Druid Spell Synergies

[Grams]

The Druid spell list is very powerful. Not in the numerical sense (though there can be cheese) but more on the lines of control, alterations and creativity.

The purpose here is to share some creative synergies I've found and to hear what more creative combos the Giant has come up with:



Flash Freeze + Create Water/Flash Flood

- At higher levels you can create massive amounts of water which can then be used to freeze characters in place or create large ice-rinks for enemies to fumble around on. You could, arguably, also mimic the effects of the spell Freeze Armor(4th) at second level with two castings.
- Although an 8th level spell, Flash Flood and Flash Freeze can potentially 86 a whole army. Couple it with Control Temperature to void any melting.


Faerie Fire + X Mist/Fog Cloud

- Pre Faerie Fire multiple targets (good idea anyway) and follow up with an Obscuring Mist/Obscuring Snow/Fog Cloud, ect. This will allow your party to still see the targets within the mist. Melee members, and especially rogues, will like this as they can fight within the mist and not suffer penalties from enemy concealment--allowing sneak attacks. (Sculpt the mists for greater effect)


Obscuring Snow + Snow Sight

- I've seen this one tossed around on the playgrounds but it's so powerful it deserves yet another mentioning. Obscuring snow creates a 30 foot concealment snow-globe around your character and Snow Sight allows you to see through it. If you can get wands/pearls of power you can grant the spell to all your party members and tip most encounters into your favor. Both spells last 1h/level.


Drifts of Shalm/Avalanche/Blizzard + Blood Snow

- The snow variant of Drifts of Shalm alone is a very nice low level spell. Couple it with Blood Snow and you have a "sculpted" 3 foot deep AoE that doubles movement speed through it, causes 3 damage/1d2 Con damage (no saves) and if they fail a fort save they are also Nauseated one round per level.
- For larger groups of enemies: Cast blizzard or drop a couple tons of avalanche on them, which may bury them, and turn it all into a metric **** ton of no save Con damage and fail save Nausea.
-Couple with Control Temperature to void any melting.


Giant Vermin + Venomfire

- There's a lot of cheese associated with Venomfire and wildshape/animal companions but this is a potentially very powerful usage of Venomfire without getting spit on by your DM. (Lucky most DM's have no natural poisons)
- All the creatures that can me summoned via Giant Vermin (3 centi or 2 spiders or 1 scorpion) have a natural poison. Raw damage goes to the 3 centi option which can potentially proc the insane # of d6's that Venomfire procures 3 times per round. But I'd opt for the two spiders as they can also web and then poison the hell out of the webbed foe.


Animal Growth + Feathers

- Not really sure why I'm mentioning this as most agree you do not gain the animal template. However the idea of turning your whole party into human sized raptors could spark some imagination.


Control Winds + Eye of the Hurricane

- A very powerful spell combination if you have good control of your party members positioning. Cast Control Winds to 1 (or more) degree's higher than normal--which you then follow up with an Eye of the Hurricane. Ta-da! You just created a localized tornado at level 9. This picks up most creatures within 40feet of you, in all directions, for 1d10 rounds and dealing 6d6 untyped damage per round. The 10x10 "eye" of this tornado is also a safe spot for your party members. (Perhaps using Delay Spell you could spring this Tornado in one round.)


Sculpt Spell + Call Lightning + Cloud Burst

- Sculpt Spell can take many spells up to tier 1. This combo/trio in particular is visually and in regards to AoE numerical damage -- very delicious.
- Pre cast Cloud Burst (10min/level) when your spider sense tingles. Then unleash four 10x10 columns of lighting that deal 3d10 points of damage every round (up to your caster level) as a standard action. Only usable outdoors but still pretty dope and obviously if the weather are already in place naturally, forgo the casting of Cloud Burst.
- Should I mention you can be creating these lightning storms while your opponents are being twirled around the tornado you just created? (see above)
- Also a casting of Weather Eye allows you to predict appropriate weather conditions for up to one week.


Move Earth + Structures

- Move Earth allows you to depress a huge area of land by up to 10 feet. Although the spell hints at its ineffectiveness verses structures, I don't see why dropping half the soil below a wizard tower would not cause it to Pisa and potentially fall after another casting. Does not effect rock so if built on bedrock this idea is useless.


Magic Fang, X + Nature's Favor

- Pretty self explanatory. Whole bunches o' stacking bonus' to you and your animal companion.
- Share Animal Growth and Enrage Animal (with Swift Concentration skill trick) with yourself, SNA's and your companion to break action economy and create a troupe of raging juggernauts.


