"Druid" blaster (E6, 3.5)

[hymer]

I've built an organization of druids for an E6 campaign, and I could really use some druids that could do a bit of blasting. The easiest, I guess, is to refluff Warlocks and use them (changing the alignment requirement to the same as druids'). Fell Flight becomes turning into a bird, and the eldritch blast is typeless damage, so that could mean about anything. That will do well for most purposes.
I'd really like a version of the blasting "druid" to be able to really lay down the smack with a nice 6+d6 AoE, preferably without using a wand the PCs are bound to capture and sell - and will wonder at why these druids use arcane wands. Anyone have any ideas how I could make some, say, sorcerer "druids" without changing the crunch much? It's mostly a skill problem for sorcs. They are going to find it hard to fill the druid's skills, even so as to look like druids to the casual player. The familiar can double as animal companion, and isn't there a feat that reduces ASF so they can put on some leather?

All thoughts appreciated.

PS: Players may want to make PCs from this group at some point, so I emphasize again the desire for minimal crunch changes, and keeping some sort of balance to other characters - or I might just add a cold version fireball to the druid spell list for these guys.

[Toliudar]

I'm not sure how much the NPC blasters are going to be interacting with the PC's, but Druids are able to fulfill the blasting role pretty well. Produce Flame and Call Lightning allow all-fight-long ranged damage, and there's enough battlefield control in the spell list for most purposes. If you're worried about them running out of 'juice' in a long battle, consider swapping out their regular spellcasting for a favoured soul's spells known and spell slots.

Or is there some aspect of this I'm missing?

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Isn't there an E6 feat that lets a caster pick up a 4th level spell? Flame Strike is a 4th level Druid spell (gets it a spell level sooner than clerics) which will certainly fit your blastomancy bill.

Call Lightning is the other blastomancy type spell Druids get access to at lower levels, which is unfortunately decidedly sub-par, only dealing 3d6 per round, and it eats up the standard action each round.

If you go to Spell Compendium, they get a bit more blastomancy. Splinterbolt is a 2nd level spell that deals out 4d6 damage. It's basically Scorching Ray that deals Piercing damage, is a ranged attack rather than touch attack, and does not permit SR.

Your idea of using warlocks is interesting, since you can easily re-flavor warlocks to have a fey-aspected theme, however Eldritch Blast really doesn't do a whole lot of damage, and it is single-target. Eldritch Cone is a Greater invocation, which means level 11+. Not going to happen in E6.

[hymer]

@ Toliudar: You're thinking along much the same lines I am. I'd really love, though, for the occasional druid to be able to deal decent AoE damage with a single standard action, and I can't find out how to do that with a standard druid or a refluffed warlock. The obvious choice is sorcerer, warmage or wizard, but these classes are hard to refluff into something like a druid.

The players are likely to spend some time with some of these druids as allies, mostly guides, so some ranks in Survival or Knowledge (Nature) is preferable.

@ Shneekey: I should look that up. I'm not sure I'll be letting my players take that feat, though, but I guess it depends. I'd certainly be very wary about which spells they'd get to choose. But Flamestrike shouldn't be terrible in their hands, and would do nicely for these druids.

Edit: There is a suggestion for a feat that does that, in what's called the Lean Upward Approach, but not a specific feat suggested. Well, it's something to think about.

[Tvtyrant]

If you grab a lesser metamagic rod of Maximize you can maximize a Call Lightning spell, which nets you 18 damage (or 9 if they make the save). If you get a rain shower it moves up to 30/15. Produce Flame + Maximize would also work, and does about the same as a successful save on the Call Lightning. Flame Blade does more (14 damage no save), lets you make multiple attacks, but only works in melee.

[nedz]

Your idea of using warlocks is interesting, since you can easily re-flavor warlocks to have a fey-aspected theme, however Eldritch Blast really doesn't do a whole lot of damage, and it is single-target. Eldritch Cone is a Greater invocation, which means level 11+. Not going to happen in E6.


Well you can get Eldritch Chain which adds another target for half damage at 6th, though there are better choices. Warlocks are going to have all of the Least invocations via the Extra Invocation feat, well provided that they went Warlock 6. Is there a way for them to get more Lesser invocations in E6 ?

[hymer]

@ Tvtyrant: Yeah, it's a fairly expensive piece of equipment in the hands of an expendable NPC. The PCs might decide to keep it after recovery (or find some other way of acquiring it). But still, it seems to do decent damage.

@ nedz: There is a suggested E6 feat that allows you to take additional lessers, but you have to have on Extra Invocation feat for every time you take the E6 feat. But it's something to think about. Two extra feats might not be too much in a fairly elite NPC.

