Druids suck? vs Shape Change and Polymorph

[Paul9000]

So, I have been playing a druid for several months and have now reached level 12. I have been sticking to the animal forms as that is all I can do, but recently I prestige classed to a MOMF and can now do giant and humanoid. Then I started reading the WOTC forum related to shape changing and I was wondering -- WHAT THE HECK IS THE POINT OF PLAYING A DRUID... if you can duplicate his powers with polymorph and the shape change spell, which I believe is far superior to the druids wild shape ability.

Please someone tell me why druids are better than wizards with a polymorph/shape change and don't say its because they get Resist Nature's Lure . Even the druid gets the shape change spell at level 17 so who needs wild shape after that level. Shape change would last for 3 hours and I could change once per round as a free action to something that is double my HD. Am I missing something?

 

[Thanee]

Duration 1h/level.

Other than that, while Polymorph is surely more powerful than Wildshape, druids have a few other benefits, like better BAB, HP, Saves, skill points, etc. Also with Natural Spell they can be pretty hard to identify as spellcasters even while casting spells.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Jdvn1]

a) Having to wait that many levels for a spell that high a level kind of sucks. Druids can wildshape pretty early in their careers, and they get it multiple times per day.
2) Cure spells. Really handy.
iii) Druids don't have to buy spells, or put them in a book--they know all of their possible spells
D) Druids have a better hit die and BAB than Wizards, and so make much better fighter-types
cinco) There are lots of Wildshape feats that come in really handy

 

[DevoutlyApathetic]

You get one at 5th level and the other at 17th.

Clearly they should both be completely equal in power.

 

[Grogtar]

Oh Gee. Maybe its that druids get everything.

They have a full 1-9 spell progression full of damn fine spells. And they get better with EVERY splat book.

They have wild shape, total versatility. At 12th level you have a variety of Str 28 or 30 monsters you can turn into for combat. A few Spot +10 for scouting. A bunch of Con 25+ to heal a bit or take some dmg.

You also get a progression of excellent abilities ALL THE WAY up your leveling tree.

Put your Druid side by side with a Cleric, and look at what clerics get and what druids get. Then you will see. Clerics get their 1-9 spellcasting and turn undead. THATS IT.

Druids get 1-9 Spell Casting, Wild Shape (Which is quite literally infinate in its uses) and a full line up of level abilities. Its a 20 level prestige class.

On the WOTC Character Optimization Boards Druid 20 is considered one of the most powerfull builds.

 

[satori01]

So while you are Wildshaped into a Dire Ape, and still able to use most of your equipment, you can stop and cast Infestation of Maggots from Complete Divine on someone.

 

[Felix]

Because Druids are cool?

Seriously. I'm scotch-irish, so maybe I have a bias thinking that celts and their priests were hard-hitting S.O.B.'s. And that Merlin in King Arthur and his fellow Woads make great druids.

Wild Shape also comes into the game much earlier than those spells. Your druid will have been shaping for 12 levels when the wizard finally gets Shapechange. And comparing to Polymorph... Wild Shape lasts longer and you always have the option to switch out to something else, unlike polymorph.

Finally, a druid with Wild Shape doesn't have to spend one of his 9th level slots on Shapechange. Ask yourself which is better... A Wizard with Shapechange or a Druid with Wild Shape and a Storm of Vengance or an Elemental Swarm.

----

By the way, many classes have beef with the wizard/cleric because they have spells that mirror their class abilities.
Find Traps
Tenser's Transformation
Discern Location
Find the Path
Spiderclimb

Et cetera. So the question is, why is anyone playing any class besides a full caster? What are we missing?

Because it's fun?

 

[Infiniti2000]

Wildshape does not provoke an AoO and you can use it while grappled. The wizard cannot polymorph once he is grappled unless he has prepared it with Still spell (5th level spell now) and Eschew Materials (or happens to miraculously have it in hand) and then he still needs to make a nontrivial DC 24 Concentration check. Also, wildshape cannot be dispelled though it goes away in an antimagic field.

Probably the biggest benefit of wildshape, though, is animal growth and other druidic buff spells that the wizard does not have and cannot even cast while in animal form.

 

[Paul9000]

Ok, yes I wasn't arguing that druids are slightly better fighters than wizards, I was comparing their wild shape ability to the spells that allow you to do the same. If you are able to get as a Druid the Shape Change spell at 17th lvel what is the point of getting the ability to change into a huge elemental of 17 HD when I could do Gargantuan of 34 HD with shape change?

Paul

 

[Infiniti2000]

Why are you stuck on comparing a 5th level ability with a 17th level ability? I think the differences between wildshape and a spell are clear, so what more are you looking for?