Druid combat/item help

[me_maikey]

I would like some advice for my druid, I have not played many games and this is the first time to get to 7th level :p.

The party:
A glaive wielding half-Orc fighter/swordsage (dat dmg if he hits)
A ranger (dat "DPS" from all those arrows)
A dualwielding ranger/?? (just joined the party and we now little of him)
and me, the nature focused druid/healbot/the caster now that the sorc died

Character focus
str 11, dex 12, con 17 (seemed funny), int 12, wis 20, cha 9
skills are in craft(alchemy), heal, knowledge(nature), listen, spot and survival

I went for the spontaneous healer feat(CD: 84) to help me with the need of healing.

With lobster mail (chain mail for druids) and a drakwood heavy shield (heavy iron shield for druids) I am the tank. This is because of the 5ft range needed by our little hOrc friend. If needed I take care of healing and maybe a lighting or two if they have a pesky ranged person.

The questions
My first problem, I do *nothing* in combat with my little 1d6 MW scimitar. But should I even bother changing it? I was thinking about spending my money on armor (probably something dragon + X). Some items that I heard are useful:
- monk's belt (with clasp if wildshaping)
- rod of metamagic extend (for vigor and possibly buffing/energy resistance)

The monk's belt clears up a lot of penalties on str based skills and gives the armor slot to something magical.

Conclusion
After rabbling on a small conclusion:
- Should I care that I don't do anything in combat and how to fix it?
- Do I want a monk's belt and what should/could I get for my chest slot now I can't wear armor?
- Any other medium level items that I or the party should want?
- And to generalize it completely: any tips for this rookie druid to finish with?

[sleepyphoenixx]

Your problem comes down to the simple fact that you are not wild shaping.
If you use WS in combat your weapon is meaningless, your armor is meaningless (unless you can afford +1 wild armor and shield which, at level 7, you probably can't) and they wouldn't stack with the Monks Belt anyway.

The reason that people suggest the Monks Belt with Wilding Clasp is not that it gives you more AC than armor & shield (because it doesn't unless you have really high Wisdom).
It is suggested because it gives you a reasonable AC while wild shaping for 17000gp (that scales with level and buffs) where Wild armor and shield cost at least 32000gp, without adding any other abilities.

For the Chest slot, if you can't find anything more worthwhile the Ghost Shroud (MIC) is a decent and affordable standby option once you have aquired more critical gear. For now you can just leave it empty.

Other gear you may want to get:
Ring of the Beast (CC, 8000gp) your SNA spells are automatically one level higher. So if you cast SNA 3 it becomes SNA 4 as long as you have 4th level spells. It also works in WS without a Wilding Clasp, making it a good platform to stack other ring enchantments on (per MIC rules).

Mantle of the Beast (CC, 18000gp) This cloak allows you to Wild Shape as a swift action and gives a free +1 enhancement bonus to your natural weapons. It has the same "works in WS" clause as the ring.

Stormfire Ring (MIC, 4000gp) 5/day Faerie Fire that also deals electricity damage. Can be useful, but the main draw is again the "works in WS" clause.

Shirt of Wraith Stalking (MIC, 6000gp) if your campaign is heavy on undead, get this. Hide from Undead at will, no save.

Bracers of Armor +1 (DMG) with Soulfire (BoED), 25000gp (+4000 for Wilding Clasp)
Arms & Equipment Guide allows armor enhancements to be placed on Bracers of Armor. You can already cast Death Ward but having this always on is worth the money.

Necklace of Natural Weapons (SS, 600gp+enhancements) with Wilding Clasp (4000gp)
What you want here is the Necklace for a single weapon and add Warning and Defending. It's much too expensive to add offensive enhancements to all your attacks imo.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Lesser Metamagic Rods of Extend are your best friend.

Make the rest of the party chip in for Wands of Lesser Vigor, and don't heal anyone during combat unless it's absolutely necessary. Have everyone get a Healing Belt (MIC) that they can use in combat if they're about to die. Rangers can use a Wand of Cure Light Wounds. There's absolutely no reason for you to be spending your spells/day on any healing at all.

Use spells like (Extended) Sleet Storm, Kelpstrand (SC), (Extended) Creeping Cold (SC), Wall of Smoke (SC), Entangle, Ice Storm, etc. Preventing opponents from effectively attacking is just as good as killing them most of the time.

You're a Druid, you have class features more powerful than the other characters' entire class (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0346.html). You don't even need spells to be a powerful combatant (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0353.html). Just remember, you're basically required to spend your 6th level feat on Natural Spell (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0354.html).

The first thing you should do is hire an NPC Psion to use Psychic Reformation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/psychicReformation.htm) on you, the standard rate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsAndServices.htm#spell) should be 280 gp + 5 gp per 1 xp he spends. You should put Natural Bond (CV) at 3rd level and Natural Spell at 6th level, and probably a useful feat at 1st such as Greenbound Summoning (LEoF). You can Wild Shape into a Fleshraker dinosaur (MM3) and get a brutal full attack, and still cast spells in that form. Your animal companion should also be a Fleshraker dinosaur, and Natural Bond negates the 'Level -3' for having a more powerful companion. You can even use Handle Animal to give it the Warbeast template (MM2). Greenbound summons can use Wall of Thorns as soon as they appear, which automatically traps any opponents it's cast upon. Even a Summon Nature's Ally I for a Greenbound Dire Rat gets you a Wall of Thorns spell, as there's no minimum caster level for spell-like abilities (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#spellLikeAbilities).

