4e Druid Peek

[Asbestos]

Found here

Primal Controller with leader or striker as the secondary roles. Not really quite what I was expecting I have to say.

[JackMage666]

Seems fairly decent, but it just doesn't put the controller role out there so much, I don't think.

But, man, imagine a party of 1 Druid and 3 Rogues. That would be DEADLY.

[overduegalaxy]

Interestingly, they kept it fairly similar to 3.5's Druid. It's still a caster, and it still wildshapes. I would've expected them to focus exclusively on one or the other.

If I had to define 3.5 druids in 4e terms, I'd call it a controller/striker, depending on the build, so the roles seem appropriate.

However, seriously? Only a 2nd level build? Most campaigns will go past 3rd level in a session or two.

[Oracle_Hunter]

Interesting indeed.

I think this is as good as we could've expected for a Wild Shape fix, and granting it at first level was a good choice.

Also: free Ritual Casting! That might be an interesting fix between the classes, to make low-level ritual casting a little more accessible.

And check out Savage Rend - an At-Will Slide Power that can be used to OA? Yes, please!

EDIT:
How exactly do you wield a Totem in combat? I guess they meant a small idol or something, but I can't help but imagining a Druid waving a 3-foot length of carved log at his enemies

[KnightDisciple]

Interesting indeed.

I think this is as good as we could've expected for a Wild Shape fix, and granting it at first level was a good choice.

Also: free Ritual Casting! That might be an interesting fix between the classes, to make low-level ritual casting a little more accessible.

And check out Savage Rend - an At-Will Slide Power that can be used to OA? Yes, please!

EDIT:
How exactly do you wield a Totem in combat? I guess they meant a small idol or something, but I can't help but imagining a Druid waving a 3-foot length of carved log at his enemies

You remember the regular Tauren units in WC3? Yeah, it's like that: a big log you hit people with.

[Asbestos]

Just realized that with the Con and Wis bonuses, we might see as many dwarven druids as we do elf druids.

Maybe they meant fetish instead of totem but didn't want people to be all immature about it?

[Tengu_temp]

Quite an interesting class. Not as cool as Swordmage, but nothing is.

[RTGoodman]

Just realized that with the Con and Wis bonuses, we might see as many dwarven druids as we do elf druids.

I'm gonna play a Doo-dad!
(Cookie for the reference...)


I actually REALLY like what I've seen so far, but GEEZ that's a lot of 1st-level At-Will powers to choose from...

[Asbestos]

I'm gonna play a Doo-dad!
(Cookie for the reference...)


I actually REALLY like what I've seen so far, but GEEZ that's a lot of 1st-level At-Will powers to choose from...

Yeah, but then there's this part...

At-Will Attack Powers: You begin with three at-will attack powers. Throughout your career, at least one of those powers, and no more than two, must have the beast form keyword.

Does that mean that Human druids have four at-wills?

[Tengu_temp]

Does that mean that Human druids have four at-wills?

Yes, and they can use 1-2 of them when shapeshifted, and 2-3 when not. It's not as broken as it sounds.

[RTGoodman]

Yeah, but then there's this part...

Does that mean that Human druids have four at-wills?

Ah, yeah, I missed that. Tengu's right, though - since you effectively have two sets of at-wills (some for in wild shape, some for out of it), it's not too bad. I think it also sort of plays into my idea that the key "feature" (if you want to call it that) of the Controller class is their versatility.

[Athaniar]

I'm gonna play a Doo-dad!
(Cookie for the reference...)

That would be Pikel Bouldershoulder, right?

[skywalker]

Wow. Controller. Well.

*eats hat, pays bets*

I was wrong.

Anyway, I actually think it looks kinda wonky. Primal Predator looks really bad at this point, the benefit pretty much sucks(+1 to speed, whoopty frickin' do!). Plus, having a higher AC probably benefits the striker-type more than the "leader-type"... And since striker-types also want more HP, I think they're gonna want a higher CON, on average, than the leader type, whose powers(or at least the ones Wizards wants them to pick) are based more on hanging back, and not getting dug in.

On the other hand, I suppose since DEX still boosts AC, the power benefit from predator isn't terrible... I just find it strange to recommend CON for the more ranged option and DEX for the more melee option. Actually, I find it dumb. What you really want, is both. DEX for AC, but also CON so that when you do get hit(and you're a striker/controller hybrid, if you don't think you're getting hit, you're insane), you can take it. I think the big animal dishing out damage and status ailments will be quite a juicy target.

I think this was poorly written, I think is what I'm trying to say.

...and that was my favorite hat.

