Barbarian Druid build.. help?

[Crimlock]

Hi! I am still puzzling with my character and was wondering if anybody has some good suggestions. I am going for a melee longsword fighter which is a monster/undead/demon hunter and also has the option to wildshape (wildshape mainly outsider of combat). I already have some good suggestions for a ranger x/ druid x build, but now i am also wondering about barbarian/Druid builds. How many levels of ech class do you suggest and what subclasses? Is this a better option than a ranger/Druid? (Suggestions for a ranger/Druid build are also still welkom!

[lunaticfringe]

Depends on what kinda Beast Shapes ya want. Just for fun & Flavor you can get away with Druid 2. Swim Speed? You need at least 4 and going for Flight locks you into Druid 8.

[Chugger]

If you're going to use barb to fight you probably want to get barb 5 asap, to get that extra attack.

I wouldn't go beyond druid 2 unless there are specific spells you want. Druid 3 Land gets you access to some interesting spells that might have good synergy w/ barb. Barkskin probably does not help you much or at all - if you have 15 ac w/ barb armor. Druid lvl 2 spell spike growth = good crowd control in many situations. Pass w/out Trace is amazing in certain situations.

With druid lvl 2 you get fog and entangle for control, which aren't at all bad.

Barb totem gives you rit-cast speak with animals and beast sense. Redundant but could be helpful - would free you up to take other druid spells.

If amazing metal medium armor drops (magic) you probably can't wear it - but am not sure if there's an official ruling on multis. In general druids can't wear metal.

[GlenSmash!]

Starting Barbarian for the Proficiencies is probably the best route, then I say go 2 levels into moon druid for Brown Bear form. It 's a Lot of hitpoints for a level 3 character and has multi-attack, so you won't even miss not getting extra attack right at level 5. Then I would take Barbarian to 5 for extra attack, and possibly 6 for another subclass feature.

At this point Barbarian doesn't get a lot of new things to do as much as get better at what it already does, so feel free to put the rest into Druid. You'll get a lot of utility from spells and Wildshape.

[Quoxis]

I am going for a melee longsword fighter which is a monster/undead/demon hunter and also has the option to wildshape (wildshape mainly outsider of combat).

Simple: if you want wildshape for utility, look what utility you want and go up to there.
2 levels of druid and you can transform into anything that doesn't fly or swim and is rather tame in combat.
4 levels of druid and you can transform into swimming animals.
8 levels net you flying forms.

So a druid8/barb12 split would get you all the utility.
You'd have to figure out whether you want a bigger spell selection or a bigger beast form selection, that's the Main difference between the druid subclasses.


My personal favorite would be a barb3/druidx split: you get rage, reckless attack, unarmored defense (good for the metallophobic druids out there) and at 5th level you don't get multiattack, instead you turn into a bear with effectively twice the hit points and extra damage (from rage); that's just a build idea though, as it strays from the path of the out-of-combat wildshaper. Just for inspiration.

[Citan]

Hi! I am still puzzling with my character and was wondering if anybody has some good suggestions. I am going for a melee longsword fighter which is a monster/undead/demon hunter and also has the option to wildshape (wildshape mainly outsider of combat). I already have some good suggestions for a ranger x/ druid x build, but now i am also wondering about barbarian/Druid builds. How many levels of ech class do you suggest and what subclasses? Is this a better option than a ranger/Druid? (Suggestions for a ranger/Druid build are also still welkom!
Hi!

It really depends on the kind of character you want.

1. Bipolar character:
Start Barbarian, take one Druid level immediately for some spells and more importantly cantrips, then Barb up to 5 then Land Druid up to 6.
Either you rage and attack with weapon, or you stay at the back and cast spells.
Can be fun but probably the most tricky to play.

2. Dabbling Barbarian:
Start Barbarian, take one Druid level immediately, then Barbarian up to 5 (grabbing Polearm Master feat), then Land Druid 3, then Barbarian all the way remaining.
You are a Barbarian at core, that just uses some Druidic arts to prebuff himself (Longstrider, Jump) for the toughest fights.
Easier to play, but same problem as the previous, you won't feel your character alive before quite a few levels.

3. Raging Beast
Start Barbarian, immediately take Moon Druid 2, then go Bear Barbarian 3, then Moon Druid 6.
You really don't care about Extra Attack because you will spend most of the time as a beast anyways.
Unarmored feature from Barbarian should normally stay enabled as a Brown Bear (check with DM before hand but I see no reason why he would forbid it), shoring up the big weakness of Moon Druid (being extremely frail because of low AC): you can also activate the rage after the fact if things get hairy.

4. Dabbling Druid
Start Barbarian up to 2, immediately switch Druid (Land or Moon, whatever you like) and never look back. You mainly grab the Unarmored Defense (great for Moon Druid or if you have decent DEX and CON, like a conjurer Land for example) and Danger Sense for better saves against AOE.

Honestly I'd suggest you going the 3rd route: should be easy enough to build, very solid, and still keeps all routes opened for later progression (ramp up Druid for nasty Elemental Forms, or go back Barbarian to get better Rage related features and switch prepared spells for more long-term buffs or social encounters).

[Ressurection]

Thanks for suggestions, I'm just learning and it is really helpful advice, ty

[Chugger]

Go through the class guides here. For you, for your current question, try barbarian and druid class guides - many of them talk about multi-classing synergy issues - like when it is great and when it is not so great. http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?377491 Good luck. These can help you more than I can.

[excommunicated]

I tried a Barbarian Druid for a while. I got up to Moon Druid 2/ Totem Barbarian 3. It was a good build, but having been given the chance to rebuild with a change in setting, I went pure Moon Druid as I preferred the utility of higher level spells and Cave bear is awesome since base character race has no Darkvision.

[Specter]

Remember that even in human form you don't need more than 13STR - Shillelagh is there for you.

[excommunicated]

If you're going to use barb to fight you probably want to get barb 5 asap, to get that extra attack.


With Brown Bear shape available from Druid 2 giving two attacks per round and Cave Bear at higher level, there are other options for getting two attacks per round. You can rage quite happily while in bear form giving two attacks at +5 to hit and damage 1d8+6 bite and 2d6+6 claws from level 2 druid, level 1 Barbarian.