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Kalaska'Agathas
2010-11-25, 02:39 PM
So, I'm building a Druid/Planar Shepherd and the DM has informed me that I may have up to 3 LA for free. My race is Human (LA +0) and I'm already taking Unseelie Fey (LA +0) and Divine Minion (LA +1) so I have 2 free LA to play with. What else should I look at? I'd prefer something that gives stat bonuses, if possible, though I'd be willing to look into other abilities. I'm also considering the Shadow Creature template, so you can use that as a minimum power level (if such things can be quantified, which is difficult with templates).

So, playgrounders, any ideas?

WinWin
2010-11-25, 02:51 PM
Woodling

Phrenic

Half Fey

Alternatively, A Savage (+1) Githzerai (+2) could make for an interesting planar duid. +4 strength, dexterity and wisdom, +2 constitution.

Some of the bonuses from the feral template are thought not to stack with class hit dice...But may very well effect the abilities of a Wild Shape form depending on your DM, due to polymorphing into a form that would possess monstrous hit dice. All depends which version of the Polymoprh Errata your campaign adheres to and whether base racial characteristics are retained in a new form or not.

Kalaska'Agathas
2010-11-25, 03:24 PM
I was looking at Feral, actually, but I'm not sure I like it for this build. He's supposed to be cultured (in a Fey sort of way) and Feral would directly contradict that. Phrenic doesn't work because the campaign world doesn't support Psionics. Where is Half-Fey located?

PersonMan
2010-11-25, 03:40 PM
It may have been reprinted, but there's one in the Fiend Folio.

Kalaska'Agathas
2010-11-25, 04:47 PM
Alright, I'll check that out. Any other ideas?

Theodoriph
2010-11-25, 05:04 PM
A half-doppelganger would go well with a druid's flavour.

+2 Bluff, Disguise
Alertness
Immune to Sleep and Charm effects
Wis +2

Alternate Forms - Pick 3 alternate forms which may be of medium or small-sized humanoid race (and either gender). Once chosen they cannot be changed. This ability is like the 9th level spell Alter Self. You can switch between forms as a standard action and can remain in a form for an unlimited duration.

Empathy, at will - Able to detect the emotions of an intelligent creature within close range (Will Neg., No SR) Save is charisma based. Gain a +2 compentence bonus on all charisma based checks made against a creature whose emotions are being monitored.

Level Adjustment +2

Kalaska'Agathas
2010-11-25, 05:10 PM
Hmm, that seems like something to look into. What book is that in?

Theodoriph
2010-11-25, 05:12 PM
Hmm, that seems like something to look into. What book is that in?

I was just looking here:

http://www.crystalkeep.com/d20/rules/DnD3.5Index-Templates.pdf

The books are in brackets under the template description. Some templates don't have level adjustments listed (e.g. half-golems) so you'd need to talk to your DM...though not sure why a druid would want to be a half-golem, so it doesn't really apply :D At the end of the document you'll find a list of the sourcebooks whose templates are included in the file.

Kalaska'Agathas
2010-11-25, 05:15 PM
I don't have access to Dragon 313, so that's out then.

nedz
2010-11-25, 07:15 PM
Half-Fey can be found here http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040213a (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040213a)

Kalaska'Agathas
2010-11-25, 07:33 PM
I still don't think that offers bonuses beyond what I'd get from Shadow Creature. And my Con would take a hit, which would be problematic. Beyond that, I'm already Unseelie Fey, so being even more fey seems unnecessary to me.

Warlawk
2010-11-25, 07:54 PM
The saint template is pretty crazy and has very nice stat bonuses.

Kalaska'Agathas
2010-11-25, 11:41 PM
We're not at 6th level yet, is the issue. I don't know if the DM would be open to it, in any case, but I'll ask him.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2010-11-26, 12:29 AM
Shadow Creature is hard to beat. You retain all the special qualities you gain from it when Wild Shaped, and Fast Healing and Shadow Blend alone would be worth taking it over most other choices. Keep in mind that your Divine Minion Wild Shape is usable at will and as a free action, and that you heal as though you rested for a night with every use. You can Wild Shape into the same creature every round, so that's basically like Fast Healing equal to your character level anyway but it's extremely cheesy.

