Need race for druid concept

[Theodoxus]

Hello all,

I know the first reaction will be OMGWTFBBQ, just play a base druid. Thanks, I know that.

However, that aside, I would like to know what would be the best race for the following druid:

Using the Druidic Avenger from UA (lose companion to gain barbarian move and rage) and the Druidic Hunter from UA (lose wild shape and armor to gain monk AC and move and Ranger tracking and favored enemies.

I'm also using the Storm Giant (Major) Bloodline from UA.

The stats I rolled are: Str 15, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 11, Wis 17, Cha 10.

All options are on the board - I'd rather not use anything above an LA +2, unless there's a really good reason.

Obviously, this is a very nerfed druid, which is kind of the point, but I'd like a race that would compliment it. I'm currently thinking of either Half-orc, orc, or maybe Thri-kreen.

Thoughts?

[TerrickTerran]

First thought that came to my mind was Half-Orc. They mix well with the more active druid variant you're playing and don't have a wisdom penalty, so it would work nicely. Orc works too. Thri-Kreen have racial HD which makes them yucky to me unforutnately.

[black dragoon]

I'd go with 1/2 orc to max out your levels since that the basis for your power and compensate any weak points w/items.

[Keld Denar]

Yea, definitely 1/2 orc.

Get yourself a big wooden club, like...a small tree, maybe a telephone pole or fantasy equivalent. Cast a couple spells like Spikes and Brambles on it, and go to town with the 2handed PA and the Barbarian rage and ol' faithful Power Attack.

NATURE GOOD!!! DESECRATERS BAD!!!!

ME SMASH!!!!

[arguskos]

I think a Neraphim (from Planar Handbook) could be fun. You'd be like a stoic raging chaos druid frogman. Of course, I just love Neraphim, so meh.

Wildren, also from the Planar Handbook, could be interesting as well. They have that racial rage power, which stacks with Barbarian Rage.

-argus

[mangosta71]

If you aren't opposed to racial HD, a minotaur or ogre could be fun.

[Leon]

Obviously, this is a very nerfed druid, which is kind of the point

Its not, its only a less powerful class if you are a Optimizer

I'd say Half Orc as there is a Sub Class in races of destiny possibly with the Draconic Template
All thou Thri Kreen is nice the RHD combined with the +2 LA is a bit of a stumbling block to over come at low levels

[Dr Bwaa]

I 3rd 4th the half-orc. Sounds like a very fun druid :)

EDIT: ninja.

[Rei_Jin]

I think that an elven druid would be hilarious. Wood elf FTW (+2 STR, +2 DEX, -2 CON, -2 INT).


I love trees, and plants, and animals, and birds, and... hey, you're not supposed to be here...

...

No, put down that axe...

...

Oooo, you people just make ME SO MAD!!! RAAAAAGH! SMASH!

[wadledo]

Neraphim is good, and depending on level/party make up you could also go Buomman.
Because nothing says awesome like a mute, raging, quicker than lightning, spellcasting, nature freak who hums madly as he carves through his enemies.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Short version:
Half-Orc base race, Half-Minotaur template (page 11, does not get the Wis bonus shown at that link), suggest it at +2 LA instead of +1 LA because +1 is way too for it to be allowed in most games. Note that for the size increase it grants you'd get the ability modifiers from Table 4-2: Changes to Statistics by Size in the Monster Manual, page 291.

Since Orcs and Half-Orcs have tusks and Half-Minotaur gets a gore attack, make this creature also have tusks instead of horns and use those to make its gore attack. Since it would look more like a boar than a bull, say that a cross between Orc and Minotaur replaces the Bull features with those of a Boar, and expect NPCs to comment about relationships between orcs and pigs. Since your base movement speed will be obscenely high, say he runs on all fours.

Long version:

Spoiler

Show

I was actually going to play exactly that character in a game I joined, but the biggest part of the character concept was the race I'd picked and I found out that the game was PHB-only for races.