Your character is capable of defeating just about any encounter your party runs into all by himself, you're just doing it wrong. Obligatory Druid Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=1354.0).

[me_maikey]

As a tank, WS seems pretty weak on the survivability and I must admit that I am not sure how to change all stats to a WS by the book (and may have worked around it because of this lack of knowledge ^^").

Tips so far look awesome, thanks already :D!

[sleepyphoenixx]

Wild Shape is no less survivable than your natural form (probably the opposite).
You get: the physical scores of your new form, (Ex) special attacks like a bears Improved Grab, the forms Natural Armor bonus, movement modes, size and natural weapons.

You keep: your HP, BaB, saves(modified by new stats), skills, your type, your spellcasting (with Natural Spell), (Ex) abilities except attacks from your original form and any (Su) and SLA except gaze attacks and breath weapons.

The monks belt adds your wisdom +1 to the natural armor of your form so you'll most likely be harder to hit than in your normal form with armor.

Biffs tips are good but i'd be very careful about bringing Greenbound Summoning and Fleshrakers into party full of mundanes. Proper spell selection alone can already make any melee characters obsolete, especially if you retrain spontaneus healing to spontaneus summoning and use SNA.

[me_maikey]

You're a Druid, you have class features more powerful than the other characters' entire class (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0346.html). You don't even need spells to be a powerful combatant (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0353.html). Just remember, you're basically required to spend your 6th level feat on Natural Spell (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0354.html).
Awesome, forgot those existed. Think I should just reread OotS.





The first thing you should do is hire an NPC Psion to use Psychic Reformation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/psychicReformation.htm) on you, the standard rate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsAndServices.htm#spell) should be 280 gp + 5 gp per 1 xp he spends. You should put Natural Bond (CV) at 3rd level and Natural Spell at 6th level, and probably a useful feat at 1st such as Greenbound Summoning (LEoF).
Okay, could do that. I neglected to take Natural Bond, but got Natural Spell.





You can Wild Shape into a Fleshraker dinosaur (MM3) and get a brutal full attack, and still cast spells in that form. Your animal companion should also be a Fleshraker dinosaur, and Natural Bond negates the 'Level -3' for having a more powerful companion. You can even use Handle Animal to give it the Warbeast template (MM2). Greenbound summons can use Wall of Thorns as soon as they appear, which automatically traps any opponents it's cast upon. Even a Summon Nature's Ally I for a Greenbound Dire Rat gets you a Wall of Thorns spell, as there's no minimum caster level for spell-like abilities (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#spellLikeAbilities).
Well there is a little problem here:

The form chosen must be that of an animal the druid is familiar with.
And knowing my DM, he will enforce this (and I happily agree to that).





Your character is capable of defeating just about any encounter your party runs into all by himself, you're just doing it wrong. Obligatory Druid Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=1354.0).
I shall accept this homework!

[me_maikey]

Wild Shape is no less survivable than your natural form (probably the opposite).
You get: the physical scores of your new form, (Ex) special attacks like a bears Improved Grab, the forms Natural Armor bonus, movement modes, size and natural weapons.

You keep: your HP, BaB, saves(modified by new stats), skills, your type, your spellcasting (with Natural Spell), (Ex) abilities except attacks from your original form and any (Su) and SLA except gaze attacks and breath weapons.

The monks belt adds your wisdom +1 to the natural armor of your form so you'll most likely be harder to hit than in your normal form with armor.

Biffs tips are good but i'd be very careful about bringing Greenbound Summoning and Fleshrakers into party full of mundanes. Proper spell selection alone can already make any melee characters obsolete, especially if you retrain spontaneus healing to spontaneus summoning and use SNA.
Normal AC now is 19 (10+5 armor +2 shield +1 dex +1 bracers of armor(+1), until I am lvl 8 that is mostly better than WS (could be wrong here though). Monk's belt will change this up drastically.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Well there is a little problem here:

And knowing my DM, he will enforce this (and I happily agree to that).

If you have a Fleshraker animal companion (which appears after 24 hours of meditation regardless of your current environment), then you should be familiar enough with them to wild shape into one. Plus it only takes a DC 14 Knowledge: Nature (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/knowledge.htm) check to prove your character is familiar with a 4 HD animal, even if he's never personally encountered or interacted with one.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Normal AC now is 19 (10+5 armor +2 shield +1 dex +1 bracers of armor(+1), until I am lvl 8 that is mostly better than WS (could be wrong here though). Monk's belt will change this up drastically.

Well yes, because you use armor. With the Monk's belt even the simply Wolf would already give you AC 20, 21 if you get a wilding clasp on your bracers of armor. That's before Barkskin, Owl's Wisdom and Halo of Sand.
It also gives you a +2 to strength, 50ft speed and free Trip attacks when you hit with a bite.
And that is with one of the weaker shapes available.

As a Fleshraker you'd get AC 26, 17 Strength, Pounce and 4 natural attacks +rake with poison.
And then you cast Venomfire (Note:don't do this unless you want to make the mundanes cry/your DM to throw books at you).

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Bracers of Armor don't stack with armor worn, both provide an armor bonus and bonuses of the same type don't stack.

[me_maikey]

I just spoke with my Dm and he is against dino's. On the other hand he will grant me a dragon in stead(pet and possibly form) of equal strength. A lot more awesome in my eyes :D.


Thanks for all the help all!

[Gavinfoxx]

Dragon forms?

Dragon Forms?

http://web.archive.org/web/20080214233434/http://forums.gleemax.com/wotc_archive/index.php/t-404381

Also read:

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=303204

And remember dragons can speak draconic and also have hands that can cast spells... ;)