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

[Dire Human]

In the errata, "Armor of Thorns" already have the "+2 Power Bonus to AC", so I must assume you didn't read it.

That'll teach me for not reading the thread before posting. Sorry about that.

 

[malcolm_n]

Here we go.
[sblock=replies]

Suggested Name Changes
No offense, but some of the power names sound a little generic or awkward. Mind if I make some suggestions? If you hadn't noticed, I had a theme going.

Rake -> Raking Talons
Tear -> Tearing Claws
Stomp -> Stomping Hooves, Crushing Hooves
Pack Tactics -> Hunt with the Pack
Pounce -> Pouncing Leap
Nip -> Snapping Jaws
Armadillo Cloak -> Natural Armor, Nature's Armor
Pummel -> Pummeling Slam
Defenestrating Sphere -> Dust Devil, Whirlwind
Slap -> Whipping Tail
Maul -> Mauling Grasp, Mauling Grab
Cobra Strike -> Striking Fangs
Wolverine Strike -> Raging Strike, Feral Rage, Nature's Rage
Headbutt -> Charging Horns
Razorboar Flurry -> Thrashing Fury
Leaps and Bounds -> Darting Leap
Manticore Spines -> Shooting Spines, Piercing Spines
Turbo Charge -> Static Aura, Scent of Ozone, Scent of Rain
EMP -> Thunderous Crash, Thunderclap
Crushgrip -> Crushing Grip, Warshaper's Grip
Old Dog, New Tricks -> Wild Warrior, Warshaper's Training

I'd like to thank you for such better name suggestions. I'll certainly use most of them.

I must say, I'm very impressed, and I absolutely love it. As I read through the PDF, I wrote down things that stuck out or seemed awkward, and copied-and-pasted it here. Even though my "complaints" are long, I'm definitely recommending this to a friend who loves his 3.5 bear-form Druid. Maybe it'll finally get him to convert.

awesome, thank you for considering this.

Make Feral Warrior, Master of Rites, and Nature's Protector the names of the Builds, and give the Favored Forms different names.

suggestions? you have good one's above.

Could a Human Master of Rites have all four Level 1 At-Will Powers?

nope, Master of rites only lets you get an additional encounter power.

I don't remember that chapter very well, but wasn't Goodberry a Ritual? In any case, I like it.

Don't think so, haven't seen it yet anyway.

Tree Shape seems odd. Poor wording? I understand the concept, it just pokes out as something that should be a very versatile ability that's constrained to being a glorified Stealth power.

It has more out of combat or start of combat utility. If your party is being charged, it's a great surprise option. The same is true if you're on guard at your camp during a rest. In battle, it'll see only a little use that I can think of. But, it is good for somebody who can get concealment and then "hide" using it. Sets up a sneak attack if somebody else gets the mob to you.

I know I have the 'Suggested Name Changes' thing going below, but Defenestrating Sphere is a terrible name. I'm sorry if I sound rude, but I doubt the ancient tribal societies of the old forests, crafting their rites and rituals in dank caves and sunny meadows, would ever use the word "Defenestrate"... if only because there's no such thing as a window in the wild. You have plenty of weather-themed rites; call it Dust Devil, or Whirlwind, or anything but Defenestrating Sphere.

Reason is, I was replicating the spell from 3.5 PHBII. Can and will change name, no problem.

Giant Vermin is confusingly worded; I have no idea what the power's supposed to do. It looks like it summons a creature that can help you flank, but "Close burst 5" and "Targets: All enemies in area" make it look like either you create multiple Giant Vermin, or the vermin are everywhere in the burst at once. Maybe I'm just not getting it.

Break down of this:
GIANT VERMIN (name from phb 3.5 for reference) Druid Attack 9
Daily * Implement, Conjuration, Primal
Standard Action Close burst 5
Targets: All enemies in area
Effect: You threaten one square adjacent to the target
every target within the burst area is threatened by you.

and can make a Wisdom attack vs. AC. The square is considered a minion which deals 4 + your Wisdom modifier damage on a successful hit and remains adjacent to the target until either of the two dies. There is a creature next to each target that continues to stand next to it until the target kills said creature.
Sustain standard: Make a Wisdom attack vs. AC from each square you threaten other than your own.You give up your standard action to attack every enemy still within range that has a vermin next to it.

Maybe it's just the wording, but Empower Staff looks laughably broken as well. So, if I multiclass my Druid to Rogue as my Paragon Path, I can use Unbalancing Attack or Stunning Strike over and over again as a minor action for the rest of the encounter? Make sure you make it clear that you are expending the 1/encounter use of that power when you take that minor action. Also, rather than risking that you're out of encounter powers by the time you get around to using Empower Staff, just make it a Strength vs. AC, 2[W]+Wisdom.

fixing it to say use as a minor action once.

