How to beat: Druid - make list of useful ITEMS

[Biskup]

Hello All

On one of future meeting my party will have to face crazy druid -You might call this "a boss fight". I would like to ask experienced players to post list of items (from all official rulebooks, campaings etc for DnD ed 3,5) that might prove to be useful in it. As a quick overview, who will my character battle and our team composition:

Crazy druid:
Is obsessed with "returning nature" to genuine (pre-human/dwarf etc) state. At on of previous sessions, he turned whole human village to mushroom/plant zombies, so I would say that we might have to fight them as well. Im almost sure, that during fight he will excessively use toxins and poisons - both in air and in liquid state. Most likely he will summon some kind of natural ally, but I expect it to be some kind of mushroom based mutant rather than "normal" beast. Up to now it have not been seen with any kind of natural ally.

My party (level around 5, might be six before we will face this druid):
Mage - focused on non-damage magic (CC, blindness, boosting etc), but can make one live misery as well..
priest - healing and boosting - standard. Like to burn enemies feet...
Dwarf battlerager - not very good in thinking when in battle, but can swing axe rather nice. Disarming is his specialty (apart from killing things)
Druid - mostly dealing damage and CC. Also, flanking with natural companion.
Unarmed swordsage - boxing style. Also grappler and tripper. Skill-monkey in team. Heavily using items in combat - alchemical and magical, using teleportation and jumping around

Now, to the point: Please post any items/ items combos that might be useful in such fight. I am familiar with Shax's Indispensible Haversack, Bunko's Bargain Basement and Utility belt topics, so some of those items will be used for sure. Also, mind that as party is lvl ~ 5, gold is rather limited good.

[GilesTheCleric]

If you've read those guides, then you know that eggshell grenades are probably the best mundane item, other than something with +escape artist that lets you escape Entangling Roots. With a limited budget such as you imply, I'm not sure how many options you really have.

[TheCorsairMalac]

The net/tanglefoot bag combo is cheap and would probably work well. Though he could wildshape into something small to escape. They're cheap--50gp for the tanglefoot bags, 20gp for the nets--and they're both touch attacks so they're easy to land.

Both inflict the Entangled status: -2 on attacks, -4 on dexterity, move at half speed, concentration check to cast spells. The net can be held in place with strength checks, and tanglefoot bags glue them to the spot with a failed save. Getting out of the either requires a full round action. Essentially they're mundane save-or-suck spells.

A dirt-cheap tactic that works fantastically on humanoid enemies.

[Vizzerdrix]

If you can get him into metal armor he will loose his casting. Maybe trick him into grabbing a shield? Isint their a spell that makes someone pick an object up?

[Biskup]

Eggshell granade will not do, it's OP as it is and my GM will not allow it. As for net+tanglefoot bag, that could work somehow. Tricking him in using metal object can be a real problem, but potentially can give us biggest aid as well. He's wearing strange mask, maybe we could replicate it in metal and add "something" that would prevent him from putting it off. Glue of some kind. Or maybe prepare pair of interlocking bracers... We have blacksmith in our group any my swordsage should be able to apply bracers to him... We will still have to deal with minions, expecting large number of easy to kill / hit monsters with moderate dmg, so our best shot would be to either stop their movements or kill them ASAP and then move to main course - druid.

[John Longarrow]

Both Acid and alchemical fire are good splash weapons. Pretty cheap for what they do.

Best option may be to find some place without plants (think big flat rock) and fight from there with ranged weapons. That can avoid entanglement while allowing your druid to entangle your opponent.

[Biskup]

My team is already stocking up alchemical fire. As for acid - I think that minions will be immune to it and using it on single target like Druid itself is a little waste of... well... everything (round, gold, etc). In terms of battleground, I do have strange feeling that my party will not be able to choose ground. We will have to fight him in forest :/

[barakaka]

Well, the first thing you need is information. There's a drug called absentia from the Sharn City of Towers book. It lets you scry a random person within a mile. You're going to find a way to pack everyone in a portable hole/rope trick. Then dope up on absentia. You'll scry him, find whatever information you can, and form a plan.

Throw everyone's money together for a 1000gp Blood Elixer (Dragon Magic I think). Non-magical polymorph bro. Give it to your dwarf and watch him do work. In the same line is Tempo Bloodspike for giving him a move action in place of his swift for a turn.

Liquid Salt (Sandstorm) deals a good amount of damage to plants and stuff.

Auran Masks (Complete Mage) for everyone! A bonus against inhaled toxins.

All of this and more is shown in my sig. Most of it has the book the item is from, but I gotta edit that post someday.

[Biskup]

Hello All

As for "small update" - whole team agreed that we will try to use interlocking piece of armor on druid to switch off his magic abilities. If this will work, he will be no threat to us. In case of failure, we will stock up alchemical items with AoE effect. Auran mask, antitoxin etc are already in our backpacks.

As for this dragon blood elixir, Psi Dragon variant would be most useful for my team composition - wisdom is used either way by my PC for AC score + swordsage would retain all his abilities in form of.. i dont know, something cool and big :D

Awesome idea barakaka, thanks