Optimizing Avenging Druid [3.5]

[Tokuhara]

I'm joining a new campaign and am planning on rolling up a Killoren Avenging Druid (no animal companion for Rage). I plan on using Wildshape/Buff/damage to make the mid-to-late game easy.

I'm allowed any 3.5 books, and am going 1-20.

[Snowbluff]

Intimidating Rage, Imperious Command and Never Outnumbered. Get into that one PrC that allows casting while raging. Dammit, Champion of Qwynbudiscgiubdfdik, you have failed me!

Natural Spell and Frozen Wildshape+Blazing Rage might be a given.

[Tokuhara]

Ok. Having just finished chatting with one of the players, he says the party needs an Arcane Boomstick (Blaster).

So here's the party:

A Swordsage
A Paladin
An Exalted Cleric
A Rogue
A Barbarian

The party will start at level 3, and it's a 28 Point Buy. Any Ideas?

[Snowbluff]

Wait, you want an Arcanist? Who blows stuff up?

I am rather partial to Eldritch Theurge. Early entry is easy, but I think it's fine if you get in legitimately.

The Eldritch Blast requirement can be subverted partially by a Chasuble of Fell power, and the caster requirement an be done with Precocious Apprentice (For Wiz/Sorc) or Versatile Spellcaster (For Warmage. Bequiler and Dread Necro are less likely).

CG Caster2/Warlock1 would be a good start. You never run out of damaging abilities, and you can take Frightening Blast + Dreadful Wrath (If you are Human) to make targets terrified at-will.

[Tokuhara]

Wait, you want an Arcanist? Who blows stuff up?

I am rather partial to Eldritch Theurge. Early entry is easy, but I think it's fine if you get in legitimately.

The Eldritch Blast requirement can be subverted partially by a Chasuble of Fell power, and the caster requirement an be done with Precocious Apprentice (For Wiz/Sorc) or Versatile Spellcaster (For Warmage. Beguiler and Dread Necro are less likely).

CG Caster2/Warlock1 would be a good start. You never run out of damaging abilities, and you can take Frightening Blast + Dreadful Wrath (If you are Human) to make targets terrified at-will.

To explain my end, I've never had that particular itch to even look at warlock 99% of the time due to its rather demented Fiendish fluff. And I understand that they made the Fey and Celestial heritage feats to rectify this, but with 2 players using the Book of Goody Two-Shoes as their book of choice, I really don't think that someone who's family tree contains a scourge from the lowest bowels of Hell is exactly the smartest idea for my survivability from players who are playing the "Be Good or Die" types.

Admittedly, I do see the appeal in a Warmage/Warlock/Eldritch Theurge as a silly "Burn it All" type. I also am not above making minions do that for me while I sit in a recliner and drink expensive congnac. Because a God doesn't need to soil his hands making slack-jawed mortals die when he can summon a [insert ultra-powerful Summon monster here] and his chums and have THEM kill the pants-on-head retarded motrals for him.

Really, the group is around mid-op and the DM is very willing to use monsters as-written and send the likely mob at me where a well-placed el cheapo grande AoE will totally wreck the encounter. Perhaps I should focus on the idea of being an Arcanist who is set on Two skills (making bad guys fall over and something else) and does both superbly. This is also a group that names the Beguiler as "One of the Best Classes"

[Snowbluff]

Hmm... not even CG warlocks, huh? I would like to point out it's not very [Exalted] to be racist.

If you have anything in specific you are looking for, I'd be happy to help. A spellwarp sniper or war weaver might be more your speed.

[Tokuhara]

That's a hard thing for me to nail down.

Considering that, from what I can gather, the party consists of

a Skirmisher Swordsage who is focused on Desert Wind and Shadow Hand
a Paladin who belives everyone should have to be like him
a Sneaky Rogue who isn't above looting ancient tombs
a Cleric who is so terrified of undead that they want them all to burn
and a Barbarian who likes to bash things with a tree trunk

I have no earthly idea where I fit in on this wierd Burger King Kids Club of misfits

[silverwolfer]

Throw this out a little as your goals seem a little muddled. what about a sentital of behaliah or something like that, the sorc/wizard that turns druid prc from exalted.

[Seer_of_Heart]

If you want to be a blaster you could be a circle magic reserve feat using gish. That makes you more useful than a warlock :smallwink:. Go something like wizard 5/red mage 5/swiftblade 9/abjurant champion 1(partial bab is slightly helpful, getting you 16 bab instead of 15). Or I believe clerics of a certain god can do it at level 1 due to a feat letting them participate in magic circles. Depending on the wording of the feat you could be a druid who worships that god and get the advantage of it.

[Tokuhara]

@ Silverwolfer: You mean Sentinel of Bharrai? I thought it was a divine class. Funny. Never saw it as an Arcasist class.

@ Seer: I don't really see myself gishing into obscenity. Don't get me wrong: That build is pretty nasty, but Not what I see myself doing 3-20

[silverwolfer]

Respect for the power of nature, the desire to further
the ends of good, and the resolve to destroy evil are
the core beliefs of the sentinels of Bharrai, strongwilled
spellcasters who venerate “The Great Bear of Elysium.”
Their initiates hail primarily from the ranks of
wizards, although sorcerers, druids, and clerics may also
become sentinels.

