[3.5/PF Mix] Earth Dwarf Earth Druid 5/Stonespeaker Guardian 5: Where To From Here?

[Fax Celestis]

Right now I'm an earth dwarf druid (earth domain) 5/Stonespeaker Guardian 5 (not OGC, in Races of Stone). I'm using some of the alternative racial features from the APG (Tunnelrunner, Lightfoot, and Earth Mastery, I think: lets me ignore some difficult terrain, gives me bonuses against aberrations and oozes instead of giants, and +1 CL for Earth spells).

As you can tell, I'm very earthy (hurr hurr a pun). I use my wildshape pretty much exclusively for Stone Form. I have the Clutch of Stone reserve feat (largely for the +1 CL on Earth spells, but also because making people unable to move amuses me), as well as Brew Potion and a feat whose name I can't recall from the APG that gives me a 1st level spell as an SLA twice a day: I chose snake's swiftness.

I'm Str 16 Dex 12 Con 18 Int 10 Wis 22 Cha 5 (yes 5). I have spent most of my WBL on elemental grafts (from Magic of Eberron), though I have wilding darkwood breastplate +2 and an animated darkwood shield +1.

I've run out the end of the Stonespeaker Guardian PrC (nabbing me 50% crit immunity, +5 NA, and Earth Glide yessssss).

I'm a party-buffer/blaster/debuffer type, mostly. I use spells like call of stone, wall of sand, and wall of stone to pin enemies in place, and then spells like snake's swiftness, the mass version, and mass resist energy to augment the party. When I blast things, I stick to spells like splinterbolt, sudden stalagmite, and thunderous roar.

I am at a loss as to what I should advance into next. I considered the Elemental Scion of Zilargo, but the lack of casting progression makes that severely untasty. I also looked at the High Elemental Binder, but its multielemental focus didn't quite fit. None of the other Races of Stone prestige classes called to me: the Earth Dreamer, in particular, was a letdown.

For some relevance: this character is in the Shackled City campaign path. He is a former soldier, turned into an avatar of the volcano (of Cauldron) through the will of the earth itself.

So, halpz plz. Fax need advices.

[Fax Celestis]

I could do Elemental Savant, but that seems sort of mediocre. Lord of Tides and Walker in the Waste have the wrong flavor, and Sand Shaper is unfortunately arcane only. *sigh*

[Esser-Z]

Planar Shepherd?

[Fax Celestis]

Planar Shepherd?

There's no earth plane for Planar Shepherd. I checked.

[Esser-Z]

There's no earth plane for Planar Shepherd. I checked.

Regular ol' Elemental Plane of Earth wouldn't work?

[Fax Celestis]

Ennnh, I guess so. Doesn't look like it'd be very useful though.

[Starbuck_II]

Earth Dreamer? You dream about Earth (full caster 5/5). Granted, you likely have the abilities if you have Stonespeaker Guardian.

Do you have Tremorsense or see through earth? Well you can if you are Dreamer.

[Fax Celestis]

Earth Dreamer? You dream about Earth (full caster 5/5). Granted, you likely have the abilities if you have Stonespeaker Guardian.

Do you have Tremorsense or see through earth? Well you can if you are Dreamer.

I don't have those, but I do have the Earth Dreamer capstone already. Also 1/2 BAB and no wildshape progression, ew. Though to be honest, the wildshape progression isn't really a big deal because I just toss off a Stone Form every ten hours.

EDIT: And on second glance, SSG's Earth Glide is better than Earth Dreamer's because it's not limited per-day.

[Fax Celestis]

Hm. What do people think about CCham's Holt Warden?

[Cieyrin]

Hm. What do people think about CCham's Holt Warden?

I was actually going to recommend you go for that, when I went home yesterday to pore through my books. Seems suitably earthy, plus more spontaneous spells can't hurt. Earth's Communion and Whispers of the Forest may vary in usefulness, though Web of Life seems like it could be awesome.

On the other hand, there's also nothing wrong with more Druid, as there aren't exactly that many PRCs out there beyond Stonespeaker Guardian that advance both casting and wild shape at the same time.

[Fax Celestis]

Enh, I don't particularly need more wildshape. Like I said, I only use it for Stone Form, and at this point it's long enough that two uses get me through the entire day. 4/5 or 9/10 spellcasting with earthy/stony/volcanic flavor is really what I'm looking for.

[Cieyrin]

Enh, I don't particularly need more wildshape. Like I said, I only use it for Stone Form, and at this point it's long enough that two uses get me through the entire day. 4/5 or 9/10 spellcasting with earthy/stony/volcanic flavor is really what I'm looking for.

Contemplative can get you more domains of an earthy/stony/volcanic flavor

[jiriku]

Moar druid is a good default.

If you are a) able to use homebrew, and b) of a mind to get more physical, you could use a divine adaptation of my elemental guardsman.

But prolly you're going to have to homebrew something yourself. There really are very few class options that address what you're trying to do.

[Fax Celestis]

Yeah, I guess he's got a high enough Wis that I can justify Contemplative. It just sort of seems...I dunno. Praxiteles is like the volcano: rough around the edges, full of fiery passion, and completely unforgiving. I would go Warpriest if the spell progression didn't blow.

[Cieyrin]

Yeah, I guess he's got a high enough Wis that I can justify Contemplative. It just sort of seems...I dunno. Praxiteles is like the volcano: rough around the edges, full of fiery passion, and completely unforgiving. I would go Warpriest if the spell progression didn't blow.

Ordained Champion is closer to being decent at being a priest of War, though you'll probably have to finagle your ways around many of the requirements. It's not strictly a Cleric class, it's just built towards being one.

[Fax Celestis]

Isn't that the one with a "worship Heironeous/Hextor" requirement?

[jiriku]

It is indeed.

[subject42]

If you don't mind losing some casting and doing something unorthodox, I'd recommend Deepwarden 2, Swordsage X, and then Deepstone Sentinel Y.

You would end up being a rock that's as tough as a rock that can summon rocks, stand on rocks, and jump off of your rock in order to do damage like a falling rock.

[Launchpad]

The "Elemental Archon" lets you turn into an Earth Elemental as its capstone. Its 7/10 casting and gives you some mephit-familiars that can give you boni on attack, damage, saves and skills or even save your live.

Its in Faith and Pantheons. Forgotten Realms but easily adaptable.

[Oslecamo]

Ennnh, I guess so. Doesn't look like it'd be very useful though.

Well, not every plane can give you hax time traits and universal templates you know?

Woe to you should you be an Earth Plane Planar Sheperd, limited to just scaling up your full spellcasting, wildshaping and animal companion and then several extra goodies, instead of unlimited arcane divine powah!

[Cieyrin]

Isn't that the one with a "worship Heironeous/Hextor" requirement?

I figure since you're waiving the Goliath requirement of Stonespeaker Guardian without any Stoneblessed that getting around specific deity worship isn't that much out of whack, especially considering how many people seem to be fine doing the same with Ruby Knight Vindicator.

[Fax Celestis]

I figure since you're waiving the Goliath requirement of Stonespeaker Guardian without any Stoneblessed that getting around specific deity worship isn't that much out of whack, especially considering how many people seem to be fine doing the same with Ruby Knight Vindicator.

Touche. I may run it by my DM.

[Fax Celestis]

What do people think about the Deathwarden Chanter from Ghostwalk? I'm sort of torn on it.

[Cieyrin]

What do people think about the Deathwarden Chanter from Ghostwalk? I'm sort of torn on it.

Full casting is always nice, though it seems wonky to suddenly go all anti-undead. Some of the Great Runes are pretty nice (Song, Thunder and Veil being my particular trio of choice) but the rest of it seems kinda meh if undead aren't coming up out of the woodwork.

I also wonder how you mean to meet one of the special requirements (destroy one undead of 3 HD+ with positive energy), given you're an Earth domain druid, not a Sun. That'd require some turning ability from somewhere else, like if you can manage to find an Undead with the Air subtype to destroy with the Earth domain, though I'm not sure that qualifies as positive energy. Dipping into Sacred Exorcist may be an avenue, though I can't say you have a good means of getting into that, really, either.

[Fax Celestis]

I also wonder how you mean to meet one of the special requirements (destroy one undead of 3 HD+ with positive energy), given you're an Earth domain druid, not a Sun. That'd require some turning ability from somewhere else, like if you can manage to find an Undead with the Air subtype to destroy with the Earth domain, though I'm not sure that qualifies as positive energy. Dipping into Sacred Exorcist may be an avenue, though I can't say you have a good means of getting into that, really, either.

I was thinking cure spells. <_<

Yeah, Holt Warden looks like a winner if I can't get the DM to let me use Sandshaper.

[Cieyrin]

I was thinking cure spells. <_<

Suddenly, I feel rather dumb, for I could only think of Turn Undead for positive energy...