Helping a friend with her Druid

[Elricaltovilla]

Here's the story, all about how my friends and I are playing Pathfinder and having an awesome time.

But our party druid has a bit of a confidence issue. It's her and her boyfriend's first time playing Pathfinder or any other D&D based game. We've been going through this campaign for a few months now, and we're wrapping up the final boss of chapter 1 (ostensibly of 400 or so chapters, this may never actually end). I've been helping her with spell selection and summoning creatures, but she's still very unsure of herself. Is there something I or anyone else can do to help give her more confidence? She's got good instincts, and she always has a lot of fun when we play. I just want to help her feel more comfortable with the character she's playing.


For the record, this is a very high powered campaign. Her boyfriend's 17th level Fighter regularly full attacks for around 800 damage, and we've calculated my alchemist's max damage at around 1500 with bombs, accounting for multiple targets.

[terrymcginnis]

I have a couple of questions to help better answer this.

1. Did she make the choices on what she made during character creation.

2. Is there a lot of opportunities to actually role play or is it a heavy combat game?

3. Does she have a good grasp on her characters personality and what not?

[Elricaltovilla]

I have a couple of questions to help better answer this.

1. Did she make the choices on what she made during character creation.

2. Is there a lot of opportunities to actually role play or is it a heavy combat game?

3. Does she have a good grasp on her characters personality and what not?

1. She did make her own character, with mechanical help from our DM. She's mostly been making her spell selection and feat choices on her own since then, although we did suggest a couple metamagic feats for her when she asked.

2. We haven't had much roleplaying the last month or so, since we've been in the middle of heavy combat but there has been opportunities to roleplay. Her character is an amnesiac though and we haven't gotten to that plotline yet.

3. I believe she does, her character concept is sort of the archetypal elven druid.

[avr]

It might be as simple as providing useful feedback - monsters who curse her name & fear her when they're locked down if she's playing that way, thanks from players who get buffed when she does that.

[terrymcginnis]

1. She did make her own character, with mechanical help from our DM. She's mostly been making her spell selection and feat choices on her own since then, although we did suggest a couple metamagic feats for her when she asked.

2. We haven't had much roleplaying the last month or so, since we've been in the middle of heavy combat but there has been opportunities to roleplay. Her character is an amnesiac though and we haven't gotten to that plotline yet.

3. I believe she does, her character concept is sort of the archetypal elven druid.

Like Avr said helpful feedback, and what not will go along way as well as giving more opportunities for her to role play and flesh out her character. It's not easy for some people during their first time gaming but if given more opportunities it will build their confidence.

A big one is too never tell her she's making flat out a wrong choice when it comes to her character build or decisions unless it can be seriously hazardous to her character or the party as a whole even then say it like well maybe that's not a good idea because of X.

[Elricaltovilla]

Like Avr said helpful feedback, and what not will go along way as well as giving more opportunities for her to role play and flesh out her character. It's not easy for some people during their first time gaming but if given more opportunities it will build their confidence.

A big one is too never tell her she's making flat out a wrong choice when it comes to her character build or decisions unless it can be seriously hazardous to her character or the party as a whole even then say it like well maybe that's not a good idea because of X.

Well when it comes to making new choices for her character I try to suggest a bunch of options and let her pick the ones she likes. I've been helping a lot with her character because I have access to the books and she doesn't.

Do you think that finding out what she likes about her character would help too? If she's more into spell casting than wildshaping, that makes a difference in what she should be doing.

Being a spellcaster on your first playthrough is tough, I remember my first sorcerer. There's a lot to remember...

[terrymcginnis]

Well when it comes to making new choices for her character I try to suggest a bunch of options and let her pick the ones she likes. I've been helping a lot with her character because I have access to the books and she doesn't.

Do you think that finding out what she likes about her character would help too? If she's more into spell casting than wildshaping, that makes a difference in what she should be doing.

Being a spellcaster on your first playthrough is tough, I remember my first sorcerer. There's a lot to remember...

That is a good start actually asking her what exactly she see's for her character finding out what she wants to do in the long run with that character. Granted she's already a really high level so unless the dm allows retraining she might be kind of stuck now but still its doable.

[Elricaltovilla]

That is a good start actually asking her what exactly she see's for her character finding out what she wants to do in the long run with that character. Granted she's already a really high level so unless the dm allows retraining she might be kind of stuck now but still its doable.

We're about to get a bunch of Hourglasses of Transfiguration for beating this boss. Our DM gave us the heads up last week. So retraining might be an option.

[terrymcginnis]

We're about to get a bunch of Hourglasses of Transfiguration for beating this boss. Our DM gave us the heads up last week. So retraining might be an option.

Oh well there you go then. :) So yes talk to her about her character.

[Elricaltovilla]

Oh well there you go then. :) So yes talk to her about her character.

She has been complaining that she doesn't get to put her Animal Companion to good use much. It's a giant frog that she got for the tongue grab/swallow whole combo.

[terrymcginnis]

lol sounds like she wants to focus on her animal companion lol. Give her suggestions to focus on helping her animal companion in combat, and outside of combat. After all she could use the swallow whole thing outside of combat too.