druid in a group without a cleric!! Help please!!

[Jazz]

I would like some advice of more experiencced players. I am playing a druid an a campain where our group has no cleric. In fact, I was playing the cleric character but he died and I decided to make a druid. My character is an elf at 7th level right now and he has the following stats:

ST 12 DEX 16 IQ 14 CON 14 WIS 21 CHA 14

Feats:

Improved Initiative, Nature Spell, Fast Wildshape

My dm allows elven druids to use their additional weapons, like long sword and bow.

The character has the ability to wild shape as a black bear 3 times a day.

What I would like to know is if i sould go straight druid or get a prestige class so that I can take the best of the druid in a group without any cleric.
The group is composed of:

7th level Elven Druid (my character), Human Rogue3/Ranger4, Human Barbarian7/Fighter1, 8th level Dwarven Fighter, 7 th Level Gnome Wizard, Human Psion7/Monk1, Human Fighter7/Deepwood Sniper 1, 7th Level Human Fighter.

So, what do u sugest in terms of feat and level progression for my character. Any prestige classes or straight druid?

Thanks a lot.

Best regards to you all.

Jazz

 

[Pielorinho]

I love playing a straight druid, and I encourage you to try the same thing.

Your lack of healing magic will be the group's greatest weakness. Rather than preparing all your spells as cure moderate wounds or the like, I encourage you to invest in a wand of cure light wounds, or cure moderate wounds if you have the need for it (i.e., if you're going to need good healing in the middle of combat). Cure light wound wands are cheaper, hit point per hit point (2.72 gp cost per hit point healed for a CLW wand, as opposed to 5.29 gp per hit point for a CMW wand), but in the middle of combat the cure moderate wound may keep someone alive.

You'll be great at scouting as a druid, and your party rogue is a good scouter. Druids rock most when they know the terrain and type of enemy they're facing: they have many spells that are wonderful against specific opponents or in specific terrains and useless the rest of the time (entangle, quench, anti-vermin, transmute rock to mud, etc.) Scout, scout, scout.

You get scry earlier than anyone else. Use it!

Also, you may have a misconception about wild-shape. Although you can choose only one wild-shape form each time you use the power, you can choose a different wildshape form each time you use the power. The "only one form" restriction just keeps you from turning into a dog, then a bird, then a bear all in one use of the power. You can wild shape three times to turn into a penguin, a donkey, and a python without any troubles: as long as you've seen the creature before and you meet the criteria for turning into it, you can do it. It's a very versatile power. If your DM doesn't believe you, ask them to check in here, and we'll set them straight.

Daniel

 

[Jazz]

So , what magic items do you think that I should try to get?
The campain is in scarred lands, so we also have access to the rituals and relics 1 and 2 for items. But our GM dont like to give a lot of magic items to the players, and we also have a lack of financial resources (i have only 800 gp available).
So what should I try to get to my druid, besides the wand of healing?

Thanks again.

Jazz

 

[Pielorinho]

So , what magic items do you think that I should try to get?
The campain is in scarred lands, so we also have access to the rituals and relics 1 and 2 for items. But our GM dont like to give a lot of magic items to the players, and we also have a lack of financial resources (i have only 800 gp available).
So what should I try to get to my druid, besides the wand of healing?

Do you mean he's only letting you purchase 800 gp of equipment for a 7th-level character? Or do you get normal starting equipment?

Daniel

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Well, with 800 gp you are set for now with the Wand, but later:

A Periapt of Wisdom is very important if you prefer casting spells. If you prefer wildshape for combat, an Amulet of Health is better, since you can really use the extra hp... Since you are Elf it might be even more important - but since you are elf and are allowed to use your elven weapons, your "natural" form might be a good choice. In this case, consider using your longbow. For melee you could use either a Longsword or a Longspear. With the typical low AC of a Druid, the Longspear might be better for melee...

You will often have problems with your Armor Class in animal form, so consider a Wilding (?) Armor (an enhancement that allows you to use your armor bonus of the armor in animal form).

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[Jazz]

To clarify:
I have basic equipment, but nothing magical, plus a magic scimitar (+2 hit) and a magic box made of leaves that enhances my wisdom. And only 800 gold pieces available. Our group has no money at all, thats one of our complaints with the gm. We are not being well paid for the adventures.

 

[Pielorinho]

That's a little bit harsh. Were I you, I'd look to sell that scimitar: a druid doesn't need to rely on weapons for fighting, and if you can get a good price for it, you could put the money to something far more useful, such as bracers of armor+2 (this is if you'll be using 3.5 rules, in which your equipment will stay on any form that can plausibly wear it -- woo hoo!).

Are folks hiring you to do adventures? Unless there's real competition in the adventuring market, you guys should consider becoming better bargainers. When the NPC offers to pay you each 500 gp to go slay the wyverns (or whatever), say, "No can do, bub. If we do this for you, you're going to get your wizard butt down to your workshop and make us the following magical items, with an average value of 3,000 gp for each one of us." You'll enjoy the look in your DM's eyes as he realizes that your guys are perfectly willing to walk away from his adventure hook if he doesn't increase the amount of treasure .

Daniel

 

[melkoriii]

For Druids you want to go with Wands.

There is a spell in Masters of the Wild

Cant remember the names but they are like

Minor, Light, Mediam.....

It Duration is 10 rounds always
heals 1 HP a round for light, 2 a round for Medium and so on.

Great for after combat heals also good for fighters near low HPs in combat as if they drop below 0 they stablize and start healing.

Having a Wand of these spells is great for a Druid.

 

[sinmissing]

Personally, if you are the party's healer, I would forfeit the fast wildshape ability.

Wildshaping is going to be a bigger strain on your party now that there is not another character to cast healing spells.

I would swap fast wildshape with craft wand. This will save you the aggravation of having to memorize all those healing spells. Just make a wand.

Making wands can also spread the support role to the other ranger, since you will both be able to use wands of CLW, and CMW.

Furthermore, depending on the nature of your party, you might want to take the feat "Ranged Touch Attack". Then you can make ranged wands of CLW. Pretty cool, because neither you or the ranger will be forced to stay close to the healing sponges.

my 2 cents.

 

[Spatula]

There is a spell in Masters of the Wild

Cant remember the names but they are like

Minor, Light, Mediam.....

It Duration is 10 rounds always
heals 1 HP a round for light, 2 a round for Medium and so on.

Great for after combat heals also good for fighters near low HPs in combat as if they drop below 0 they stablize and start healing.

Having a Wand of these spells is great for a Druid.

The spells are Regenerate Light, Moderate, Serious, and Critical Wounds. But they only heal damage suffered while the spell is in effect, so if you cast one on an already injured party member it doesn't do him much good.