Pimp My Druid/Nature Warrior

[Rowanomicon]

I'm going to be joining a campaign soon at ECL 10.
All I know so far is that I want to be a Druid 5/Nature Warrior 5.
I believe Nature Warrior is in Complete Warrior, though it might be C. Adventurer.

Books I have to work with are:
PHB
DMG
MM
MM2
Book of Vile Darkness
Complete Warrior
Complete Adventurer
Psionics Handbook
Underdark (Forgotten Realms)

And possibly others, I'll update this list if I find out I can use more.

So the biggest thing I need to decide is Race. Right now I'm thinking Human, but the DM if rather lenient with races so he'd probably let me be anything that's LA +0 (He'd let be have LA, but I don't want it, unless there's a race out there who's abilities mesh really well with Druids and Nature Warriors).

Feat choices is alway important and I haven't really started looking through anything yet. I'm going to glance through the SRD later today.

Same with Skills.

It's been a long time since I've played a Druid and I've never played a Nature Warrior before so I'm basically looking for all the advice I can get.

EDIT:

Added one book to the list of usable books.

My rolled stats are: 16, 13, 13, 12, 11, 11 in whatever order I want to put them.

I start with 30,000gp.

I need this character done very soon (tomorrow hopefully) and I'd really love some advice for a build.

Particularly I would like advice for feats because I'm not very familiar with feats from Splat Books. Also some people might know about cool possibilities that I don't.
I want the feat that lets you cast in While Shape form. Is it called Natural Spell? Where is it from?

Also I would like help choosing which Nature's Armaments to choose.
I've narrowed it down to 5 abilities and I can only choose 3.

1. Fast Healing 1 when in Wild Shape form
2. +3 Damage to Natural Attacks when in Wild Shape form
3. Damage Reduction 3/- when in Wild Shape form
4. +5 increase to Natural Armor when in Wild Shape form
5. +1 enhancement bonus to Attacks and Natural Attacks are treated as magic for overcoming damage reduction when in Wild Shape form

Also, starting with 5 Druid Levels I have more option for Animal Companions than starting at level 1. Any suggestions?

[Rowanomicon]

I'm only bumping this because I'm probably going to finish it today (although maybe tomorrow) and it would be really great if I could get a little input from the playground.

What I'd really like most is advice on feats. I have 4 (besides Natural Spell) and I'm not familiar with the feats from those splat books.

[xPANCAKEx]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#naturalSpell

natural spell is core = druidzilla for the win. It really is a no-brainer

lizardfolk can make for decent druids, but thats a +1 LA and 2 levels of humanoid to start with, so probably not what you're after at all

go for:

3. Damage Reduction 3/- when in Wild Shape form
4. +5 increase to Natural Armor when in Wild Shape form
5. +1 enhancement bonus to Attacks and Natural Attacks are treated as magic for overcoming damage reduction when in Wild Shape form


no need for +1 fast healing as 3 and 4 would probably decrease the damage enough in the long run (why heal damage when you can prevent it in the first place).

5 would would give you WAY more milage than 2 in the long run as well. +3 sounds great right now, but wait until you're against higher level gribblies with SR and that "loss" will seem so very insignificant

[Talic]

Nature's Warrior is a Shapeshift themed class. It gives up casting ability for extra oomph while shifted.

So pair it with another class that does that. Master of Many Forms (Comp. Adv.)

Serpent's coils + Improved grapple is just made of win.

Also, Natural Spell is somewhat less important to this build, as spells are mainly the fluffy icing on the cake. That said, it's never a bad feat to have.

Also, the Fast healing nature's warrior feature is nice. Most of the others, not so much.

I've seen really good MoMF builds with the following:

Druid 5/Nature's Warrior 3/MoMF 7/Warshaper 5

You'll get most of the really good Druid forms, the key MoMF 7, and Warshaper will give you all sorts of buffs. With nature's warrior 3, you can get fast healing, serpent's coils, and 1 other ability of your choice.

You'll have improved reach from Warshaper, improved stats, improved shifting versatility, and more.

EDIT: This also keeps most of your class choices (80%). I felt that important, but I don't see Nature's warrior as really offering enough to justify more than 3 levels.