[Rockphed]

Yeah, but then there's this part...

Does that mean that Human druids have four at-wills?

I think it does. And this makes it harder for me to decide if I want to be a barbarian, a Druid or a rogue. I really need to find a group.

[KKL]

For a sneak peek at an unfinished product, it looks fairly fun.

Also, Change Shape being open ended gives you free reign to Wildshape into the more "wtf" stuff. Like abominations from when The Land Was Young And Stuff.

Also, Warforged Druid named Optimus Primus. Since you retain your living construct traits while Wild Shaped...

Wildshapers. More than meets the eye.

[Dhavaer]

Can someone give a brief description of how wildshape works? I really wasn't expecting it to be a controller; I couldn't think of how wildshape would work with that role.

[KKL]

Can someone give a brief description of how wildshape works? I really wasn't expecting it to be a controller; I couldn't think of how wildshape would work with that role.

Mechanically, all it does is allow you to use powers with the Beast Form Keyword or something similar. And a whole bunch of stuff drops off or just gets integrated into your body.

[tyfon]

I'm not really sure if it is best idea with this wildshape/best form keyword combination. As I see many of such powers are burst1/close range, while druid is pretty soft - low hp and AC.

[KnightDisciple]

Mechanically, all it does is allow you to use powers with the Beast Form Keyword or something similar. And a whole bunch of stuff drops off or just gets integrated into your body.

I've only read it once, but I believe the only stuff that drops off is weapons/shields/anything in your hands. Everything else is "absorbed"; most still give benefits, but some wonderous items and the like (such as potions) would not work, according to my reading.
Of course, if you use a quarterstaff as your weapon/implement, you're golden, since you can still hold those.

[Kurald Galain]

This strikes me as bland. They did their best to provide versatility in animal companions for the ranger, but now the druid shapeshift ability really doesn't do anything except toggle a few powers on and off. Yes, there is a middle road between the ability to take any shape ever printed in any MM, and taking only one generic copy/paste shape.

None of the powers shown are anything special, either; nothing we haven't seen before.

[Tengu_temp]

Can someone give a brief description of how wildshape works? I really wasn't expecting it to be a controller; I couldn't think of how wildshape would work with that role.

Feel free to check yourself. It's an open preview this time - everyone can see it, not only prescribers.

[Thane of Fife]

I find it hilarious that it's considered better to be able to turn into a mouse than to be able to turn into a wolverine.

[Tengu_temp]

That's exactly how 3.5 handled it, too.

[Saph]

So in the end their solution was to keep Wildshape, but to have it not actually do anything much. Oh well.

Can't really see what the point of the class is so far, but maybe they'll add something later.

- Saph

[Thane of Fife]

That's exactly how 3.5 handled it, too.

<Looks>

So it is. That's also hilarious.

Assuming that I understand 4e correctly, it is slightly more hilarious in that edition, as it's something you actually have to choose. Just imagine the PCs sitting around a campfire, trying to decide what powers they want to take with their most recent level:

Druid: Hmm.... Do I want to create bursts of fog to protect my allies, or turn into a mouse?

[Morty]

Huh. When compared to Barbarian, this looks surprisingly uninspired. Many of the attack evocations lacking the Beast keyword might as well be Wizard spells. The problem of wildshaping was apparently solved by it not doing very much mechanics-wise. But switching between beast form and natural form might be quite interesting.

[Kizara]

Many of the attack evocations lacking the Beast keyword might as well be Wizard spells. The problem of wildshaping was apparently solved by it not doing very much mechanics-wise.

This is pretty representative of the 4e design philosophy, wouldn't you say?

[Morty]

This is pretty representative of the 4e design philosophy, wouldn't you say?

I was trying to avoid stirring up yet another edition war by focusing on the class rather than the whole edition.

[tyfon]

I've really been trying to find one, small word mentioning that You could shift info flying creature. Heh, even if not then still, they mention spider. What is funny - you cannot climb walls as spider-druid - at least not better than any humanoid character...

[KnightDisciple]

This is pretty representative of the 4e design philosophy, wouldn't you say?

Except...how different could they be, after a point?
Putting aside that this is, ultimately, a rather small preview...
I see very druidy themes: wind, cold, lighting (all 3 are weather/storm related), fire, and plants. Especially thorny vinesvines. I like it. Admittedly, fire seems a bit odd, at first, but there's fire in nature, after all.
Besides, some of these *cough*fire seeds*cough* were lifted from 3.5, and just retouched. It's not a big, new thing.
I'm interested to see if one could make a druid who has almost entirely plant-based spells...