Advice on Character Concept

[Talya]

Campaign: Forgotten Realms "Play by Post" set in the "Shining South."
Relevant House Rules: 40 point buy, feats at odd levels instead of every three levels. NATURAL SPELL DISALLOWED. (I don't mind this, and I'm not going to argue it with the DM. I don't like the concept of the druid that spends all their time in animal form, anyway. I prefer wildshape to be situational.) Starting level 4. He is giving me Rich Burlew's "Fey Blood" druid feat for free, so i cast with Charisma instead of wisdom.

Character: Druid of Lurue (Mielikki's fey unicorn mount.)
Race: Lesser Aasimar. Neutral Good.
Ability Scores at 4: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 21
Feats: Sacred Vow (Level 1), Vow of Poverty (Flaw taken for it), Nymph's Kiss (Level 1 exalted), Animal Friend (Level 2 exalted), Natural Bond (Level 3), Exalted Companion (Level 4 exalted)

Animal Companion: Unicorn. (6 hit dice, because Natural Bond eliminates the -3 penalty BoED gives this creature.) This is a really, really incredible land mount. Sure, it's not the absolute most deadly combatant (though it's not bad, by any means), but with 3*cure light wounds, 1*cure moderate wounds, and 1*neutralize poison, as well as a permanent "magic circle against evil" (which its rider would be inside)...it's a very solid companion.

Future plans: Extra Wildshape (yeah, I know, but I prefer wildshaping on the fly, in and out of form, so i'll need more uses of it), Initiate of Lurue (much like Initiate of Malar, but reflavored for the good Lurue). Lots of Fey Heritage feats from complete mage. Future free exalted feats: Exalted Wildshape, Touch of Golden Ice, Sanctified Natural Attack. VOP bonuses will apply when wildshaped. Possibly Vow of Chastity (Unicorn, after all), Stigmata and its prerequisites.

On VOP: The DM is concerned about a lack of rewards for me. I pointed out that i'll be donating my rewards ...and building a hell of a lot of goodwill at the church of Mielikki. Eventually, when the rest of the party has tomes/manuals, I'll need someone to cast wish on me, and a wealthy church that owes me a lot of favors might have access to this. He agreed this was reasonable.

Thoughts? Advice?

[gbprime]

Since you cannot collect items, what about collecting beasts instead? Bump up Animal Empathy and Handle Animal as much as you can, and consider a 1 level jump into Beast Heart Adept (Dungeonscape). This will allow you to influence and train Animals, Magical Beasts (without limit to their INT!), and Aberrations (limited to 2 INT).

[Talya]

Since you cannot collect items, what about collecting beasts instead? Bump up Animal Empathy and Handle Animal as much as you can, and consider a 1 level jump into Beast Heart Adept (Dungeonscape). This will allow you to influence and train Animals, Magical Beasts (without limit to their INT!), and Aberrations (limited to 2 INT).

I don't intend on the level dip in beast heart adept, but other than that, I like this. Especially as I've already really boosted Wild Empathy and Handle Animal. (Wild Empathy and Handle Animal are modified by charisma, and I made charisma my casting stat. Also, the Animal Friend exalted feat gives me +4 to wild empathy.)

[gbprime]

I don't intend on the level dip in beast heart adept, but other than that, I like this. Especially as I've already really boosted Wild Empathy and Handle Animal. (Wild Empathy and Handle Animal are modified by charisma, and I made charisma my casting stat. Also, the Animal Friend exalted feat gives me +4 to wild empathy.)

A solid choice then. :smallsmile:

Consider the Savage Empathy feat from Dragon 326 (page 33). it removes the -4 penalty for influencing Magical Beasts and allows you to pick another kind of creature that Animal Empathy works on.

[Greenish]

What, all those exalted vows, unicorn mount and association with Mielikki weren't enough, you have to be Friend to all Living Things, too? :smalltongue:

Greensinger Initiate (ECS) gives you Perform as a class skill (along with a few other skills and spells) so you can sing with a choir of birds.

[Talya]

What, all those exalted vows, unicorn mount and association with Mielikki weren't enough, you have to be Friend to all Living Things, too? :smalltongue:

Greensinger Initiate (ECS) gives you Perform as a class skill (along with a few other skills and spells) so you can sing with a choir of birds.

I had laughingly already thought of that. Way to go. ;)

Homebrew feat as it stands:
Initiate of Lurue
Grants the same bonuses of Augment Summoning to animals, celestial animals, or good magical beasts. Adds the following spells to your spell list: Reduce Magical Beast (level 2, custom, same as reduce animal), Melf's Unicorn Arrow (level 3, PHB2), Winged Mount (level 4, SC).

[Talya]

Oh, and just so you don't think she's TOO wholesome, she's going to spend all her time outside of civilization nude. VOP gives endure elements, shouldn't be an issue.

(No, I'm not using my homebrew vow of nudity.)

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Your unicorn should also take Sacred Vow and Vow of Poverty.

Greenbound Summoning in Lost Empires of Faerun makes your SNA animals extremely potent. Rashemi Elemental Summoning in Unapproachable East can be obtained with a few Kn: Local ranks, and it makes your SNA elementals far stronger.

Later on you could get someone to Chaos Shuffle those superfluous bonus exalted feats into something more useful. Clerics of Mielikki can be CG...

[Talya]

Your unicorn should also take Sacred Vow and Vow of Poverty.

My DM did not okay this. I doubt it will fly...however, good call.

As for the rest, they don't really fit the ...flavor I want. Greenbound Summoning is gorgeous...someday I want to play one of those plant creatures from unapproachable east and take this broken feat (of course, it's location in lost empires is rather evidence that it's not supposed to be freely available to players--getting access to it should be a quest all on its own)...i know the plant creatures are +2 level adjustment, but with greenbound summoning it would fit so well...and they have +2 wis/con...they'd be ideal druids if not for the LA.

[Kuulvheysoon]

I was going to suggest the Beloved of Valarian PrC... until I realized that it had it's own spell list, and didn't advance existing.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

My DM did not okay this. I doubt it will fly...however, good call.

As for the rest, they don't really fit the ...flavor I want. Greenbound Summoning is gorgeous...someday I want to play one of those plant creatures from unapproachable east and take this broken feat (of course, it's location in lost empires is rather evidence that it's not supposed to be freely available to players--getting access to it should be a quest all on its own)...i know the plant creatures are +2 level adjustment, but with greenbound summoning it would fit so well...and they have +2 wis/con...they'd be ideal druids if not for the LA.

Killoren in Races of the Wild is another good fit for Greenbound Summoning IMO. Plus with Aspect of the Ancient you could get Magic of the Land from that same book and never fail the check.

[Talya]

I believe on this character I'll be content with Ashbound and the Augment Summoning effect from my Initiate of Lurue feat.

[Greenish]

Oh, right, I thought Ashbound required non-good, but it doesn't. You learn something new every day (or re-learn it, anyhow).

[Talya]

Oh, right, I thought Ashbound required non-good, but it doesn't. You learn something new every day (or re-learn it, anyhow).

The toughest requirement for ashbound is getting the DM to accept Eberron feats in a non-eberron campaign.