Various flavor text

I'll get to them immediately.

Faerie Clone is an odd power; while the rest seem generically Natural, this seems overtly Fey. In any case, the Clone should use the target's at-will powers, flat-out as-written. Also, if it's Sustain Standard, how can you make at-will attacks? I think you mean Sustain Move.

I'll clean up the wording, that's exactly how it works. Sustain standard means you cannot take your own standard action, but can attack with the duplicate.

Wildshape: Lupine should only work with the Offensive Form, since Wildshape: Mount only works with the Defensive Form and everything else works with both, just to balance it out. Besides, it's a very Striker-ish power.

4e is not symetrical; that said, i agree it can be changed, but the option is there for Defenders who don't want to be a mount.

Challenging Trumpet should deal Thunder damage.

noted, will change

No offense, but Control Weather is the third "make a stormcloud" spell I've seen in this list: Gust of Wind, Defenestrating Sphere, Call Storm, Lightning Strike, and Summer Storm all have the same shtick. Could one of them be a blizzard or hailstorm instead, dealing Cold damage instead of Lightning and Thunder? Maybe one could be a swarm of insects, or a brushfire. They're all very cool, very thematic abilities, but you have untapped themes all over the place: Spore Cloud's fungus theme, Faerie Clone's Fey theme, Stoneskin's earth theme, Overheat's fire theme... I'd suggest tightening it up a bit.

The powers are left generally natural for the very reason that the druid isn't a focused class with any one aspect of nature. The druid (in particular the master of rites) gets many abilities which are natural as a whole, but probably would stand out as elemental or different when viewed separately. If we included enough fire spells to make a fire druid, it'd be well out of left field for the concept. I think an elementalist may better fit the ideal of a tight synergy with one or two elements at a time.

Spore Cloud has the same flavor text as Wildshape: Elemental, and is a bit confusingly-worded. If the Target is Each creature in burst, which target grants the healing surge when it dies? Also, change "dies" to "reduced to 0 or fewer hit points".

will change to the 0 hp, but any target which dies, friend or foe. It's a very strange power, yes, but it shows that sometimes the druid will preserve life even at the cost of one individual.

Huge Form doesn't have Large Form as a prerequisite. Intentional?

yes

No Small Form or Tiny Form, giving bonuses to Reflex, AC, and Stealth?

good idea, I'll look into this.

There's exactly one way to make your Druid fly, and that's by burning a feat for Travel Form's painfully slow Flight Speed. Even that's hidden in other options. Why make a Paragon Path with that theme, then? I see most of The Sky Marshal's abilities belonging to a "cunning wolf/jackal" theme, but that's just me. It's either in desperate need of reflavoring, or a flying Wildshape form needs to become more common.

agreed, I'll place it at one utility higher than the wizard gets fly.

Old Dog, New Tricks (12th Level): You gain one 10th level Fighter or Paladin utility power. This power now has the Primal and Wild keywords and can be used while Wildshaped.

There are going to be more defender type classes than just the fighter/paladin. Also, this lets the druid technically pick another 10th level utility from his own class if he so chooses.


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[Fredrik Svanberg]

Gust of Wind seems a little strange. It's an area blast but it only targets one creature within the area. Why is it an area attack if it only affects one creature? The flavour text implies that it affects every creature within the area, as one would expect.

 

[malcolm_n]

Gust of Wind seems a little strange. It's an area blast but it only targets one creature within the area. Why is it an area attack if it only affects one creature? The flavour text implies that it affects every creature within the area, as one would expect.

errata'd to say each creature. now it is on par with the wizard at-will power.

 

[dcviana]

"Giant Vermin" still has some obscure points.

1 - You specify that the vermin use your wisdom to make damage, but not to attack (I know, it was kind of obvious).

2 - You don't specify how the target can kill the vermin. I know its a minion and it dies with any successful hit, but there is no AC, Fortitude, Reflex or Will values to hit it.

I tried to rewrite the power so the wording is better and the gaps are filled. Hope you like my sugestion:
__________________________
GIANT VERMIN Druid Attack 9

You sprinkle some sand onto the ground in front of
you which turns into a writhing mass of bugs and
attacks under your guidance.

Daily * Implement, Conjuration, Primal
Standard Action Close burst 5

Targets: All enemies in burst

Effect: You summon one minion creature for each target in the burst that is adjacent to and threatens the square the target is in. The creature can make your Wisdom attacks vs. AC and deals 4 + your Wisdom modifier damage on a successful hit. The creature remains adjacent to the target until either of the two dies. Any attack against the creature hits automatically and kills it instantly.

