Fair trade for a Druid?

[Ragmon]

Spells are useful....but if you don't want to progress as a caster druid just go Master of Many Forms (CA).

 

[Herzog]

How about the Monk's AC bonus? I assume you already have a decent WIS, and you won't be wearing armor in wildshape when in animal form. Also, if you DO wear armor (using MoMF), it won't increase your AC to unnatural heights....

Or would that be to powerfull in exchange for full spellcasting....

 

[irdeggman]

How about gaining a good BAB progession and an increase in class HD to d10?

Both fit the theme of the PC (and makes it more warrior like) and only apply to the actual spell-casting class itself.

Note that the trade off would be that you have no spell list and as such could not use items (like wands) that rely on the class spell list (without UMD of course).

 

[Ragmon]

Oh and almost forgot the Druid is counted as one of the strongest core classes in D&D 3.x...
Spells (just about as useful as a clerics spell casting),
Shape Change (you can become a fighter)
Animal Companion (which in it self is an extra fighter in the group)
Good fort and will saves
4+int skills
d8 HP
And some additional useful class traits...

So yes in my opinion the druid is just fine the way it is.... it may even need a bit of down grading not upgrading.

 

[Trance-Zg]

That's why I love PHB2 variant of druid wildshaping.

Gives more versatility but removes that uber powerhouse mode druid.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

I don't know if 3.0 material is allowed, but Masters of the Wild had a Shifter PrC that had a 10 level Greater Wild Shape class ability progression.
This allowed for the addition of other types of creatures: (1-Humanoid, 2-Animal, Monstrous Humanoid, 3-Beast, Plant, 4-Giant, Vermin, 5-Magical Beast, 6-Aberration, Ooze, 7-Dragon, 8-Undead, Construct, 9-Elemental, Outsider)
...and various size progressions: (1-Small, Medium, 3-Large, Tiny, 5-Diminutive, 7-Huge, 10-Gargantuan).
...and other class abilities.
No spell progression. Not required to be a Druid to enter, but it helps.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

I don't know if 3.0 material is allowed, but Masters of the Wild had a Shifter PrC that had a 10 level Greater Wild Shape class ability progression.
This allowed for the addition of other types of creatures: (1-Humanoid, 2-Animal, Monstrous Humanoid, 3-Beast, Plant, 4-Giant, Vermin, 5-Magical Beast, 6-Aberration, Ooze, 7-Dragon, 8-Undead, Construct, 9-Elemental, Outsider)
...and various size progressions: (1-Small, Medium, 3-Large, Tiny, 5-Diminutive, 7-Huge, 10-Gargantuan).
...and other class abilities.
No spell progression. Not required to be a Druid to enter, but it helps.

Master of Many Forms IS the 3.5 update to Shifter, the book even says so directly.


And why are people suggesting things he already has with his gestalt build, like MoMF, full BAB (well, until warshaper kicks in on the ranger side, but he'll lose BAB from MoMF once leaving a "full BAB druid class" anyway), etc...?

 

[kitcik]

I come back to Swordsage maneuver/stance progression:
- can be used in (many) wild forms
- more versatile than just damage or AC bonus, although it can provide that
- wisdom based
- scales with level

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Master of Many Forms IS the 3.5 update to Shifter, the book even says so directly.

...I feel silly now. Indeed it is.
I need to reread Complete Adventurer, it's been a while since I looked in there...

 

[Fallenibilis]

Just one thing to say on OP: Never ever EVER EVER E V E R give up your casting.

For another idea, you can get monk attack progression plus natural attacks. Giving up spells for monk's unarmed strike seems fair trade to me.

Or you can make barbarian/fist of the forest/bear warrior/warshaper instead of druid. Sure it is only bear you turn into, but it is NINJA bear lol. And if you are dwarf throw in deep warden lvls to get 2xCON mod to AC.

Zesty and i are fully aware of the power of spellcasters but in our group Role Playing seems to be the most important thing. As for his race he's a Changling which goes along with the whole shapeshifting aspect of his character.