Can druids be effective without Wildshape specialisation?

[Errant]

So, I was thinking about playing a druid and looking around at a few threads, and I got the distinct impression that you have to plan your feats and tactics around Wildshaping to be effective. In battle at the very least.

Am I missing something? Are there tactics that don't revolve around Wildshaping?

I have a nasty habit of always wanting to go against the flow (except with paladins, but thats another thread ), so any tips or observations anyone would like to offer would be welcome.

Cheers,

 

[BiggusGeekus]

In a dungeon? I'd argue that wildshaping is your friend.

Druid spells have nice long ranges and have a lot of them meant for outdoor only. If you're in a wilderness game, you can do plenty. Even the much-maligned Enlarge Spell metamagic feat can be nasty in an outdoor campaign when placed on Entangle. You can zap the bad guys from 900 feet away! Imagine your oppenent is the distance of three football fields (American football that is) away and you hit them with entangle. Now your archers go to work. Ka-pow!

But you can't take advantage of the long ranges and wide areas in a typical dungeon. So wildshaping to polar bear is going to be your main thing.

 

[Errant]

Yes BiggusGeekus, thanks, but that just reinforces the concept that druids are gimped without resorting to Wildshape.

Is it really impossible to make a druid that focuses on wielding the elements and forces of nature through his spells (for instance) instead of Wildshaping as his primary tactic?

Obviously, with an ability as useful as Wildshape, not to mention an animal companion/s, at his disposal I don't expect a druid's spells to compete full on with a wizard's, but IMO its a sad case if the druid really is a one-trick pony.

 

[Klaus]

There are some very good Druid spells that allow him to not rely on Wildshape.

Flame Blade is just 2nd level, has a duration of 1 min./level (sure to last at least for even the longest fights). You wield it as a scimitar (which, IMHO means that you benefit from Weapon Focus (scimitar)) and you deal fire damage equal to 1d8 + 1/3 your level (max +10). Imagine a Dervish/Druid whirling around with one of these and delivering touch attacks by the score, promptly ignoring most of the ACs in the game. Couple with Energy Substitution, the druid's fire spells are great!

 

[MacMathan]

IMC the "druid as summoner" type has been very effective in or out of dungeons.

Dungeons limit the application of animal growth some what, if they are tight on space, but otherwise I find 3.5 druids to be useful to the party no matter the environment (unlike in 1e & 2e)

 

[NCSUCodeMonkey]

So, I was thinking about playing a druid and looking around at a few threads, and I got the distinct impression that you have to plan your feats and tactics around Wildshaping to be effective. In battle at the very least.

Am I missing something? Are there tactics that don't revolve around Wildshaping?

I have a nasty habit of always wanting to go against the flow (except with paladins, but thats another thread ), so any tips or observations anyone would like to offer would be welcome.

Cheers,

I've seen druids played effectively without focusing on wildshape, their spells are so versatile that it's hard for them to be ineffective. That being said, I do think it's worth it to at least pick up the wildshape casting feat. Wildshape is about more than changing into a bear and wading into melee. It grants many modes of movement and size alteration that really come in handy. So, you don't have to focus on wildshape, but I wouldn't ignore it either

NCSUCodeMonkey

 

[Errant]

There are some very good Druid spells that allow him to not rely on Wildshape.

Flame Blade is just 2nd level, has a duration of 1 min./level ... delivering touch attacks ...

Touch attacks! I forgot that bit, that'll definitely go in my bag of tricks. Cool.

Hmm, I wonder if you can combine Flame Blades with Two Weapon Fighting and Two Weapon Defense...

 

[DragonLancer]

While I haven't seen a lot of druids played under 3.X but from what I've seen the spells that they have are not so effective unless scenarios are primarilly wilderness or nature based. IMX unless they use the wildshape ability they are giving up on their primary mode of combat.

 

[The Druid Merlin]

How about this?
4 Star General Stupid Druid: She had an assortment of animal compainions. They included a pig-sized goldfish who's sheer destructive power rivaled the gods, a 30 foot mobile statue of the Egyptian cat goddess Bast, a floating flaming skull named Skeleton (named by the druid, of course), a retarded Nightmare, and a ranger cat-girl. All at fouteenth level. In Second Edition. This was in Faerûn. Absolutely unbalanced idiot.

 

[Andor]

While I haven't seen a lot of druids played under 3.X but from what I've seen the spells that they have are not so effective unless scenarios are primarilly wilderness or nature based. IMX unless they use the wildshape ability they are giving up on their primary mode of combat.

What exactly does a druid lose indoors aside from the entangle line of spells? Even Call Lightning works inside now. Druids are more effective in the wilderness sure. They ain't exactly pansies in close quarters. They are capable melee combatants even standing upright. They are the second best blaster types in the game. (Third if you have psions.) They are the strongest summoners in the games. (Again Psions can be better if you use the minds eye stuff.) They have poison, call lightning, flame strike, wall spells. Wild Shape is just icing on the cake, since anything a druid can turn into, he can summon long before.