Druid with Illusions and mind influencing spells?

[Emmerask]

(3.5) I´m a bit at a loss atm, a new player wants to play a druid but also wishes to have some mind influencing/manipulating "things".

Is there an alternative class feature that grants you domain spells?
Or maybe someone can suggest a build that has both of those traits?
The amount of cheese should be kept at a minimum ^^

I read the druid handbook at brilliantgameologist but didn´t find something akin to what my new player wanted.

On a more or less related note, why do new players to a game always chose the most complicated class d&d has to offer?


/edit books allowed: core, completes (except champion), phb2, tob, ua

[Kaww]

A to the most important question

Or is it most unimportant?

Why do noobs usually play the most complicated thing they can find?
They don't, most of them play fighters, monks (until someone screams Noooo!), flashy boom boom wizards etc. But, you don't notice them playing less complicated things. Some new players are attracted to the flavor of Bards, Druids, Illusionists, Beguilers etc. In short classes that have more complicated mechanics or that can't do much if not played by people that have some experience and/or are GOOD at lateral thinking.

As for the less important question.

Druids aren't meant to be urban adventurers, thus they don't have many spells that focus on social aspect of urban game/enemy control (unless animal is an enemy). In the books that you are allowing, as far as I know, there are no druid variants that will satisfy your player...

[Glyphic]

You could always just give him/her a list.

[jiriku]

If you have Heroes of Horror, an archivist has immediate access to the cleric list and can learn spells from the druid list and any cleric domains, giving you a good selection of natural and mental-control spells. You can take the Wild Cohort feat for something similar to an animal companion, and there are several spells you can learn off the druid list that mimic the look and feel of wild shape.

Alternately, if you lack HoH, I'd suggest a cloistered cleric with knowledge, trickery, and either the animal or plant domain. Splash a level of Contemplative when you can to get the other domain mentioned. Wild Cohort again gives you a companion, you have Knowledge (nature) on your skill list, you can cast a selection of druidy spells along with detect thoughts, confusion, and all of the cleric-list compulsions.

[Dr.Epic]

On a more or less related note, why do new players to a game always chose the most complicated class d&d has to offer?

Yeah, I had a new player once who wanted to play a character that used a massive over-sized sword and used fire spells. Maybe I'm being nitpicky, but if you can deal damage with combat why rely on spells or vice versa?

[Foryn Gilnith]

if you can deal damage with combat why rely on spells or vice versa?

Why not?

Regarding OP's question, the Greensinger Initiate feat from Eberron Campaign Setting adds Bluff to the Druid's spell list and throws on some enchantments. I'm away from my books so I couldn't say which spells exactly, though.

[HunterOfJello]

Savage Bard acf with the Animal Companion bard variant could work.


It ends up giving the bard:
Chaotic Alignment Only
Good Fortitude and Will, Bad Reflex
Loses Decipher Script and Speak Language as class skills. Gains Survival.
Illiteracy
Spell List change found here


The normal bard class loses:
Bardic knowledge
inspire courage
inspire competence
inspire greatness
inspire heroic


and gains:
Animal companion (as druid)
nature sense (as druid)
resist nature's lure (as druid)
wild empathy (as druid)

~

Another option is playing a Mystic Ranger with Sword of the Arcane Order.

[faceroll]

Why not?

Regarding OP's question, the Greensinger Initiate feat from Eberron Campaign Setting adds Bluff to the Druid's spell list and throws on some enchantments. I'm away from my books so I couldn't say which spells exactly, though.

There are a couple charm spells on it. That's what I would recommend, too.

[Kaww]

There are a couple charm spells on it. That's what I would recommend, too.

Why not?

Regarding OP's question, the Greensinger Initiate feat from Eberron Campaign Setting adds Bluff to the Druid's spell list and throws on some enchantments. I'm away from my books so I couldn't say which spells exactly, though.

/edit books allowed: core, completes (except champion), phb2, tob, ua

While valid, you didn't give an answer that means anything to the OP. You could just as easily say houserule it...

[Emmerask]

Very Interesting answers so far, I appreciate the input very much!

As for the giving her a list do you mean adding a new list ontop of the druid list? because I think that would be a bit much for her with all the spells.
Creating a completely new list would take a good amount of time sadly though I may do just that.

Cloistered Cleric might work I will definitely suggest it to her though I don´t allow leadership or wild cohort in my games but I think trading it for turn undead (the cloistered cleric gets this right?) thereby denying dmm could be a trade I´m willing to allow.

I don´t have any eberron books only faerun so the greensinger while sounding pretty cool is not available :-/

The bard approach sounds pretty interesting though where is the animal companion acf coming from?

/edit Oh I forgot xph for me belongs to core though many might think it is not so xph is allowed

[Foryn Gilnith]

What exactly does the player want from the druid class? The general nature feel? The animal companion? The wild shape?
PS: Greensinger Initiate can be found online. Just google the feat name and you'll get its benefits and requirements. Less comprehensive than I thought in terms of mind-affecting, though.

[Emmerask]

What exactly does the player want from the druid class? The general nature feel? The animal companion? The wild shape?

The general nature feel plus the wild shape are the main things she wants, also a lot of potion brewing stuff but that is handled by the craft alchemy

PS: Greensinger Initiate can be found online. Just google the feat name and you'll get its benefits and requirements. Less comprehensive than I thought in terms of mind-affecting, though.

Okay found it thanks, it is quite a feat with all the stuff it adds

[faceroll]

Very Interesting answers so far, I appreciate the input very much!

As for the giving her a list do you mean adding a new list ontop of the druid list? because I think that would be a bit much for her with all the spells.
Creating a completely new list would take a good amount of time sadly though I may do just that.

Cloistered Cleric might work I will definitely suggest it to her though I don´t allow leadership or wild cohort in my games but I think trading it for turn undead (the cloistered cleric gets this right?) thereby denying dmm could be a trade I´m willing to allow.

I don´t have any eberron books only faerun so the greensinger while sounding pretty cool is not available :-/

The bard approach sounds pretty interesting though where is the animal companion acf coming from?

/edit Oh I forgot xph for me belongs to core though many might think it is not so xph is allowed

Didn't see the book limits. If you go to the wizards website and search Wild Cohort, you'll find a feat that gives you a weaker animal companion.

Let the druid get illusion spells by snagging the charm domain (or similar domain) using a feat, then throw in disguise, bluff, and perform as class skills.

Instead of making up a NEW spell list, just cherry pick good spells, let the druid player get a feel for how they like to play- magic stones? entangle? briar web? charm person? produce flame? barkskin + bull str on animal companion?

[edit]
Thanks to spells + animal companion (make sure it gets barding, magic equipment, doesn't suck, etc), the druid's player can always do something interesting and useful. Even if all her spells are Goodberry & Stoneshape, she can still do some interesting stuff with those spells, turn them into the very threatening Nature's Ally, AND have her animal companion maul things. Druids are very noob friendly because they have good action economy. Even if your spell selection sucks, a wolf with trip is pretty mean.

Just make sure you work out how wildshape works BEFORE the game, get her to copy down animals for SNA from the MM, etc.

[Crow]

You're the DM.

Just let him use the spell list from another class. Like the beguiler.

[HunterOfJello]

The bard approach sounds pretty interesting though where is the animal companion acf coming from?

Unearthed Arcana OGC

Savage Bard

Other Bard Variant from the list of "Other Class Variants"

[Foryn Gilnith]

At this point, some sort of mocked-up homebrew might be the best idea, yes. Otherwise, HunterOfJello seems to have good suggestions. Use the Savage Bard and Simple Bard variants from Unearthed Arcana (or the online SRD), and add a template like Mulhorandi Divine Minion to give shapeshifting.

Or, alternatively, take a Ranger, use the Mystic Ranger variant to give it better spellcasting, take the Sword of the Arcane Order feat to give it wizard spells (like illusions and enchantments), and then use the Simple Variant from the SRD to give it Wild Shape.

[nedz]

IMHO Half Fey sounds exactly right - especially for a Druid

its LA +2, but see

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040213a
also
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20030824a

You can use these scheams to make the LA variable, and delay flight.

[gbprime]

What level is the campaign? The simplest solution is to take the Contemplative PrC starting at level 11. Choose a charm/illusion type domain, then either go back to being a druid or ride it til 16th level and take a 2nd domain.