Calling All Sultans of Smack! Twink Out a 15th Level Druid!

[Eldren]

Yeah, I'm asking for some help here; I've asked on the WotC boards as well, but responses seem to be pretty slow there, so I'm coming here.

I want a twinked-out build for my 15th level Druid. I'm looking for something that elicits gasps of "Holy *expletive*" from the folks at my table when I come into play. *evil grin*

Some initial bits from what I have constructed already; I'm looking for recommendations on what to do differently, in terms of magic item purchases (no single magic item can cost more than 18% of the total value of a 15th level character, which is 200,000 gp) and feat choices. Not looking to multiclass or add in prestige classes; I prefer straight-classed PCs. My personal goals for this PC are, in order, to bump up save DCs, bump up his OWN save bonuses, and bump up his Armor Class. I plan on him doing most of his damage through summonings and direct-damage magic, rather than him getting involved in melee (because for that, it's a simple matter of wildshaping into a dire bear or something similar, then casting Animal Growth on himself).

So here's the stats, feats and items he has so far (and keep in mind that stats weren't generated with point-buy, but with dice rolling):

Str 12, Dex 16 (22 with item), Con 17, Int 14, Wis 21 (26 with item), Cha 17.

Hit points: 132
Armor Class: 32
Feats: Craft Wondrous Item, Natural Spell, Augment Summoning, Combat Casting, Quicken Spell, Maximize Spell, Empower Spell (I recognize that I forgot to take Augment Summoning's prereq, and I'm also very open to altering this feat selection significantly)

Magic Items: Leather Armor +5, Large Wooden Shield +2, Composite Longbow of Seeking +2 (open to changing this, however), Ring of Evasion, Ring of Protection +4, Lens of See Invisibility, Periapt of Wisdom +6, Gloves of Dexterity +6, Scarab of Protection (crafted this myself), Amulet of Natural Armor +1.

That's what this Druid is currently working with. Recommendations? If you're curious, he's human, Chaotic Neutral. If you're curious about which books I have access to, most of the Dungeons & Dragons books, including Forgotten Realms material, is available, but if you recommend something that you think a sensible Dungeon Master might be iffy about, please be kind to recommend an alternative, whether you're recommending a feat or magic item.

Thanks for your input!

 

[Diirk]

Ironwood Wild Full plate +2 (25k + change) (Don't even need to bother with permanency or similair.. just cast ironwood on it once every 15 days), Animated Darkwood Large Shield +3 (25k + change), Cloak of Resistance +5 (25k), Minor Rod of Metamagic Extend (3k? not sure)

Feats: Natural Spell, can take Craft Magic Arms and Armour to craft some of that stuff yourself and get a big discount if you want even more ac when you start.

Standard shape: Shambling Mound. Humanoid but has tentacle type arms, so possibly no rings, depends on GM I guess. Can wear cloaks, belts, necks etc np tho. Standard AC: 20, +10 fullplate, +5 shield, +5 extended barkskin (5 hour duration) = 40. More if your DM allows it to slide a ring onto its appendages.

120k left over, plenty for things like wis boosts etc. Oh, and you're immune to all mind effecting spells/abilities as a plant, too.

 

[Eldren]

This is a pretty nice build, and I'm impressed. The one thing that I have some concerns about, however, is the need for the armor feats to be able to wear the full plate in the first place. I doubt my DM would complain much about my having wooden full plate. It's unusual, but probably not that unusual for the adventuring Druid who doesn't relish getting whacked on.

 

[Perun]

In one of our current campaigns, we have a party of two wizards, a druidess, and a ranger. The druidess is the without a shadow of a doubt the most powerful character in the party. She has Augment Summoning and Natural Spell feats.

Typically, she starts out of range and summons a couple of black bears (she's 6th level now, and uses a 3rd-level spell slot for Summon Nature's Ally III) and sends them off to combat. She can repeat this a couple of more times, and then switches on to wolves, if it proves neccessary.

Her wolf companion is scary. It has 64 hit points (in part courtesy of the Improved (Greater?) Toughness feat from CW). He doesn't do a lot of damage per hit (1d6+3), but is a force to be reckoned with.

If all things go bad, she polymorphs into an eagle, and flies off, and calls lightning on her enemies. If we're anywhere outside, she can do this form a safe distance.

She'll only get more powerful as she gains more levels. Once she can cast Animal Growth, she'll be able to affect both herself, her companion, and er summoned animals.

IIRC, we calculated 12th level as the critical one. The druid can assume dire bear form. COmbined with Animal Growth, a bear companion and a ocuple of summoned bears (each with +4 Str & Con, form Augment Summoning), and you've got an incredible offensive capability, one that no other class can match.

IMO, you already took the most important stuff to make your character all-powerful - Augment Summoning and Natural Spells (you can drop the Combat Casting to get Spell Focus (Conjuration)). The rest is merely flavour

 

[Eldren]

Someone else has recommended taking the "Dragon Wildshape" feat from the Draconomicon, which seems now like a no-brainer to me. Mmmm, shadow dragons...

More recommendations welcomed!

 

[sithramir]

My beefy druid is pretty scary in an old campaign. I'd suggest a level of monk and the rest druid making you lawful neutral. You want to get inherent wis and +6 wis item and you end up with VERY high ac if you also buy ac items with bracers of armor.

