Building a 3.5 druid and could use some advice.

[0datdude0]

Hi all I'm bulding a druid to do a bit of melee damage and I could use a few
ideas. The plan is to go natures warrior with a one level dip into war shaper for the immunities and the better natural weapons. I need ideas on feats spells and equipment to get the most out of this from here on out.

druid level 6

str 12
dex 16
con 20 ( dont ask )
int 14
wis 18
cha 14

feats so far

feats

Improved inish ( human feat )

Improved toughness

track ( needed it for natures warrior starting next level )

Fey skin *

* I talked the DM into letting me swap out the resist natures lure ability for fey heritage so I could take fey skin for the DR cold iron. Bad guys with DR cold iron are all over the campaign and breaking that is a huge plus.

Suggestions for spell combos, feats and equipment ?

[Kylarra]

Natural spell.

[Yuki Akuma]

Drop Improved Toughness and take Natural Spell.

In fact, drop Improved Initiative too.

[0datdude0]

couldn't take natural spell till 6 because i couldn't wild shape till then. I'd have taken it at 6 but I wasn't kidding about the amount of bad guys with dr cold iron in this game

[jindra34]

Only thing i would advise is dropping improved init. for natural spell. Its good enough that if you ever think you might use wild shape ever you should take it as soon as possible (namely level 6).

[0datdude0]

Improved inish is the human feat I lose access to it when I wildshape. Also their aren't any psionics around for me to get reformation.

[Yuki Akuma]

Improved inish is the human feat I lose access to it when I wildshape.

Er... What? No you don't.

[Radiun]

Dire Bat
Natural Bond (ask DM first)

The Bat should learn Improved Grapple.

It won't be an offensive powerhouse, but it's defenses (all saves and AC) will be great and it should be able to grapple annoying casters in midair. (My DM's casters have a nasty habit of being blasters who don't use Freedom of Movement or Dimension Door)

[0datdude0]

When you wild shape you loose racial abilities. Dwarves and half orcs loose dark vision, humans loose the feat. If Im wrong please give me books and page numbers so I can show my GM.

[Kylarra]

Just look at it?

At 5th level, a druid gains the ability to turn herself into any Small or Medium animal and back again once per day. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the alternate form special ability, except as noted here.


Alternate Form

A creature with this special quality has the ability to assume one or more specific alternate forms. A true seeing spell or ability reveals the creature’s natural form. A creature using alternate form reverts to its natural form when killed, but separated body parts retain their shape. A creature cannot use alternate form to take the form of a creature with a template. Assuming an alternate form results in the following changes to the creature:

* The creature retains the type and subtype of its original form. It gains the size of its new form. If the new form has the aquatic subtype, the creature gains that subtype as well.
* The creature loses the natural weapons, natural armor, and movement modes of its original form, as well as any extraordinary special attacks of its original form not derived from class levels (such as the barbarian’s rage class feature).
* The creature gains the natural weapons, natural armor, movement modes, and extraordinary special attacks of its new form.
* The creature retains the special qualities of its original form. It does not gain any special qualities of its new form.
* The creature retains the spell-like abilities and supernatural attacks of its old form (except for breath weapons and gaze attacks). It does not gain the spell-like abilities or attacks of its new form.
* The creature gains the physical ability scores (Str, Dex, Con) of its new form. It retains the mental ability scores (Int, Wis, Cha) of its original form. Apply any changed physical ability score modifiers in all appropriate areas with one exception: the creature retains the hit points of its original form despite any change to its Constitution.
* The creature retains its hit points and save bonuses, although its save modifiers may change due to a change in ability scores.
* Except as described elsewhere, the creature retains all other game statistics of its original form, including (but not necessarily limited to) HD, hit points, skill ranks, feats, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses.
* The creature retains any spellcasting ability it had in its original form, although it must be able to speak intelligibly to cast spells with verbal components and it must have humanlike hands to cast spells with somatic components.
* The creature is effectively camouflaged as a creature of its new form, and it gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks if it uses this ability to create a disguise.
* Any gear worn or carried by the creature that can’t be worn or carried in its new form instead falls to the ground in its space. If the creature changes size, any gear it wears or carries that can be worn or carried in its new form changes size to match the new size. (Nonhumanoid-shaped creatures can’t wear armor designed for humanoid-shaped creatures, and vice versa.) Gear returns to normal size if dropped.

