Slash! Slash! Clang! Clang! Druid!

[LastKingDown]

Greetings, my fine folk!

So, I'm playing Pathfinder, and I really would like to build a Melee Druid, but like rawr rawr melee. I really would like a weapon wielding druid, using his Wildshape for utility more than anything. Spells to improve his melee prowess, keeping pace with the Barbarian in the group... ... ... Is this possible without turning me into a broken and crying gimp?

[Urpriest]

Can you use 3.5 material, or just Pathfinder? If the latter, Spirit Shaman might be a more appropriate class for this concept. The Druid list has a decent array of buff spells like Shillelagh and Brambles to aid weapon use.

[Gnome Alone]

Y'know, some intrepid playgrounder a while ago said in a thread on refluffing things that they once made a really good and believable swashbuckler, with a build of Druid 20. I think. It was a while ago. It was definitely a single-classed druid. I always thought that was really cool.

But yeah, between the decent weapon selection and all the buffs, should be fine.

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

in 3.5 I had a friend who made a Druid/Scout with the Swift Avenger (I think?) feat, which allowed his Druid and Scout level to stack to determine skirmish damage and something else... He also used a suggested variant in one of the splatbooks, wherein the Druid lost wildshape but gained WIS to AC while in light armor, and increased movement speed.

IT was an interesting build, and i had never seen a Druid without wildshape before. However, I doubt he could have kept up with a well optimized Barbarian.

[Mithril Leaf]

If you've got a good disguise check, or the aptly named hat thereof, you could turn into an ape all day and look human. Humanish at least.

[Randomguy]

in 3.5 I had a friend who made a Druid/Scout with the Swift Avenger (I think?) feat, which allowed his Druid and Scout level to stack to determine skirmish damage and something else... He also used a suggested variant in one of the splatbooks, wherein the Druid lost wildshape but gained WIS to AC while in light armor, and increased movement speed.

IT was an interesting build, and i had never seen a Druid without wildshape before. However, I doubt he could have kept up with a well optimized Barbarian.

To elaborate a little on this: The swift hunter druid variant also gains favoured enemy, which, aside from skirmish damage, is the other requirement for the Swift Hunter feat in Complete Scoundrel. So if you take the feat to mean stacks the class that you got favoured enemy from and the class that you got skirmish from (by raw it doesn't work this way but it's a reasonable houserule), then you can do this.

It would be decent in melee, but loses some casting and doesn't get full BAB, so it's non optimal.

Something that might be a bit stronger is to keep wildshape and get yourself a Mouthpick weapon (it's a +1 enchantment from Lords of Madness that lets you wield a weapon with your mouth, but you need a bite attack for it). Then you can turn into a bear and still use your favourite sword.

[Akal Saris]

If you're only playing with PF sources, then my advice would be to choose one of the archetypes that grant a bestial transformation (such as wolf totem) to shift while fighting in melee. Choosing a domain over an animal companion could also give you some useful buff spells or feats - the Wolf domain, for example, would give the Improved Trip feat for free without requiring combat expertise.

Otherwise, some key spells to prepare would be:
Shillelagh, Flame Blade, Barkskin, Gozreh's Trident, Resinous Skin, Touch of Slime, Stoneskin, Air Walk, etc.

Some good equipment:
- A Spell-storing weapon to unleash some of your spells as a free action. Some good spells to store are Frigid Touch, Heat Stroke,
- A weapon with the Guided enhancement (Wis to attack/damage - with this you could even drop Str quite a bit if you're confident that you can replace the weapon if lost)

Honestly, you're likely to be dealing less damage than you would in wildshape, but I doubt it will be too bad as long as you mix in some good spells with your melee. Spending the first 2 rounds to summon an ally and lay down your best buff (more with quicken) before entering combat would probably be how most combats will go.

[grarrrg]

Greetings, my fine folk!

So, I'm playing Pathfinder, and I really would like to build a Melee Druid, but like rawr rawr melee. I really would like a weapon wielding druid, using his Wildshape for utility more than anything. Spells to improve his melee prowess, keeping pace with the Barbarian in the group... ... ... Is this possible without turning me into a broken and crying gimp?

Step 1: Take 1 level of Ranger.
Step 2: Take the Shapeshifting Hunter (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/shapeshifting-hunter) feat.
Step 3: PROFIT!!

[LastKingDown]

Awesome! Thank you for the hastened replies! I'll take that all into consideration. On a similar, and even more far-out concept, I've heard the term "Melee Witch" tossed around, does this have any real application? Also, How does Magus stack up with other classes, especially with the one allowing it to cast and attack from other caster classes it posses? How would that come into play, I thought multiclassing was always a no-no.
I don't really need to outpace my other part members (not that I'm avoiding it), but I don't wanna be a gimpy weight to the party as its a very hard custom campaign.
Thanks again!

[grarrrg]

I've heard the term "Melee Witch" tossed around, does this have any real application? Also, How does Magus stack up with other classes, especially with the one allowing it to cast and attack from other caster classes it posses? How would that come into play, I thought multiclassing was always a no-no.

You have 3 questions here, Melee Witch, Magus, and Mutliclassing.

Multiclassing: Usually only worth it if what you gain is much more than what you lost. For Casters, 1 or 2 lost casting levels are fine (and necessary for Gish builds), but more than that and you should rethink.
Also partially depends on what level the campaign is going to stop at. If the campaign is going all the way to level 20, then you are more encouraged to stay in the same class for Capstone benefits and such (Fighter's Weapon mastery, Barbarian's Mighty Rage, etc...).
There are (currently) only 2 base classes that don't really have a capstone. The Cleric and the Druid. The Cleric gains its last Unique power at level 8, after that it just gains more/better of what it already has. The Druid get's it's last Unique power at level 15, after that more of the same.
As long as Cleric/Druid PrC's into something with Casting advancement, or a quick Dip into something, they will be fine.

Magus is a solid class on its own and, despite the Broad Study power, really has no need to multiclass. (If NOT going to level 20, then the Spire Defender can benefit from a level of Fighter for the Armor Profs.)

I'm not familiar with Melee Witches, but I can take 2 guesses.
Scarred Witch Doctor: Must be Orc (designer's say that Half-Orc doesn't count), casting stat is CON, and Orc's have +4 STR. You do the math.

The other option is the White-Haired Witch (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/witch/archetypes/paizo---witch-archetypes/white-haired-witch) which gets a Primary 'Hair' Natural attack that uses INT for Damage and gets some VERY nice abilities. It loses access to ALL Hexes though, so your mileage may vary.

[Mjollnir075]

A build I used recently in my PF game, which was actually a build given to me by grarrrg, was Ranger 1/Druid X/Nature Warden 2/Druid +X, using the World Walker Druid archetype to get favored terrain. I adapted it a tiny bit by going for Nature Warden 3, to get Speak With Animals at will in your favored terrain. I only did that though because most of the campaign was set on the high seas.

I found it very effective, though I lost a tiny bit with Wild Shape, but Shaping Focus feat could get that back if you really wanted.

Combine this with Shapeshifting Hunter feat, and you are on your way to something good.