Arch Druid

[tstewt1921]

I'm building a 25th level Druid as an NPC that a party has met. She is basically the Arch Druid of a forest they are in. Is there anything like Archmage for druids or would just straight 25 levels of druid do it for her?

She will be more spell casting, so no master of many forms or builds specifically for shifting/summoning.

[Fouredged Sword]

I would go straight Hierophant. You cap out on spellcasting at 20, so no need to advance that. Hierophant adds some cool stuff for a support based druid, like the ability to hand out their wildshape class feature on a use by use basis (they have plenty).

Another option is a dip into wizard or sorcerer and levels in arcane hierophant. An animal companion that talks back to everyone seems fun.

[Hiro Quester]

The Heirophant is a good idea. It advances caster level (with the option of other useful benefits, including advancing caster level by 2 levels each level).

Requires knowledge religion to be well-stocked, which is unusual (and cross class) for a druid.

[Sagetim]

There's also the arcane/Druid prestige class from Races of the Wild called Arcane Heirophant, if you wanted to mix in some arcane spells for more dakka. But a straight 25 druid isn't terribly importuned, even in 3.5. They have a lot of class abilities all the way to 20, and those keep advancing into epic level (and there's epic form feats, for some extra options).

That said, 3 druid/3 wizard/4 mystic theurge/15 Arcane Heirophant would get you a Lot of casting, if your goal was just kind of 'be druid' and 'have all the casting'.

[ATHATH]

Why is the Archdruid level 25? Shouldn't he/she/it/whatever be something closer to, say, level 10 or 15?

[tstewt1921]

Why is the Archdruid level 25? Shouldn't he/she/it/whatever be something closer to, say, level 10 or 15?

Why should she be 10 or 15? In my mind someone at the highest of highs within a circle of druids reigning over 10-15000 druids and has the say to what happens should be in that level?

[Fouredged Sword]

Depends on the setting. In Faerun you can throw a rock and miss the AC of a epic level character by mistake. In Ebberon the head of a global organisation can be level 7.