[dungeonnerd]

Just repurpose spells from other classes thematically.

I.e. fireball becomes thornburst. Flame strike becomes rain of shards.

As long as they fit thematicall why not? Make them spells developed by this group only to limit pc usage if you want.

[hymer]

@ dungeonnerd: I've been thinking something along those lines too (I mentioned the frost version of fireball I've been contemplating). But I worry some player takes leadership and wants a Druid of the North Forest for his cohort, or retires/dies and makes one of his own. After all, these awesome druids can do the same thing sorcerers can, in addition to all the druid stuff. And then I need to start talking about the crunch behind the fluff.
And that's when the sorcerer of the group starts feeling a bit sad he didn't make druid to begin with. Well, maybe he wouldn't mind, but I couldn't blame him for getting a little peeved.

[dungeonnerd]

@ dungeonnerd: I've been thinking something along those lines too (I mentioned the frost version of fireball I've been contemplating). But I worry some player takes leadership and wants a Druid of the North Forest for his cohort, or retires/dies and makes one of his own. After all, these awesome druids can do the same thing sorcerers can, in addition to all the druid stuff. And then I need to start talking about the crunch behind the fluff.
And that's when the sorcerer of the group starts feeling a bit sad he didn't make druid to begin with. Well, maybe he wouldn't mind, but I couldn't blame him for getting a little peeved.

So say no. Make it a god-chosen class, or a secret society with crazy entry recs. it's your world, fluff it as you want.
(Edit): also, energy substitution feat (rod) would make a fireball into a cold ball or acid ball or whatever, so I'm not sure why you want to spec out a frostball. See all: orbs from the spell compendium.

[Tvtyrant]

@ Tvtyrant: Yeah, it's a fairly expensive piece of equipment in the hands of an expendable NPC. The PCs might decide to keep it after recovery (or find some other way of acquiring it). But still, it seems to do decent damage.


There is also Sudden Metamagic, which only allows you to use a metamagic once a day but it does not alter the spell level. Use it with one of the spells I mentioned and they can keep being effective for a while.

[Spuddles]

Arcane Thesis + Call Lightning + Sculpt Spell = called lightning balls, called lightning lines, called lightning squares, and called lightning cones.

Combine with a sudden maximize (which will apply to every bolt), and that's 18 damage (ref half) balls of lightning. Combine with being outside and a storm (mundane or otherwise), and that becomes 30 damage.

There's also energy substitution to make that do other sorts of damage.

You could also use reserve feats. Fiery Burst is pretty decent. A prepared prot form energy gives you a 3d6 fire burst.

[hymer]

@ Tvtyrant: Excellent, I hope the prereqs add up! Thanks!

@ Spuddles: Druids are kinda hard pressed to get Arcane Thesis, though. But thanks for the suggestions. :)

[Spuddles]

Doh. Turning divine into arcane is hard to do. Metamagic rod of sculpt spell?

[nedz]

This might be hard to do in E6 since it normally requires PrCs, but there are ways of giving Druids domains. There are a number of blasty domains which could be bolted on.


You could also use reserve feats. Fiery Burst is pretty decent. A prepared prot form energy gives you a 3d6 fire burst.

SNA is always available. Since you can use SNA II upwards to summon an elemental you always have a Air/Chaos/Earth/Evil/Fire/Good/Lawful/Water spell available since SNA becomes a spell of those types when you summon a relevant creature. See PH p288 under SNA III. I think you might need SNA III for the whole set, but I haven't checked.

[dungeonnerd]

Actually, another though occurs. Why do they have to have access to all standard druid abilities as well?

In other words, to make sure that they do not become so overpowered that you don't want the players to play one, just alter the abilities a bit. Instead of being animal druids (the base) you can do something like this (off the top of my head):

Natural Druid:

LOSE:
Wild Empathy, wild shape progression, animal compainon

GAIN:
Spellcasting progression as sorcerer. Access to more blasty type spells (cherrypick some from other tables, or alter as I suggessted above).
1st level - elemental compainion, small (Earth, Air, Water, or Fire)
Where the standard druid gains wild shape usage, gain instead either an increase in stat or increase in size/HD for the elemental companion (to keep in line with druid's companion's effective power level).
When you would gain a different type of wild shape (i.e. wild shape[large] at level 8) gain a bonus feat that either relates to buffing your elemental or metamagic for your spells.

It changes the flavor to something more blasty, without basically doubling down on duty, and keeps the specialized class from becoming something so OP that the members of the party go "why the hell didn't I make one of those?"

