Little help in a optimized druid at 9th level

[Dazed&Confused]

I'm making a strongheart halfling druid at old age, which will make me have the following stats: str 05/dex 07/con 11/int 14/wis 22(lvl points)/cha 16. Probably str/dex/con will be even(06/08/12) since my DM doesn't like age to fuch it up so hard in physical stats and is openly in favor of losing 1 phys to get 1 mentals in this case.

So far the talents would be Natural Bond, Create Wondrous Items, Magical Artisan, Natural Spell, Initiate of Nature, Quicken Spell, Divine Metamagic(Quicken Spell). Character flaws to get the extra two talents, but the DM is probably banning that, so I'll most likely get rid of Quicken/DMM.

I will be allowed to use Masters of the Wild/Defenders of Faith, including the Wilding Clasp (great!) from the first one. Can't use books from settings other than Faerun though.

I would need your great awesomely nice generosity in giving me some tips to boost anything at all, but especially defenses(like forms with good saves and AC - can find those by myself, but I might miss some very interesting one), ways of abusing Initiate of Nature(I feel like there are some ways, since there are those for Rebuke Undead), good animal companions, maybe a good PrC, and lame tricks in general.

[Flickerdart]

Initiate of Nature does not give you Turn Undead attempts; it cannot power DMM.

[Dazed&Confused]

It does in my native language, since here we just call it all "Expulsão"(bad translators are bad), in all cases, not specifying if it's undead or not. So I'm gonna use that! I know it's a bit of cheating, but hey...

Ok, perhaps I won't. But then... any way of getting turn undead without losing CL? My alignment can be anything but good(yea, Sacred Exorcist was my first thought), and, of course, non-neutral.

[Hiro Protagonest]

You need help? Optimizing a druid? At 9th level?

You must be new to the forums. I remember when I first joined... I was thinking that Elfin had underrated Two Weapon Defense compared to Weapon Focus.

Stay in tiger/lion form or dire hawk/eagle (RotW/RoS, respectively) form all day.

Prepare any spells that aren't SNA. I'd recommend at least half be healing spells.

Use spontaneous SNA a lot.

Get a powerful melee animal companion. The one with fast speed and a special attack.

Obligatory mention: Barbarian 1/druid 8/(later) bear warrior 10/druid +1 with Wild Cohort. Use SNA to shoot bears, while wild shaped into a black bear, while riding on your brown bear animal companion and with your bear cohort. Get angry and turn into even more of a bear. Don't forget Leadership at 9th level, for bear cavalry and another bear cohort. Maybe give them armor, and Necklaces of Natural Attacks/Amulets of Mighty Fists. Remember, you have the right to bear arms and the right to arm bears.

[Dazed&Confused]

You need help? Optimizing a druid? At 9th level?

Every druid is automatically optimized, the 4-stat-only thing is already enough to think so haha

But I really wanna break it all up... Obviously, I'm reading the books while typing here and pressing my F5 frenetically, but tips make it go faster and may open my head to other... brokenesses :smallbiggrin:


You must be new to the forums.

Yesh, I smell like breast milk.


Stay in tiger/lion form or dire hawk/eagle (RotW/RoS, respectively) form all day.

Dire Hawk/Eagle, quite good, but I wanna go defensive; I don't wanna get hit, wanna boost AC and resistances like a boss. In this case the Desmodu Hunting/Guard bats are better(20 AC each, with 24/22 dex).


Obligatory mention: Barbarian 1/druid 8/(later) bear warrior 10/druid +1 with Wild Cohort. Use SNA to shoot bears, while wild shaped into a black bear, while riding on your brown bear animal companion and with your bear cohort. Get angry and turn into even more of a bear. Don't forget Leadership at 9th level, for bear cavalry and another bear cohort. Maybe give them armor, and Necklaces of Natural Attacks/Amulets of Mighty Fists. Remember, you have the right to bear arms and the right to arm bears.

I will recomend that to a friend of mine who loves bear warrior. As for me, I really like casting spells, hitting makes me bored in most cases ><

However, if I found a way of being able to do both of that and more(like a 17th lvl wizard with his Shapechange), I'd obviously go for it.

