Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="StreamOfTheSky" data-source="post: 4495093" data-attributes="member: 35909">I've played a VoP druid (my cat lady), it's ok.  With Magic Item Compendium in play, it may be a bad idea, though.  Especially if you think the DM will give out lots of treasure.  One correction: Exalted Wildshape requires level 8.  It IS awesome though, just for blink dog.EDIT: Another downside to VoP for a druid is that a normal druid can drape the companion in magic items, but unless your DM is cool and lets the companion also take VoP, you end up with a weaker ally.  In my case, I took Exalted Companion, which made my Tiger have int 3, NG alignment, and become a magical beast (celestial template), and he STILL wouldn't let me.  He didn't really have a good argument for why not to allow it rules-wise, he just didn't want me to be any more powerful.  (Which brings up another good druid tip: if you're trying to sweet talk the DM into allowing something, may want to hold back on displays of power <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />)If ALL books are open, do be sure to pick up flaws from UA for an extra two feats.  I'd recommend the ones for -2 ranged attacks and -3 will saves.  The former is because druids don't get many ranged attack roll spells, and when they do, the -2 combined with medium BAB makes them just as good at it as a wizard.  Which, for touch spells, is good enough.  The -3 will is not too painful since you'll have high base will and high wisdom.  Also, just as smart enemies don't bother tossing lightning bolts at rogues, I doubt most casters will bother trying a druid's will save.Another interesting option (one my cat lady used with Tiger Totem) is Totem Druid, from dragon mag #335 (or here: <a href="http://www.crystalkeep.com/d20/rules/DnD3.5Index-Classes-Base.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.crystalkeep.com/d20/rules/DnD3.5Index-Classes-Base.pdf</a> page 35).  You lose a LOT of versatility in wildshape, which may make it not worth it to most, but the benefits can really help out.  It also gives you free natural spell and eventually the ability to talk in your totem shape (which counts as wildshape as normal -- if it didn't, you couldn't use Natural Spell), two very helpful boons for the druid that likes to stay in animal form.  If you take this option, it definitely helps to pick up Exalted Wildshape at 8+ and Dragon Wildshape at level 12+ as feats, to expand your options.  The latter feat is in dragon mag, as well as crystalkeep's feat index.  Lets you turn into medium or smaller dragons of HD <= yours.  Not as powerful as it sounds, trust me.  Great for versatility, though!Far as optimizing goes, I still would like a more specific idea what you want to do.  But it's hard to NOT be overpowered, even just going straight druid.  Really, imagine it's high school and all you have to do to get your diploma is say "I pick up Natural Spell."The only other feat that comes close in power to you will be a reserve feat from C.Mage, Minor Shapechange.  This requires a level 4-5 (I forget) polymorph spell (ie, can pick it up at level 9+) and allows several options as swift actions, which last for as many rounds as the level of the spell in reserve or until you pick a new option or refresh the one you had.  The only one to care about is Vigor.  It gives you temp hp equal to your HD.  In other words, it's the Improved Toughness feat.  Except...every time it gets depleted, you can spend a swift action to get it back!I can recommend some amazing Druid spells if you like.  They're all basically out of Spell Compendium and PHB, though.</blockquote>

Verification