[Tyndmyr]

Improved inish is the human feat I lose access to it when I wildshape. Also their aren't any psionics around for me to get reformation.

Reformation? Do it when you level, as per retraining rules in Phb2.

Improved grapple and natural spell is good advice. Go with that.

Im not sure how you getting DR/cold iron helps you break the DR of others...did I miss something in the feat?

Equipment...wilding clasps. One per gear item, so they work while shifted. Get the items of your choice by slot, then put the mental stat boosters on them per the MiC rules. If you don't really have a clue what you want from your items, use the Rainment of Four and/or the seven veils. immunities, resistances, etc are cool.

Consider armor, with the appropriate enchant so it works while shifted.

[Another_Poet]

You don't lose the feat.



This ability functions like the alternate form special ability, except as noted here.
citation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/druid.htm#wildShape)

and


The creature loses the natural weapons, natural armor, and movement modes of its original form, as well as any extraordinary special attacks of its original form not derived from class levels (such as the barbarian’s rage class feature).
...
Except as described elsewhere, the creature retains all other game statistics of its original form, including (but not necessarily limited to) HD, hit points, skill ranks, feats, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses. citation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#alternateForm)

Ask your DM if this "lose your racial feats" thing is a house rule. If not, show him the rule.

Take your Fey Skin thing at 1st level as your human feat (if you were born with fey heritage it makes more sense to have it at the beginning) and take Natural Spell at 6th level.

I second the call to lose Improved Initiative (this has no special benefit since unlike a rogue you have no class abilities that rely on going first; it's generally a weak feat) and Improved Toughness (you already have a Con score through the roof).

Replace one of them with Natural Spell. For the other, consider Augment Summoning. Right now you have low Str in your natural form and archer builds are crap without the feats, so you may be relying on summoned beasties to make a combat contribution a lot of the time. Having Augment Summoning can be nice.

Alternately, consider metamagic. Or Wild Cohort (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a) to gain another animal friend.

[Draz74]

Meh ... Augment Summoning isn't really worth it unless you're playing Core-only, especially because it has Spell Focus as a prereq.

And Improved Initiative and Improved Toughness certainly aren't bad feats. Not as good as Natural Spell, of course. But not so bad that dropping them is a huge priority.

On the other hand, Improved Toughness seems kind of superfluous with 20 CON. So I guess all I'm saying is that you don't necessarily have to drop Improved Initiative. You should still drop Improved Toughness and re-order your feats to pick up Natural Spell.

[0datdude0]

The point of the 20 con improved toughness is just me being paranoid I like hit points and we have a frenzied berserker in the group as of next level. I'm the only one that will be able to spank his ass into place by wilding shaping into something god awful / and or giving him a horrible disease. Either way I need to live long enough to hurt him.

I'll look into the feat thing mentioned above come next game session.

[Pluto]

On the other hand, Improved Toughness seems kind of superfluous with 20 CON. So I guess all I'm saying is that you don't necessarily have to drop Improved Initiative. You should still drop Improved Toughness and re-order your feats to pick up Natural Spell.
I agree with this.

Improved Toughness will let you survive maybe a third of a hit more than you would otherwise. [edit:] Much less than that if you're worried about dealing with a Frenzied Berserker.

And Improved Initiative is made of sunshine, rainbows and battles that resolve before they start.

Also, Alter Self sounds absolutely fantastic for non-humans in your games.

[0datdude0]

Did I mention said perspective berserker decided to be clever and get their using paragon and rogue levels not barbarian. He's lacking in the HP and base attack department. Crit / sneak immunity from warshaper will cut his damage down.

The improved grapple idea sounds great for the large dire animals later on.

[Darrin]

For the FB, consider "Path of Frost" in Dragon Magic. Grease/ice slick for druids. Also, marbles (A&EG, p. 24) only cost 2 SP per bag, 5' x 5' non-magical grease.

The FB autofails any Balance checks.

[0datdude0]

I think FB only auto fail int based stuff.

Edit also my GM wouldn't go for me keeping the human feat while shifted saying shape changing it to powerful.