[Eldritch_Ent]

I'd go for the Magic claws, the +5 to Natural AC, and fast Healing 1- I love fast healing, because even having just one means never having to buy another wand or potion of cure... Anything!

[Rowanomicon]

First of all thanks for the replies.

I went back and edited my first post because my budget got cut down to 30,000gp.

I haven't really looked at Master of Many Forms. It sounds like it would mesh well, but I don't think I'll use it because there's another Druid in the party (so far Druid 8 Racial LA +2) who's planning on going into it and I don't want him to feel like I'm stepping on his toes.

I'm pretty set on taking all 5 levels of Nature's Warrior. I'm thinking of just going with more Druid levels once I gain more experience, or I might take three Human Paragon levels, but I definitely still open to PrC suggestions... maybe something from the BoVD.

Where is Warshaper from?

As for my Nature's Armaments I'm thinking Fast Healing 1, NA +5, and one other... not sure which.
Pancake, you figure +1 attack will give me more mileage than +3 damage? Probably right.
With Fast Healing 1 and +5 Na I don't know if I need DR 3/-. That might be overkill on the defensive side. So the third one will either be Dr 3/- or +1 Attacks, probably the latter.

OK, feats I'm looking at are:
Natural Spell - definitely taking this
Multiattack (MM) - probably a good idea
Improved Natural Attack (MM) - extra damage is nice
Natural Bond (CoA) - improves my Animal Companion
I also thought Extend or Quicken Spell would be useful.
Or Imp. Unarmed Attack --> Imp. Grapple

Now, my budget got cut down to 30,000gp, mostly because one of the other players (the other druid) saw some notes of what I wanted to buy jotted down when he was drunk and complained to the DM about how much gear I had. Oh well, it's not that big a deal.
Anyway, here's my wish list. Obviously items will be cut, some items may have to be revised.

1. +1 Wild Dragonhide Fullplate (may have to become a lighter type of armor) - 19300gp

2. +1 Animater Heavy Wooden Shield - 9157gp

3. Amulet of Mighty Fists +1 - 6000gp (I don't think this stacks with the Nature's Armament)

4. Periapt of Wisdom +2 - 4000gp or +4 - 16000gp

5. Druids Vestment (+1 Wild Shape/Day) - 10000gp

6. Monk's Belt (1 + Wis mod to AC) - 13000gp

7. Ioun Stones, most would be good.

8. Metamagic Rod Extend (lesser) - 3000gp

Well, there's the wish list.

[Eldritch_Ent]

If you're getting a Mighty Fist amulet, then you don't need (or want) Nature's armament, since I'm pretty sure they don't stack, and the main reason to go for a +1 is to get through that pesky DR/Magic.

Also, there's no such thing as overkill- If you're gonna replace the Natural Weapons with an amulet, (Doesn't that use that in the same slot as a periapt of wisdom?) Then the DR/3 AND Fast Healing 1 will make you a defensive beast, no pun intended.

Edit-
Normally I'd reccomend a Healing Belt over a Monk's belt, but if your DM will let you use it to add WIS to AC, then that's definitely great. It will give you a better touch AC, if I recall, which is great.

Also, I was going to reccomend the spell Scintillating Scales, but for some reason that's not a druid spell. It's a 2nd level arcane spell, standard action, 1 minute/level, converts natural armor bonuses to Deflection bonuses. It's in the Spell Compendium, too, which you don't have.

[Nebo_]

1. +1 Wild Dragonhide Fullplate (may have to become a lighter type of armor) - 19300gp


You're not proficient, so it will have to be lighter.


2. +1 Animater Heavy Wooden Shield - 9157gp

Good


3. Amulet of Mighty Fists +1 - 6000gp (I don't think this stacks with the Nature's Armament)

You're right, it doesn't stack.


4. Periapt of Wisdom +2 - 4000gp or +4 - 16000gp

Good.


5. Druids Vestment (+1 Wild Shape/Day) - 10000gp

Not worth it.


6. Monk's Belt (1 + Wis mod to AC) - 13000gp

You do have wilding clasps for all of this, right?


7. Ioun Stones, most would be good.

Generally not worth it until you can afford all the other stuff first.


8. Metamagic Rod Extend (lesser) - 3000gp

Good.