Phrenic and Half-Fey each give you some useful spell/psi-like abilities and mental ability score bonuses. With either of those I'd go with a base race which can take the feat Magic in the Blood from PGtF, so all the 1/day abilities become 3/day, assuming transparency allows it to work for Phrenic. In that case Quicken Spell-Like Ability would become extremely useful, and Maximize Spell-Like Ability would be worth taking for Mind Thrust. It just depends on what you want the character to do, whether passive bonuses like Shadow Creature gives, or more options for what abilities to use.

faceroll
2010-11-26, 05:33 AM
Half-minotaur.
Get scent, track, +2 wisdom, +12 str (meh when you got wildshape), +6 con, -2 int, -2 dex. And some other bonuses. From a dragon magazine. Also on crystal keep.

LA+1

darbythegambler
2010-11-26, 06:42 AM
may have been mentioned already, but if you're a good guy, go for Saint from BoED

Gnaritas
2010-11-26, 07:39 AM
may have been mentioned already, but if you're a good guy, go for Saint from BoED

He has the Unseelie Fey template...

Kalaska'Agathas
2010-11-26, 02:08 PM
Shadow Creature is hard to beat. You retain all the special qualities you gain from it when Wild Shaped, and Fast Healing and Shadow Blend alone would be worth taking it over most other choices. Keep in mind that your Divine Minion Wild Shape is usable at will and as a free action, and that you heal as though you rested for a night with every use. You can Wild Shape into the same creature every round, so that's basically like Fast Healing equal to your character level anyway but it's extremely cheesy.

Phrenic and Half-Fey each give you some useful spell/psi-like abilities and mental ability score bonuses. With either of those I'd go with a base race which can take the feat Magic in the Blood from PGtF, so all the 1/day abilities become 3/day, assuming transparency allows it to work for Phrenic. In that case Quicken Spell-Like Ability would become extremely useful, and Maximize Spell-Like Ability would be worth taking for Mind Thrust. It just depends on what you want the character to do, whether passive bonuses like Shadow Creature gives, or more options for what abilities to use.

I'm looking more for passive bonuses, as I've got plenty for the character to use his actions on already.


He has the Unseelie Fey template...

The DM is allowing me to be non-evil in alignment.

Re'ozul
2010-11-26, 05:11 PM
I can only heartily agree with Half-Fey: Flight and at-will charm person are simply very very useful.

Draconic (+1) is nice too if you like things like that.

For Fun: Half-Nymph (+2), so beautiful it makes people shake.

Half Minotaur (+1): (If you wanna go large)

Celestial creature (+2) for scaling DR/magic and resistances
Fiendish creature : same

(all from the previously mentioned list)

Gnaritas
2010-11-26, 05:19 PM
The DM is allowing me to be non-evil in alignment.

There is a big difference between being non-evil and being able to take the saint-template.
If any of my players would bring a character with both templates on it to the table i would rip his character-sheet apart, are you playing a roleplaying game or a number-crunching game?

Then again, there will be no Saint or Planar Shepherd in my games anymore anyway.

Kalaska'Agathas
2010-11-26, 05:23 PM
I'm playing a roleplaying game. I just happen to enjoy optimizing my characters - I find it leads to better roleplay (as my characters are capable of what I want them to be capable of). I don't think the Saint Template would work for this character however, for a number of reasons (not least of which is that we're not yet 6th level, therefore I don't qualify regardless).

Salanmander
2010-11-26, 09:57 PM
I know you said you only have +2 to work with still, but Woodling really may be worth considering, as it gives you +lots natural armor and /plant traits/, which gives you immunity to...lots of things. Stunning and critical hits (and therefore sneak attack) are some of the stars.

Kalaska'Agathas
2010-11-26, 10:54 PM
Woodling's in the MMIII right? I'll check it out.