[Snowbluff]

If you want to be a blaster you could be a circle magic reserve feat using gish. That makes you more useful than a warlock :smallwink:. YOU TAKE THAT BACK! ELDRITCH THEURGE SACRIFICES LITTLE FOR A LEVEL TO GIvE THE WIZARD OPTIO-

swiftblade 9

Oh, okay.

[Tokuhara]

Who'da thunk it. Never would've come to that particular conclusion.

Bears and Lightning. A combination I never would've come up with, and an above average combo of class abilities. Not too bad.

[Snowbluff]

Who'da thunk it. Never would've come to that particular conclusion.

Bears and Lightning. A combination I never would've come up with, and an above average combo of class abilities. Not too bad.

Are we talking about the Arcane Heirophant?

EDIT: Oh! The sentinel! Dire Polar Bears are goooood.

[silverwolfer]

what is your starting level?

[Snowbluff]

what is your starting level?
He is third level.

[Tokuhara]

what is your starting level?

3. And as long as I have it, I can use it. I can use any book, dragon magazine, and online sources.

[silverwolfer]

I didn't ask your sources I asked, what level your game is starting at :P


With the bunch of wierdo's you are playing with, lighting bears is your best bet I think.

[Tokuhara]

I didn't ask your sources I asked, what level your game is starting at :P


With the bunch of wierdo's you are playing with, lighting bears is your best bet I think.

At the point of comparison, all I need is a way to ride a Fiendish dinosaur and use a shuriken the size of a horse and I'll fit right in. Sarcasm
I only wish I could summon bears made out of lightning. Not Sarcasm

But the big issue with Sentinel of Lightning Bear Man is the base class entry here. Warmage, Wizard, and Sorcerer seem like the standard answers, but to what version? Do I do an Anagakok who focuses on a mixture of animal buddies and blasting to accomplish my goal or do I do the frumpy Stalwart Sorcerer who wants really hard to be a Fighter and can never be a fighter? Do I take the Rainbow Warsnakeshaper route who can rain down heavenly shurikens and lightning and bears or do I go with a mutable recaster who not only becomes a bear, but becomes a bear with eleventy billion natural attacks?

Do note that I am someone with a poor sense of humor, so do not take offense from the earlier paragraph. It's all for Satire's sake.

[silverwolfer]

Could go...if you not into mega powerful...


warmage/sandshaper/Sentinel of Bharrai

or

wizard/Sentinel of Bharrai

[Tokuhara]

The GM also wants story reasons for each PrC choice in game, which with the Sandshaper example is kind of hard to explain why a bloke from the Desert is turning into a bear and raining down lightning.

Wizard is a good choice, but with Wizard's natural inclination to play God, I would have to reign in my wanton need to be a Weapon of World-Ending destruction.

Perhaps Warmage or Wu Jen could be easily explained if Wu Jen wasn't given a spell list designed by a WotC Employee with their head sealed in a half-full tank of boiling chlorine and if Warmage had a not crappy spell list.

And as a note, the swordsage PC is looking at the Catfolk race, which simply scares me stiff. A cat man who tumbles around wreathed in shadows and fire.

[Red Rubber Band]

The GM also wants story reasons for each PrC choice in game, which with the Sandshaper example is kind of hard to explain why a bloke from the Desert is turning into a bear and raining down lightning.

Your father was a glass seller. And he ventured into the Kilat Desert frequently, only to return with glass from where the lightning struck the ground.

As an aside Kilat is also Indonesian for lightning.

Maybe the bear was his masterpiece and you were captivated by it from a young age.

[Tokuhara]

Your father was a glass seller. And he ventured into the Kilat Desert frequently, only to return with glass from where the lightning struck the ground.

As an aside Kilat is also Indonesian for lightning.

Maybe the bear was his masterpiece and you were captivated by it from a young age.

Um... My only issue is that I cannot enter the class due to the Touchstone requirements.

[Seer_of_Heart]

@snow

Swiftblade is the only 9 level (:smalltongue:) gish class that I've enjoyed I haven't found any others that I've really enjoyed.

[Tokuhara]

On the (rather odd) other hand, I could be a Frostfell-themed Sentinel. And with the Animal Companion wizard ACF, I can have a polar bear who tags along. It's just that the specialization requires Finagaling as well as the fluff.

[Snowbluff]

@snow

Swiftblade is the only 9 level (:smalltongue:) gish class that I've enjoyed I haven't found any others that I've really enjoyed.

GASP! Will you marry me?! :smallsmile: Does your state allow AI marriages?

[Red Rubber Band]

Um... My only issue is that I cannot enter the class due to the Touchstone requirements.

Righty-o. I must have misinterpreted something somewhere in the thread. I kinda zeroed in on this (emphasised) part to the exclusion of everything else :P


The GM also wants story reasons for each PrC choice in game, which with the Sandshaper example is kind of hard to explain why a bloke from the Desert is turning into a bear and raining down lightning.

[Tokuhara]

So here's my question:

A [Insert Race Here] AC Wizard (specailized)/Sentinel/Frost Mage.

What can I do with this to make it Optimal, but not cheesey?