Help with Druid/Sorcerer Optimization

[Bad Wolf]

So I'm in the process of making a gestalt Sorcerer/Sidhe Scholar Druid, as some of you may know. I'm going for a 'master' vibe, using necromancy, Enchantment, and Conjuration spells for maximum amount of minions, with a few orbs to defend myself.

This is what I have planned out:

CN Half-Fey Feytouched Sorcerer 5/Wild Soul 3//Sidhe Scholar Druid 8
Feats:
F-Apprentice (Spellcaster), gaining Knowledge (Religion) for undead stuff.
F-Nymph's Kiss (housruled to non-exalted)
1: Lost Tradition (change casting stat to CHA for Druid)
3: Item Familiar
6: Miser with Magic (going around as a bear 24/7 isn't suited to my type of campaign)

Starting at level 8, picking the following Sorcerer spells.
0: Arcane Mark, Prestidigitation, Resistance, Acid Splash, Message, Mage Hand, Disrupt Undead, and Stick.

1: Grease, Mage Armor, Summon Monster I, Cause Fear, Magic Missile

2: Touch of idiocy, Command Undead, Acid Arrow.

3: Gentle Repose, Rage

4: Animate Dead

Advice on spells to keep prepared and a few levels of a Prestige class for the Druid side would be appreciated.

[Kraken]

Why a prestige class for the druid side? It's one of the few classes that's solid all the way through level 20. I'd stick to prestige classing on your sorcerer side, and on that note, I'd highly recommend a level of mindbender. The ability to deliver messages to your minions telepathically is incredibly useful, as there's basically no chance of being overheard. You can be schmoozing adversaries into a false sense of security while silently ordering your minions into appropriate ambush positions, for instance.

[ZamielVanWeber]

His druid side is straight druid atm. He has a PrC on the sorcerer side already. Unless I am mistaken normal gestalt rules forbid prestiging both sides simultaneously. Otherwise just end the freakin' planet and grab Planar Shepard.

Also why no Charm? It's not minion-mancy but insta-friend but a will save away is hot.

[Bad Wolf]

Why a prestige class for the druid side? It's one of the few classes that's solid all the way through level 20. I'd stick to prestige classing on your sorcerer side, and on that note, I'd highly recommend a level of mindbender. The ability to deliver messages to your minions telepathically is incredibly useful, as there's basically no chance of being overheard. You can be schmoozing adversaries into a false sense of security while silently ordering your minions into appropriate ambush positions, for instance.

I'd have to sink a decent amount of skill points into Intimidate and Sense Motive...but that's a good idea, thanks.


His druid side is straight druid atm. He has a PrC on the sorcerer side already. Unless I am mistaken normal gestalt rules forbid prestiging both sides simultaneously. Otherwise just end the freakin' planet and grab Planar Shepard.

Also why no Charm? It's not minion-mancy but insta-friend but a will save away is hot.

Nah, they forbid dual Prcs like Mystic Theurge, and Cerebmancer, on the basis that it overly complicated things.

Eberron stuff doesn't exist in this setting unfortunately, so no Planar Shepherd. I'm open to other ideas, though. If there are no good ones, I'll just take Straight Druid.

Oh, and I have Half Fey, which gets Charm Person at will.

[ericgrau]

3: Gentle Repose, Rage

4: Animate Dead
Where are your combat spells so you can be effective in a fight? On the druid side? Minions alone won't cut it. Haste would be a decent combat spell for your party and it combos well with your minions too (try skellies instead of zombies I think). Instead of gentle repose I'd pick up several doses of unguent of timelessness (DMG). It costs next to nothing. You need to be a wizard to prepare and use occasionally used spells; for a sorcerer it's a wasted spell known and you should get items or scrolls instead. Even on wizards it doesn't work without advanced notice. I'd even be tempted to pick up a combat spell for level 4 first and then animate dead at level 9 as a good secondary spell. That way you don't have a bunch of unused 4ths on days with nothing to animate. But I can understand you wanting to bring your theme online ASAP. Something like fear would combo well with your undead minions since they are immune and you can fear cone right over a block of minions & monsters in melee. And it's thematic.

Rage does seem decent though. Even better when you hit level 9 and get 3 targets.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Nah, they forbid dual Prcs like Mystic Theurge, and Cerebmancer, on the basis that it overly complicated things.

Eberron stuff doesn't exist in this setting unfortunately, so no Planar Shepherd. I'm open to other ideas, though. If there are no good ones, I'll just take Straight Druid.

Oh, and I have Half Fey, which gets Charm Person at will.

