Draconic druid?

[WarKitty]

Would there be any way to get a dragon-themed druid going? Center the concept on an elemental theme. The trouble I'm having is getting the build to not take 15 levels to get going...

[shadowseve]

Would there be any way to get a dragon-themed druid going? Center the concept on an elemental theme. The trouble I'm having is getting the build to not take 15 levels to get going...

there is the dragonborn template (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20060105b)

You can also find the template in the book Races of the Dragon on pg. 5. It really depends on how "dragony" you want to get. There is the half dragon template as well.

[eggynack]

You're definitely going to want dragon wild shape (Draconomicon, 105) at level 12. It's some powerful business. I'm not sure what you mean by an elemental theme, however. Does that mean that you want to summon elementals, rashemi style, that you want a focus on a particular element, like cold or something, or some third and different thing?

[Coidzor]

I don't think Dracolexi or Wyrm Wizard are druid friendly offhand, but it's been awhile since I looked at them and I'm AFB.

The other connected to dragons PrCs/Feats are a bit lackluster too.

I suppose there's always having a Dragon for a cohort if such is on the table. And if one jumps through some hoops and has dragon content between Holy Mount, Devoted Tracker, Dragon Steed, and Ranger Knight of Furyondy, one could be a Druid with an "animal companion"/mount that was a Dragon.

[Troacctid]

Dragon Magic has "Aspect of the Dragon" as an alternate class feature replacing wildshape. It lets you grow wings or claws or a breath weapon or whatnot as a swift action however-many times per day.

[WarKitty]

there is the dragonborn template (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20060105b)

You can also find the template in the book Races of the Dragon on pg. 5. It really depends on how "dragony" you want to get. There is the half dragon template as well.

I want it to be more dragony, but I don't want the dragony bits to be based on race, if that makes sense? Because if I have a dragony race and then half my abilities are based on turning into something that isn't remotely draconic that's just bad.


You're definitely going to want dragon wild shape (Draconomicon, 105) at level 12. It's some powerful business. I'm not sure what you mean by an elemental theme, however. Does that mean that you want to summon elementals, rashemi style, that you want a focus on a particular element, like cold or something, or some third and different thing?

I'm not sure exactly? I was thinking some sort of dragons are a powerful embodiment of nature and thus elemental-y deal. The trouble is I'm not seeing any even remotely draconic class features before level 12 that don't utterly suck, and that's too long.

[shadowseve]

You're definitely going to want dragon wild shape (Draconomicon, 105) at level 12. It's some powerful business. I'm not sure what you mean by an elemental theme, however. Does that mean that you want to summon elementals, rashemi style, that you want a focus on a particular element, like cold or something, or some third and different thing?

shadow dragon is VERY nice as is battle dragon to name some of the better ones. I just wish you could get bigger than a medium size dragon with out going master of many forms.

[shadowseve]

I want it to be more dragony, but I don't want the dragony bits to be based on race, if that makes sense? Because if I have a dragony race and then half my abilities are based on turning into something that isn't remotely draconic that's just bad.



I'm not sure exactly? I was thinking some sort of dragons are a powerful embodiment of nature and thus elemental-y deal. The trouble is I'm not seeing any even remotely draconic class features before level 12 that don't utterly suck, and that's too long.


I don't know if there is anything available for a druid before 12. There are a few elemental damage spells like Flame Strike that are elemental like and could feel dragony I guess.

[eggynack]

I'm not sure exactly? I was thinking some sort of dragons are a powerful embodiment of nature and thus elemental-y deal. The trouble is I'm not seeing any even remotely draconic class features before level 12 that don't utterly suck, and that's too long.
It's a tricky thing, I think, because druidic dragon theming is mostly based on that one feat. The other issue is that I don't think that dragon wild shape gets across the whole embodiment of nature thing all that well. It's mostly about getting access to a bunch of odd abilities, immunities, and movement/sensory modes on a spontaneous basis. Less powerful than aberration wild shape, but less resource intensive, both in terms of build, and in terms of day to day stuff, because you just get all of the abilities you need without enhance wild shape. Some of the embodiment of nature thing is there, but I don't think it's the most prominent aspect of the feat.