Wall of Thorns + Woodland Stride

- This one is debatable. Woodland Stride allows you to move through natural brush as if it wasn't there but does not work on magically altered brush. The way I read it, Wall of Thorns does not alter existing brush magically rather it magically creates a wall of normal, natural thorny plants. This could be a thorn in the side of your opponent as you just created a wall that you can freely move about.


Bottle of Endless sand + A whole bunch of things.

- Bottle of Endless Sand(SS) creates an endless amount of sand! Five cubic feet (I don't think the writers know what cubic means) of sand per round. If it really is a cube of sand then the sand would fall in annex other adjacent squares, to a lesser extent. Well now you have a **** ton of sand what to do with it?
- With enough planing you can Awaken Sand and have your own free amorphous construct. Have it lay low as a thin carpet of sand to walk on in town. Perhaps you can use your Bottle to add sand to him after or during a fight to provide healing?
- Soul of the Waste causes you to crumble into a pile of sentient sand. Do this on top a giant mound of sand you created and you are basically untouchable by normal means.
- Asherati gain extra benifit as they can freely move about all this sandy nonsense like a fish in water which can be very fun. I've build a class around this and you're pretty much Gaara.
-Just beware of Transmute Sand to X


Grillians Blessing + Evards Menacing Tentacles

- With Share spell you just turned yourself and your Animal companion into Squidbilly Hydras. Reap.


Plant Growth + Entangle/Briar Web

-Nuff said.


Contagion

-Not a combination but the effects could be exponential... Cast this spell into said enemies water source (Blinding Sickness), perch yourself on a branch overlooking the encampment and watchthe blind and frail soldiers fall into chaos.



That's all I can think of in regards to druid spell synergy. If you have more on the top of your head please share!

[eggynack]

Very nifty. Offhand, I can think of aspect of the wolf's ability to turn you into an actual animal in combination with ghost companion, animal growth, or traveler's mount.

[Know(Nothing)]

Local Tremor can synergize with almost any of the other fantastic Druid control spells.

Body Ward + Sanctified Spells

Create Water + Scry – Scry needs a natural pool of water. Create water does just that. Ta-da, scry anywhere

Create Water + Animate Water – Gain access to a Small Water Elemental at 1st level.

Create Water + Soften Earth and Stone – The best part of Soften Earth and Stone is when it’s done on wet earth, causing it to turn to mud, which has great battlefield control. Just add water with Create Water first and bam! Mud.

Call Lightning/Call Lightning Storm + Cloudburst – Boost your damage to d10 by casting cloudburst beforehand.

Call Lightning/Call Lightning Storm + Weather Eye – Predict when you'll be able to get the additional damage without having to cast cloudburst.

Call Lightning/Call Lightning Storm + Summoning of Air Elementals – Same as the cloudburst combo with less duration, and add an elemental.

Storm Rage + Whirlwind or some other wind based spell – You are immune to wind based effects, but no one else is. Go to town in your storm.

Acorn of Far Travel + Tree Stride – Teleport for druids.

Acorn of Far Travel + Camouflage/Forest Fold – +10/20 Hide & Move Silently for 10min/level

Mudslide + Transmute Mud to Stone - Almost as filthy as Avalanche + Blood snow. If they didn't pass their the Mudslide reflex save, they arguably don't get one to avoid being trapped.

[eggynack]

Local Tremor can synergize with almost any of the other fantastic Druid control spells.
I'd generally prefer impeding stones for this sort of effect. It seems better in most ways. To add to the low level BFC list, you've got entangle, spore field, and wall of smoke, along with the aforementioned impeding stones, all stacking reasonably well.

Body Ward + Sanctified Spells
Seems nifty. I somewhat prefer lesser restoration, as you can just heal in between adventures, instead of prepping it all together, and body ward has difficulties dealing with in combat sanctified spells, like hammer of righteousness. Also, this doesn't deal with the ability draining ones, and things that do represent a combo all their own. My current list goes restoration from a cleric or item, shelter of vitality (the most druid specific), bone ring (probably my favorite option), and the talisman of undying fortitude. Getting a free year with a unicorn or a bunch of cry of ysgard guys is a classic maneuver.


Create Water + Animate Water – Gain access to a Small Water Elemental at 1st level.
Seems halfway nifty, though I don't know what you actually do with it, given the duration. Now wood wose, that's a classy spell.

Create Water + Soften Earth and Stone – The best part of Soften Earth and Stone is when it’s done on wet earth, causing it to turn to mud, which has great battlefield control. Just add water with Create Water first and bam! Mud.
That one's pretty fancy.