[Rowanomicon]

If I make the Armor Breastplate it's only 16700gp leaving me with 13300gp.
I could buy my shield OR a Monk's Belt OR an Amulet of Mighty Fists (+1) and Periapt of Wis (+2).

Wilding Clasps are from where? I'm assuming they make the bonus carry over to while you're in Wild Shape.

I'm not sure I should use a Mighty Fist Amulet or the Nature's Armament of making my Natural Attacks +1.

I don't have enough money for the Ioun Stones or the Metamagic Rod.

The Druid's Vestment seems like something I want, but I'll trust you're word on this, Nedo since you seem to know what you're talking about.


If the character is not a monk, she gains the AC and unarmed damage of a 5th-level monk. This AC bonus functions just like the monk’s AC bonus.


AC Bonus (Ex)

When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her AC. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC at 5th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every five monk levels thereafter (+2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th level).

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is flat-footed. She loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless, when she wears any armor, when she carries a shield, or when she carries a medium or heavy load.

I read that to mean that the Monk's Belt grants the wearer their Wisdom bonus (if any) +1 to their AC, even against touch attacks or when flat-footed.

If I can get Wilding Clasps for the Monk's belt then I'd say that's my best bet, otherwise the shield is better at one less AC bonus, but sticking with me in my Wild Shape.

So the Question remains:
Defensive item and offensive class ability, or defensive class ability and offensive item(s).

What's better +3 AC, +1 to Attack (and overcomes DR/magic), and 843gp (that's the difference in cost between my shield and the Amulet and Periapt combined)
OR
+1 to Attack and Damage (and overcomes DR/magic), +2 to my Casting Stat, and DR 3/-

As much as I need in-game money (my character's a junkie), I think the latter may be a better option, of course that hinges on my DM letting me wear either the Amulet or the Periapt in a different slot.

But wait, wouldn't the Amulet and Periapt not have any effect while I'm in Wild Shape?

Man, these guys are gonna hate me for taking so long making this character.

[Eldritch_Ent]

3. Amulet of Mighty Fists +1 - 6000gp (I don't think this stacks with the Nature's Armament)
6. Monk's Belt (1 + Wis mod to AC) - 13000gp
8. Metamagic Rod Extend (lesser) - 3000gp


Get these. It will cost you 22000 Total. This will let you afford two Wilding Clasps, assuming you don't craft anything yourself. (If you do, you can craft your own clasps and then be able to afford the +2 periapt)

Wilding Clasps cost 4000 gold each, are attached to items, and prevent them from dissapearing when you use wildshape. (The item instead just changes shape appropriately.) Stick one on the amulet and belt.

Being a druid, You get enough offensive capabilities simply from being able to shapeshift into, say, Fleshreapers or something. That'll give you enough STR to hit anything. I'd say focus on defensive abilities so you can wade into combat with less fear. +5 Nat Armor, DR 3/-, and Fast Healing 1 will make you pretty unkillable. Especially if you have Wis-to-AC, which will help you avoid those nasty touch spells.

[ColonelFuster]

You have access to the Book of Vile Darkness? Why are you guys even talking about other prestige classes when there's VERMIN LORD??? It's probably my favoritest ever.

Oh, wait, in real campaign settings, you have to be evil, don't you?

Hm... give it a look, at any rate.

[Nebo_]

If I make the Armor Breastplate it's only 16700gp leaving me with 13300gp.
I could buy my shield OR a Monk's Belt OR an Amulet of Mighty Fists (+1) and Periapt of Wis (+2).

Technically, the armour is part of your new form, but still provides the bonus to AC. This means that you're not wearing it and you can benefit from the Monk's belt. I wouldn't try getting that past a DM, though.


Wilding Clasps are from where? I'm assuming they make the bonus carry over to while you're in Wild Shape.

They're from MIC, most recently, and yes, that's exactly what they do.



I read that to mean that the Monk's Belt grants the wearer their Wisdom bonus (if any) +1 to their AC, even against touch attacks or when flat-footed.

Yep, that's right.


You have access to the Book of Vile Darkness? Why are you guys even talking about other prestige classes when there's VERMIN LORD??? It's probably my favoritest ever.

Oh, wait, in real campaign settings, you have to be evil, don't you?

Hm... give it a look, at any rate.

