Effective but not Overpowerful

[sambouchah]

In my group when I play a character, I am most always the most powerful character. Whether it's combat, spells, what have you. Spell's have backfired and I usually don't take first pick of loot but still! So I am coming here for help. How can I play a not so powerful character(Druid?) that can still get the job done?

Thanks, Sam

[Xervous]

Are you asking what sort of character to play to not be all powerful, or are you asking how to play down a druid?

The former can be done in all sorts of ways, while the latter involves focusing on helping your allies through battlefield control and buffing.

If you are looking to play a lower power level character, it would help to know what the optimization level of your group is.

[eggynack]

If you don't want to play an overpowered character, you might want to avoid the druid. Druids are ridiculously overpowered with a very low amount of build optimization. You might want to build some kind of bard optimized for inspire courage. As I've mentioned in another thread, giving all of your allies a ton of d6's of fire damage might a bit cheesy, but it's the good kind of cheese.

[sambouchah]

If you don't want to play an overpowered character, you might want to avoid the druid. Druids are ridiculously overpowered with a very low amount of build optimization. You might want to build some kind of bard optimized for inspire courage. As I've mentioned in another thread, giving all of your allies a ton of d6's of fire damage might a bit cheesy, but it's the good kind of cheese.

Oh Gawd DFI is so OP:smallbiggrin: I used it once and then destroyed a couple player's who had left me for dead with it.

[Crinias]

Sounds like you are looking for a Tier 3 character (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=266559): A class that can do many different things and is always useful, but which isn't ridiculously effective in any one area. A middle-of-the-road character, in other words.

[sambouchah]

Are you asking what sort of character to play to not be all powerful, or are you asking how to play down a druid?

The former can be done in all sorts of ways, while the latter involves focusing on helping your allies through battlefield control and buffing.

If you are looking to play a lower power level character, it would help to know what the optimization level of your group is.

Oh! and we're talking pole arm fighting monks and other fairly odd characters.

Also Druids are my favorite fluff wise and I love the Prcs for them

[Amphetryon]

Spirit Shaman might be a better mesh for your group than Druid, as the Druid's Animal Companion can be as effective as many Fighters - particularly in low-op groups - if properly set up.

That said, if your group truly finds DFI to be too strong, then virtually any full Caster Class outside possibly Healer or Water Shugenja could come across as too strong.

[AntiTrust]

Don't take natural spell, that'll knock the druid down a peg

[sambouchah]

Spirit Shaman might be a better mesh for your group than Druid, as the Druid's Animal Companion can be as effective as many Fighters - particularly in low-op groups - if properly set up.

That said, if your group truly finds DFI to be too strong, then virtually any full Caster Class outside possibly Healer or Water Shugenja could come across as too strong.

It wasn't my group who thought it was too powerful. It was me. I got bored of ending encounters without challenge and so quickly

[Matticussama]

Choose a moderately powerful animal companion like a Wolf, which only does ok damage (so as to not outshine the other party members) but can Trip to knock the enemy prone. This helps all of your other allies to hit in melee from the -4 to AC. Since standing from prone provokes an Attack of Opportunity, it can also help your other party members get in some additional attacks. Use your Wildshape mainly for scouting purposes, rather than for combat.

Then as far as spells go, just focus mostly on buffs with the occasional battlefield control spell. Sticking to support keeps you important, but without overshadowing others. All of these things make your party members better at doing their job, without making you seem super OP.

[mangosta71]

Oh! and we're talking pole arm fighting monks and other fairly odd characters.

Also Druids are my favorite fluff wise and I love the Prcs for them
Bloody hell. You want to bring a tier 1 character down to the level of an unoptimized tier 5? I don't even know where to begin.

If you don't want to outshine your group, maybe you could try playing a samurai and fluffing it so that your "liege lord" is nature.

[Amnestic]

You like the druid? Why not go for a Wildshape Ranger? Won't bring you down to T5, but it'll be a lot more agreeable than a Druid :smalltongue: