Essentials: Druid Preview Is Up!

[FireLance]

I noticed that the Druid's Companion gets two of the Druid's stats (WIS and CON) to damage to compensate for a lack of magic items. I can already hear the Beastmaster Ranger crying into his ale.

I think the beastmaster ranger isn't that badly off. One of the beast at-wills, predator strike deals 1 + beast's Strength modifier + ranger's Wisdom modifier damage, increasing to 2 + beast's Strength modifier + ranger's Wisdom modifier at 21st level. Once per round, he gets quarry bonus damage on a hit, and if the animal companion is a wolf attacking with combat advantage, he gets to add the wolf's Wisdom modifier to damage as well.

Which seems to me too high. He already get's a +3/5 build in for lacking an enhancement bonus, why does he also need a striker damage feature?

Let's assume starting with 18/16 and eight increases:

Druid:
26 Wis = +8
24 Con = +7
Fix = +5
Total= 2[W]+20

I agree it's on the high end for a non-striker character, but most strikers can do better. The slayer is probably an extreme example, but at 30th level, his melee basic attack damage works out to:

26 Str = +8
Epic Slayer = +8 +7 (for 24 Dex)
Enhancement = +6
Battle wrath stance = +4
Total = 2[W] + 33 without additional bonuses from feats and other magic items.

A warpriest would be looking at 2[W] + 14 damage for his at-will attacks, including a +8 bonus from Wisdom and a +6 bonus from enhancement. However, assuming getting the animal companion to attack is also a standard action, the sentinel druid is trading off some extra effect for the bonus damage: the warpriest could be granting himself or an ally resistance to all damage, an extra saving throw, or bonus damage (putting him almost on par with the druid) as an effect (no successful attack roll necessary) with his standard action.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I really hope they do share a set of actions, or our beastmaster ranger and summoner wizard in our campaign will be shedding tears of envy. Unless the update how summoned creatures/animal companions work to have they're own set of actions.

Sorry to repeat myself, but they must share a set of actions, otherwise noone would ever play a striker again.

And WotC will not allow a character to do twice as much damage as anything else. Don´t be silly.

 

[Klaus]

The table lists "Wilderness Knacks" for the druid. These could possibly include something along the lines of "With a minor action, you can command your animal companion to take a standard or move action" or something to that effect.

I'd like to see winter druids with tiger companions and autumn druids with eagle companions.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

minor acton 1d12+x attack at will is still too much... it won´t happen. Both companions bring a great bonus for just standing around...

minor for a move acion however seems reasonable.

 

[captainspud]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but do the companions' defenses not scale? They appear to be fixed at their starting values.

 

[NMcCoy]

It says to add your level to the defenses.

 

[Pseudonym]

Nifty writeup. A Summer Druid with the Staff Mastery feat doing d12 with reach 1 is not too shabby, plus you get a bear too, which is nice.

 

[TheClone]

IAnd all those people who THINK animal companions deserve their own action budget forget that the action cost of using companions, summons, et al is offset by the ability to set up combat advantage or any other tactical positions and/or be at range from where the action is.

I still think. Maybe not in terms of balancing, but you could balance it if you wanted to. I never played a beastmaster, but having two living and thinking creatures tying their actions together does feel strange. But that is just seeing it from the simulationists view.

I'd like to see winter druids with tiger companions and autumn druids with eagle companions.

Why a tiger in winter? I would prefer something more winter-like. (Maybe an orc? )

Nifty writeup. A Summer Druid with the Staff Mastery feat doing d12 with reach 1 is not too shabby, plus you get a bear too, which is nice.

That sounds like a really amazing build. Not in rule terms, but a staff fighting druid with his bear or wolf is just the right picture. Cool

 

[TerraDave]

Based on what we have seen, my fave essential class so far, and one I would like to play vs two ("core" druid and shaman) that I wouldn't.

A nice combination of essentials simpler, 4E language and the original class. (Shifting might still be in the dailies or utilities or at higher tiers of play).

Includes some good throwback language in the opening:

As long as creatures live within the cycle of nature, a druid lives and lets live...Balance is the key to maintaining nature’s integrity.

 

[Klaus]

Why a tiger in winter? I would prefer something more winter-like. (Maybe an orc? )

Siberian Tiger FTW!