So I hit level 7 I've got one level of nature's warrior and taken then wild growth power to get faster healing of a 1. We are a bit limited on healing magic and just hanging out in animal form for a minute or two to heal up full comes in really handy. The other two natures augments are probably going to be armor of the crocodile ( natural armor boost that stacks with barkskin ) and serpents coils ( grapple damage boots ).

Next two feats are going to be natural spell and improved grapple in that order.

Any other suggestions?

[sonofzeal]

Fey skin *

* I talked the DM into letting me swap out the resist natures lure ability for fey heritage so I could take fey skin for the DR cold iron. Bad guys with DR cold iron are all over the campaign and breaking that is a huge plus.

Er, I think you're misinterpretting it. "DR X / Cold Iron" is not damage reduction against Cold Iron, it's damage reduction bypassed by cold iron. If enemies have cold iron, it's worthless.

[Eloel]

Er, I think you're misinterpretting it. "DR X / Cold Iron" is not damage reduction against Cold Iron, it's damage reduction bypassed by cold iron. If enemies have cold iron, it's worthless.

Having DR/something gives you the ability to ignore enemies' DR/thatsamething

Maybe, just maybe, YOU are misinterpreting it?

[ShakeHandsMan]

Having DR/something gives you the ability to ignore enemies' DR/thatsamething

Maybe, just maybe, YOU are misinterpreting it?
If i have DR 5/silver, any damage that i take is reduced by 5 unless the damage was caused by a weapon made of silver. its pretty straight forward.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm

[Zaydos]

Having DR/something gives you the ability to ignore enemies' DR/thatsamething

Maybe, just maybe, YOU are misinterpreting it?

That was the traditional rule up to 3.5. In 3.5 they started specifying it when it worked, partially because demons and devils have DR X/good but it doesn't make sense for their attacks to deal good damage, partially because werewolves shouldn't do damage as if silver. RAW Fey Skin and Warlocks (which also get DR X/cold iron) don't grant the ability to bypass DR, but if your DM is allowing it anyway (and I'd feel obliged to tell him it's not RAW) then hey it's his choice.

[Another_Poet]

If i have DR 5/silver, any damage that i take is reduced by 5 unless the damage was caused by a weapon made of silver. its pretty straight forward.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm

This is absolutely correct.

DR/cold iron is useless against enemies wielding cold iron.

[hamishspence]

DR/magic, and DR/epic, as I recall, always apply- if you have DR/epic, you always overcome DR/epic with natural attacks.

Its not entirely clear, but I figure epic natural attacks count as magic as well, when a DR/epic creature attacks a creature with DR/magic.

[ShakeHandsMan]

DR/magic, and DR/epic, as I recall, always apply- if you have DR/epic, you always overcome DR/epic with natural attacks.

Its not entirely clear, but I figure epic natural attacks count as magic as well, when a DR/epic creature attacks a creature with DR/magic.

This is true, but only with natural weapons, and only with DR/magic and DR/epic, not with Cold Iron as was stated earlier.

[hamishspence]

Some creatures have both DR/adamantine and the ability to overcome DR/adamantine, but its not common.

I think the Leucrotta from Waterdeep anf the Adamantine Dragon from Dragon 321, are among them.

[Amphetryon]

The point of the 20 con improved toughness is just me being paranoid I like hit points and we have a frenzied berserker in the group as of next level. I'm the only one that will be able to spank his ass into place by wilding shaping into something god awful / and or giving him a horrible disease. Either way I need to live long enough to hurt him.
Someone in the party should be able to cast grease, even if it's from a wand. Similarly, someone in the party should be able to cast invisibility, even if it's from a wand. Grease under the FB should automatically make him fall prone as he cannot make Balance checks in a Frenzy without a houserule. Invisibility should remove the party from his view until he stops screaming about how he's gonna kill Bruce Banner unless he's got really unusual magic item choices for his level and class.

[0datdude0]

Everyone else can either out run him ( monk ) or plan to save themselves
( wizard ). I'm the onlyone willing to take him head on and tell him to sit down and shut the **** up or daddy will spank. Now of course I need to back up this smack talking with my druid.

Lack of will save spells much :)

This is why I've turned to the internet in hopes of refining my character.