Druid ACF question

[Thuphinlok]

Hey folks, I decided to roll up a druid for the first time and I need a few things clarified for me about a few ACFs. First things first, the concept. (watered down version) he's a noble struck blind by the powers of his blood and ancestors for his selfish and wicked ways as a young child/man, exiled from his palace because parents are afraid of magic, he becomes a Druid through his exile in nature (note: I do not plan to remove the blindess until later in the game, when when truesight becomes permanencieable {lvl 13 at earliest} for RP reason). Character is going to be going into Runecaster at the earliest chance he gets. Books 'unlock' as we level up, right now we have PHB 1 & 2, MM1, DMG, and all complete's. Others will come online later but that is all I have for now. All he wants is to attone for his families ignorance and bigotry. Protecting the magics of the world and the forests that he grew up in. He is not a frontliner, and I will be trying to find an ACF to do away with Wildshape. Obviously I need to keep the spellcasting, and I would like to keep the A.C. as well, but other than that I am open to ACF suggestions.
So, on to the meat of the thread. . .

#1 - Spontaneous Rejuvination (PHB2- pg 39) - Fairly straight forward. . . better or worse than SNA? I plan on mostly buffing people around me, and playing a bit to the defensive side. Not sure if I want to deal with all the little critters running around, but maybe?

#2 - Elemental companion (CM- pg 33) - I plan on using this for a nice tie in to his backstory (using earth elemental). The question here is a RAW v RAI thing. The ACF states that the elemental gows in size at lvl 4 (medium), 10 (Large, or bonus HD and whatnot), and 16 (Huge, or bonus HD and whatnot). My question is this; If I have it stay medium at lvl 10 for the bonus HD and whatnot, then increase it's size at 16 does it become large or Huge? The ACF states that it becomes Huge at 16, it does not say your elemental increases one size category to Huge, just that it becomes Huge. . . I'm thinking that RAI is probably a 1 size increase each time M>L>H or M>M+>L, but what about RAW? Also, what do you guys think of this particular ACF?

Thanks for your help Playgrounders!

[Extra Anchovies]

The Spontaneous Summoning feat exists (lets you, well, spontaneously summon), and druids aren't exactly feat-starved.

Regarding Elemental Companion, if you keep it at medium at level 10 then at level 16 it will be Large with bonus HD/etc. Air and earth elementals provide good utility, and Elemental-types have lots of immunities, so it's a fairly even trade with Animal Companion unless you'd otherwise be taking a Fleshraker.

[Troacctid]

Spontaneous Rejuvenation is a lot weaker than Summon Nature's Ally. It takes a full standard action to activate and is delayed over multiple rounds, making it impractical for in-combat use, and out of combat, the amount of healing it provides is paltry compared to the spell slots you're giving up. Now, if it were a swift action, we might be talking, but as is, it's just not worth using.

Also, Summon Nature's Ally can summon unicorns. There's your healing right there.

[eggynack]

Spontaneous rejuvenation is a lot worse than spontaneous summoning. Summoning spells tend to be very good for their level, and have general applicability that lets them sub in for more specialized prepared spells. Rejuvenation does not do that. You can even pull off potentially better healing with summoning with summoned unicorns. As for ACF's for wild shape, there's really nothing that's especially good. Aspect of the dragon from dragon magic might be the best option, and it's not nearly on the same level of wild shape. I'd just use the wild shape for defensive/utility purposes. Dire bat is good in core, and desmodu hunting bat from the MM II is even better, and if you get the spell compendium then you can use those forms to get some vision modes.

[Troacctid]

The flavor of a blind guy wildshaping into a bat seems pretty cool, actually. Using your powers to "see" without your eyes. Reminds me of Toph (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ8aLRnd80k).

[Thuphinlok]

Good stuff so far guys! Thanks! Do you happen to have any advice on feats while we are at it? I'm thinking Blind fight (so that I am not always loosing my Dex when people are hitting me with swords) but I don't know how viable that will really be. . . Obviously Natural spell if I keep my wildshape, but what else is out there for a blind druid?

