Seeking advice for Druids and Clerics (and swamps)

[Krazzman]

Hello fellow playgrounders,

I ran into a problem for that I need your help... better said for around 3 things.

I'm searching for ways to get a Druid to be better at Summoning. Especially Animals fit for the Hunt. Party in question is level 2.

The Human Druid(CN) in Question strongly believes in the Survival of the Fittest aspect of Malar. Her Animal Companion ( a Wolf) has no Barding (yet) since we haven't thought about that.
So far she has taken Augment Summoning + that stupid feat-tax as her feat-choice.
The main question is: are there other ways to extend the duration of her summons than Extend Spell and Ashbound Summoning (is unsure due to source, we might be able to ask for it)? Are there any PrC she should look into?

Since we are second level, my Human Cleric (CG) of Tymora (Luck and Travel) with Practised Spellcaster and Travel Devotion and the rest of the party (Halfling Factotum, Halfling Unarmed Swordsage, Elf Sorcerer, Elf Wizard and Human Druid) are going into a swamp. Into the lair of a deceased Black Dragon. Going with 2 NPC's one guide and our Questgiver. Are there any first level spells I should look into preparing for this procedure? We are already in a small pamphlet right next to this swamp we go into and will be traveling for around 3 days in and 3 days out.

I hope you can help us.
(Sources available: Core+Core2, Spell Compendium, Dungeonscape, Tome of Battle, Complete [All], Faerun Books, MiC and I hope I haven't missed something + maybe Homebrew or other things depending on DM fiat. Game seems to be more Storydriven.)

[Mnemnosyne]

Ashbound is from the Eberron campaign setting, and is quite nice. The Druid could take it at level 3, if the duration of the summons is currently problematic.

Alternately, greenbound summoning from lost empires of faerun will make all her summons way stronger. Depending on how your DM decides giving orders to summoned creatures works, this also gives her access to their at will entangle, as well as once per day wall of thorns. A 1st level spell can thus be used to cast a 5th level spell. Even without the sla abilities, these summons are pretty much invulnerable at this level.

[Darrin]

The main question is: are there other ways to extend the duration of her summons than Extend Spell and Ashbound Summoning (is unsure due to source, we might be able to ask for it)?


Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend (3000 GP, DMG). Free Extend 3/day.

Golden Desert Honey (300 GP, Complete Mage). Quickens summon spells to a standard action instead of a round.

Possibility Dust (100 GP, Complete Mage). When used with create ice beast spells (Frostburn), doubles the duration as if the Extend Spell feat was used.

Coatl Feather (10 GP, Book of Exalted Deeds). 35% chance the caster level will be increased by +2. Works with any spell, but on summons this increases the duration by +2 rounds.

Phoenix Feather (11 GP, Book of Exalted Deeds). 10% chance spell will remain prepared after you have cast it.

Unicorn Tail Hair (25 GP, Book of Exalted Deeds). 20% chance to double the duration of a spell.

(For these last three, by RAW you can't combine multiple optional components, but you may consider a house rule to allow multiples to increase the chances.)

Two more important items for any Druid summoner:

Summoner's Totem (3100 GP, MIC) doesn't extend the duration, but you can add buffs to your summons as a swift action.

Ring of the Beast (8000 GP, Complete Champion) doesn't extend the duration either, but allows you to treat your summons as one level higher (SNA1 becomes SNA2).



Are there any PrC she should look into?


No. Druid 20 covers pretty much everything you could conceivably want to do with a druid. Most Druid-based PrCs just make the druid weaker. (There is one exception: Planar Shepherd, but it's so gobsmacking uberbroken that you're better off just ignoring it.)



Are there any first level spells I should look into preparing for this procedure? We are already in a small pamphlet right next to this swamp we go into and will be traveling for around 3 days in and 3 days out.


Aquatic escape and winged watcher (Complete Scoundrel) are both useful for quick scouting forays that involve swimming or flying, although at this level 2 rounds isn't a lot of time to scout.

For the cleric, ice slick (Frostburn) can be used either as a bigger version of grease, but it might be able to turn swampy water squares into solid (but slippery) surfaces. The spell description doesn't say how thick the ice is, though... to get around the slippery part, there's snowshoes (Spell Compendium) or ice skate (Frostburn, similar effect, but with +60' additional movement).

Bouyant lifting (Spell Compendium) might come in handy if you want to surprise the PCs with breaking through peat moss, but suffocation takes so long in D&D that even the most heavily armored tanks can still walk across the bottom to the edge and still have enough time left to knit a sweater.

If you need the party to do anything extensive underwater, but want something less obvious than just giving them a bunch of potions of water breathing or auran masks (Complete Mage), consider putting a supply of air plants nearby (Stormwrack p. 108) that can be found via a Knowledge: Nature or Profession: Herbalism roll.