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Thajocoth
2010-06-01, 04:04 PM
Hey, I've got a Swarm Druid who's about to hit level 22. I'm not seeing any good Utility choices...

One thing to note about my character is that while in Beast Form:
* I reduce melee/ranged damage dealt to me by 7 (con mod)
* +1 Fort
* +1 Will
* +3 Speed
* Large Size
* +2 damage
* +5 perception
* Aura 5 - Bright light that gives +2 (untyped) to all ally saves
* Regeneration 9 while bloodied (2+con mod)
* My Melee Basic (Grasping Claws) is vs Reflex and immobilizes on a hit (and I have +2 to AoOs).

While out of Beast Form, I have:
* Open to a wide variety of getting punched in the face.
* 2 Utility powers (Barkskin and Rebuking Thorns)
* I can no longer flank (I don't have a weapon out, because I'd drop it when switching forms.)

While switching forms, I get:
* Free action instead of a minor, still only usable 1/my turn
* Shift 1 square
* -> Humanoid, an adjacent enemy (before or after shift) has -2 to attack me for a round
* -> Beast Form, gain 12 temphp (5+con mod)

So I don't really leave Beast Form unless I have to. (To throw a Flame Seed, use a Wondrous Item, or use one of those two Utilities, all of which I almost never do, because it's very rarely worth it.)

Some powers I'm looking at:
(Daily 22) Fey Circles - Close Burst 20, Cannot use in beast form - Minor - I create 8 circles in unoccupied squares. I or my allies can teleport from one circle to another, but the two circles they moved between both vanish after the movement. (It looks like it's 1 square of movement to do so. Not really clarified.)

(Daily 16) Dryad's Trees - Close Burst 20, Cannot use in beast form - Minor - I create 2 trees in the burst that occupy 1 square each. When adjacent to either tree, I or my allies can spend a move action to teleport adjacent to the other tree.

(Daily 16) Feral Recovery - Close Burst 2, Cannot use in beast form - Minor - I and allies in the burst can make a save against an effect with a +5 power bonus if it's a charm, fear or illusion effect.

(Daily 16) Primal Restoration - Close Burst 2, Cannot use in beast form - Standard - I and allies in the burst can spend a surge to either regain hp or remove a savable effect.

(Daily 10) Animal Shapes - Close Burst 5, Cannot use in beast form - Standard - I and allies in the burst become tiny creatures, like beetles, kittens & spiders, gaining a +5 power bonus to stealth and a +2 power bonus to AC & Ref. We can't attack or manipulate objects while in these forms. Each target can end the effect as a minor. Sustain minor for myself and allies within 5.

(Daily 10) Goodberry - At the beginning of the day, I make 4 goodberries that last the day (which I'd give one to each of you). When consumed by a creature, they gain 5hp, make a save or gain 5 temphp.

(Encounter 10) Swarm Swap - Interrupt when I'm targeted by a close or area attack - I swap places with an adjacent target. (I've never actually been in a situation where I'd be able to use this...)

(Encounter 6) Camouflage Cloak - Range 5 - I or an ally (usually the party's Ranger, most likely. He has something where if he starts a turn with total concealment, he stays invisible until he moves, or something like that.), Cannot use in beast form - Target becomes invisible until either they move or until the end of my next turn.

The Utilities I already have are Phantom Beast (Encounter 16), Armor of the Wild, Rebuking Thorns & Barkskin.

Yakk
2010-06-01, 04:59 PM
Most rounds you should be switching forms. Twice even.

This costs 1 minor action, grants you temporary HP and a -2 penalty to one adjacent enemies attacks.

What this means is that standard/move action powers that require human form are not a problem. You just shift to human, use it, then shift back.

Thajocoth
2010-06-01, 05:05 PM
Most rounds you should be switching forms. Twice even.

This costs 1 minor action, grants you temporary HP and a -2 penalty to one adjacent enemies attacks.

What this means is that standard/move action powers that require human form are not a problem. You just shift to human, use it, then shift back.

I can still only switch 1/round (it's just a free instead of a minor due to a feat*). This means every other round getting the worst of attacks against me. My AC & Reflex are "You hit", so even with the -2 to one enemy's attacks on my that round, I'm still gonna get pretty beat up for leaving my swarm shape. (33 AC, 34/35 Fort, 28 Ref, 35/36 Will at level 22)

Last session, in one of the 4 fights we had, I switched to humanoid form for 1 round, and took more damage during that round than I did through the rest of the session combined. That's the general trend when I switch, so switching is only for when I'm too far away or I need to hit an "Oh, crap!" button for somebody.

*I'm actually thinking now that perhaps I should retrain this feat instead of Toughness at this level...