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GlordFunkelhand
2008-02-06, 07:58 AM
Hi!

One of my players wants to play a melee type druid. AFAIK he doesn't want to multiclass. Right now he's planning his feat selection. Normally I'd suggest some metamagic feats, but since he wants to be mainly a melee type, that might not be appropriate.

Right now he seems to prefer the shapeshifting feats (allowing him to shift more often, and faster). I am not sure if these feats or worth the slot or if he should normal fighting feats. He's also wondering if his melee damage output will be helpful.

Any advice? Please try to avoid the big cheese if possible. We play 3.x rules, MotW is ok, other sourcebooks might be ok as well (case by case decision) .

We just started a low level campaign, so all PCs are still level 1 - but since he's a planner, he's already planning his complete feat/skill/whatever selection up to level 20 ;)

Thanks,
Glord

shaggz076
2008-02-06, 08:48 AM
Well the first suggestion I would give is to swap out the Wildshape with the varient option from the PHB2 that gives you Shapeshifting instead. You only get certain forms at certain levels and the bonus' is different than wildshape but he can shift as often and many times as he wants. He also can get this ability at 1st level making it even more valuble.

As for feats, Is he human? If so then Power Attack and Cleave are always good. for a fighting type. You could also go Combat relflexes and Improved initiative.

Prince Gimli
2008-02-06, 09:11 AM
From what I know the PHB 2 variant is more powerful in short term, but weaker in the long run. So it depends both on what level you will start at, and what level you expect to reach.

As for feats, Improved natural attack from the Monster manual is also a nice damage boost if applied to an attack often used, such as claw. At level 9 you get acces to a wonderful 5th level spell called animal growth.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/animalGrowth.htm
A wonderful spell for a druid to buff himself in animal form, his animal companion and any animals he might have summoned.

But back to feats, Power attack and cleave are nice, especially when using the rulings of a DM I know. He states that you can take a feat without meeting the prerequisites but not use it. So a druid with strength 8 in normal form could take power attack (which requires Str 13), shift into animal form and use it. I kind of agree with this rule, but I suppose it depends on the DM.
Because once you get wild shape, every physical stat except con becomes unimportant. Constitution is still important because from what I know one's own constitution determines one's hit points while in wild shape. This used to be different, but it is this way now as far as I know.

kemmotar
2008-02-06, 09:23 AM
well you could go for the combat brute tree to get shocktrooper and he can wild shape into something with pounce...does shapeshifting variant have anything like that?

Also natural spell i guess i a natural choice but kinda cheesy...also as was mentioned impr natural attack...maybe he can go for master of many forms if you allow wildshape..you can control the things he can turn into by speaking with the player and letting them know that doing this might be hazardous to the game...

Well natural spell has a lot of abuses but it depends on the person playing the character...for example a hawk hurling spells from up high is apparent to someone who knows how he can abuse natural spell but maybe not so to other players...so it also depends on his knowledge of the game...if he's likely to go codzilla then you can go for shapeshifting variant and forbid natural spell...then he can purely go for fighting feats...maybe a few tactical feats other than combat brute or something else entirely...maybe a tripping build if you fight a lot of tough medium or large sized opponents...trying to trip something huge and above is just asking for it anyway...

leap attack is good too to increase damage...but don't let him take power lunge too...it just goes downhill after that...

Maybe some skill trick feats from complete scoundrel...?

What kind of setting are you using for the campaign? urban, dungeon crawl, mixed? Undead, aberrations? Also what level is the party? Would you allow him to take flaws?

marjan
2008-02-06, 09:30 AM
At level 9 you get acces to a wonderful 5th level spell called animal growth.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/animalGrowth.htm
A wonderful spell for a druid to buff himself in animal form, his animal companion and any animals he might have summoned.


Druids type doesn't change when he wildshapes so that won't work. Enlarge Person should work though.

Edit: Druid Handbook (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=733400).
You should be able to find anything you want about druid there.

Crimson Avenger
2008-02-06, 09:59 AM
I find it interesting that SRD got the errata text for druid into their page, but missed the errata for Animal Growth.

I also like the variant from PHB II, and you can't go wrong with Imp Nat Weapon, just be careful because Imp Nt: Claw doesn't help with a tentacle attack from the octopus, slam from an elemental, ect. However, the bigger the claw you get from Wild Shape, the bigger the advantage of Imp Nt: Claw. Almost everything has a BITE.

Natural Spell is good if he's mostly melee for a few buffs.

Weapon Focus isn't a great choice because you never know what natural weapons you might have on hand, unless it's bite.

Power Attack, Combat Brute, Shock Trooper are probably going to net you the most combat versatility. You don't get quite as much from Combat Brute: Momentum Swing because you can't weild a weapon two handed, but that x1.5 to Power Attack can be brutal.

And since you're playing in 3.0, I really have to stress the Natural Spell. If the party arcanist casts haste, that allows a spell and a full attack in the same round. He can buff mid-combat, and that's huge for making use of round/ level spells in combat.

Prince Gimli
2008-02-06, 04:36 PM
Not getting the animal type in wild shape is an errata thing then, because my PHB still states that wild shape is based on polymorph, and in the polymorph version from that same PHB the type does change. Ah well, a pity then. Or maybe not, because druids were a bit overpowered anyway. I mean, the druid is a full caster that can shape and buff himself to outfight the melee classes and get an animal companion on top of that.

GlordFunkelhand
2008-02-08, 08:51 AM
Thanks for the feedback.
My player is pretty excited by all these nice options available to him.

Lord Lorac Silvanos
2008-02-08, 09:37 AM
I find it interesting that SRD got the errata text for druid into their page, but missed the errata for Animal Growth.

There is no errata for Animal Growth. Everything is changed by the errata to the Wildshape class feature.


Wild Shape
Player’s Handbook, page 37
Replace sentence 3 of this class feature with the
following text:
This ability functions like the alternate form special
ability (see the Monster Manual) ...


Alternate Form (Su): ...
* The creature retains the type and subtype of its original form. It gains the size of its new form.
(*: Alternate Form has errata, but it does not change this key sentence, except for aquatic type creatures)

You do not become an animal when in Wildshape.

Also note that www.D20SRD.org is a 3rd party side and does not host the original SRD document.

The original SRD does not include errata changes, but D20SRD has decided to include them for ease of reference even if these changes are not technically part of the SRD.