I'd suggest turning into a Dire Tiger as your attack form. You gain improved grab and pounce. That means that you already wildshaped you get a full attack AND grapple (assuming you don't miss) to anything within 40-50 feat.

The monk give you access to a free Improved Grapple as well as good saves.

Using Animal Growth with this is sick. You just become the most gruesome melee guy there is.

Feat wise i'd suggest Multiattack if it's allowed, Natural Spell, _Fast Wildshape_ which allows you to wildshape and animal growth first round if surprised. Also i'd go for Blindsense from MotW which gives 120' blindsense which is sick but you have to take it at 12th level plus. Spellwise you use 7th level spells for some firestorms and 4th level for flame strikes as they are the best for druids. Empower spell is nice to use for empowered flame strikes at 6th level. Dragon wildshape is just cool but remember you are maxed at wild shaping into medium sized dragon with this feat in the text and thus using wildshape large into dire creatures is more powerful at your level.

Just make sure to have a harm, heal, and wind walk memorized as well as Barkskins and Magic Fang and Longstrider. Also deathwards and freedom of movement is killer.

Human is nice for the extra skills and feat but another idea is the halfling from Forgotten Realms that has telepathy so you can talk in wildshape.

Item wise i'd suggest Bracers of Armor, Ring of AC, Periapt of Wis, Ioun Stone +1 AC, Cloak of Resistance (This is a must have as +5 to all saves at 25k is like the best thing ever), Keep lenses of See invis (unless using blindsense 120' which is sick), also scarab of protection is cool but not necesarry since you are a class that can cast death ward and the SR is all but useless. An item of magic fang instead of the spell could be useful. Ring of evasion will be nice but only if you have cloak of resistance or else your reflex is going to be pretty worthless and this item might not be the best idea

 

[Eldren]

Thanks for the recommendations, Sithramir. However, by using a Monk's belt, you can avoid having to take the level of Monk, at least as far as the bonus to AC is concerned. I've figured out that with wearing Ironwood Wild Full Plate +2, a Ring of Protection +5, an Amulet of Natural Armor +4, a Monk's Belt, and being wildshaped into a juvenile shadow dragon, I can be walking about with a regular Armor Class of 54. Then I can let my breath weapon, summoned elementals and direct-damage spells do most of my fighting for me, as long as I remember to take "Natural Spell" as a feat (which seems like a no-brainer).

Your idea for the Dire Tiger in conjunction with Animal Growth, however, does make for a really neat melee type.

 

[Jeremy]

15th level druid...

Take off your gear.
Wildshape into Legendary Ape, you've read it before.
Make yourself a silly looking monkey by putting on capes and belts and rings.

Apply buffs as you see fit:
Spikes (Complete Divine)
Animal Growth (SRD)
Bear's Fury (Quintessential Druid)
Glory of the Beast (Book of Hallowed Might)
Nature's Favor (Complete Divine)
Brambles (Complete Divine)
Shillelagh (SRD)
Lion's Charge (Savage Species)

You name it. Use the Ankh of Ascension/Bead of Karma/Orange Ioun stone tricks to get your Nature's Favor up even higher. Cast Essential Blade (Relics and Rituals 2) to make all your attacks touch attacks and power attack full.

Use boots of speed to haste yourself. Charge and full attack your foe doing what?

STR 30 + 8 Size + 6 Belt = 44 STR (+17)
15 BAB from Bear's Fury

+32 to hit +12 Luck (Nature's Favor) +2 Spikes +2 Charging +1 Haste = +49 to hit. Power Attack 15 for +30 to damage.

Make sure you have the feats power attack (SRD), two handed power strike (quintessential fighter), and reckless attack (quintessential fighter) for more damage.

Damage would be +17 from strength, +17 from two handed power strike, +12 from nature's favor, +10 from spikes, +10 from brambles, +30 from power attack, +15 from reckless attack (-15 AC) for what? 4d6+111 or so per hit? At 4 attacks per round that's near 458 damage per round. And you are still a full caster...

That's not counting any companions/summons that also got affected by your animal growth spell.

Really, there's a ton of material out there to make druids smackdown. It's just not all of it is related to summons.

If you want summons, you've already read the best advice. Use the feat/variant rule to speed up your spontaneous summons or just prepare them. Use metamagic rods or feats. Use Augment Summoning, Rashemi Elemental Summoning, or the Rings of Conjures from the Complete Book of Eldritch Might. Maybe throw in a dash of the Summoner prestige class from Relics and Rituals... Or just use some metamagic rods and memorize a lot of evocations with your +caster level items.

I realize you are playing with a twink party, but the druid has endless options for smack.

 

[Jeremy]

I've figured out that with wearing Ironwood Wild Full Plate +2, ... a Monk's Belt

Except that the Monk's Belt grants non monks, the monk AC of a 5th level monk. And it stipulates:

"This AC bonus functions just like the monk’s AC bonus."

Under the Monk entry for what a monk's AC bonus is we find that it's now an actual defined ability.

"AC Bonus (Ex): When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her AC. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC at 5th level. ... She loses these bonuses when ... she wears any armor, ..."

So while you could get a considerably more expensive set of bracers of armor, the full plate is going to lose your wisdom bonus to AC.

Just FYI.

 

[Eldren]

Damn, you're right. *SIGH* I'm going to have to figure out some way to make up those 9 points of AC. Thanks!