[faceroll]

Greenbound Summoning, from Lost Empires of Faerun actually makes summoning worthwhile. It turns your summons into melee monsters and gives them some very solid battlefield control spells.

The Warbred template from MM2 can arguably be applied to your Animal companions to increase its HD, give it heavy armor proficiency, and boost its stats.

On page 68 of UA there's this tasty little optional rule:
HOUSE RULE: DRUID DOMAINS
In my campaign, each druid may choose a single domain from
the following list: Air, Animal, Earth, Fire, Plant, Sun, and Water.
The druid gains a bonus spell of each spell level, which may be
used only to prepare a domain spell of that level (or of a lower
level, if affected by a metamagic feat). The druid also gains the
domain’s granted power, except as noted below.
Druids who select the Animal domain or the Plant domain
gain Skill Focus (Knowledge [nature]), since Knowledge (nature)
is already a class skill for druids.
A druid who chooses the Sun domain gains the ability to
turn undead 1/day as a cleric of her level, and cannot perform a
greater turning.
—Andrew Finch

Apparently Mr. Finch doesn't think the the druid has enough power.

[Deophaun]

Dire Hawk/Eagle, quite good, but I wanna go defensive; I don't wanna get hit, wanna boost AC and resistances like a boss. In this case the Desmodu Hunting/Guard bats are better(20 AC each, with 24/22 dex).
Aberration Blood (LoM) + Aberration Wild Shape (LoM) + enhance wild shape (SC) = Will-O'-Wisp (MM) (29 AC, 29 touch, 20 flat footed, spell immunity, invisibility)

Can't get much more defensive than that.

[Dazed&Confused]

Greenbound Summoning, from Lost Empires of Faerun actually makes summoning worthwhile. It turns your summons into melee monsters and gives them some very solid battlefield control spells.

The Warbred template from MM2 can arguably be applied to your Animal companions to increase its HD, give it heavy armor proficiency, and boost its stats.

Both awesome, thanks. It's Warbeast though, and I'm sure as hell going to use it.


On page 68 of UA there's this tasty little optional rule:
HOUSE RULE: DRUID DOMAINS

Too much powa, 99% sure he won't allow it, but I'll try it anyway.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Water Halfling (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/elementalRacialVariants.htm#racesOfWater) gets an extra +2 Con, and there could be Strongheart versions of those as well.

Bone Talisman (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20040721a) gives you Turn Undead, you can even put Unguent of Timelessness (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#unguentofTimelessness) on the spell foci to make it last 365 times longer than normal. Set up a pile of those between adventures and they should last you a while.

Good alignment is actually extremely favorable, since you could then cast (Greater) Luminous Armor every day and share it with your animal companion. Be sure to get a Monk's Belt with a Wilding Clasp.

I would dip a level of Cleric for Turn/Rebuke Undead, get the Planning and Undeath domains for Extend Spell and Extra Turning, and get Persistent and DMM: Persistent. All-day Master Air, Bite of the Werecreature, Mass Lesser Vigor, and eventually Stormrage, among others, is definitely worth it. Be sure to also cast Longstrider, Cloud Wings, Greater Resistance, Greater Magic Fang, and Venomfire every day, probably with a (Lesser) Rod of Extend.

[Dazed&Confused]

Aberration Blood (LoM) + Aberration Wild Shape (LoM) + enhance wild shape (SC) = Will-O'-Wisp (MM) (29 AC, 29 touch, 20 flat footed, spell immunity, invisibility)

Can't get much more defensive than that.

Holy mother, this is what I'm talking about.

And it's 29 AC not counting other spells and the monk belt, plus +9 dex for eventual non-spells reflexes tests. I would probably miss that looking for it by myself, thanks a lot.

[Dazed&Confused]

Water Halfling (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/elementalRacialVariants.htm#racesOfWater) gets an extra +2 Con, and there could be Strongheart versions of those as well.

Bone Talisman (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20040721a) gives you Turn Undead, you can even put Unguent of Timelessness (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#unguentofTimelessness) on the spell foci to make it last 365 times longer than normal. Set up a pile of those between adventures and they should last you a while.

