Completed 4e Druid (Updated 7/11, New Items; More Versatile)

[lukelightning]

Why a bonus to reflex saves? Druids have traditionally been a "wiil and fort" class.

[BradfordFerguson]

That's quite an accomplishment to produce that!

For a hybrid druid, this looks reasonable. Not sure about the level 1st-will that allows double damage against repeat targets... I guess it needs testing.

Not sure where you saw that druid would be hybrid class since in the preview book (Races & Classes), it seemed that they thought the 3.5 druid could do too wide of a variety of things. I think we know that summoning is out. For the official druid, will they have shapechange and elementalist powers and enhancement (buffing) powers? How would that compare to the PHB1 classes?

[takasi]

Originally Posted by mattdm

Hmm. Do you think the four existing roles completely describe all possible combat niches?

For now, yes.

This is a something immediate to give people a chance to play a 4E druid, but I'd like to see a focus on the power source first followed by class design.

A 4E class is power source + role. I'm guessing WotC will have something like a primal controller (totemist), primal striker (barbarian), primal defender (druid) and primal leader (shaman) at some point.

[Asmor]

Awesome job.

Haven't looked at much of it, but Crushgrip gave me visions of a druid who spends all his time in animal shape, charging his enemy as a wolf and then turning into a bear mid-punce, then into a bobcat as he retreats...

Druids could make a really kick ass melee-focused divine striker.

[Traycor]

Great Stuff!

I would recommend having Goodberry work more like healing potions in the PHB. Currently it is even better than using a healing surge granted by a cleric/warlord, and the players could pop one of those berries whenever they wanted if the druid gives them one.

I have a hard time seeing a defender/striker having a power that heals better than a power of a leader, even if it is a daily.

Once again, fantastic work!

[mattdm]

Originally Posted by Alarius

Goodberry should be a ritual I believe. It hardly fits the nature of a utility power.

I like it as something without material components and without a long casting time: the druid plucks the berries and they become blessed. Or, for the sake of making the power useful somewhere other than a berry patch, takes them from a satchel as the power says.

[demonlampshade]

I really like the druid, one of my favorite classes (after the monk)

but when the druid's damage is compared to other defenders or strikers that they have nerf claws

just looks like most of these powers are underpowered (mainly towards higher levels; the at-wills and lower look good)

[malcolm_n]

Thank you all for the input here.
I compared goodberry to cure light wounds. Even at level 30, it's much less powerful in exchange for being versatile. It's not actually as powerful as a healing potion because that still heals you a full 1/4 of your hitpoints. This only heals 1/2 the druid's level. As to it being a ritual instead, it's not so powerful that it would require 5+ minutes. It's meant to be a quick bandaid in case the real healer goes down or can't get to somebody quickly. You still can't take a minor action to eat one when unconscious, so it's as versatile as a healing potion with less healing and no other benefit.

The 2x at-will after a round of combat is situational more than anything, but I agree that it could be very good in the right situation. I'll change it to a static bonus damage and lower a bit.

So, after I wrote the initial stats, I never actually went back and looked at them much. I know I had meant to put in will instead, but just ran with the fort/reflex. I'll errata that, I think.

I'll have a errata up soon as I get enough changes made to warrant it. Before then, I'll post any changes on the errata post I reserved (#4 i think.)

[malcolm_n]

Originally Posted by demonlampshade

I really like the druid, one of my favorite classes (after the monk)

but when the druid's damage is compared to other defenders or strikers that they have nerf claws

just looks like most of these powers are underpowered (mainly towards higher levels; the at-wills and lower look good)

It's intentional that the higher powers are a bit lower in value. Many are one stage lower, in fact. A fighter would get a druid's defenderish power at 15 instead of 19. In exchange, the druid doesn't have to multiclass to get Strikerish powers too. It was the only way I could think to balance a hybrid class. Keeping powers one stage under doesn't make them so much as underpowered since those are still pretty good powers. And at the epic levels, they catch back up on the power curve with Wild Shape: Elemental, Eidolon, and chimera I think. Before I add power to them, I'd like to see them in play. Please, if you do get any in game feedback on their power level and it seems they're lagging badly, let me know.

[biotech66]

Originally Posted by Evenglare

Job well done sir. My girlfriend will be happy to see this (she plays a druid). This is very awesome indeed.