My idea was to play a race that was physically powerful, but to build and play the character as a primary spellcaster rather than a physical combatant. I've always like the idea of a Minotaur Mage, but Minotaur's ECL is much too high to fit that concept as a PC. Then I remembered the Half-Minotaur (page 11, does not get the Wis bonus shown at that link), which has only a +1 LA and is one of the most physically powerful races available considering the ability score adjustments for going from medium to large. Its LA is probably too low, it saw quite a bit of use in my old group and we'd houseruled it to +2 LA, or +3 if size increases, and it was still worth it. For this character, I'd ask about using it at +2 LA if they think +1 is too low.

I was still trying to decide on both a spellcasting class and a base race to apply the template to. It gets a penalty to Int, which narrowed my options to Wis and Cha based casting. I was considering making him a Battle Sorcerer (UA) and maybe picking up Barbarian to go into Rage Mage, but then remembered Druidic Avenger's Rage ability along with gaining full spellcasting, plus the Hunter variant since I didn't plan on using Wild Shape anyway. I'd been thinking either Wild Elf or Orc for the base race as Battle Sorcerer, then decided on Half-Orc as the base race for the Hunting Druidic Avenger.

Keeping in mind that Orcs and Half-Orcs have those tusks, and that Half-Minotaur gets a gore attack, I figured that he'd still have tusks and use those to make his gores, thus removing the horns. At that point I realized that he'd look more like a boar than a bull, which I thought would work out perfectly, make a half-orc half-minotaur a pig-man instead of a bull-man. He'd go around in nothing but a loin cloth, not even use any weapons other than his gore or maybe take improved unarmed strike, and run on all fours to explain his increased movement speed. Making him a boar-minotaur wouldn't be mechanically different from a bull-minotaur, and it would certainly leave some room to make jokes about relationships between orcs and pigs.

[black dragoon]

Sorry to hijack this thread But I Think A neraphim would be very fun though not with this particular grouping of powers.

anyways we are looking for help in pokemon D20 and currently need people for stats Is anyone interested? I apologize for random advertising but we need people.

[Keld Denar]

I've been reading the Hunter's Blade trilogy from one Mr. Salvatore, and there is a very very interesting druid in it. The dwarf Pikel Bouldershoulders is hilarious to the full extent of the word. All you gotta do is walk around giggling, then charge at orcs yelling Sha la la la la!. What's not to love? Granted, kind of a rip off of a published character, but to the best of my knowledge, he only really appears in that book, with a minor appearence in one of the other Drizzt books (the one where he meets the priest Cadderly).

Plus, you're a dwarf...with green hair and beard...and hippy sandals...

[black dragoon]

That....may be the best druid I've ever heard of....

[Xenogears]

I've been reading the Hunter's Blade trilogy from one Mr. Salvatore, and there is a very very interesting druid in it. The dwarf Pikel Bouldershoulders is hilarious to the full extent of the word. All you gotta do is walk around giggling, then charge at orcs yelling Sha la la la la!. What's not to love? Granted, kind of a rip off of a published character, but to the best of my knowledge, he only really appears in that book, with a minor appearence in one of the other Drizzt books (the one where he meets the priest Cadderly).

Plus, you're a dwarf...with green hair and beard...and hippy sandals...

Pikel is awesome. He is also a much more promiment character in the Cleric Quintet (also by R.A. Salvatore. It is Cadderly's story. I think it was written before either showed up in the Drizzt books) It's where Pikel becomes a Druid too. Very good books.

Also as for the thread. I like weird races usually. If templates are allowed then the woodling template is cool for a druid. It's LA+3. You're made of wood, get some stat boosts, spell-like abilities, weakness to fire... It's in MM3. Also really like the Dvati race from the Dragon Compendium volume 1. You play a set of twins that share a soul. Excellent for melee. Not as good for mages since they share spells per day and require both to act in order to cast the spell. It has LA+1, but a DM might not allow it.

[Hal]

Throwing my vote in for Goliath (RoS). Since you get Barbarian raging, I do believe Powerful Build can start coming into play.