Druid advice

[Morphie]

Hello all, this is my first post and I'm really glad to be here :)

On to the subject: I'm currently playing The Age of Worms Adventure Path and my PC is a Ghostwise Halfling Druid with a Riding Dog. So far it's been going ok (had our first PC death on the last session, that was not ok, though). I've read the Druid Handbook but I need some advice, so that's where you guys come in.

1 - Feats: I'm at level 3 and I have Mounted Combat and Companion Spellbond. At level 6 I'll be choosing Natural Spell and later, at level 12 I will probably choose Dragon Wild Shape.
What's your advice for my level 9 feat? I'm not into summoning, with all the paperwork regarding mine and my dog's stats I don't like the idea of slowing the gameplay with even more stuff, I will only use it as a last resort.
For my Companion, I've chosen Endurance, the next one will be Steadfast Determination. I'm pondering Improved Natural Attack and Improved Toughness as the other ones, so he's set.

2 - Equipment. I know that the Druid isn't very equipment-dependant, but if I'm to survive this huge adventure I'll probably need some good stuff. I'm planing to follow the Monk's belt + Bracers of Armor route for AC; Club as main weapon (with Shillelagh, Spikes/Brambles) and Necklace of Natural Weapons +1 Keen Ghost Touch when Wildshaped.
In the MIC there are some items that can be used while wildshaped, namely, among others, the Bracers of Lightning. My question is: Can I add the Armor bonus of the Bracers of Armor to said bracers (using MIC rulles) in order to use it while wildshaped without a Wilding Clasp? I think I can't, but what's your opinion?

3 - The Dog. I probably won't be changing the Companion throughout all of the AP mainly due to flavor reasons (No Fleshraker: even though it's awesome, he just doesn't fit my view for the character) and because the dog is amazing and just gets better as he progresses. But I just don't know how to surpass the need for flight. Command-activated Items don't make sense (he's a dog) and the continuous ones are too expensive (Phoenix Cloak), is there a easier and cheaper way to achieve this?

Thanks for reading. Sorry for the long post and for any errors it may have, english isn't my native tongue :)

[Gavinfoxx]

Try one of the other Wild Shape feats? Frozen Wild Shape? Exalted Wild Shape, if you can get the GM to lessen the exalted behavior requirements? I think one of them can be taken at level 9... You could take Wild Cohort, and have another animal companion-like creature, perhaps?

Wild Cohort can get you Dire Bat, and eventually Dragonhawk, I think.

[pbdr]

The Air Walk spell and share spell ability work together to get it 10 min/lvl "flight".

[jedipilot24]

The Natural Bond feat would allow you to take a more powerful animal companion and still progress its abilities like a normal one.

[Invader]

You should probably see if you can retrain mounted combat at level 6. Once you get wild shape you'll probably be riding your dog les and less. Enhance wild shape is usually a popular choice as well as almost any of the the wild shape themed feats.

A healing collar and barding will go a long way in keeping your AC alive.

[Morphie]

Air Walk is good choice, but I was thinking if there was a way to make him fly without sharing any spells. A feat or something that makes him fly.
There probably isn't, so I'll stick with the spell idea for now.

Natural Bond is cool, but I think I'll stick with the dog all the way. We have another Druid in our party and she'll be changing hers, she'll also be choosing the PrC that improves the animal companion (can´t remember the name). I want to go in a different way.

Edit: Beastmaster PrC, that's the name.

[Ketiara]

Dont get too attached to your animal companion... It's there to help you and thus may die, if you sacrifice too much to keeping it alive It may be a liability.

[Invader]

The Naturel Bond feat would allow you to take a more powerful animal companion and still progress its abilities like a normal one.

Natural bond doesn't do anything for a straight druid so it'd be a waste of a feat.

[Morphie]

You should probably see if you can retrain mounted combat at level 6. Once you get wild shape you'll probably be riding your dog les and less. Enhance wild shape is usually a popular choice as well as almost any of the the wild shape themed feats.

A healing collar and barding will go a long way in keeping your AC alive.


I know of the spell with that name, but there is a feat? Can you tell me where it is?

[Gavinfoxx]

I think he is thinking of Assume Supernatural Ability?

[Invader]

I think he is thinking of Assume Supernatural Ability?

Yup this is actually what I meant, my mistake :smallredface:

[Morbis Meh]

Natural bond doesn't do anything for a straight druid so it'd be a waste of a feat.

Actually it will allow a druid to select a more powerful companion from the get go since it will compensate for companions that have the -X druid levels requirement or that is how some people like to interpret it anyways

[Gavinfoxx]

Actually, that depends on GM interpretation... the feat itself is ambiguous.

[Invader]

I always thought the "this bonus can never make your effective druid level exceed your character level" bit made it pretty clear.

[Morphie]

The funny thing about this AP is that everyone in the group will be DMing a part, so we all have to agree to any use of feats and that kind of stuff. But we usually stay away from the cheese, so there hasn't been any major problems so far.
About Natural Bond our current ruling is that you can choose it to get a animal companion from the Alternative Animal Companions list with a +3 bonus if it doesn't surpass your effective character level. For example, a 6th lvl druid With Natural Bond could choose a Ape and apply the bonuses from "Class level 6-8" on the table.

About my question regarding the equipment, any thoughts?

[Morbis Meh]

I always thought the "this bonus can never make your effective druid level exceed your character level" bit made it pretty clear.

It does but if you pick an animal that is -3 to your druid level at level 1 with natural bond, the bond is still 1 so it stays within the feat guidlines

[Invader]

It does but if you pick an animal that is -3 to your druid level at level 1 with natural bond, the bond is still 1 so it stays within the feat guidlines

But it doesn't work that, it's not really even worded like that.

[Invader]

As far as equipment if you read the druids handbook it covers the best stuff, aside from the aforementioned collar of healing I can't think of anything really great geared towards just druids.

[Morphie]

As far as equipment if you read the druids handbook it covers the best stuff, aside from the aforementioned collar of healing I can't think of anything really great geared towards just druids.

I was talking about this:

"In the MIC there are some items that can be used while wildshaped, namely, among others, the Bracers of Lightning. My question is: If I add the Armor bonus of the Bracers of Armor to said bracers (using MIC rulles) can I use them while wildshaped without a Wilding Clasp? I think I can't, but what's your opinion?"

[Invader]

I was talking about this:

"In the MIC there are some items that can be used while wildshaped, namely, among others, the Bracers of Lightning. My question is: If I add thing is the Armor bonus of the Bracers of Armor to said bracers (using MIC rulles) can I use them while wildshaped without a Wilding Clasp? I think I can't, but what's your opinion?"

You should be able to add any enchantment you want at the regular price AFAIK.

[Morphie]

But can I benefit from the armor bonus to AC while wildshaped due to the fact that the original item has that ability?

[Gavinfoxx]

Why don't you take the items off, wild shape, and then put them back on?? Seriously. That's what I do. Get items in forms that can do that sort of thing. Also, WILDING CLASPS!

Anyway, with most druids, I tend to combine magic items of like slot, via the rules in the:

You should look at:

The SRD rules for magic items
The DMG rules for combining magic items
The ERRATA to the DMG
The MIC rules for combining magic items.

The long and short of it is, "Look up magic items that are naturally the same slot. Look at the list of 'easy to add' in the Magic Item Compendium. You can combine like slotted magic items, at a premium of 1.5x the cost for all but the most expensive item, unless it is from the easy add list in the MIC, which don't have that 1.5x premium cost".

So, for example, you can make a:

Travel Cloak 1200 * 1.5 = 1800
Shadow Cloak 5500gp
Cloak of Resistance +1 1000
Cloak of Elemental Protection 1400 * 1.5 = 2100
Cloak of Charisma +2 4000
Cloak of Weaponry 2300*1.5 = 3450

For: 1800+5500+1000+2100+4000+3450 = 17850 gp...

Anyway, do that with as many useful item types in a single slot as you can, plop a Wilding Clasp on it, and you are good to go!

[Invader]

But can I benefit from the armor bonus to AC while wildshaped ed due to the fact that the original item has that ability?

I don't know if there's RAW that covers that actually. You might have to get a DM ruling on it. Personally as a DM I allow items that allow inherent bonuses on items to keep functioning while wildshaped and only require a wildling clasp if it has an activation.

[Morphie]

Why don't you take the items off, wild shape, and then put them back on?? Seriously. That's what I do. Get items in forms that can do that sort of thing. Also, WILDING CLASPS!

Anyway, with most druids, I tend to combine magic items of like slot, via the rules in the:

You should look at:

The SRD rules for magic items
The DMG rules for combining magic items
The ERRATA to the DMG
The MIC rules for combining magic items.

The long and short of it is, "Look up magic items that are naturally the same slot. Look at the list of 'easy to add' in the Magic Item Compendium. You can combine like slotted magic items, at a premium of 1.5x the cost for all but the most expensive item, unless it is from the easy add list in the MIC, which don't have that 1.5x premium cost".

So, for example, you can make a:

Travel Cloak 1200 * 1.5 = 1800
Shadow Cloak 5500gp
Cloak of Resistance +1 1000
Cloak of Elemental Protection 1400 * 1.5 = 2100
Cloak of Charisma +2 4000
Cloak of Weaponry 2300*1.5 = 3450

For: 1800+5500+1000+2100+4000+3450 = 17850 gp...

Anyway, do that with as many useful item types in a single slot as you can, plop a Wilding Clasp on it, and you are good to go!

Yes, that is my intention.
But my question regarding this specific item has to do with the fact that the power of the bracers of lightning can be activated while wildshaped thus needing no wilding clasp. Could the "bracers of lightning and armor +6" work effectively in the same manner? I think it can't because one of the abilities is command-activated and the other is continuous, but I'm looking for some insight on this matter.

[Gavinfoxx]

Whyever wouldn't you be able to activate items while wild shaped? I guess Command Word activation, possibly... but you'll be able to speak. Pearl of Speech, silly!