Druid vs Tomb of Horrors

[Gale]

A friend of mine is running a campaign over the summer through the Tomb of Horrors. I'm going in completely blind, but I would like some advice on how I should build my character to best avoid immediate death. I'm planning on playing a druid, which isn't a class I have any experience with but I wanted to play something strong given the circumstances. (I usually don't play any classes higher than Tier-3.) If anyone has any advice either on the role-playing perspective
or character build wise it would be much appreciated.

[eggynack]

What kinda level and book access we talking about here? I don't have much experience with the tomb of horrors, but there's some cool druid stuff that can get you nigh on untouchable by normal stuff if you so desire it. This could even be the place for the ridiculous ghosting around plan, because a druid can totally become a ghost if they want.

[Gale]

I believe he said we're entering the Tomb of Horrors at level 9, but the campaign itself is starting at level 3. As for book access anything is allowed.

[eggynack]

Probably some aberration wild shape stuff would work then. I'm inclined to think that the dharculus from the planar handbook would work well for this, as enhance wild shape would allow you to hang out on the ethereal plane and shoot magic at folk. You'd also be getting access to a lot of great vision modes, including my personal favorite, eberron campaign setting's dolgaunt with its 360 ft. blindsight, and other fancy immunities, like the will-o'-wisp's immunity to magic. I have a more complete list of that sorta thing in my handbook, if ya want me to send what I've got, and that'd also likely help with all of the other various things druidic in nature.

[Gale]

Sure, send it my way. It sounds like it would be really helpful.

[Chronikoce]

Personally I don't think I can provide build advice without suggestions tailored to the challenges you will face. The build advice may therefore lead to spoilers. If you want I can offer suggestions on abilities and such but I honestly think you will be fine just building druid normal. The best non specific advice I can give for Tomb of Horrors is try not to be a murder-hobo who runs in guns blazing hehe.

[GilesTheCleric]

Personally I don't think I can provide build advice without suggestions tailored to the challenges you will face. The build advice may therefore lead to spoilers. If you want I can offer suggestions on abilities and such but I honestly think you will be fine just building druid normal. The best non specific advice I can give for Tomb of Horrors is try not to be a murder-hobo who runs in guns blazing hehe.

That's a good point. I'll do what I can to add to this advice by saying that tomb of horrors is a dungeon, so anything that breaks any other dungeon crawl-type adventure will improve your odds in this one.

Also, if you're not playing an adapted version, remember that in older dnd, the rules and expectations were different.

[SinsI]

Since it is known for Traps, Warforged or Necropolitan should be nice. Summon Elemental reserve feat is also among the best ways to disable traps.

[Gemini476]

Are we talking about the 3E remake or some kind of remake of the original AD&D "Thinking Person's Module" meant for 4-10 characters of level 8-14?

Because the original is pretty fond of no-save-just-die traps that you need to roleplay to avoid. IIRC the remake that WotC published was quite toned down and changed a lot.

[Gale]

@Gemini476: Honestly, I have no clue. I'll need to ask the DM about it.

[Story]

If it is at all possible, be an Undead (for example, Necropolitan).

At least in the 3.5 version, it is designed to kill standard living humanoids. Being undead will make you immune to like 90% of the traps and dangers (the remainder being the ones that are pure damage, so get a good reflex save too). And for what it's worth, being undead is not incompatible with Druid tenants since after all, Libris Mortis has a feat specifically designed for Undead Druids (though the PHB errata means it is no longer actually necessary).

If you can't be a Necropolitan, Warforged is the next best thing.


Apart from that, never touch anything, and try to scout out with summons as much as possible.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Human or Strongheart Water Halfling, single-class Druid, get Versatile Spellcaster, Greenbound Summoning, Natural Bond, Natural Spell, and Summon Elemental. Your animal companion should be a Fleshraker dinosaur, you can count your full Druid level toward its benefits thanks to Natural Bond. Get a Ring of the Beast, and thanks to Versatile Spellcaster a SNA from your highest level slot will still summon creatures as though it were one level higher. Versatile Spellcaster also has favorable interaction with the Summon Elemental reserve feat, i.e. if you have two 5th level spells available to convert into a SNA VI, you can summon a medium elemental with that. Use your unlimited summoned elementals to scout ahead, Nodwick traps, start and douse fires, create wind, etc. Buff your animal companion with Venomfire so it adds CLd6 acid damage on its claw and tail attacks even against targets immune to poison.

[eggynack]

If it is at all possible, be an Undead (for example, Necropolitan).

At least in the 3.5 version, it is designed to kill standard living humanoids. Being undead will make you immune to like 90% of the traps and dangers (the remainder being the ones that are pure damage, so get a good reflex save too). And for what it's worth, being undead is not incompatible with Druid tenants since after all, Libris Mortis has a feat specifically designed for Undead Druids (though the PHB errata means it is no longer actually necessary).

If you can't be a Necropolitan, Warforged is the next best thing.

Huh. Would mostly undead work? Because dolghast form from magic of eberron picks up immunity to fatigue, exhaustion, poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning disease, and death effects.

[Story]

That should cover most of it. But IIRC there are a few things that specifically affect living creatures.

Also, there are some combat encounters, but the primary focus is unfair and bizarre traps, so I don't think you have to optimize combat too much.

By the way, summons are helpful, but you can't always rely on them since IIRC some traps will affect entire rooms or similar.

[Gemini476]

Also, there are some combat encounters, but the primary focus is unfair and bizarre traps, so I don't think you have to optimize combat too much.

That's very much true in the original module, at least, where there's maybe five combat encounters total in the whole dungeon IIRC. Gygax even writes in the foreword that "Hack and Slay gatherings" will be disappointed!

That is, if you don't teleport. For the love of all that is good and holy, don't teleport. They might have changed that in the remake, I don't know, but that's a really easy way to get a TPK. Then again, what would you expect in a tournament module where the winner is the party that came the farthest before succumbing?