Tell me why Druids are the most powerful class

[Pielorinho]

Personally, I think the change of allowing wildhsape to change creature type is a very bad idea, leading to all kinds of rules-problems. The ability to animal-growth oneself is one example of these problems.

Otherwise, I don't find druids overly powerful so much as overly time-hogging. A druid often does well to summon multiple creatures and animal-growth them all (along with her animal-companion). If each summoned creature and the companion get three attacks apiece--pretty common for animals--then a druid who summons three creatures will be making one dozen additional attacks per round, This can really bog the game down unless the player and DM have excellent dice-management skills (e.g., all attack and damage rolls are made while other players are taking their turns, and results are announced on the druid's turn).

We're getting ready to pick up a game with a high-level druid in it (me), and we're trying to figure out what to do to cut down on this time-hogging problem. Does anyone have any good ideas on abilities to substitute for the druid's spontaneous animal-summoning?

Daniel

 

[mikebr99]

Scouting: Again, Wildshape is key here, and he can become a fairly innocuous rat in urban environments, or a hawk in natural ones. As such he is generally undetectable by enemies because he is in plain sight.

Please note that Wildshape is a Su ability... which can be detected by Detect Magic. Not to mention the fact that Animals wearing cloaks, rings, necklasses, vests... etc. is a dead giveaway for a high level... magic item heavy Druid.

Support Spells: The Druid has some great buffs, and while Summon Nature's Ally doesn't have the punch that Summon Monster does, he can do it at a whim.

Not sure I agree with that... especially when you add animal growth to the mix... as SM casters don't have a comparable spell... YMMV

Attack Spells: These don't really come into their own until the higher levels, but when the Druid reaches 5th level spells he starts laying the hurt down. If you are skeptical, read Sepulchrave's story hour... in it you will see a single druid laying waste to an Army with strong clerical support.

I don't know... produce flame & flaming sphere seem to do well at lower levels.

Skills: Outdoorsy in nature, but they arn't bad; Listen and Spot go a long way, specially for casters. And while Clerics, Wizards and Sorcs languish under 2+INT for skills, the Druid has a nice 4+.

So while the Druid doesn't totally dominate one area, he performs very well in all; something none of the other classes can boast of to the degree the druid can.

Oh.. I agree.


Mike

 

[Pielorinho]

Please note that Wildshape is a Su ability... which can be detected by Detect Magic. Not to mention the fact that Animals wearing cloaks, rings, necklasses, vests... etc. is a dead giveaway for a high level... magic item heavy Druid.

As an aside, are you sure on that? I never could figure out whether Detect Magic could pick up Su abilities (or maybe I figured it out and forgot).

As for the cloaks/rings/etc., we've houseruleed that it takes a wilding clasp (from MotW) to keep such items from merging, as the image of the bejeweled animal is just too goofy. Merged items are inactive, and presumably don't show up to Detect Magic--but again, I'm not sure on that.

Daniel

 

[Felix]

Please note that Wildshape is a Su ability... which can be detected by Detect Magic.

Sure. Just make sure that the caravan wizard is casting Detect Magic at every animal in sight.

Even then, the Druid only has to stay 60' away.

Not to mention the fact that Animals wearing cloaks, rings, necklasses, vests... etc. is a dead giveaway for a high level... magic item heavy Druid.

They get subsumed and cease functioning while Wildshaped unless the item specifically says it doesn't, and most don't.

 

[mikebr99]

We're getting ready to pick up a game with a high-level druid in it (me), and we're trying to figure out what to do to cut down on this time-hogging problem. Does anyone have any good ideas on abilities to substitute for the druid's spontaneous animal-summoning?

Daniel

HI Daniel.
There is a varient Druid in Unearthed Arcana... p.51.


The Druidic Avenger

• no animal companion
  gains fast movment
  gains rage
  no spontaneous casting
  gains tireless rage
  -4 to wild empathy

Mike

 

[RigaMortus]

Please note that Wildshape is a Su ability... which can be detected by Detect Magic. Not to mention the fact that Animals wearing cloaks, rings, necklasses, vests... etc. is a dead giveaway for a high level... magic item heavy Druid.

Mike

Do all the bad guys in your games have access to Detect Magic? And do they constantly go around the forest Detecting Magic on every snake, bear or wolf that crosses their path?

 

[RigaMortus]

HI Daniel.
There is a varient Druid in Unearthed Arcana... p.51.


The Druidic Avenger

• no animal companion
  gains fast movment
  gains rage
  no spontaneous casting
  gains tireless rage
  -4 to wild empathy

Mike

AKA The Barbarian... (ok, ok... with spellcasting...)

 

[mikebr99]

They get subsumed and cease functioning while Wildshaped unless the item specifically says it doesn't, and most don't.

Animal Item Slots

Although it's easy to imagine an animal benefiting from magic equipment beyond a simple saddle and a suit of barding, fitting a mount's physiology to the list of item slots available to characters is not an easy task. Try the following variant list of item slots for quadruped animals (and other monsters when appropriate).

One skull cap or helm
One pair of lenses or goggles
One collar
One saddle blanket or vest
One saddle or jacket
One belt or strap worn in front of or over the haunches
One pectoral or harness worn over the chest or shoulders
One pair foreleg bracers
One pair of foreleg shoes or mitts -- hoofed creatures wear shoes and creatures with paws wear mitts
Two rings -- creatures with toes wear rings on the toes and creatures with hooves wear "rings" just above fore hooves
One pair of hind leg shoes or mitts -- hoofed creatures wear shoes and creatures with paws wear mitts

Magic items resize... except weapons and armor.

Why can't my belt of Giant Strength still work when I am a Dire Bear?

 

[mikebr99]

Do all the bad guys in your games have access to Detect Magic? And do they constantly go around the forest Detecting Magic on every snake, bear or wolf that crosses their path?

It's the first thing on MY list to make permanent... YMMV.


Mike

 

[mikebr99]

AKA The Barbarian... (ok, ok... with spellcasting...)

And d8 hit dice.


Mike