There's other dragonish stuff you can do, however. Phynxkin companion (DrM, 13), for example, isn't the best trade in existence, but it does apply some measure of dragon theming to your animal companion. Some spell options that carry across some of that theme include frost breath (SpC, 100) and cone of euphoria (DoF, 114), for the breath weapon thing, and you might be interested in the primal line of spells from dragon magic, because they have some vague connection to/synergy with dragons, in the form of a bonus to dragonblooded folks.

On that note, I'll second the advice to go dragonborn. You don't need all of your dragon stuff to be based on race, but it's a good additional level to apply theming to, and going dragonborn is a solid move. The two best base races for that plan are probably desert half-orc, with the appropriate substitution levels, and anthropomorphic bat. Overall, I advise seeking out some secondary themes, because I don't think that dragon-like is necessarily enough to build your entire character around, particularly if you want to send everything from feats to spells down that path.

[WarKitty]

It's a tricky thing, I think, because druidic dragon theming is mostly based on that one feat. The other issue is that I don't think that dragon wild shape gets across the whole embodiment of nature thing all that well. It's mostly about getting access to a bunch of odd abilities, immunities, and movement/sensory modes on a spontaneous basis. Less powerful than aberration wild shape, but less resource intensive, both in terms of build, and in terms of day to day stuff, because you just get all of the abilities you need without enhance wild shape. Some of the embodiment of nature thing is there, but I don't think it's the most prominent aspect of the feat.

There's other dragonish stuff you can do, however. Phynxkin companion (DrM, 13), for example, isn't the best trade in existence, but it does apply some measure of dragon theming to your animal companion. Some spell options that carry across some of that theme include frost breath (SpC, 100) and cone of euphoria (DoF, 114), for the breath weapon thing, and you might be interested in the primal line of spells from dragon magic, because they have some vague connection to/synergy with dragons, in the form of a bonus to dragonblooded folks.

On that note, I'll second the advice to go dragonborn. You don't need all of your dragon stuff to be based on race, but it's a good additional level to apply theming to, and going dragonborn is a solid move. The two best base races for that plan are probably desert half-orc, with the appropriate substitution levels, and anthropomorphic bat. Overall, I advise seeking out some secondary themes, because I don't think that dragon-like is necessarily enough to build your entire character around, particularly if you want to send everything from feats to spells down that path.

Yeah that's sort of the problem. You can't use wildshape on anything even remotely draconic pre draconic wild shape. And the elemental spells on a druid are just bad, as far as druid options go.

[shadowseve]

I agree that there is not much for druids outside of that feat, some elemental spells and the dragonborn template. Have you ever thought of a different class such as the dragonfire adept (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060912a&page=2) (Dragon Magic p 24)? there is also the dragon shaman (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdndtools.eu%2Fclasses%2Fdragon-shaman%2F&ei=T_CTU4y7GfW-sQTjoIKgCA&usg=AFQjCNFD27gOrXRf42F3F-gIqqC1mCNRhw&sig2=27yJwUlYaYay0j-jLyJiLQ&bvm=bv.68445247,d.cWc&cad=rja) (players handbook II pg 11) I hate to steer someone away from the awesomeness that is druid But... there is only so much dragon there.

[eggynack]

And the elemental spells on a druid are just bad, as far as druid options go.
They're not the worst. You can pull off some solid cold theming with stuff like arctic haze (Frost, 88), sleet storm, boreal wind (Frost, 89), blizzard (Frost, 89 also), and call avalanche (Frost, 90), along with rashemi elemental summoning (UE, 45) as the feat support, for example. Also, no elemental stuff is complete without the heart of X line from complete mage. You can do some reasonable stuff, in other words.

[WarKitty]

The main thing is (1) I want to be able to turn into a dragon eventually, and not via polymorph, and (2) I want to do a lot of battlefield control type stuff.

[eggynack]

(2) I want to do a lot of battlefield control type stuff.
Well, druids definitely pull that aspect off. Most of the spells I listed are actually somewhat BFC based, come to think of it. You could probably hang out at the intersection of the elements and controlling the battlefield, and do pretty well for yourself. It'd mostly be cold, though. Druids do cold good.