In other words, make them work to be a swiss army knife, don't just give it to them.

[Spuddles]

This might be hard to do in E6 since it normally requires PrCs, but there are ways of giving Druids domains. There are a number of blasty domains which could be bolted on.



SNA is always available. Since you can use SNA II upwards to summon an elemental you always have a Air/Chaos/Earth/Evil/Fire/Good/Lawful/Water spell available since SNA becomes a spell of those types when you summon a relevant creature. See PH p288 under SNA III. I think you might need SNA III for the whole set, but I haven't checked.

I am not sure if spontaneous casting RAW gets you to qualify for reserve feats. I think it should, but that's why I didn't mention SNA.

[nedz]

I am not sure if spontaneous casting RAW gets you to qualify for reserve feats. I think it should, but that's why I didn't mention SNA.
The wording in CMage states "available to cast" otherwise Sorcerers wouldn't be able to use them, which would be a little harsh.

[DarkestKnight]

I'm playing a Spirit shaman blaster/stormlord (I like it) in a non E6 campaign. for going pure blasty I find I am enjoying the spell setup of the Spirit shaman more than that of the druid. you are restricted to a number of different spells each day (changeable when you prepare) but get a lot of uses. with a wisdom of 16 at level 5 I can toss something like four or five Splinterbolts around.

On the note of call lightning I will admit it is a little weak on it's own, but the fun part is where it can turn into d10s instead of d6s. The weather scenarios required are pretty generous, better when you can combo it with Cloudbust a first level spell that is also on the druid spell list. tossing at least 5 3d10 bolts is a bit more impressive. I hope this helps a bit.

[hymer]

Just wanted to thank you guys for all the suggestions and thoughts: Thank you! :)

[Darrin]

Arcane Thesis + Call Lightning + Sculpt Spell = called lightning balls, called lightning lines, called lightning squares, and called lightning cones.


I prefer Midnight Metamagic on my druids, although scraping up a decent amount of essentia can be problematic. If you have the feats for it, Psycarnum Infusion certainly helps.



You could also use reserve feats. Fiery Burst is pretty decent. A prepared prot form energy gives you a 3d6 fire burst.

I'd consider Storm Bolt to be more apropos for treehuggers, although not using one of your very limited 3rd level spell slots would be tough. Still... 3rd level Pearl of Power is only 9k.

[hymer]

@ Darrin: I'm going to have to read MoI now, aren't I? Geez. ;) Thanks for the thoughts.

[Darrin]

@ Darrin: I'm going to have to read MoI now, aren't I? Geez. ;) Thanks for the thoughts.

Only the feats section. You don't need to worry about soulmelds, binds, and chakra.

Race = Azurin, this gets you a human bonus feat and 1 point of essentia to start with. But it makes your favored class Soulborn, which may muck things up if you're trying to multiclass (which is generally a bad idea for Druids). You get another essentia from taking Midnight Metamagic.

Feats:
1) Extend Spell, Midnight Metamagic
3) Sculpt Spell
6) Duh.

Your essentia capacity for Midnight Metamagic doesn't go above 2 until 12th level, so 2 essentia should be fine to start with. This gives you one free Extended or Sculpted spells through levels 1-5 per day, then two free Extended or Sculpted spells through levels 6-11 per day.

Once per day, you can invest essentia into Midnight Metamagic. The capacity is determined by your class level (see chart on MoI p. 19). Unlike soulmelds, you can't shift essentia into incarnum feats at will, you'd have to wait until the next day before you could invest essentia into it again.

The wording on Midnight Metamagic isn't entirely clear, but sounds like you have to pick the spell and the metamagic feat you want to use on it when the essentia is invested. This means you have to be careful to pick which spells you want extended/sculpted, you can't change them later on in the day. However, it's not exactly a hard decision to make: Extend works well with produce flame and creeping cold, and Sculpt is quite nifty on frost breath and call lightning.

It's not something you can sculpt, but I also like using conjure ice beast for "blasting". One of the special attacks you can give your ice beasts is "cold aura", which does 1d6 cold damage in a 10' burst as a free action every round, no save. Conjure ice beast III can create four ice wolves, which can surround a target and blast for 4d6 cold damage, no save.

If you want to use Midnight Metamagic more than twice per day, then take the feat Wild Talent/Hidden Talent and then Psycarnum Infusion. Then you can expend your psionic focus to treat your Midnight Metamagic as if it were at maximum capacity, which means your extend/sculpt is now usable once every encounter, or whenever you get a chance to regain your psionic focus.