D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] Questions on druid build

[Verequus]

I'm working on a 9th lvl human druid and I'm still unsure about some particular areas. The first one is how I should allocate my ability scores. I have 18, 16, 16, 12, 11, 11. Wisdom should be 18, Constitution 16, but the other scores I'm not sure, what I should do. Strength is certainly nice for melee, Dexterity for AC and archery, Intelligence nice for bonus skill points, and Charisma only for Handle Animal?

But then I've been told that physical abilities don't matter much when you are using wildshape, so it looks like using my 16 there would be a waste. But then again I need to shapeshift all the time to prevent being weak in melee? Which also nullfies the magic boni of my equipment... Wasn't there a magic item which let's me keep them nonetheless?

Another point, I'm arguing with my DM is my animal companion. I chose a dire wolf, which is quite cool, but then I wondered how to make him tougher. I thought to use barding, which inspired the idea of actually riding it. But my DM says that my companion being a wild animal would be very uncomfortable with these ideas.

He compared it to a wild horse which wouldn't let itself saddle without being broken in some form or other. And that a druid wouldn't try to ride his companion anyway. Also that I can't even explain the concept of armor to an animal completely. To put it simple, without some good arguments this idea won't be allowed to be executed, regardless if riding it into battle is a good idea tactic-wise or not.

So how do you handle this? Am I out of my mind to having thought of this? Or does my DM underestimate the abilities of animals and druids? After all, I get Empathic Link as a house rule. Oh, I forgot about armor profiency. How does one train this? Does sacrificing tricks work?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

As I recall, you can't use an Animal Companion as a mount, but barding might be permissible if it were light (DM's call; not a rule). I can't see one wearing medium or heavier barding.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Scores: If you're starting at level 9, then you really can be wildshaped for most or all encounters, so str and dex are kind of a waste. Dex is still somewhat useful because a) it affects initiative if you don't happen to be shifted before a combat breaks out and b) you mentioned archery, something you can only really do in human form with your natural dex score (unless you consider spell slinging to be "archery"). I'd do 16 Dex, 12 Int, 11 for cha and str.

Magic items: Look into Magic Item Compendium, there's a beastskin armor enhancement to make your armor shift to fit your new forms and remain in effect. There's also wilding clasps for 4000 gp each (gets expensive) to attach to items, which then do not meld into your wildshape form and become nonfunctional. They also don't re-size or change shape, so you'd have to be able to wear them in the animal form still. Cheapest option for non-armor items is to just wildshape before combat with important gear (like periapt of wisdom) off, and have a party member "dress" you with them. Cheapest option for armor is to forgoe it entirely and just use Mage Armor if you have a mage or rogue to cast it or use a wand of it on you.

Far as the companion goes...you might be stuck. The book has rules for barding for unusual creatures, exotic saddles, etc... It's pretty clear they intended for you to be able ot use them with an animal, but your DM sounds like he's set in his view. If you looked at mounted prestige classes and the old 3.0 masters of the wild book, you could probably find tons of fluff text about riding an animal companion to show him, not sure it'd do much good, though. One key thing regarding being a wild or untrained creature... animal companions come automatically with at least one trick known, and have a larger capacity for total tricks they can learn, so that argument's pretty silly. If you really care about this, look into the Book of Exalted Deeds feat, Exalted Companion. Lets you add the Celestial template to your companion, making it an int 3 magical beast. See him try to justify his inane houserules keeping you from even armoring up your wolf then.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

As I recall, you can't use an Animal Companion as a mount, but barding might be permissible if it were light (DM's call; not a rule). I can't see one wearing medium or heavier barding.

Where does it say that? As I recall, the intent is pretty clear that you can ride your companion. For example, the Halfling Outrider's appropriately titled "Mount" class feature specifically stacks your Outrider levels with ranger and druid for the characteristics of your animal companion. If the designers didn't want you riding your companion, that's an odd way of expressing it...

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Where does it say that?

Eh- my mistake!

I was thinking of the language from the Awaken spell.

An awakened animal can’t serve as an animal companion, familiar, or special mount.

About the time I found that language and started thinking I might be in error, I stumbled upon this bit in the SRD:

Svenna Greenfinger

A halfling druid who favors ranged combat from atop her long-time riding dog animal companion, Svenna Greenfinger prefers to summon mobile monsters capable of keeping up with her mount’s speed and fast enough to stay between her and her opponents in the midst of a running battle...

 

[Verequus]

Thanks for your help! I've managed to nail my DM with the question, if my druid could ride a normal horse, why not a horse companion? He had to concede to me rules-wise, but flavor wise he is still stubborn. So stubborn, that I may decide to trash my char because he'd take control of some critical aspect of my char's personality otherwise. There's some hope left as I haven't managed to ask him the relevant question yet.

Interestingly, this would be the first time I'd do that because of flavor-reasons. Actually, I never trashed deliberately any character, tho my stupidity and greed did that of their own fine enough. But it would be really a shame to do this with my druid. Doesn't deserve this fate in any case.

 

[Dandu]

Clearly you should buy a war horse in addition to your animal companion.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Honestly, druids have better things to do than mounted combat anyway, and between the mis-match with wildshape and the lack of bonus feats, druids aren't even that good at it anyway. The real pain is not letting your companion have barding, that's a lot of lost AC for no other reason than the DM not liking it.

 

[Dandu]

Show this to your DM.

 

[BENINHB]

Use an armor that has no Armor check penalty and the Non Proficiency wont matter.

Also if your handle animal ranks are decent see if you can train it to be a warbeast. Its a DC20+(HD of the animal) Handle Animal check that takes one month but it give all armor proficiencies as well as the combat "tricks" and some other bonuses. I think its found in Monster Manuel III