Building a druid for a dungeon crawl-- core only

[Grod_The_Giant]

As the title says. I'm working on a 9th level druid for a "brutal" dungeon crawl, and, well... given that the DM is limiting us to core only for simplicity's sake... what kind of stuff should I be looking to take for maximum in-dungeon utility? Combat, I'm told, is going to take something of a back roll to traps and suchlike.

I've got Natural Spell, obviously, as well as Augment Summoning, for lack of any better ideas. I picked up a Wand of Summon Nature's Ally I (at CL 5) to use for trapsweeping. Grabbed my +4 Wisdom and a Druid's Vestment and ran out of interesting things to look for.

The rest of the party, incidentally, is a rogue, wizard, cleric, and monk.

Any suggestions on how to prep for a game like this?

[Urpriest]

Do you actually mean Heightened? Heightening Summoning spells doesn't do anything. Also, I assume you mean Summon Nature's Ally, not Summon Monster?

[prufock]

Do you actually mean Heightened? Heightening Summoning spells doesn't do anything. Also, I assume you mean Summon Nature's Ally, not Summon Monster?

Maybe he means increased caster level to 5th? One round duration kind of sucks.

[Flickerdart]

Don't neglect gear for your animal companion. You can't wear metal, but that doesn't mean it can't be running around in full plate barding.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Maybe he means increased caster level to 5th? One round duration kind of sucks.
Yes, that thing. Sorry.

[Xerxus]

Wands of lesser vigor?

[Eldariel]

+1 Wild Armor (Dragonhide Fullplate for instance) would be nice if you've got Craft feat for it (and thus can afford it). Increases your Wildshape AC substantially. Craft Skill can also cut the Plate's cost down to nothing.

Greater Magic Fang, Barkskins, etc. This kinds of dungeon crawls tend to cut on your endurance so make sure you're equipped to fight all day. Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend Spell to Extend all your Greater Magic Fangs to ensure your weapons are enhanced all day.


You might also want access to some save-or-dies as appropriate (Baleful Polymorph is a level 5 spell for instance). Ensnare is always good and few other control spells to taste to split encounters as desired. Also learn Summon Nature's Ally line by heart; notably you can get healers in Unicorns from SNAIV and SNAV spontaneously, with some strong anti-evil effects too. Those spells also provide very potent combatants and Thoqquas if you need to dig your way somewhere.

Animal Growth from your 5th level is an encounter ender; can be used on summons or your companion. Also remember to overlap your Wildshapes; if you need a form other than your all-day combat form, you can Wildshape again, and after you're done, dismiss that Wildshape and go back to your all-day form.


You probably want Spell Penetration(s) and/or Multiattack as feats. Good forms to use for combat include Dire Lion, Brown Bear, Polar Bear and company all of which have multiple attacks.

Don't forget to pick stuff for your companion too; it'll be a key part of your all-day fighting capability, as well as your Wildshape and Greater Magic Fangs on both.

[Slipperychicken]

Wands of lesser vigor?

Not core. Vigor and its ilk come from Complete Divine. Wands of Cure Light Wounds will have to do.

Get lots of utility scrolls, especially of Remove Curse/Disease/Blindness/etc and Restoration. Encourage your spellcaster buddies to do this too, for any situationally-useful spells on their lists like Mount, Shatter, Protection from Energy/Arrows, Knock, and Water Breathing. A scroll or two of Animate Dead can get lulzy when you kill a boss-monster and have it start fighting for you.

[Invader]

Also remember to overlap your Wildshapes; if you need a form other than your all-day combat form, you can Wildshape again, and after you're done one, dismiss that Wildshape and go back to your all-day form.


Doing this seems dubious at best and I don't know many DM's that would let you interpret the rules that way unless it's somewhere in the description that I didn't see.

[Eldariel]

Doing this seems dubious at best and I don't know many DM's that would let you interpret the rules that way unless it's somewhere in the description that I didn't see.

What's dubious about it? Wildshape (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/druid.htm#wildShape) is based on Alternate Form (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#alternateForm). It has a duration of 1 hour/level and it's dismissable. However, one use of Wildshape doesn't remove previous uses of Wildshape; it just merely replaces all your previous statistics with the new form's.

Just like your first use of Wildshape replaces your human form statistics with whatever animal you're using, your second use replaces your previous form's statistics. If you dismiss the second Wildshape with the first still active, it's still replacing your statistics after the second is dismissed. There's nothing preventing you from using the Wildshape ability while already Wildshaped nor anything preventing the stats from being changed again.

[Urpriest]

Keep a few Summon Nature's Ally III's available for Thoqquas. The best way to deal with a trap-filled dungeoncrawl is to bypass as much of it as possible.