Druid race decisions

[Asteron]

My DM told us that we may want to have a back-up character prepared for this next leg of the campaign (which is doubly alarming since he has never said that before.) I have always wanted to play a druid, but have never done so. Therefore, I have decided to play one if my character snuffs it and isn't able to be brought back.

I want to play a half-orc for the substitution levels (maybe just the 6th level one...) but I was considering adding something to it like Dragonborn or Feral. The LA from feral isn't a problem due to a houserule. However, if I do both, would I lose the extras from the feral template like pounce and fast healing because of Dragonborn?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Feral is an Inherited template, so the character was born with it. Dragonborn is an acquired template, so it's gained a some point during his life. That means you have to gain Feral before Dragonborn, so anything you have gained from Feral at the time you take Dragonborn is lost. Since Feral gets Fast Healing at 1 HD and it later improves, the Fast Healing itself will be lost to Dragonborn and you'll no longer have the base ability to apply the improvements to later.

However, if you gain abilities from Feral later on, after Dragonborn, then you'll get to keep them. Also note that it was made crystal clear that RAI Feral abilities are only gained due to racial HD, not class levels. Also remember that you'll lose any racial extraordinary special attacks when you Wild Shape.

If you want ultimate power out of a template, Divine Minion (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20050209a) of Anhur is +1 LA and gives you at-will, free-action Wild Shape as a Druid 11, though it's limited to the form of a Lion. However, gaining Wild Shape from class levels will still give you additional options for forms, and it's still usable at-will as a free action. Remember you heal as though you rested every time you wild shape, and you can do this at will as a free action.

For templates that aren't quite so game-breaking, Dark Creature (ToM) gives Hide in Plain Sight among other considerable benefits, and Quasilycanthrope (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20040721a) gives DR 10/Silver and the ability to take on animalistic features at will. Also check out the Bone Talisman spell on that same page, you can put Unguent of Timelessness on your spell foci so it lasts 365 times longer and you can recast it using those same timeless foci indefinitely as it never wears off.

[Asteron]

Thanks for the reply.

Our DM told us that these back-up characters can have up to 4 LA free to keep pace with the characters we currently have. We are currently 13th level.

I am not sold on Feral. My DM ruled that the fast healing would scale with character level (it's how we rule all racial abilities) but raised the LA to +2. Part of the reason that I wanted it was for the WIS bonus, but surely there are better ones out there. Any suggestions?

With Quasilycanthrope, would the DR go away when I wild shaped?

[Mithril Leaf]

I am not sold on Feral. My DM ruled that the fast healing would scale with character level (it's how we rule all racial abilities) but raised the LA to +2. Part of the reason that I wanted it was for the WIS bonus, but surely there are better ones out there. Any suggestions?

Unless you're a Saint, no. Boosts to any mental stats besides Charisma are insanely tough to get for a reasonable price. Winged and Insectile each give +2 Wisdom for +2 LA, but aren't as overall good for a druid. Phrenic is a bit better, but only because it gives you PLAs, it still has +2 Wis for +2 LA.

[Asteron]

Thanks... I had forgotten about the Phrenic template. That sounds good.

Any ruling on the Quasilycanthrope template? My understanding is that it goes away when Wild Shaped. Is that correct?

[Deophaun]

Note: you only get the special abilities from the Feral Creature template based on your monster HD. As you're playing a 1 HD humanoid creature that will, presumably, be taking class levels, you won't gain any of the special abilities.

[Asteron]

Note: you only get the special abilities from the Feral Creature template based on your monster HD. As you're playing a 1 HD humanoid creature that will, presumably, be taking class levels, you won't gain any of the special abilities.

We have always houseruled abilities like that to function with character level, otherwise those abilities are useless and not at all worth the LA, even a measly +1

[sleepyphoenixx]

You lose only breath weapons, gaze attacks and (Ex) attacks when wild shaping.
You keep both the DR and Disguise Self powers of the Quasilycanthrope template when wild shaping.

[Invader]

You could always go with the ever popular anthromorphic bat, small size, flight, blindsense, and a +6 to your wisdom for no LA at all. I think it's pretty much the default optimized druid race.

[Emmerask]

Where do the +6 for the bat come from?

all I see is

Anthrobat Racial Traits
+2 Wisdom, -2 Strength: Anthrobats have extraordinary senses, but are physically weak.

[Invader]

Where do the +6 for the bat come from?

all I see is

Well it depends on where you're looking I guess. In Savage species under anthromorphic bat it has listed as a +6 to wisdom, -4 str, and -2 cha.