Druid/Bard Build Question

[Tokuhara]

I am designing the following build:

Race: Magic-Blooded Lesser Aasimar (+4 Charisma)
Class: Druid/Bard/Greensinger/Sublime Chord/Fochulan Lyricist (Unsure on levels)

Here are my Questions:

1. Can Druid take Dynamic Priest to use Charisma as his casting stat?
2. How should I space my levels? (ie: How should the numbers work so I can get dual 9s)
3. Overall, how is the build?

[gorfnab]

I am designing the following build:
1. Can Druid take Dynamic Priest to use Charisma as his casting stat?
2. How should I space my levels? (ie: How should the numbers work so I can get dual 9s)
3. Overall, how is the build?
1. Yes, however note that the DCs for your druid spells will still be based off of Wis
2. Bard 2/ Druid 3/ Green Whisperer 5/ Sublime Chord 1/ Fochulan Lyricist 9, you'll need some source of evasion such as Impulse Boots (feats: Shape Soulmeld + Open Least Chakra).
3. Like most dual casters it will be a little wonky at first but then at higher levels (12+) is where you'll really start to shine.

[Tokuhara]

1. Yes, however note that the DCs for your druid spells will still be based off of Wis
2. Bard 2/ Druid 3/ Green Whisperer 5/ Sublime Chord 1/ Fochulan Lyricist 9, you'll need some source of evasion such as Impulse Boots (feats: Shape Soulmeld + Open Least Chakra).
3. Like most dual casters it will be a little wonky at first but then at higher levels (12+) is where you'll really start to shine.

well, I get no penalties to wisdom, so wisdom is a decent score (Force of Personality is a must).
2. Impulse Boots you say?
3. I can already see my DM's Hate-Mail, considering the last "Theurge" I played was an Ardent 6/Ur Priest 1/Psychic Theurge 9/Arch Psion 4. At least this guy's less wonky

[Darrin]

1. Can Druid take Dynamic Priest to use Charisma as his casting stat?


Yes. There are no special requirements that prevent druids from taking the feat. However, Legend of the Twins was published by Sovereign Press, not WotC, so some people don't consider it to be "official" WotC material. Only the first Dragonlance Campaign Setting was published by WotC.



2. How should I space my levels? (ie: How should the numbers work so I can get dual 9s)


Druid 3/Bard 2/Green Whisperer 2/Arcane Hierophant 3/Sublime Chord 1/Fochlucan Lyrist 9.
Feats:
1) Shape Soulmeld (Impulse Boots)
3) Melodic Casting
6) Open Least Chakra (Feet)
9) Natural Spell

(Green Whisperer is from Dragon #311, you can substitute Mystic Theurge with one of the "early entry" tricks like Sanctum Spell or Versatile Spellcaster.)




3. Overall, how is the build?

It still has most of the problems of most Mystic Theurge builds, the biggest being much slower spell advancement than Tier 1. Up until about ECL 13, you're essentially a multiclass "fifth wheel" bard tossing out minor +1/+2s here in there while standing in the shadows of the rest of the party. You're not much of a skillmonkey because all of your skill points are tied up qualifying for PrCs, your animal companion isn't strong enough to risk in melee, your wildshape comes in late and doesn't last long enough to be all that useful, and by the time you qualify for Fochlucan Lyrist, you don't have enough resources devoted to melee to stand with the meatbags on the frontline. In low- to medium-optimized groups, you should be just fine, but in a group of high-end optimizers, you'll probably be an afterthought hoping the "big kids" leave you a few table scraps.

Finishing with Arcane Hierophant rather than Fochlucan Lyrist is a stronger build: you don't have to spend two feats to get evasion, and it advances wildshape and your animal companion. With dual 9 spellcasting, you don't really need anything Fochlucan Lyrist offers, anyway... you shouldn't be getting into melee in the first place.

[Optimator]

I've never really found Fochlucan Lyricist worth it except when its strict entry requirements are lessened (or rings of Evasion being allowed for qualification) and when it advances at least one other thing such as AC or WS. The class' benefits just quite don't outweigh the costs IMO.

[Kalaska'Agathas]

I've never really found Fochlucan Lyricist worth it except when its strict entry requirements are lessened (or rings of Evasion being allowed for qualification) and when it advances at least one other thing such as AC or WS. The class' benefits just quite don't outweigh the costs IMO.

I played a Fochlucan Lyrist with the house rules that Green Whisperer and FL advanced Bardic Music, Animal Companion, and Wildshape and it was pretty fantastic (I got Evasion from the Shadow Creature template, and I was allowed to enter Sublime Chord at 10th level so I got 10 levels of FL and double nines). So if you can convince your DM to let it advance Druid abilities in addition to Bard abilities you should be doing alright.

[Talya]

As long as you're considering a non-WotC source for Dynamic Priest, and visit these boards, look up Rich Burlew's Fey Druid option.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10546562&postcount=11


If your DM question's Burlew's credentials, show him the cover of Dungeonscape.

[Jude_H]

Inspire Courage can cover for some low-level sluggishness, and is rather robust in terms of lost levels. It might be worth investing some resources into.

[Tokuhara]

As long as you're considering a non-WotC source for Dynamic Priest, and visit these boards, look up Rich Burlew's Fey Druid option.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10546562&postcount=11


If your DM question's Burlew's credentials, show him the cover of Dungeonscape.

I'm still trying to coax my DM into letting me run a Theurge, let alone a non-book sourced feat. He's a stickler for "If it isn't in a book, then no"