Good alignment is actually extremely favorable, since you could then cast (Greater) Luminous Armor every day and share it with your animal companion. Be sure to get a Monk's Belt with a Wilding Clasp.

No web content and the whole party is evil :(

The monk's belt is a sure thing though.


I would dip a level of Cleric for Turn/Rebuke Undead, get the Planning and Undeath domains for Extend Spell and Extra Turning, and get Persistent and DMM: Persistent. All-day Master Air, Bite of the Werecreature, Mass Lesser Vigor, and eventually Stormrage, among others, is definitely worth it. Be sure to also cast Longstrider, Cloud Wings, Greater Resistance, Greater Magic Fang, and Venomfire every day, probably with a (Lesser) Rod of Extend.

That would be really nice, but the Aberration Blood/Aberration Wild Shape thingy is already eating two feats from me :\

I might do that in later levels though. Perhaps I'm already dipping that level and getting Persistent Spell, then DMM: Persistent at 12. I'll ask the dude tomorrow if the Character Flaws are going to be allowed; in case they are, I'll do that right now and get Persistent Spell, DMM: Persistent, Natural Spell, Ab. Blood, Ab. Wild Shape, Create Wondrous Items and Magical Artisan.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Water Halfling isn't web content, it's from Unearthed Arcana. It happens to also be open gaming content, so it's provided for free in the SRD. The same goes for flaws (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm), also from UA, which can allow you to get extra feats for a drawback that often won't even matter.

[Fax Celestis]

Aberration Blood (LoM) + Aberration Wild Shape (LoM) + enhance wild shape (SC) = Will-O'-Wisp (MM) (29 AC, 29 touch, 20 flat footed, spell immunity, invisibility)

Aberrant Wild Shape also lets you turn into a Rukanyr for when you want to go offensive. They're a 7HD aberration with a climb speed, +15 natural ac, a Dex-damaging poison, a stunning attack, a sundering roar, and a host of natural weapons: six claw attacks, three bite attacks, and a slam. And they're damn ugly (http://132.209.40.23/w4/campagne/images/WotC_Art_Galleries/FiendFolio/Rukanyr.jpg) too.

[Dazed&Confused]

Water Halfling isn't web content, it's from Unearthed Arcana. It happens to also be open gaming content, so it's provided for free in the SRD. The same goes for flaws (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm), also from UA, which can allow you to get extra feats for a drawback that often won't even matter.

I see, nice then. I knew about the flaws already though(Feeble/Vulnerable came to mind, especially because they match my physically weak character), but my DM hates them.

[Dazed&Confused]

Aberrant Wild Shape also lets you turn into a Rukanyr for when you want to go offensive. They're a 7HD aberration with a climb speed, +15 natural ac, a Dex-damaging poison, a stunning attack, a sundering roar, and a host of natural weapons: six claw attacks, three bite attacks, and a slam. And they're damn ugly (http://132.209.40.23/w4/campagne/images/WotC_Art_Galleries/FiendFolio/Rukanyr.jpg) too.

Awesome. I'll look for some others tomorrow, but I really doubt I could get any better ones at this level.

[faceroll]

Aberrant Wild Shape also lets you turn into a Rukanyr for when you want to go offensive. They're a 7HD aberration with a climb speed, +15 natural ac, a Dex-damaging poison, a stunning attack, a sundering roar, and a host of natural weapons: six claw attacks, three bite attacks, and a slam. And they're damn ugly (http://132.209.40.23/w4/campagne/images/WotC_Art_Galleries/FiendFolio/Rukanyr.jpg) too.

Ah yes, the foundation for the "pauper of smack".

[Dazed&Confused]

Holy mother, this is what I'm talking about.

And it's 29 AC not counting other spells and the monk belt, plus +9 dex for eventual non-spells reflexes tests. I would probably miss that looking for it by myself, thanks a lot.

Just something I noticed now, the Will-O'-Wisp has 1 strength. With an enhancement item, that would be 3. A natural 20 on a Shadow's touch would be my death almost for sure ><

I gotta find some long-lasting spell to keep that away from me.