[3.5e]druid build ideas

[Menzath]

So I want to make a druid for an upcoming adventure, but I don't want to do the norm of specializing in spellcasting, wildshaping, or summoning.
I was actually thinking of getting some incarnum feats, and maybe a totemist dip.
I am not concerned with the loss of druid levels since I plan the dip to be at later levels when it will not be as large or an impact, but I was wondering how a druid could do damage stacking with a few of the soulmelds, or if getting any of the incarnates melds through feats would actually be worth the dip/feats.

The totemist bind Manticore Belt... is it considered a natural attack?
would spells that add damage to your natural attacks effect this as well?
For the bind Heart of Fire, if you are in a form doing multiple grapples, does every different opponent take this extra damage?
And the soulmelds for healing aren't to crazy and only help offset the level dip really, though Lifebond vestments can be a good Out of combat heal if you can gain fasthealing of some sort.

What saddens me though is the lack of a good druid/meldshaper PrC, yeah there is that divine one, but then I loose out on animal companion and wildshape, which seems like an awuful bad tradeoff Especially if you take into account getting Law domain as a druid, unless your kind DM counts the feat Law Devotion, which mine would not.
Oh that and the whole being Lawful thing.

Ideas/info and general feedback welcome :smallbiggrin:

[Chronos]

IIRC, there's a totemist meld or two that gives Pounce. That'd be good to pick up, if your preferred wildshape doesn't already have it.

I think there might also be one that gives all of your natural attacks a +1 enhancement bonus per essentia; this would stack well with multiple natural weapons.

[Piggy Knowles]

Something to keep in mind is that the rules for meldshaping get a bit wonky when you change form. Page 169 lists what chakras you have access to when in different shapes. For example, turning into something without limbs means you can't access the hands or arms chakra. It's not too hard to work around, but it's there.

Shape Soulmeld (Sphinx Claws) plus Open Least Chakra (Hands) gives you pounce with natural weapons, which isn't bad for two feats. Any essentia you happen to get from race or feat can be invested to give you a boost on Strength checks and Strength-based skills.

Manticore Belt is... tough. Is it a natural attack? It's not explicitly called out as such, and I would personally say no, and that it's a special attack. You can't fire a spine as an attack action, ergo, not a natural attack. That's my personal take on it, but others have made pretty decent arguments for it counting as one.

[buttcyst]

I had a totemist in a game I DM, the druid/totemist mix would be a little awkward until you could level your character high enough for the druid to gain the wildshape beast epic feat. otherwise, the druids revere for the natural and the totemists revere for the magical tend to create a difference of opinion that can't be ignored. A better option to go with the totemist, if that is what you are really wanting, would be ranger, or if the druid was necessary, only pick divinations and self buffs (mass if you have the caster level), a healing spell or 2 for yourself, and your one or two holy %$#@ spells in case things get hairy. otherwise, quite a few of the totemist capabilities will help your effectiveness in combat. I still think ranger would be a better choice though to go with the totemist, they would work well together, get yourself a blink shirt, dimension door as a move action, far shot/precise shot, next round rinse/repeat.


As for the manticor belt stingers, I deemed them a magical attack because in essence, thats what it is

[Eslin]

They're not really that different - one is a guardian of nature, the other reveres magical beasts. They have the same kind of skills, wild empathy, and live in the same kind of conditions - they don't mesh perfectly, but if they did they'd be the same class.

Though if you don't care about the spells and companions, consider doing wildshape ranger and pick ACFs that trade away your spellcasting and animal companion, then go into master of many forms. Less powerful than druid, still incredibly fun.

[Chronos]

You also have to consider, just what is the difference between an animal and a magical beast, anyway? For us in our world, the distinction is obvious: Animals are the ones that actually exist (well, mostly), and magical beasts are the ones that don't. But for a character in a world where both bears and owlbears exist, one could argue that it's silly to consider one more "natural" than the other.

[Menzath]

Oh yeah forgot about loosing slots in some forms, not to much of a problem I think though.
And without a larger essentia pool and chakra bind slots you loose a lot of what it is to be an incarnum class. They might be a nice little bonus on top of what druids can do, but for some of the better ones you just can't achieve it with feats alone in seems.
And why use two feats to get pounce when there are two or three other feats that give pounce by themselves(although limited circumstances or /per day).
Though if you do a level dip it is easier to manage at higher levels, you still are limited by bind slots/essentia pool so those buffs definitely won't be as useful as gaining those few more spells slots and buffs to elemental shape/animal companion (though companion is a subpar fighter at those levels unless you spend a bit to buff em).

So Sadly I think I may have to call this incarnum druid idea a bust unless some interesting ideas pop-up. But thanks for the input all.

[Seffbasilisk]

If you want to avoid the normal archetypes, there are druid variants that give up wildshape, spontaneous summoning, and penalize Wild Empathy. Aside from this point, I can get more into my feel for a druid, that of a man in touch with nature to an unworldly degree.

Totemist might take this to a new level, but most of the trade-fors are level dependent. Would gesalt nicely though.