Building a Druid Big Bad

[Sholos]

So for an upcoming campaign, I'm building a level 20 elf druid. Problem is I don't really know character building at this level, so am sitting looking at options for items and not really having a great idea of what subset to look at. Can anyone give me a nudge in the right direction? Doesn't really need to be optimized, just basic stuff. Any other advice for making/running high level baddies that PCs aren't meant to directly confront would also be appreciated.

[Inevitability]

Druids can be built in several ways, from 'guy with an army of plants' to 'melee powerhouse who is more beast than (wo)man'. What kind of druid is this one?

[AvatarVecna]

I believe you might find this interesting. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?400517-Villainous-Competition-Round-2-Or-Give-me-something-evil!&p=18868986)

[Sholos]

Druids can be built in several ways, from 'guy with an army of plants' to 'melee powerhouse who is more beast than (wo)man'. What kind of druid is this one?

This will be a villain who mainly operates in the background. While certainly capable of holding his own in a fight, he prefers to stay away from direct violence if he can manage it. I'm looking for things that will make him hard to pin down and also good at finding stuff out about what's happening in the world.

[Threadnaught]

Shadow Landscape (Spell Compendium 184), of all the Spells I want to cast, this one is my favourite on the Druid list.

Permanence would help too by making the 1 mile circles of darkness, into 1 mile circles of eternal darkness. The hour casting time and cost of Permanence (4500xp), is all the reason you need for this guy to stick to the shadows.

Travel by Plants is a Core Spell, the Druid should be able to transform into a number of domestic Animals and Cats are Tiny.

Master Earth (Spell Compendium 139), teleport to anywhere connected to the ground on the same plane unprotected from teleportation, provided you could get there through Earthglide.
Swamp Stride (Spell Compendium 217), transport between pools of water at least 1 foot deep up to a distance of 500 feet.

[Inevitability]

Master Earth (Spell Compendium 139), teleport to anywhere connected to the ground on the same plane unprotected from teleportation, provided you could get there through Earthglide.

I am pretty sure you can get to places even if those places are warded against teleportation.

[eggynack]

I'm always a fan of aberration wild shape, and in this case, a good form for the whole sneaking about and being hard to stop shtick is dharculus from the planar handbook. With enhance wild shape, it allows you to hang out on the ethereal plane, and attack and cast spells at folks on the material plane. Not awful in a fight, and good at general villainry. And, if you want some more beatstick power, thoon elder brain from MM V gives a ton of that on the fly, for when he's directly assaulted. Of course, if you optimize much, all of this is pointless at 20. You have shapechange, and shapechange consumes all optimization in its wake as though it were nothing. Given that he's an enemy, having him crush everything in reality beneath the weight of his form swapping and wish causing power could be counter to your plans, but it's still worth note that there's very little a caster of that level cannot accomplish if so inclined.

[Threadnaught]

I am pretty sure you can get to places even if those places are warded against teleportation.

As it turns out, you are correct. Apologies.
I hadn't read the School and just assumed it was a Conjuration Spell. Well that makes it far more useful for getting into and out of places, two Spell levels before a Wizard could do it with no xp cost. Granted, the Wizard can do much more with their Spell.


Druids have access to some of the best terraforming Spells and abilities. From the frosty Fimbulwinter, to the easy entry to Walker in the Waste for that juicy desertification ability, to Create Water, Soften Earth and Stone, Transmute Metal to Wood, Glass to Sand, Stone to Sand, Rock to Mud, Mud to Rock, Plant Growth. Shadow Landscape, Control Winds, Flashflood, Earthquake, Control Weather. If it's a natural disaster, chances are it could've been a Druid.


Want to transform a barren wasteland death world into a lush jungle paradise? Get a dozen 20th level Druids each equipped with naught but a sapling, a single animal of their choice (ignoring their Animal Companion) and enough supplies to sustain them and the animals until they're able to provide themselves with shelter. One plants all the saplings, another casts Control Weather for a light drizzle with which to water the plants and the rest cast Flashflood and Create Water to make the land less arid. Then they work on spreading out in all directions, eventually what used to be nothing but desert, is now a lush forest spanning the majority of the world.
How the Druids start would be the most important factor as to whether or not they succeed.