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View Full Version : Drow Druid Vs. Verminkeeper



Jorda75
2010-06-21, 03:26 PM
I'm playing in a Drow campaign soon and am hoping to play a druid, I find the concept of wild shaping into a spider to fit perfectly with the Drow mindset. My problem is I'm having a hard time deciding what path I should take to reach this goal, starting at level 6 so I can basically just start to access the abilities of either path, but I was hoping for some advice on which you all feel is better/more effecient.

Path A - Take the Drow Druid alternate class feature from Drow of the Underdark as well as 2 feats that allow me to select Monstrous Spiders as my animal companions.

Pros - Faster access to spider animal companions, faster access to more advanced (larger and smaller) spider forms, wider variety of spider animal companions (ie. Spitting Spider, ect. from DotU)

Cons - Two feats required to gain spider animal companion, fewer overall class features relating to spider/vermin in long haul, weaker animal companion in end game (I could be wrong about this one), no loss of elemental/plant wild shapes.

Path B - Take level in the Verminkeeper PRC from Underdark that gets full spell progression as well as vermin shape and a vermin animal companion.

Pros - More powerful animal companion (I believe anyways, the sidebar for the vermin companion seems better than the standard druid animal companion), more vermin related abilities, extra wild shape feats at levels 4 and 6, full spell progession, more variety in wild shape forms (all vermin and at level 10 swarm shape as opposed to just spiders)

Cons - Slower access to vermin companion/vermin wild shape forms (vermin companion at PRC level 3), Iron Will feat required for entry, loss of elemental and plant wild shapes (basically since I will lose so many levels in standard druid).

I've been going back and forth between the two for some time and was wondering if anyone who has played a Drow druid or a vermin keeper or both could give me any advice, or if just anyone with a better eye for min/maxing can give me some hints. Thanks in advance to anyone who can lend a hand :roach:

Darrin
2010-06-21, 04:37 PM
There may be other options.

Cityscape Web Enhancement (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a), Cityshape ACF allows you to wildshape into vermin.

What's Bugging You? Part IV (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20040705a) has rules for vermin companions.

Jorda75
2010-06-21, 05:00 PM
I'm hoping I can use both of those but I don't know the DM personally so I'm not sure if he'll allow web content. Thanks for the advice though :)