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Forever Curious
2010-05-04, 07:31 AM
I'm planning on making a druid based on summoning/using Vermin exclusively. We're starting at level 5 (Wealth By Level), and I was considering the Child of Winter feats from the Ebberon Campaign setting.

Does the Playground have any advice on magic items, other feats, PrCs, etc?

Doc Roc
2010-05-04, 07:32 AM
Exclusively.... vermin. Man, that's a weird one. Ring of the Beast, complete champion. Hard to go wrong there, though it'll be a good while before you can buy it.

Forever Curious
2010-05-04, 07:37 AM
Exclusively.... vermin. Man, that's a weird one. Ring of the Beast, complete champion. Hard to go wrong there, though it'll be a good while before you can buy it.

It's mainly a flavor-thing: the campaign is in a cityscape, where vermin will be more prevelant then, say, bears. I was considering a wizard that uses acid and oozes exclusively, but it would be REALLY weak for most of the game.

Optimystik
2010-05-04, 07:39 AM
This is a cool idea.

Isn't there a "Vermin Keeper" PrC in Underdark? I don't have the book I'm afraid, so I have no idea how good it is.

Raging Gene Ray
2010-05-04, 08:15 AM
There's also the Vermin Lord from Book of Vile Darkness. Can't remember its exact abilities, but I do know you get a bonus to natural armor from all the vermin constantly crawling on your body.

There's also a Druid Variant from Dungeonscape, I think, that was somehow more Vermin oriented.

Last Laugh
2010-05-04, 08:26 AM
Drow can gain a Vermin companion.
*Checks books* Wow. Never mind, there is a prerequisite feat that allows you to use handle animal on vermin. Then you get to take the vermin companion feat. (This seems like a terrible idea. drow of the underdark 52.)

Spiderfriend Magic (same book) can be taken by anyone at all (no prereqs). It prevents any of your spells from hurting vermin allies. It might be useful for a summoning druid. (summon swarms of spiders and then start throwing lightning bolts wherever you like.)

Drow get all of the verminy goodies tho. (giant vermin, Armored vermin, much more)

Also Dridershape is a hilariously terrible spell, that transforms a Drow (you) into a Drider. I seem to recall there being some friction between the two, Something about failing Lolth?

Page 221 of Drow of the Underdark offers a Drow racial class. The base (unleveled) stats seem about as strong a LA+0 race. You could ask your DM to use that instead of the regular drow. (And they do get a lot of vermin goodies) orrrrr:
Half-Drow Traits (Ex)

* Medium size.
* A half-drow base land speed is 30 feet.
* +2 bonus to Will saves (by females) to resist divine spells, and supernatural abilities.
* +2 racial bonus on saving throws made to resist the effects of drow poison.
* Darkvision out to 60-feet.
* +1 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. A half-drow does not have the elf’s ability to notice secret doors simply by passing near them.
* +2 racial bonus on Intimidate and Survival checks.
* Drow-Elf Blood: For all effects related to race, a half-drow is considered a drow elf. Half-drow, for example, are just as vulnerable to special effects that affect an elf, or drow, as their drow ancestors are; and they can use magic items that are only usable by an elf, or the drow subrace.
* Light Sensitivity: Half-Drow are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
* Automatic Languages: Common, Elven, Undercommon. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
* Favored Class: Any.

Darrin
2010-05-04, 08:52 AM
This WotC article (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20040705a) has rules for Druids with vermin companions. No feats or PrCs required.

Dvandemon
2010-05-04, 08:55 AM
There's also the Vermin Lord from Book of Vile Darkness. Can't remember its exact abilities, but I do know you get a bonus to natural armor from all the vermin constantly crawling on your body.

There's also a Druid Variant from Dungeonscape, I think, that was somehow more Vermin oriented.
Yeah it was called Root Walker I think, you gain Vermin Empathy instead of Wild Empathy and can walk on unsteady stone terrain (I think)

Kobold-Bard
2010-05-04, 09:03 AM
Maybe take a Level of Warlock for Summon Swarm invocation. Not super useful, but unlimited Bug Summoning seems like a fun ability.