Call Lightning/Call Lightning Storm + Weather Eye – Predict when you'll be able to get the additional damage without having to cast cloudburst.
Yeah, I've always liked that trick, and it helps with most weather spells. Better yet, pick up enough survival to be able to hit a 15 consistently (you might not even need ranks), and you can predict the weather a day in advance, no spells necessary.


Acorn of Far Travel + Tree Stride – Teleport for druids.

Acorn of Far Travel + Camouflage/Forest Fold – +10/20 Hide & Move Silently for 10min/level
Unbroken uses of acorn of far travel always amuse me for some reason. Probably because the spell is so often used in ways that are borked to all hell.

[eggynack]

Animal Growth + Feathers

- Not really sure why I'm mentioning this as most agree you do not gain the animal template. However the idea of turning your whole party into human sized raptors could spark some imagination.
I mentioned this in my first post, but you're looking for aspect of the wolf here. That spell actually does change type. By the way, aspect of the earth hunter gets you the magical beast type, so if anyone can find a way to abuse that in a way that couldn't just use aspect of the wolf, you get an internet cookie. Also on that list of cookie sources is a gargantuan animal form that can use megalodon empowerment to good effect. So far, I've only found spinosaurus for frightful presence, and roc for being kinda cool, for forms that are actually interesting. The others are mostly weird whale forms.


Wall of Thorns + Woodland Stride

- This one is debatable. Woodland Stride allows you to move through natural brush as if it wasn't there but does not work on magically altered brush. The way I read it, Wall of Thorns does not alter existing brush magically rather it magically creates a wall of normal, natural thorny plants. This could be a thorn in the side of your opponent as you just created a wall that you can freely move about.

This doesn't really work, mostly because wall of thorns is actively magical, owing to the fact that it has a duration. Briar web works though. Not as interesting as wall of thorns, but still.

[TuggyNE]

Bottle of Endless sand + A whole bunch of things.

- Bottle of Endless Sand(SS) creates an endless amount of sand! Five cubic feet (I don't think the writers know what cubic means) of sand per round. If it really is a cube of sand then the sand would fall in annex other adjacent squares, to a lesser extent. Well now you have a **** ton of sand what to do with it?

Sure they do. A cubic foot is a standard unit: the volume that fits in a space one foot by one foot by one foot, or any equivalent volume. Five cubic feet is not (necessarily) the same as five feet cubed, or a cube five feet on a side, or any other such thing. Rather, it's the same as saying 141.6 liters, and no particular shape is implied, any more than if you have a pump capable of 5 gallons of water per second.

[Chronos]

Control Winds + Eye of the Hurricane
Note that Control Winds all by itself already lets you put a calm eye in the middle. Also note (I'm not sure if you got this already) that you can make tornado-force winds across the entire area, not just localized tornadoes within the area.

[Grams]

Note that Control Winds all by itself already lets you put a calm eye in the middle. Also note (I'm not sure if you got this already) that you can make tornado-force winds across the entire area, not just localized tornadoes within the area.

Mhm. The duo allow you to create a lesser tornado much sooner than just Control Winds.

[Karoht]

This doesn't really work, mostly because wall of thorns is actively magical, owing to the fact that it has a duration. Briar web works though. Not as interesting as wall of thorns, but still.Actually, in the Wall of Thorns spell [Pathfinder] it says:
"Creatures with the ability to pass through overgrown areas unhindered can pass through a wall of thorns at normal speed without taking damage."

But, if that isn't good enough for you...
Get a Ring of Sacred Mistletoe [Pathfinder] which specifically calls out magically created or manipulated plants.
http://www.pathfindersrd.com/magic-items/rings/ring-of-sacred-mistletoe
For 6K? My next Druid is abusing this.

[eggynack]

Get a Ring of Sacred Mistletoe [Pathfinder] which specifically calls out magically created or manipulated plants.
http://www.pathfindersrd.com/magic-items/rings/ring-of-sacred-mistletoe
For 6K? My next Druid is abusing this.
If only it were in 3.5, I would be a very happy man. Alas, this is the world we've built for ourselves. In the meantime, I suppose I can consider shenanigans that can be performed with the aid of a mantle of the beast. Mantle+exalted wild shape=swift action dimension door/blink. Mantle+frozen wild shape= oh god, why does this cold breath hurt so much. Anyways, other things. I talk about golden desert honey sometimes, because it's awesome, but complete mage has other awesome components for the aspiring super-druid. For example, angel down and fairy dust have the capacity to extend abjurations and transmutations respectively, and for only 100 GP a pop. The latter is especially interesting, allowing you to extend everything from creeping cold to heart of water to primal instinct to pretty much everything else. A rod of extend spell can only get you so far. It can get you that far, admittedly, but I can probably come up with others.