Sustain standard: Each creature still alive make your Wisdom attack vs. AC against the target it threatens.
__________________________

 

[dcviana]

Some other questions:

1 - Does powers with the keyword "Wild" require you to be in wildshape form? The "Slap" power seems to say so, because you use your "tail" to attack, something you would have only in wildshape form.

2 - The stoneskin power have the following entry: "Special: You may use this power while in wild shape". Is not it better to just put the "Wild" keyword on the power? Unless the answer to my first question is "Yes", in this case, the use of a special entry is necessary.

 

[malcolm_n]

Some other questions:

1 - Does powers with the keyword "Wild" require you to be in wildshape form? The "Slap" power seems to say so, because you use your "tail" to attack, something you would have only in wildshape form.

2 - The stoneskin power have the following entry: "Special: You may use this power while in wild shape". Is not it better to just put the "Wild" keyword on the power? Unless the answer to my first question is "Yes", in this case, the use of a special entry is necessary.

1 - Yes, to use a power with the "wild" keyword, you must be in wildshape.
2 - Stoneskin works while in wild shape, but can be used by a master of rites or a multiclass druid without wild shaping.

To the above question - I like the rewording. I was trying hard not to say summon when I wrote it because I didn't wanna get hit with the nerf bat. But, this fits the bill fine.

 

[dcviana]

The Vigor utility is marked as an Encounter power, but its color is dark gray, witch is a daily power color.

Wildshape: Mount is really very cool, but looking into the DMG I read the rules for mounted combat and it says that for the mount to grant the rider any ability, the rider must have the Mounted Combat feat. I don't know, but maybe the +4 power bonus to speed and 3[W] damage on a charge could be granted only if the rider has the mounted combat feat.

Or better yet, this power makes YOU gain +4 power bonus to speed and only the 3[W] damage on a charge requires the Mounted Combat feat. That way, the druid can still benefit from the increased movement even if no one is riding him.

 

[malcolm_n]

good point, and thank you for pointing out vigor. It should be a daily utility, since druids don't get better healing than that.

For WS Mount, the idea was to work in concert with somebody to gain the benefits. The +4 bonus and the charge apply because of your ability, not that of the rider, so no feat is necessary. You're not a normal mount, so the normal rule does not apply.

 

[dcviana]

The paragon power HUMMINGBIRD STRIKE is a little strange. I think the wording make it seems that the power only last until your next turn, but it is a stance power.
I think it will be easier to understand with the following description:
"Until the end of the encounter, each time you hit an enemy you can give up dealing damage and instead give your allies combat advantage against this enemy until the begining of your next turn."


I didn't get the Student of the Wild and Initiate of the Wild feats. Where they intended for use by other classes as multiclass feats? If yes, you should use the [Multiclass Druid] keyword in the feat's name.
I changed the wording of those feats a bit:
__________________________
STUDENT OF THE WILD [Multiclass Druid]
Tier: Heroic
Requirements: Strength 13
Benefit: You gain training in the Nature skill.
Choose either the Wildshape Defensive or Wildshape Offensive druid feature power, you can use the chosen power as a Daily power.
If you choose the power-swap feat to gain a druid power that acts as either offensive or defensive form, you can only use that power if it can act as the form you choose or both forms. In case the power acts as both forms, you gain only the benefits of the form you chose.
__________________________
INITIATE OF THE WILD [Multiclass Druid]
Tier: Heroic
Requirements: Wisdom 13
Benefit: You gain training in the Nature skill.
You can use the Stride class feature of the Druid for one encounter per day.
__________________________

I would also sugest to unify those feats in only one, but maybe it will become too powerfull.


The "Poisoned Brambles" power can actually become less powerfull if you are a Master of Rites druid. On a hit the target take a -2 penalty to AC and reflex, but a Master of Rites use 1 + Wisdom modifier as a penalty, so if his Wis modifies is 0 the penalty is -1.
Better make the penalty 2 + Wisdom modifier for Master of Rites.

For WS Mount, the idea was to work in concert with somebody to gain the benefits. The +4 bonus and the charge apply because of your ability, not that of the rider, so no feat is necessary. You're not a normal mount, so the normal rule does not apply.

I see your point. Still, I would give the druid the +4 to speed even if nobody is riding him. That way, he can use the power while far away from his allies, move (with his improved speed) to a nearby ally and then the ally can use him as a mount.

About the need of Mounted Combat feet, on a second tought I think you are right, the requirement of having someone in the party take the mounted combat feat would greatly reduce this power's usefulness.