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Message: <blockquote data-quote="sskoog" data-source="post: 4870373" data-attributes="member: 29803">Thanks, all, for your diverse qualitative *and* quantitative inputs;  wanted to lay low for a few days to collect data (and I'm still very interested in collecting more, so keep 'em coming) before synthesizing. I've busily been following these suggestions, and have attempted five or six 4E char-conversions (almost to the point where I'm sick of doing char-gen for a little while).  Have learned a few interesting lessons along the way;  they read like blanket generalizations, which I don't intend, but take the gist/spirit for what it's worth. -- I [the player] am loath to part with Wizard spellbook flexibility-- Traditional [PHB1] multiclassing quickly becomes feat-consumptive-- Wild Shape requires a heavy investment before becoming "good"    (here, of course, I mean "good" in the combat/mechanics sense)-- Hybrid combos, though subtler, seem to offer more bang-for-buck    (perhaps I really mean to say "Hybrids are the most 3E-like" ??)-- Druid may be one of those classes ill-suited to combination    (barring obvious overlaps like Druid-Ranger, Druid-Shaman, etc.) And my handful of Druid/Wizard-flavored combinations tried to date:[Note... GM has recently announced level 12 for our conversions] Druid Multiclass into Wizard (3 Wiz powers) Though combat-sufficient in his own right, this may qualify as the "weakest" build;  the char is single-dimensional and incurs a great deal of "feat opportunity cost" to dabble in wizardly stuff.  I am compelled to agree with other posters that pure-Druid would be as good or better here. Wizard Multiclass into Druid (3 Druid powers) Pleasing flavor-wise (Wild Shape and flight are gained here), but possibly shares the pure-Wizard's combat liability (nickel and dime opponent, fail to make an appreciable dent, opponent end-runs or vanquishes defender(s), then pounds Wizard into hamburger).  Feat opportunity-cost is high, as noted above.  This combination might be slightly preferable to the Druid-multiclassing-into-Wizard, for sheer merit of the "getaway" [evade/escape] options.  All things considered, I find this mix superior to pure-Wizard. Druid-Wizard Hybrid (without Paragon Path) Very rich in terms of flavor and versatility.  This build will not be able to hold its own as a 100% melee-spellcaster or wildshaper, but seems able to survive a few rounds [Predator's Flurry, Latch On, Armor of Wild, etc.].  This build's Wizard powers are a heavy blend of defensive and blast-at-20-range, with a couple of summons thrown in for taste.  A possible shortcoming is "loner" configuration (i.e., not as 4E group-effective in terms of buffs, cooperative slides/opportunities, etc.).  This mix is also superior to pure-Wizard, but pure-Druid could almost certainly outfight it. Druid-Wizard Hybrid (Paragon Path = Blood Mage) Thematically very similar to previous (non-Paragon) Hybrid above.  Loses some higher-level Druid beast-form combat efficacy so as to gain the early Blood Mage powers (innates, Blood Pulse, Soul Burn, etc.).  Definitely more damage-capable, but verges toward a 'Glass Cannon' build (there's very little Druid in this mixture).  Still a loner. Druid-Invoker Hybrid (without Paragon Path) Probably more combat-effective (lots of daze, immobilize, radiant + thunder), and probably more effective with a group, but still feels somewhat one-dimensional.  The powers accrued by this build (bow down or take damage, look upon my face and despair, etc.) give me a strong being-who-is-losing-his-humanity vibe, which I like... but perhaps not at the cost of the more scholarly wizardly stuff.  (Rituals help to partially seal this gap.)  Beast-form feels almost like a forced fit here, and, bluntly, there are so many heavy-hitter Invoker powers that each Druid level feels like a lost opportunity. Druid-Invoker Hybrid (Paragon Path = Blightspeaker) As above;  takes the losing-humanity angle still further with I-steal-your-life, I-suffuse-the-battlefield-with-necrotic-energy, etc.  Some higher-level beastform effectiveness is lost here (so as to qualify for the Paragon powers), but interestingly it doesn't seem to hamper the build in this particular case... this may hint at pure-Invoker trumping Druid-Invoker, stat synergies notwithstanding. ======================================== I'm sure there are other combinations (Shaman, Warden) I haven't considered...?</blockquote>

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