And because I love them I'll offer some homebrew for if you go Shapeshift Druid. DaTedinator has a Feat that lets you take vermin shape: Virulent Form (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78186), and The Demented One has the Battle Shifter PrC (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74521) that offers another version of a Vermin form.

Person_Man
2010-05-04, 09:28 AM
You might want to play an Entromanthrope (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20040621a) (were-vermin). The +2 LA (plus any racial HD) isn't horrible given all the benefits (stat boosts, alternate form, immunity to mind-effecting, DR, entry into Warshaper).

Vizzerdrix
2010-05-04, 12:57 PM
Waterdeep: City of Splendors has the watchspider in it. A Magical beast that is just a really big spider (medium size) that any druid can take. and they are city monsters, imported and trained as guard animals. Heck, if you play a small character you can ride the thing. :)

~LuckyBoneDice~
2010-05-04, 01:06 PM
Vermin Lord from BoVD? It's awesome pawsome...Or in this case, feelersome...

Forever Curious
2010-05-04, 01:11 PM
Vermin Lord from BoVD? It's awesome pawsome...Or in this case, feelersome...

Eh, looked at it, but don't especially like that it doesn't progress Druid abilities.

Thanks for the advice, everyone who has thus posted.

~LuckyBoneDice~
2010-05-04, 01:12 PM
Eh, looked at it, but don't especially like that it doesn't progress Druid abilities.

Thanks for the advice, everyone who has thus posted.

Eh? then ask your DM. Mine would waive that in this case, but I don't know your DM

Khorebh
2010-05-05, 03:10 PM
It's sort of setting-exclusive, but as I recall (And my memory is only about 65% reliable in this case,) there's a druid-ish class in Arcana Unearthed/Arcana Evolved from Malhavoc Press called the Greenbond, which has either a variant or a prestige class called the Darkbond. If you like I can dig up exact book references- I'm AFB right now, but later this evening I'll be able to provide citations.

If it IS a prestige class, by the way, I vaguely remember it having a blackguard-like level exchange mechanism. Sorry to be so vague, but checking GITP on a coffee break leads to a lot of unsupported statements.

hamishspence
2010-05-05, 03:21 PM
Waterdeep: City of Splendors has the watchspider in it. A Magical beast that is just a really big spider (medium size) that any druid can take. and they are city monsters, imported and trained as guard animals. Heck, if you play a small character you can ride the thing. :)

If you want a bigger one, the Steeder from Races of Faerun may qualify.

ScionoftheVoid
2010-05-05, 03:38 PM
There's a vermin-based Prestige Class in Savage Species (3.0 if memory serves, but that class doesn't have any compatibility issues IIRC). Allows you to gain a swarm form, which gives some potent resistances, and some Summon Swarm uses as an SLA or something. I haven't got the book at hand at the moment, and SS is apparently full of powerful options (Illithid Savant, Anthropomorphic Bat and Assume Supernatural Ability say "hi") though the PrCs looked rather sub-par on the whole to me. There's a PrC rating thread on these boards somewhere, if they've done SS I'm sure someone (maybe me if I can find it) will provide a link.

hamishspence
2010-05-05, 03:44 PM
There's a vermin-based Prestige Class in Savage Species (3.0 if memory serves, but that class doesn't have any compatibility issues IIRC).

yes- thanks to the fact that it's very late 3.0 "3.25" so to speak, even the skills match 3.5 ones: (Survival instead of Wilderness Lore),

and the character abilities that can be used to qualify for the PRC, fit 3.5: (Shapechanger Subtype as a possible qualifier, not Shapechanger Type, for example).

Vizzerdrix
2010-05-05, 04:00 PM
Hmm... I wonder if silk could be harvested from big spiders, what skills would be used and what use it would have?