Only good Druid PrCs I know are Planar Shepard and Moonspeaker, which are both Eberron. And I would really recommend adding Charm Monster to the mix. +3 to the save DC and the ability to affect a wide variety of targets is invaluable.

[eggynack]

Only good Druid PrCs I know are Planar Shepard and Moonspeaker, which are both Eberron.
Options exist. Good ones include hathran (PGtF, 59) and lion of talisid (BoED, 65) as classes that you can take a few levels of, and contemplative (CD, 30), divine oracle (CD, 34), dracolyte (Draconomicon, 122), holt warden (CC, 84), sacred exorcist (CD, 56) seeker of the misty isle (CD, 61), singer of concordance (RotD, 91), spelldancer (MoF, 37), and talontar blightlord (UE, 34) are classes that range from decent to great on a dip. Maybe add hierophant to the latter list if you're already level 17.

[Bad Wolf]

Thanks for the prestige class suggestions everyone. I'll look through them when I can.


Where are your combat spells so you can be effective in a fight? On the druid side? Minions alone won't cut it. Haste would be a decent combat spell for your party and it combos well with your minions too (try skellies instead of zombies I think). Instead of gentle repose I'd pick up several doses of unguent of timelessness (DMG). It costs next to nothing. You need to be a wizard to prepare and use occasionally used spells; for a sorcerer it's a wasted spell known and you should get items or scrolls instead. Even on wizards it doesn't work without advanced notice. I'd even be tempted to pick up a combat spell for level 4 first and then animate dead at level 9 as a good secondary spell. That way you don't have a bunch of unused 4ths on days with nothing to animate. But I can understand you wanting to bring your theme online ASAP. Something like fear would combo well with your undead minions since they are immune and you can fear cone right over a block of minions & monsters in melee. And it's thematic.

Rage does seem decent though. Even better when you hit level 9 and get 3 targets.

Okay, so Orb of Sound for fourth level spell, and, um, Fireball instead of Gentle Repose?

I could still use some help with the Druid side, haven't really used prepared casting before...

[Bad Wolf]

Um...bump?

[ericgrau]

Thanks for the prestige class suggestions everyone. I'll look through them when I can.



Okay, so Orb of Sound for fourth level spell, and, um, Fireball instead of Gentle Repose?

I could still use some help with the Druid side, haven't really used prepared casting before...
I was thinking fear and haste, or keeping animate dead, but those are nice too. The thing with orb of sound at level 8 is that you better have a good dex or precise shot. Around level 12 it's not so hard though. Maybe: animate dead, haste, fireball. And you have to be careful to not fireball your minions or else cast mass resist energy. Then you may voluntarily reduce your caster level to 7 for fireball to do minimal fire damage to those with resist energy. So at level 9 you might pick up fear or an orb spell or a BFC spell (solid fog, black tentacles, etc.), plus mass resist energy. Greater magic fang and/or greater magic weapon is good for buffing minions all day long, plus they help overcome DR/magic.

You might instead put your combat spells on the druid side. For example flame strike and sleet storm. Then on your sorcerer side you'd have more between combat stuff like animate dead, greater magic weapon, mass resist energy and so on. That way you burn more spell slots since you can use some between fights. The other way would be to get sorcerer combat spells and use druid spells between fights like greater magic fang and I think they get mass resist energy too. Or make both classes a mix of combat and between-fight spells.

[Bad Wolf]

I was thinking fear and haste, or keeping animate dead, but those are nice too. The thing with orb of sound at level 8 is that you better have a good dex or precise shot. Around level 12 it's not so hard though. Maybe: animate dead, haste, fireball. And you have to be careful to not fireball your minions or else cast mass resist energy. Then you may voluntarily reduce your caster level to 7 for fireball to do minimal fire damage to those with resist energy. So at level 9 you might pick up fear or an orb spell or a BFC spell (solid fog, black tentacles, etc.), plus mass resist energy. Greater magic fang and/or greater magic weapon is good for buffing minions all day long, plus they help overcome DR/magic.

You might instead put your combat spells on the druid side. For example flame strike and sleet storm. Then on your sorcerer side you'd have more between combat stuff like animate dead, greater magic weapon, mass resist energy and so on. That way you burn more spell slots since you can use some between fights. The other way would be to get sorcerer combat spells and use druid spells between fights like greater magic fang and I think they get mass resist energy too. Or make both classes a mix of combat and between-fight spells.

Okay, I'll take your advice.

Recently I've been thinking that I could be doing better then Wild Soul. So my plan instead is this.

Take the Domain Access ACF, item creation and metamagic feat, go into Dweomerkeeper, advancing my Sorcerer casting, taking Arcane Preparation so I can convert spells.

What do you guys think?