PHB Druid

[Bobbunny]

Do you have any tips or stuffs? I found the Handbook, but I need more specific things.
PHB, DMG, Monster Manual.
Not sure yet on the composition though.

I just wanted to know things like race, strategy, what spells, familiars, etc.

Not familiar with all the magicky and diversity jazz. I usually run a beserker.

[Rebel7284]

Give more information.

Party composition? Starting level? Approximate ending level? Sources available? Which druid features you would like to focus on the most (wildshape/spellcasting/animal companion/summoning/other.)

Edit: title says PHB, but I assume at least Monster Manual is available for wildshape.... how about open content on D20srd? Anything else?

[The Glyphstone]

Core druid is literally Natural Spell + ??? = Profit.

[ShriekingDrake]

What specific things are you looking for? The Druid Handbook discusses a lot, but it doesn't hit everything. What is it you want to know?

[Piggy Knowles]

There was a thread on a core druid not too long ago - here it is (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=12449401). The thread focused primarily on spellcasting, but there's a lot of good stuff there.

Anyhow, in addition to the summoning spells, these are my favorite core druid spells (take a look at the thread linked above to see an explanation of why I like them all so much):

1- Entangle, Faerie Fire, Produce Flame

2- Gust of Wind, Soften Earth and Stone, Warp Wood

3- Sleet Storm, Wind Wall

4- Giant Vermin, Ice Storm

5- Animal Growth, Control Winds (one of my favorite spells, core or otherwise), Wall of Thorns

6- Find the Path, Fire Seeds, Spellstaff

7- Transmute Metal to Wood

8- Reverse Gravity

9- Foresight, Shapechange

Additionally, I feel like you should pretty much always have the following buffs up, because they last hours/level, or 10 minutes/level (which can be extended to last most of the day):

HOUR/LEVEL BUFFS:

Longstrider (1st)
Pass without Trace (1st)
Greater Magic Fang (4th)
Tree Stride (5th)
Wind Walk (5th)

10 MIN/LEVEL EXTENDABLE BUFFS:

Barkskin (2nd)
Resist Energy (2nd)
Air Walk (4th)
Freedom of Movement (4th)
Stoneskin (5th) (if you can afford it)

For your animal companion, it's generally wise to trade up every level you can, as the increases from a level 1 companion to a level 4 companion are almost always better than what you'd get for those three effective druid levels. My favorites at each level are...

1- Riding Dog (if wartrained riding dogs are available), Wolf (if not), Medium Viper (if I'm planning on milking poisons)

4- Crocodile, Dire Bat

7- Brown Bear, Giant Crocodile, Tiger

10- This is the one awkward level, where an advanced brown bear does better than a polar bear, and an advanced tiger does about the same as a dire tiger or megaraptor. Unless you're in an aquatic campaign, that is, in which case this level is awesome.

13- Dire Bear, Elephant (strictly for the cool factor of riding around an elephant - the dire bear is basically better in every way)

16- Dire Tiger, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus


As for wild shape, I always prefer defensive and aerial wild shape forms, rather than trying to mix it up in melee, but you've got a ton of options there, too many to go into right now. Look up a handbook and skim it for the core options, but I usually get most of my mileage out of flying forms with good defenses, burrowing forms, and the treant.

[deuxhero]

In core, you ,au wamt a firend to Mage Armor you when you wildshape at the start of a day, but that is it.

[Rubik]

As for wild shape, I always prefer defensive and aerial wild shape forms, rather than trying to mix it up in melee, but you've got a ton of options there, too many to go into right now. Look up a handbook and skim it for the core options, but I usually get most of my mileage out of flying forms with good defenses, burrowing forms, and the treant.This. Core doesn't have much in the way of defenses for druids unless you really know what you're doing and are higher level and can get some really heavy-duty forms.

Disguise yourself as a tickbird of death, (http://www.theonion.com/articles/rhino-tickbird-stuck-in-deadend-symbiotic-relation,2287/) and hide in your rhino companion's ear or something. They'll never suspect.

[Psyren]

Do you have any tips or stuffs? I found the Handbook, but I need more specific things.
PHB, DMG, Monster Manual.
Not sure yet on the composition though.

I just wanted to know things like race, strategy, what spells, familiars, etc.

Not familiar with all the magicky and diversity jazz. I usually run a beserker.

Uh... are you sure you found the handbook? :smallconfused:

Spells (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=940.0;msg=5874)
Animal Companions (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=940.0;msg=5875)
Races (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=940.0;msg=5871)
Strategy (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=940.0;msg=5876)

[Randomguy]

Grab yourself some Wild armour if you intend to go melee. Animals don't normally have a great natural armour bonus.

Have a high Wisdom and Constitution. Most other things are secondary, except below level 5, where you need some strength (If you're going melee) and some dex (for touch attacks and AC).

[deuxhero]

^ And Initiative.

[Tvtyrant]

In core my suggestion for a Druid is to turn into a bird and cast control spells from overhead.

The other suggestion is Dire Ape+Monk's Belt. You can use a qarterstaff without losing your wisdom to AC, and it nets you a number of options like Shillelagh as a gargantuan weapon (3d6 per hit).