Alternatively, you could not cripple your character with an awful class.

[Rowanomicon]

So I can get the armor (now breastplate), an AoMFists, a Wilding Clasp, the Metamagic Rod of Lesser Extend, and have 300gp left.

OR

The Monk's Belt, an AoMFists, two Wilding Clasps, and the Metamagic Rod.

Now it's +6 AC and 300gp Vs. +4 AC that also works against touch attacks and would go up if/when my Wisdom score increases.

I'm not even sure if my DM will allow Wilding Clasps.

If not I just get the armor and shield and let my spells/class feature do the rest.

Heck, maybe I'll do that anyway for simplicity's sake.

It's not like I really need to be worries about being ineffective. I'm a freaking Druid and none of the guys in this group are heavy character optimisers... OK, none fo them are good at being heavy character optimisers.

[Eldritch_Ent]

I don't think the armor and shield are good choices, mostly because the fact you can Wildshape makes them obsolete. If I recall, you gain the STR, Dex (Dodge AC, and Natural Armor scores (With an additional 5 from that prestige class), Add in the Monk Belt WIS to AC and your armor is already impressive. Plus without wilding clasps, you can't use it while wildshaped.

Throw in DR 3/- and Fast Healing 1, and your defenses will be quite impressive.

There's also a prestige class out there that will let you add your CON to your AC (as a natural armor bonus, I think), but I forgot what it is.

[Talic]

warshaper is complete warrior. Gives reach, stat boosts, enhanced shifting, and the like, when you're in wild shape. If you're not focusing on MoMF, then minimize your non-druid levels. You want to get druid wildshaping at a decent rate, at least... Even if you don't get the tasty MoMF 7 perk.

[Rowanomicon]

Yeah, the plan is now to make him Druid 6/NW 5 because the party leveled.

With Nature's Bond (feat) I will only be 2 effective Druid Class Levels less than my whole Character Level for my Animal Companion, only 3 less for my Caster Level, and All my Levels stack for Wild Shaping.

Nature's Warrior is actually not a bad compromise for a Druid.

The armor is Wilding and the shield is Animated so they both stay with me in Wild Shape, but I'll do the Monk's belt anyway because it suits the flavour of the character more to not wear armor. I might keep the shield though.

I hesitate to make final equipment decisions because the DM may give me more money since I'm now a level higher. Whatever.

Right now I could buy the Monk's Belt, a Wilding Clasp, an Amulet of Might Fists (+1), another Wilding Clasp, and the Metamagic Rod of Extend Spell (lesser). That leaves me with no money, but this is an evil campaign and I'm a junkie who needs a fix. I think I'll find some money.

A Periapt of Wis (+2) would end up costing me 8000gp, and so does the Ioun Stone (for +2 Wis) so that's easier until I can get an item with a higher bonus. So that's next on my list to buy, after Drugs that is, and probably food too, maybe a bedroll or something...

After that I guess would be the +1 Animated Large Wood Shield, the Druid's Vestment, and more Ioun Stones. I'll see what it seems like I need...

EDIT: I almost forgot my current biggest question: From the books I'm allowed, what are my best options for an Animal Companion and Wild Shaping considering my Effective Class Level for my Animal Companion is 9 and my Effective Class Level for Wild Shape is 11?

The SRD says a Druid must be 4th Level to get a Medium Constrictor Snake, but I think it's actually available at 1st.

EDIT 2: And What's better for a Feat: Spell Focus (Conjuration) as a prerequisite of Augment Summoning or Improved Multiattack (MM)?

[Talic]

With Nature's Bond (feat) I will only be 2 effective Druid Class Levels less than my whole Character Level for my Animal Companion, only 3 less for my Caster Level, and All my Levels stack for Wild Shaping.

Nature's Warrior is actually not a bad compromise for a Druid.

The armor is Wilding and the shield is Animated so they both stay with me in Wild Shape, but I'll do the Monk's belt anyway because it suits the flavour of the character more to not wear armor. I might keep the shield though.

True, it's not. More mechanically powerful to take a level or two less of nature's warrior, and a level or two more of druid, but that's all personal choice, so... Blah.

Note: Wilding armor does not stay with you when you shift. It still melds in. However, the Bonuses stay with you.

