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View Full Version : Optimize this! Shillelagh Druid



0tt3r
2010-12-19, 10:30 PM
I have always thought that shillelagh was a fantastic spell, so recently I decided to make a Shillelagh druid. I am playing it now, and it is a blast. It has a HUGE start up time to get good, but once he is going, he is very fun.

My first plan was Human Druidic Avenger4/Ftr16. Since Shillelagh does not affect magic items, I took Vow of Poverty to get around that. The plan was to take the TWF tree, as well as weapon focus, down that tree, and Improved Critical. I took Extra Rage and Practiced Spellcaster to help make the buffs last longer. Bull's Strength, Bear's Endurance, Rage, Shillelagh and Full round attack the foe down.

My revised plan was Human Druid4/Ftr12/Rog4. Same plan, but this time I had an animal companion to flank with, and did sneak attack damage. I then realized my animal companion would die in any attack, so I went to:

Druidic Avenger4/Ftr12/Rog4.

Then, I was reading spell descriptions and I read Brambles, and more importantly: SPIKES! Spikes will make the weapon deal so much more damage, and actually last a long time. Also, more levels of druid will make me less of a one trick pony. So, I was thinking:

Drd16/Ftr4 or Drd15/Ftr4/Rog1
With four levels of fighter I can still get the feats I need for this build, as well as some more BAB. I have not mapped it out, but if I can find enough feats, I could still get mastery, but that may be wasted at that point with feats running thin. With the one dip in rogue I can get the sneak attack while flanking with my now useful pet. I get spikes, which will last all day. I could quicken Shillelagh pretty simply and make myself a little quicker on the start up.

What I really want to do, though, is find a wild shape that will let me use a weapon, a large wild shape that lets me use a weapon. I could wild shape all day, and with Natural Spell, buff myself. Walking around with a large quarterstaff, it would become collosal, doing 3d6. With spikes, 3d6 + a bunch, and a plus to attack roll. Does that doubling stack with Improved Critical, or does that ruling about stacking criticals apply to all critical enhancers?

To still do GTWF, do I need 19 dex in wild shape? I have yet to find a good wild shape for this.

Does anyone have any recommendations for this build?

imperialspectre
2010-12-19, 10:42 PM
Druid 20 without TWF is probably your best bet. TWF just doesn't give you very much; it's better to two-hand the one end of your quarterstaff and just smack people down. You want a Dire Ape for the weapon-using wildshape.

If going Druidic Avenger, consider swapping out your bog-standard Rage for Whirling Frenzy (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/classFeatureVariants.htm#rageVariantWhirlingFrenzy ). More attacks = more damage.

0tt3r
2010-12-19, 11:13 PM
Grr. I posted this in Homebrew, not gaming! Curses.
Can a mod delete or move this to Gaming?

Edit: Thanks!

Nigel the Hobo
2010-12-19, 11:18 PM
The easiest way to get a mod to move or lock a thread is to pm one of them.

Siosilvar
2010-12-20, 02:20 AM
The easiest way to get a mod to move or lock a thread is to pm one of them.

Easier is to report the first post with someting like "please move to Roleplaying", actually.

Tvtyrant
2010-12-20, 02:58 AM
Or you can go Druid1/Monk 19 and flurry with it :P

Vaynor
2010-12-20, 03:07 AM
The Red Towel: Moved to Roleplaying.

icefractal
2010-12-20, 05:12 AM
Dire Ape is good, or if you're using the MM2, then Legendary Ape (only Medium, but Strength 30). Once you get it, there's also the Huge Earth Elemental.

Not sure you need anything besides Druid - you don't need all that many feats to be good with a quarterstaff - even the full Shock Trooper / Combat Brute / Leap Attack tree is just six feats.

Fighter may get you more feats, but consider that 4 levels means losing Shapechange (turn into a giant and kick some ass), and even 2 levels means losing Huge Earth Elemental Wildshape.

Runestar
2010-12-20, 05:44 AM
Is there a reason why you couldn't simply have the wizard cast greater mighty whallop on your staff? :smallconfused:

0tt3r
2010-12-20, 06:08 AM
Is there a reason why you couldn't simply have the wizard cast greater mighty whallop on your staff? :smallconfused:

Because I did not know that it existed. :smallredface:
That looks great, as well.

panaikhan
2010-12-20, 08:30 AM
How about Arcane Hyrophant, and cast mighty wallop on your OWN staff? :smallbiggrin:

Person_Man
2010-12-20, 11:45 AM
Here's the big list (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7081777) of ways to increase size and effective size. While it's a nice extra for a low level Druid, once you get access to Wildshape it's nothing special.