8th Level Druid

[akbearfoot]

I've been toying with the idea of playing a arcane heirophant, with the Beast totem chain from the Ebberron books. That way he can have a Displacer beast animal companion/familiar. The Monster manual says only that displacer beasts are -usually- evil, meaning your DM 'should' allow you to find one that isn't pinging on a paladins radar.

They are very smart, and can at least speak common. They get the 50% miss chance all the time and have natural reach. The fact that they can speak also means they can easily communicate their own knowlege checks and reactive stuff like spot/listen.

The emphasis on this build would be to take the companion spellbound feat so you can share your buff spells with your pet out to a range of 30ft. Stat buffs, natures favor, whatever you prefer...Wild shape into something nasty and you've essentially got 2 melee brutes for the price of 1 character. You'll have lower level spells, but you'll have a TON of spell slots available, and can take both druid spells and wizard spells. Haste comes to mind in a group with lots of melee people.

Only downside is its a feat starved build...beast totem, totem companion, natural spell, companion spellbound. Animal Bond(recommended). Practiced spellcaster(recommended) Thats a lot of feats,

 

[taliesin15]

The Druid build looks pretty good, but here's a couple of points:

definitely go with a land animal if going into an underground situation (the wild cat family sounds as good as any), and not an avian (like a giant eagle)...

consider what you might be losing playing a Druid instead of a Cleric; i.e. not just healing spells, but undead turning (unless there's a 3.5 Feat for it I don't know about)...

 

[DemonLoki]

So this is the final build I came up with

So here it is... this is the final build that I came up with.

Sworn Allegiance to: Leviathan

Feats: 1 at first level
1. Ashbound Summoning (taken at 1st)
1 for being Human
1. Greenbound Summoning (taken at 1st)
1 bonus vile feat for sworn allegiance
1. Evil Brand (taken at 1st)
1 bonus vile feat for sworn allegiance
1. Chosen of Evil (taken at 1st)
Then one at 3rd and one at 6th for being lvl 8 druid
1. Initiate of Malar (taken at 3rd)
2. Natural Spell (taken at 6th)

****Natural Spell: Allows casting while wild shaped

****Evil Brand: +2 on Diplomacy/Intimidate checks made against evil creatures

****Chosen of Evil: Take 1 Con damage to add bonus on one attack, saving throw,
or check equal to number of vile feats

****Ashbound: Double duration on summon spells and +3 luck bonus on their attacks

****Greenbound Summoning: Greenbound template applied to summoned creatures with the animal subtype

****Initaite of Malar: +4 STR and +4 CON to summoned animals, and three additional spells:
2nd: Spectral Stag: Conjures a phantom stag that you can ride or direct to attack a target
3rd: Possess animal: You possess a normal animal
4th: Strength of the Beast: You gain benefits of your lycanthropic animal form while in human form.

Spells per day:
0(6) 1st(4+1) 2nd(3+1) 3rd(3+1) 4th(2+1)

Skill Points: (88 total at lvl 8)
1st Level: 4 + [(4+3) x 4] = 32
Each Level: (4+3) + 1 = 8 per level = 56 total

Listen 11 Ranks
Ride 11 ranks
Handle Animal 11 ranks
Spot 11 Ranks
Survival 11 Ranks
Concentration 11 Ranks
Knowledge Nature 11 Ranks
Heal 11 Ranks

Ability Scores (32 point buy system)
(+0)STR 10 (2 pts)
(+2)DEX 14 (4 pts) +2 from equipment
(+3)CON 16 (6 pts) +1 at 4th level, +1 at 8th level
(+3)INT 16 (10 pts)
(+4)WIS 18 (10 pts) +2 from equipment
(-1)CHA 8 (0 pts)

Race: Human Druid
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Languages: Common, Druidic (Druid only), Sylvan (Forest Creatures), Terran (Earth Creatures), Auran (Air Creatures)
Medium Size
Base Land Speed: 30