For example, a druid wearing Ironwood Mountain Plate +1, Wilding (+10 Armor, +1 enhancement, +0 Max Dex, -10 Armor Check, movement reduction, no running), when he wildshapes, has his armor meld in. It still provides bonuses, though, giving the final stats of (+10 Armor, +1 enhancement bonus, no max dex restriction, no armor check penalty, no movement reduction, no movement restrictions). If you're a dwarf with 2 levels of Deepwarden, you can add con to AC instead of Dex, and most critters you shift into will be much beefier on the con side than dex. Add in built in Nat armor, and it's not unheard of to get level 10-11 druids with 40 AC.

[Rowanomicon]

True, yes, I did know that, I just phrased it wrongly in my post.
Thanks though.

I didn't know about Deep Warden, where's that from?

[Talic]

Races of Stone. You must be a dwarf to take it, or have the PRC that makes you count as one... Dwarf is easier, since the 20 movement is eliminated by the wildshaping, the +2 con helps in HP in all forms, and so on.

Further, if you can eventually get a wilding clasp on a +6 con item (or, for the earlier easy solution, bear's endurance for a +4), it'll add hp in all forms (since it affects base form Con modifier), and add AC in all forms (as it's either wilded, or magic, depending).

That said, though it's a 10 level PrC, it's rarely worthwhile to go past level 2 in it.

[Rowanomicon]

Well I don't have that book, and I don't think I want to lose two level of Casting, Wild Shaping, and Animal Companion... having...

I still am wondering about the Animal Companions, While Shapes, and Feats though (see my second to previous post).

[Chronicled]

Well I don't have that book, and I don't think I want to lose two level of Casting, Wild Shaping, and Animal Companion... having...

I still am wondering about the Animal Companions, While Shapes, and Feats though (see my second to previous post).

Here's the Druid Handbook (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=733400) from the WotC forums (they'll be back up shortly).

[Gorbash]

While Shapes

Priceless. :smallbiggrin:

[Rowanomicon]

Oh dear, haha, yeah that is pretty good. Most people didn't notice it because the two words sound almost exactly alike.:smallwink:

I swear, I have some of the greatest typos sometimes.

It's because I have a pet Typo-Demon named Slef (whenever I make a typos I slap Slef).:smalltongue:

Usually other gems such as "doe snot" (one of my personal favourites) and (this actually happened on these boards) "masterfully mad epistol" are due to s misplaced space.:smallcool:

This message brought to you by gratuitous use of Smilies(tm).:smallbiggrin:

[Talic]

For companions, I prefer the Complete Mage Druid variant: Elemental Companion.

Air elementals, while phyiscally weaker than many animals, are priceless for high mobility (100 foot fly, perfect maneuverability), ability to get things where you need them, and ability to get into flanking positions insanely easily.

As for the wild shaping, once you can shift 5 times a day, for 6 hours each, you're pretty much good. After that, you're just going for size categories.

Psy Warrior 1 (with practiced manifester) gets you an enlarge ability that will last pretty much a whole combat. That's more or less equivalent to 5 levels of druid, for wild shape.

Deepwarden is actually rather easy to squeeze in, for the most part. Bear in mind, Nature's Warrior is already hamstringing your caster ability. You're, at best, a buff caster. Giving up a level of nature's warrior, and 1 of something else, would give 2 deepwarden, though, admittedly, it'll usually only result in +8-10 AC. The only real reason not to is if you have another race in mind.

Animal Companion is nice, but as you go past level 5, it begins to lose a lot of its power, comparatively, and is best chosen for utility, IMO. Those are the levels when you focus either on spellcasting power, or wildshape strength.

Nature's warrior already pretty much makes that choice, as, with 5 levels, you will never get 9th level magic.

[Rowanomicon]

With 5 levels of Nature's Warrior I'm down 3 caster levels, not 5.

Considering the other Druid is down 2 from racial LA and I think everyone else in the party has LA, I'm not that far behind in the Spell Casting department. However, I don't really want to get further behind.
Also, I've already started making the character as a Human.
My COn mod is only +1 (+2 If I were a Dwarf)

I don't have access to Complete Mage so not Air Elemental Companion for me. :(

I assume you're talking about the PsyW Power Expansion.
It might be worth trading a level for PsyW1...