Opinions on Moonspeaker Prc [3.5]

[some guy]

Hi everybody!
I have a player who wants a new character. A shifter druid that will probably go into the Moonspeaker prc (Races of Eberron pg. 143.).
Now, the Augment Summoning at level 1 of Moonspeaker has me a bit worried. It's a strong feat even with the required useless Spell Focus (conjuration), getting it for free strikes me as a bit powerful. Combined with the Beast Spirit alternative class feature (RoE, 126), I can see the summons of the moonspeaker outshining the melee based party members.

Would it be reasonable if I would add Spell Focus (conjuration) to the requirements of the Moonspeaker or just remove Augment Summoning completely from the special features? Am I just being paranoid?

Additional information
This player's character will start at level 8. He will probably reach level 9 in 4-5 sessions. After that advancement might be a tad slower. I don't think my players will ever reach beyond level 15, so no need to worry about that.
The rest of the group are
-human barbarian 1/ranger 8 + 1 still undecided level
-halfling rogue 7 (who will go into shadow dancer)
-human barbarian 2/dragon shaman 6 + 1 still undecided level
-human scout 5/ swashbuckler 2/ dervish 1
The differences in level can be explained with new characters and character deaths.


(Disclaimer: yeah, yeah. I know straight druid is more powerful than combined with a prestige class. But still.)

[Hyfigh]

He's a druid... And you're worried he will out perform the melee character...? :smallconfused:

Um... He's a druid. He will outperform the melee characters in pretty much anything he does.

His animal companion can do this.
His wildshape can do this.
His casting will do this.

Maybe I don't understand the question...

I do think you're being paranoid. If he's going to outshine everyone, he's going to do it with or without beefed up cannon-fodder-summoned-critters.

[some guy]

He's a druid... And you're worried he will out perform the melee character...? :smallconfused:

Um... He's a druid. He will outperform the melee characters in pretty much anything he does.

His animal companion can do this.
His wildshape can do this.
His casting will do this.

Maybe I don't understand the question...

I do think you're being paranoid. If he's going to outshine everyone, he's going to do it with or without beefed up cannon-fodder-summoned-critters.

Yeah, I know. Druids are powerful. Luckily, he will not have an animal companion because he has the Beast Spirit alternate feature. On the flipside, that feature improves his summons.
But I have this player in my group for more than 3 years and I know he's not a powertripper. I can deal with him being versatile and powerful. I just don't want his summons to make the others feel useless.

As for wild shape, I never really got how that was useful in combat except for staying out reach, fleeing and grappling casters.

[Master Thrower]

As for wild shape, I never really got how that was useful in combat except for staying out reach, fleeing and grappling casters.

Well it gives you a much higher str then most characters can get, (Bears/Dire Bears), pounce (Big cats), and while your AC is lower, it can be worked around through wild/beasthide armor. And you can cast spells. as the old saying(?) goes- You can be a bear with a pet bear, who summons bears and shoots lightning out of your eyes

[Urpriest]

It shouldn't be a big issue. Augment Summoning without Spell Focus is a very common benefit of a variety of PrCs, substitution levels, and ACFs. Getting it without prerequisites is how the game differentiates dedicated summoners from more generalized characters, and a Moonspeaker (losing as it does several druid class features) is a definite example of this. Compare the half-orc druid substitution levels and the specialist conjurer alternate class features that grant similar abilities, not to mention the Malconvoker.

[Thurbane]

I was looking into this PrC for a favored Soul build. Not half bad.

[some guy]

Thanks for the input, I will probably just allow it.