[eggynack]

Good stuff so far guys! Thanks! Do you happen to have any advice on feats while we are at it? I'm thinking Blind fight (so that I am not always loosing my Dex when people are hitting me with swords) but I don't know how viable that will really be. . . Obviously Natural spell if I keep my wildshape, but what else is out there for a blind druid?
Well, you generally want a form adding feat. Aberration wild shape and dragon wild shape are both very powerful, both in general and because they offer above average vision modes. They're a big reliant on book access though, both to get them and use them, so that could be problematic. However, use something like the dolgaunt from eberron campaign setting for 360 ft. blindsight and that's your blindness problem solved right there.

For something more doable in the context of your allowed books, you could pull off some animal companion optimization. Natural bond (CAdv, 111) and companion spellbond (PHB II, 77) are both quite useful in particular. Assuming your current book list stays stagnant, some other options exist in core, like augment summoning, craft wondrous item, extend spell, and maybe improved initiative. They're pretty inefficient in a broader context though, so things changing in those terms changes what you should do some.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Since you want to PrC out as soon as possible and Runecaster doesn't progress anything besides casting you're better off trading your animal companion for an Urban Companion (Cityscape WE). It progresses like a familiar (only better) so you don't need full druid levels to keep it useful.

Spontaneous Summoning i would definitely keep. There's nothing good to trade it for and it's still incredibly useful even if you don't specialize in summoning.

Wild Shape is a more difficult matter. Anything you can trade it for is both worse and also dependant on druid level, so you won't get much either way. You won't really benefit from form-adding feats either, but there's a few low-HD forms that can still be useful for a casting-focused build.
Alternatively you can go for the Swift Hunter ACF (UA) which, while not better than wild shape, at least save's you the cost of a Monk's Belt and adds some minor benefits that are always on. It also makes for less bookkeeping, so there's at least something nice about it.:smalltongue:

[Thuphinlok]

Troacctid - Yea, I kind of feel like this guy will be moving towards a tremorsense type ability

eggynack - I like the bat idea, although I may look for a ground type creature with limited vision and tremorsense or the like. I probably will not be doing a lot of wildshaping, with only 1 use per day until lvl 14 or so, but I was thinking about some of the wild feats that burn a use for another ability. What do you think of them? If I do go the wildshape route, I think I am going to just pick 1 or 2 shapes that he uses to avoid the bookeeping on forms. He is really more passive than not, and would prefer to avoid fighting (melee or magical) if he can. The Runecaster route is so that he can make buff items for the party with very little time between the need and the use. ie 'we are about to fight some undead' given 30 minutes he can prep 3 runes of undead bane to clip to the parties weapons as opposed to spending weeks crafting actual items.

I think all of you are right about the summoning line being a better choice than the rejuv line. It seems like a cool idea, but it just doesn't really seem to add up.

Sleepyphoenixx - I like your style, but this character is not going the swifthunter route. Also please correct me if I missed something, but doesn't the Urban companion specifically state that it progresses like a familiar with your effective Sorc level based on your actual Druid level? I am very prone to missing things when it comes to reading the rules, so please let me know if I missed something crucial in that.

Thanks guys! I appreciate all of your feedback. I think I have a rough draft in mind, but I am always open to suggestions for different ways to look at a build/ability!

[eggynack]

eggynack - I like the bat idea, although I may look for a ground type creature with limited vision and tremorsense or the like.
I don't think there's much in the way of that with straight animals.

I probably will not be doing a lot of wildshaping, with only 1 use per day until lvl 14 or so, but I was thinking about some of the wild feats that burn a use for another ability. What do you think of them?
They're un-good, in pretty much all cases. Extra wild shape's not the absolute worst though, and you can always use an item to pick up some uses.

If I do go the wildshape route, I think I am going to just pick 1 or 2 shapes that he uses to avoid the bookeeping on forms. He is really more passive than not, and would prefer to avoid fighting (melee or magical) if he can.
Seems fine, I suppose. Desmodu hunting bat covers most of that ground. You'd benefit some from making use of the versatility of the ability, but a couple of forms can go a long way, and combat is really a side benefit of the thing by my reckoning.


Sleepyphoenixx - I like your style, but this character is not going the swifthunter route. Also please correct me if I missed something, but doesn't the Urban companion specifically state that it progresses like a familiar with your effective Sorc level based on your actual Druid level? I am very prone to missing things when it comes to reading the rules, so please let me know if I missed something crucial in that.
You are correct, but the urban companion is far less dependent on advancement for its benefits.