Totem Druid - Do we hate it?

[Thespianus]

I was going through the Crystal Keep files and stumbled on the Totem Druid variant, from Dragon 335.

Basically you trade flexibility for early Wild Shape and AC power.

You pick a Totem animal from a small list of animals, your Animal Companion is of that animal type, and your Druid level is considered +2 when it comes to determning the AC abilities. You can also get a Dire version of your Totem animal two levels earlier. You also get A Totem Wild Shape, so you can Wild Shape into the Totem animal at level 1 instead of at level 5.

At level 2, you get Natural Spell as a free Feat.

So, you sacrifice a lot of flexibility in Wild Shaping for AC power and early Wild Shape. Take Natural Bond, as your first level feat, and you can start off with a Black Bear AC with your Effective Druid Level being 3. At level 2, you get Natural Spell, your Black Bear AC is rocking out at level 4, you spend a few hours every day as a bear, casting spells, having fun.

Anyway. What is the verdict? Is the flexibility lost too steep a price? I've never really played Druids, it seems this would be a great early boost for the Druid, but it might be total crap later on at higher levels?


EDIT: Or, with a Wolf Totem, and natural bond, you could have a Dire Wolf AC at level 2.

[tyckspoon]

Well, the Crystalkeep entry as written is actually unplayable for 'Bear' totem, because it doesn't specify the kind of bear- there's a generic Dire Bear, but there are 3 different kinds of regular bear and it doesn't tell you which kind to use. And I hope there's some Dire template it's referencing (possibly in the same magazine) for some of the totems, because otherwise I'm not aware of any existing Dire Eagle/Snake/Horse for those totems..

In the 1-20 scheme, it's a nerf; losing the variety in Wild Shape hurts, especially once you're high enough level to have more options in type and sizes, and you don't get anything from the variant you wouldn't eventually have from normal Druid anyway. For specifically low-level games and possibly as a dip, however, it's pretty ridiculous; turning into a Tiger at 1st level (normally requires 6th) and a Dire Tiger at 6th (normally requires 16th because of the HD) is ludicrous. Overall weaker, but it has points where it spikes much higher.. assuming you're using the Tiger totem, because all the other animals are notably weaker.

If 'Totem Shape' is considered the same as Wild Shape for PrC qualification (not a given, since they changed the name) it also allows a pretty wild early-entry; specifically, if you can get the 2 feats at level 1 (be Human, use Flaws) you can get into Master of Many Forms at 2. Druid 1/MoMF 10/Warshaper 4/Nature's Warrior 5 would be an option for a very shapeshifting-focused build.

[BiblioRook]

Pathfinder did this too, but they opened it up a bit veritility wise though probably isn't nearly as powerful (for your totem I mean). In Pathfinder it's just +2 to your totem animal and -2 to anything else.
They also give you some nifty other bonuses that relate to your totem that you can use outside wildshape, such as natural attacks, blindsight (bats), and even flight.

Idonno, I always play more for theme then optimization so the totem idea is something I've always considered, my only annoyance was the lack of versatility within the specific totem animal options (I like birds but would like to turn into something other then an eagle <.<)

[flabort]

(I like birds but would like to turn into something other then an eagle <.<)

Like a Crow/Raven, or a Bluebird, or maybe a kingfisher? Perhaps a woodpecker (I need to ask Bhu if he's made a Dire Woodpecker yet now)? A humming bird would be an awesome Totem.

[Urpriest]

Well, the Crystalkeep entry as written is actually unplayable for 'Bear' totem, because it doesn't specify the kind of bear- there's a generic Dire Bear, but there are 3 different kinds of regular bear and it doesn't tell you which kind to use. And I hope there's some Dire template it's referencing (possibly in the same magazine) for some of the totems, because otherwise I'm not aware of any existing Dire Eagle/Snake/Horse for those totems..

In the 1-20 scheme, it's a nerf; losing the variety in Wild Shape hurts, especially once you're high enough level to have more options in type and sizes, and you don't get anything from the variant you wouldn't eventually have from normal Druid anyway. For specifically low-level games and possibly as a dip, however, it's pretty ridiculous; turning into a Tiger at 1st level (normally requires 6th) and a Dire Tiger at 6th (normally requires 16th because of the HD) is ludicrous. Overall weaker, but it has points where it spikes much higher.. assuming you're using the Tiger totem, because all the other animals are notably weaker.

If 'Totem Shape' is considered the same as Wild Shape for PrC qualification (not a given, since they changed the name) it also allows a pretty wild early-entry; specifically, if you can get the 2 feats at level 1 (be Human, use Flaws) you can get into Master of Many Forms at 2. Druid 1/MoMF 10/Warshaper 4/Nature's Warrior 5 would be an option for a very shapeshifting-focused build.

Dire Horse and Snake are in MMII. Eagle is maybe there, maybe RotW, don't quite remember.

[BiblioRook]

Like a Crow/Raven, or a Bluebird, or maybe a kingfisher? Perhaps a woodpecker (I need to ask Bhu if he's made a Dire Woodpecker yet now)? A humming bird would be an awesome Totem.

Took the words right out of my mouth. Especially with the hummingbird (I've been obsessing over humming birds a tad lately) considering the 'Totem Transformation' abilities in Pathfinder, I imagine a hummingbird totem would make for something interesting.

But more seriously, I like the idea of becoming birds in game because (as I mentioned in another thread) I'm a rogue at heart and I can't think of a better form to spy in then a small common bird, both for unnoticeable (even if you get noticed, how paranoid do you have to be to accuse a songbird of being a spy?) and for ease of escape if things go bad. An eagle isn't necessarily the stealthiest of birds.

[flabort]

It's the same for the Barbarian Totems and Spirit totems (Or I assume so for spirit. They're not on the SRD).
Anyone want to homebrew more bird totems besides eagle for Druid/Barbarian/Spirit Barbarian? Starting with Hummingbird.

[faceroll]

For high end optimization, Dire Tortoise is a pretty sweet morph to be in, for all day foresight.