite extraordinary: +8 to Str, +4 or more to most other stats. It has half-decent HD, with Use Magic Device as a class skill. It has a personal Janni slave. It can use magical staffs freely. It is Large, which gives a monk quite a many additional options, including Awesome blow.

Basically, it works for me so well becouse you can get away with just a few monk levels - say 2 would be most optimal - and then prestige class away to Fist of the Forest or some other good monk prestige class. Yes, there are such.

That's about all I can think of.

Eloel
2009-07-25, 04:08 AM
Just to ask, what do you think of the variant druid that gets +3 to Animal Companion as per Natural Bond, that stacks with the feat, in expense of Wildshape? IMO, that, Natural Bond + a single level of Beastmaster could go a long way without stats. That's basically a Megaraptor with full Druid-level benefits. That's about as powerful as a ToB character.

Salt_Crow
2009-07-25, 04:24 AM
Just to ask, what do you think of the variant druid that gets +3 to Animal Companion as per Natural Bond, that stacks with the feat, in expense of Wildshape? IMO, that, Natural Bond + a single level of Beastmaster could go a long way without stats. That's basically a Megaraptor with full Druid-level benefits. That's about as powerful as a ToB character.

I doubt it'd be as powerful as a Tome of Cheese character. If you really want to focus on the companion, going with Supermount/Ubermount build would be even better too.

Of course, the companion would definitely be more powerful than a straight fighter for sure, but ToB... nay.

Edit: that reminds me, I think ToB characters would fare better than many other melee classes.

John Campbell
2009-07-25, 06:46 AM
What would you do as a 0 pb monk?

Role-play.

How much fun a character is to play is entirely unrelated to how much of it is made of molded cheez-whiz.

The Rose Dragon
2009-07-25, 08:09 AM
Role-play.

How much fun a character is to play is entirely unrelated to how much of it is made of molded cheez-whiz.

Yes, but you'd probably die in the first combat that comes around. And being dead puts a damper on your roleplaying capability.

Elderac
2009-07-25, 08:25 AM
In general, I would not play any character that was that handicapped. Part of the conceit of RPG's is that the characters are a cut above the average person in the world/universe.

Now, if it was part of the GM's design for the campaign, and he or she was providing ways of increasing the ability scores as the party adventured (other than the +1 you get every 4 levels), I would consider it.

It would be an interesting campaign where a GM would start the party as average people and let them use their experience points to gain, one by one, the abilities a first level character would have. That way the player gets to experience what his hor her character has gone through to reach that above average point.

Of course, the GM would have to do quite a bit of groundwork to determine the point cost of various abilities and be very careful with any combat. I think if I were ever to do this, I would probably start by browsing through Unearthed Arcana for ideas.

AstralFire
2009-07-25, 08:27 AM
Role-play.

How much fun a character is to play is entirely unrelated to how much of it is made of molded cheez-whiz.

Depends on the person. I get about 50/50 enjoyment from RP and mechanics.

But I might play a 0 PB monk. Flurry-of-hope-for-a-Nat-20!

McBish
2009-07-25, 09:02 AM
Just to ask, what do you think of the variant druid that gets +3 to Animal Companion as per Natural Bond, that stacks with the feat, in expense of Wildshape? IMO, that, Natural Bond + a single level of Beastmaster could go a long way without stats. That's basically a Megaraptor with full Druid-level benefits. That's about as powerful as a ToB character.

Hey where is Natural Bond, and or this variant? Just wondering.

Leon
2009-07-25, 09:39 AM
Natural Bond is a Feat in Complete Adventurer

Sstoopidtallkid
2009-07-25, 12:57 PM
Depends on the person. I get about 50/50 enjoyment from RP and mechanics.

But I might play a 0 PB monk. Flurry-of-hope-for-a-Nat-20!Someone made a thread a month or so ago on all the things you could do that are balanced by a penalty to AB. Toss on a few of them, and you're looking at needing a nat-20 to-hit. Toss on a few more, and you're still looking at needing a nat-20 to-hit. Power Attack, Imp Combat Expertise, Exotic Weapon, Whirling Frenzy, Snap Kick, TWF, Flurry of Blows, they ended up with about 15 attacks per round. Not quite enough, but you could probably go further in the same vein and do pretty well.