1. Periapt of Wisdom +2 4000 GP
2. Gloves of Dexterity +2 4000 GP
3. Wilding Clasp (periapt) 4000 GP
4. Wilding Clasp (armor) 4000 GP
5. Garden of Nature's Rage 8000 GP
6. Wand of Cure Light Wounds 750 GP
7. Leaveweave Studded Leather 765 GP
8. Healing Belt 750 GP
9. Cold Iron Scimitar 30 GP
10. Exotic Saddle 60 GP
11. Saddle Pack 4 GP
12. Adventuring Gear 6 GP 2 SP
13. Daggers (x10) 20 GP
______________________________________________
AVAILABLE: 27000 GP
TOTAL: 26382 GP 6 SP
REMAINING: 617 GP 4 SP

1. +2 wisdom
2. +2 dexterity
3. Allows bonus to stay in effect while wild shaped
4. Allows bonus to stay in effect while wild shaped
5. Once per day allows +4STR +4CON to wild shape
6. Self explanatory
7. +3 Armor Bonus
8. 3 charges per day, cure 2d8 per charge
9. Weapon
10. Saddle to ride on fleshraker, +2 on ride checks
11. Holds supplies
12. Adventuring Gear
bedroll 1sp
blanket 5sp
waterskin 1gp
spell component pouch 5gp
13. Ranged Weapons


What do you guys think?

 

[green slime]

So you're both an Initiate of Malar, and Sworn to Leviathan?

 

[akbearfoot]

How does the evil druid who somehow worships 2 powers and despises any and all arcane magicks justify traveling with a PC wizard? and 1-2 other characters who will likely be using UMD to activate arcane scrolls etc....Ashbound are hard-core anti-arcane.

If the DM allows a feat like greenbound summoning then the game probably isnt even worth playing.....'You kill the 3 goblins and they all have +5 vorpal swords in their packs' sort of thing. Thats an 'I win' feat. Even the guy who designed the feat said it was intended to be a +3 level metamagic feat.

Fleshraker dinosaurs from the MM3 are medium sized. How do you ride it? And they are insanely overpowered either way so any sane DM will ban them....a 5th lvl druid wild shaping into a medium critter with AC20, 50ft movement, pounce that includes the benefits of imp trip, imp grab, and constrict, 4 attacks(3 of which are poisoned) and rake.....Hrmmm can you say rediculous?

Even if the DM wants to basically be all inclusive he should still limit this stuff...otherwise everyone else will just be sitting in the back seat of the druids 'I win train'

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

If the DM allows a feat like greenbound summoning then the game probably isnt even worth playing.....'You kill the 3 goblins and they all have +5 vorpal swords in their packs' sort of thing. Thats an 'I win' feat. Even the guy who designed the feat said it was intended to be a +3 level metamagic feat.

Even if the DM wants to basically be all inclusive he should still limit this stuff...otherwise everyone else will just be sitting in the back seat of the druids 'I win train'

Agreed. I purposely never n=mentioned Greenbound Summoning because I think even in an anything goes game, there need to be some rational limits. No Greenbound, no Feral template, no Wraithstrike spell...

 

[DemonLoki]

Oops, my fault on the mount... forgot the fleshraker was only medium, haha. Prolly go with either a dire wolf, dire wolverine, or tiger... I like the wild cat family. As far as the others... I don't think the DM is worried about us being overpowered, since it is going to be a party of 4 going into something that is set up for atleast a party of 6. As far as Ashbounds hating arcane... not a problem. A druid is a divine caster, and it only states that they are against the use of arcane magic and see it as vile, big deal... It's a neutral evil druid who swears allegiance to malar and the elder evil leviathan... Evil Druid = pissed tree hugger... and he'll pretty much do whatever he has to do to get vengeance on those that have disgraced the land... even work with arcane spell casters if necessary. Who's to say he won't double cross the party... or branch off on his own later on? Anything else?

 

[roguerouge]

Fast Wildshape or Extra wild shape might be worth a go next level.

 

[akbearfoot]

I guess I put too much stock in flavor and RP restrictions in relation to taking feats that are clearly overpowered..

The ebberon book that talks about the Ashbound druids makes it pretty clear that ashbound druids revile civilization and anything relating to non-druidic magic. I am pretty sure I remember an example about some of them being kicked out of the order for drinking potions.

Just comparing the feat to others shows its clearly unbalanced....Its better than augment summoning and even stacks with it, with no prereq. Then you get to turn around and double your summoning spells durations, which is like giving free extend spell feat and improved metamagic all rolled up into 1 feat.