Druid... yay or nay?

[Paganboy28]

We are starting a new campaign with Level 8 PC's.

I had contemplated a Illumian Archivist, though I am concerned that I will just end up being a heal bot or buff bot, which I know is what Divine magic is more focus on.

So throwing a curve ball I decided to play a druid as they have always appealled to me but I have never played one, plus they have lots of options open to them with their abilities.

I looked through the races and thought that a Pixie would make a good druid due to its high Wis bonus and other nifty abilities. Though with a +4LA this would mean that I would be only a level 4 druid with 4d8 HD...

The DM has decreed that the Pixie's Greater Invisibility at will is too powerful and so reduced this to Invisibility at will instead.

My base stats look great due to the Pixie racials, though strength is pants. Not so concerned about that as I want Pixie form to be a nifty stealth archer with magical arrows/bow.

However, do others think that a Pixie Druid is a workable combination or will I be gimping myself from the off compared to other Level 8 ECL characters?

Is the Druid a good all-rounder, having never really played one I am not sure.

Plus is Wild Shape a pain in the butt when you shift forms and having to recalculate all your stats again? I don't want to take ages working out abilities when I shapeshift.

[Salt_Crow]

NO. It's not advisable to play a druid with LA, especially if the monster in question doesn't truly play to the class's strengths (versatility, not stealth).

Unless you find yourself some half-fiend/half-celestial companions, you may find it very difficult to keep up with what others are capable of doing.

Yes druid's a great class when taken straight.

When making a druid, pick a few 'favourite' forms and make up sheets/notes for them to use later. That way you don't need to calculate everything out every time you want to make use of your major battlefield contribution.

[kamikasei]

A) For any full caster, LA is bad. You will be significantly less powerful, two whole spell levels behind. It's worse for a druid, as you have not just spells but your animal companion and wild shape all dependent on your class level.

In general, you will be fantastic druid simply playing a human or other PHB race. There's no need to go looking for other races for power, as opposed to flavour.

B) There are two basic approaches. First: lots of preparation - choose the animal forms you're most likely to use most frequently and work out your stats (at least, any that change) for each form in advance. Have a bunch of alternate character sheets, essentially. Same goes for summons, too.

Second: play the shapeshift-variant druid from the Player's Handbook II. It's a nerf which has the side effect of greatly simplifying the class in play: you trade your animal companion and wild shape for a set list of forms granting bonuses and additional abilities (e.g. fly speeds, bite/claw attacks) instead of an entirely open "pick any animal from anywhere" headache.

[Talic]

Good Druid Races include those that emphasize mental attributes over physical. Low LA (no LA is ideal)

Gnomes make awesome druids, with the con bonus and Str penalty. Con is the only physical stat that's really solid for druids.

[Blacky the Blackball]

Being a Changeling (from the Eberron book) might be fun - then you could not only swap between animal forms while wildshaping but also swap between humanoid forms while not wildshaping...

[kamikasei]

Being a Changeling (from the Eberron book) might be fun - then you could not only swap between animal forms while wildshaping but also swap between humanoid forms while not wildshaping...

Bear in mind that a druid can do that anyway at level 13. It might still be fun for those five levels, but personally I'd take the feat and skill point.

[Blacky the Blackball]

Bear in mind that a druid can do that anyway at level 13. It might still be fun for those five levels, but personally I'd take the feat and skill point.

Ah - I was thinking in 4e mode...

[Leon]

I had contemplated a Illumian Archivist, though I am concerned that I will just end up being a heal bot or buff bot, which I know is what Divine magic is more focus on.

Your only a Buff/Heal Bot if you let yourself become one, i play a Human Archivist/Barbarian and while i do Buff the party i don't let it stop me from getting in and mixing it up with the rest of them (Knowledge Devotion + Lots of High Knowledge skills = Goodness)

My base stats look great due to the Pixie racials, though strength is pants. Not so concerned about that as I want Pixie form to be a nifty stealth archer with magical arrows/bow.

A nifty stealth archer says Ranger/Rouge more than druid to me

However, do others think that a Pixie Druid is a workable combination or will I be gimping myself from the off compared to other Level 8 ECL characters?

You will be stymieing your self a great deal with a +4 LA not just on caster level but on health, saves etc which is a bigger issue for a Caster type that can do well in the front lines rather than sitting in the back unless you choose to focus more on the caster side of the class

Is the Druid a good all-rounder, having never really played one I am not sure.

Yes, yes it is

Plus is Wild Shape a pain in the butt when you shift forms and having to recalculate all your stats again? I don't want to take ages working out abilities when I shapeshift.

There are a number of good options to the feature (and dont let anyone say otherwise).
Shapeshift is the most straight forward and most similar one to Wildshape
- Its gives up the companion, is avalible from level one and have a Fixed set of abilities (you however choose what it looks like - so Predator for could look like a Wolf, Badger, Cat etc)
As you progress in the class you open up a new set of forms every few levels - Flight at 5th, a Bigger nastier combat form at 8th and then on into plant and Elemental forms at higher levels (each form has a Bonus feat that you gain while in that form)

The Hunter option gives up wildshape to take on some monk aspects like no armour and WIS to AC, fast movement and some ranger aspects like tracking and fav enemy

It meshes well with Druidic Avenger (which while not giving up WS does fit well with keeping the potential of the feature to be used in conjunction with various Wild feats that require uses of the ability)

[Paganboy28]

Hmm ok. So back to the drawing board then. Arghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!