Does everyone's girlfriend play Druids? Mine does too and she almost refused flat out to play 4e until her favorite class came out.

[malcolm_n]

hopefully this means she'll want to play and yes, my wife also plays druids, albeit not exclusively.

[demonlampshade]

Originally Posted by malcolm_n

It's intentional that the higher powers are a bit lower in value. Many are one stage lower, in fact. A fighter would get a druid's defenderish power at 15 instead of 19. In exchange, the druid doesn't have to multiclass to get Strikerish powers too. It was the only way I could think to balance a hybrid class. Keeping powers one stage under doesn't make them so much as underpowered since those are still pretty good powers. And at the epic levels, they catch back up on the power curve with Wild Shape: Elemental, Eidolon, and chimera I think. Before I add power to them, I'd like to see them in play. Please, if you do get any in game feedback on their power level and it seems they're lagging badly, let me know.

Ok, I thought it might be something like that

knowing that the druid actually looks pretty awesome and balanced

I'll try to play it soon
I love me some druid

<.<
>.>
now we need a monk...

[malcolm_n]

I was debating on what to do next. I have conceptual work done on the rest of the 3.5 phb classes, the Samurai, and the spellthief. Most people really want a monk, though, so i think i'll work on that one next.

[melkoriii]

I like the concept but Im in the boat that a lot of the powers are too good.

A lot of the powers have ongoing affects and do too good of damage.

One that I saw "Armor of Thorns" is just out right broken.

+8 AC? so you cant be hit by things that target AC and it can be sustained with a minor the whole combat AND if they try and attack you (this could be a miss since it does not say HIT you) they take 3d8+wis?

Since its a minor to sustain that leaves you to use other powers to boot.

[NthDegree256]

One that I saw "Armor of Thorns" is just out right broken.

+8 AC? so you cant be hit by things that target AC and it can be sustained with a minor the whole combat AND if they try and attack you (this could be a miss since it does not say HIT you) they take 3d8+wis?

It provides a +8 armor bonus to AC. Armor bonuses don't stack with themselves, so this would overwrite the armor you're already wearing, not augment it.

[melkoriii]

Originally Posted by NthDegree256

It provides a +8 armor bonus to AC. Armor bonuses don't stack with themselves, so this would overwrite the armor you're already wearing, not augment it.

Still you get to keep your Int or Dex so its as if you are wearing Plate but with none of the Plate penalties and anything that attacks you (not hits you) takes 3d8+wis damage and you can do this EVERY encounter.

This would be my fix.

Move it to a Daily Utility power (utilities are the ones that usually go off of triggers) add stance to the description.

Adds +2 AC and Any melee attacker that targets AC that Hits, takes Wis damage.
Master of Rites: damage is Wis+2

Much more inline with powers of other classes.

[malcolm_n]

it gives you plate armor bonus. Bonuses of like names don't stack. damage is a bit up there, but compared to other 13th level attacks, it's on par. I think i will drop the sustain minor, though. I had originally figured making it a focused bonus would warrant a little more power, but now realize that only masters of rites would take it anyway, it may as well just be a part of the power. So, I'll update it to only let you sustain it for one extra round.
Any others you noticed?

Utility powers only buff you and your allies, they never harm enemies. Even with your changes, this would still be an attack because there is a part of it which deals direct damage to enemies .

It's also meant to be a quick reaction power like the rogue just avoiding an attack entirely. It's less powerful than that, even, because it requires the target to attack your AC to help.

[Ruin Explorer]

The mechanics look solid, the ideas are good, if a little bit seemingly WoW-influenced. The names of the powers are absolutely terrible (EMP and Nip being two particular offenders), but hey, not like I'm paying for this. It's good work, anyway.

[VBMEW-01]

Well I love it and already tried out one of the templates in our last session (applied to a kobold wyrmpriest actually) and enjoyed the results.

Any chance of you putting the templates in the back of the next PDF?I'd love to have it all together for when we print.

We're amassing a huge amount of supplemental printout "manuals" with the DDI stuff and new creations here. Anyone know if Clight got the Tinker class finished? I'd love to have it too.

[malcolm_n]

Sure, I'll get them in a pdf atm.

Sorry about naming conventions, They sounded good when I wrote them down. More than a few were done into the earlier hours when I had time after my day. Even still, I hope they work out for you mechanically.