Essentials: Druid Preview Is Up!

[Saracenus]

You can see it here (it's not behind the pay wall):
Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Essentials: Druid)

Druid (Sentinel) is a Primal Leader.

You choose a season (like the essentials Cleric chooses a domain) that defines what kind of sentinel you are. Spring and Summer are presented. Not sure if all four will be published at first or that Fall and Winter will be Dragon Magazine fodder.

Has daily powers and an animal companion. Does not look like it shape shifts.

"Why This Is the Class for You: You want to play a weapon-wielding master of primal magic who has an animal companion."

Enjoy,

 

[The Human Target]

I win in time, but you win in thoroughness and presentation.

I bow to you.

 

[zoroaster100]

It looks interesting. This druid definitely seems to present a closer representation of the 3rd edition Druid than the one presented in Player's Handbook 2. One thing that was not clear (I'm guessing just because the whole class is not presented here, just an excerpt) is that there is no specification that the druid must use up actions to command the animal companion to attack, move, etc. Hopefully those restrictions are in place or else this would violate the action economy which so tightly constrains other classes such as summoner wizards, etc.

 

[Reaper Steve]

It looks interesting. This druid definitely seems to present a closer representation of the 3rd edition Druid than the one presented in Player's Handbook 2. One thing that was not clear (I'm guessing just because the whole class is not presented here, just an excerpt) is that there is no specification that the druid must use up actions to command the animal companion to attack, move, etc. Hopefully those restrictions are in place or else this would violate the action economy which so tightly constrains other classes such as summoner wizards, etc.

I get the impression that Druid and his animal companion do not share actions. The animal has its own initiative score, for one.
This may mean that the Druid character looks like he's playing two characters--two moves, two attacks, etc. But the price is sharing one (not so large) pool of Healing Surges. Plus, the animal companion has half the HP of the Druid, meaning it'll need surges often if it's used as a front line combatant.

I don't have a problem with this (A druid controlling his companion independently.) Honestly, I really hate how the Beastmaster Ranger has to share actions... that may be why I've never seen one played.

It looks to be balanced (based on this narrow preview.) Animal Attack is very vanilla, only being +5 vs. AC and what looks to be in practice d8 or d12 +7 (at 1st level.)

Aside: a Spring Druid's Wolf just became a Thief's new best friend!

 

[Vael]

Given that the Druid's Encounter power is a double attack, melee for the Druid, then one for the Animal Companion, I assume that the Companion does not gain it's own actions.

 

[ourchair]

It looks interesting. This druid definitely seems to present a closer representation of the 3rd edition Druid than the one presented in Player's Handbook 2. One thing that was not clear (I'm guessing just because the whole class is not presented here, just an excerpt) is that there is no specification that the druid must use up actions to command the animal companion to attack, move, etc. Hopefully those restrictions are in place or else this would violate the action economy which so tightly constrains other classes such as summoner wizards, etc.

I think it's likely that it'll use the same action economy as animal companions have been restricted to since the start as there really is no reason to break with that.

And all those people who THINK animal companions deserve their own action budget forget that the action cost of using companions, summons, et al is offset by the ability to set up combat advantage or any other tactical positions and/or be at range from where the action is.

 

[Reaper Steve]

Digging a little further...

It looks like the Druid only gets one at-will at 1st.
Also, the only Encounter power it gets is combined attack.

So, a smaller pool of at-wills and no traditional encounter powers balance out having a second miniature on the board and a second set of actions for it.

I think I may enjoy the new Druid!

 

[Vael]

I noticed that the Druid's Companion gets two of the Druid's stats (WIS and CON) to damage to compensate for a lack of magic items. I can already hear the Beastmaster Ranger crying into his ale.

 

[Korgoth]

Aside: a Spring Druid's Wolf just became a Thief's new best friend!

Ooh... that's going to be painful.

 

[Mengu]

As a Con based class, they get enough surges. they also get a good deal with 2 surges worth of animal companion running around soaking up damage for the price of 1 surge, not to mention second wind seems like another way to efficiently regain hit points.

I imagine the animal companion will go down pretty fast if used in the front line, but should be reasonably durable if side by side with the druid.

Whether it gets its own actions or not seems debatable. I would guess not, but they've been breaking all sorts of molds with essentials. I'd hate to see this become another twin strike braggart class. I would prefer to see character action economy preserved. I would not mind a shared move action like the shaman.

Conceptually this class is not that different than the Shaman, except the companion behaves more like a summoned creature, as opposed to a conjuration. It's a leader class, you get bonuses for being next to the companion or attacking something next to the companion, and the companion can soak up some damage and be a road block. It's really a tweaked shaman more so than a druid. But since it's closer to the 3.x druid, I can see why they called it that.