Feat for Druid at 6th Level and general Druid Help...

[Gina]

Hello All,

So, I have a druid who is about to hit 6th level. Current feats are

Brew Potion, Lightning Reflexes, and Great Fortitude

Natural spell seems....well, natural to take, but what others might be useful and/or good for me to become the "melee combat machine" my GM has challenged me to become! I fear I will never progress much beyond "small, melee wind-up toy", since my STR is only 10.

Rowan is human and we are playing 3.5

Stats:
Str: 10
Dex: 14
Con: 13
Int: 14
Wis: 18
Cha: 14 (probably should have put this one in STR, but what's done is done!)

I generally use a quarterstaff or a sling in combat. I have been summoning a lot lately too. Just got Wildshape at 6th level, so I have not had all that much experience with it yet.....

If you could help, that would be great....right now, we're in a steam filled enviornment...the Test of the Gods, Test of Purpose....sigh.

Thanks for any help you can offer!

Gina

 

[avatarolt]

I'm sorry, but Natural Spell is the 'natural' choice to take because it's the *only* 6th level feat for a Druid to take. It should be taken without fail at 6th level. There's nothing so game-shattering for your druid and allows for unbelievable flexibility.

p.s. Remember that you gain STR, DEX, and CON from your new form (3.5 -- 3.0 you wouldn't have received the CON bonus, IIRC)...once you hit 9th level or so, you should hit your melee stride. My role in the party changed from "hiding in the back" to "balling up front". But you're going to want to cast spells as a critter, trust. Animal growth changes *everything*.

 

[Nightfall]

Probably help if you described where you are, what your party is like, what your purpose is, etc.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I'm sorry, but Natural Spell is the 'natural' choice to take because it's the *only* 6th level feat for a Druid to take. It should be taken without fail at 6th level. There's nothing so game-shattering for your druid and allows for unbelievable flexibility.

I agree. Natural Spell is great because it means that you can basically remain in wildshape throughout an entire dungeon, saving your uses of wildshape only for when you want to change forms.

p.s. Remember that you gain STR, DEX, and CON from your new form (3.5 -- 3.0 you wouldn't have received the CON bonus, IIRC)

In 3.0 you got the Con bonus for skills/Fort Saves, etc. But you didn't get any extra hit points. I believe this is still the same in 3.5?

...once you hit 9th level or so, you should hit your melee stride. My role in the party changed from "hiding in the back" to "balling up front". But you're going to want to cast spells as a critter, trust. Animal growth changes *everything*.

As far as I know, wildshape does not change a druid's type to [Animal], and thus Animal Growth cannot be used on a wildshaped druid. His companion, yes; the druid himself, no.

But I agree that around 9th-level is when a druid starts to really shine. Flamestrike plus better combat forms to wildshape into mean one kick@ass druid.

 

[Cheiromancer]

Wildshape refers to polymorph, and the 3.5 polymorph does indeed change your type and sub-type. It also states that you gain the Strength, Dexterity and Constitution of the new form.

So the druid is an animal, and it gets the target's Constitution score.

The only problem is that the druid can't speak. Torcs of Speak with Animals for his companions is the normal way to deal with this.

 

[Michael Tree]

Torcs of Speak with Animals for his companions is the normal way to deal with this.

Or create a spell or magic item that lets the druid speak normally while in animal form.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Wildshape refers to polymorph, and the 3.5 polymorph does indeed change your type and sub-type. It also states that you gain the Strength, Dexterity and Constitution of the new form.

So now the wildshaped druid can be animal growthed and is immune to Hold Person, vampiric domination, etc while wildshaped?

And I thought druids were overpowered in 3.0!

 

[avatarolt]

Yes...but he's affected by a myriad of animal-only spells which can have a tendancy to be meaner.

But in 3.5e, they didn't throw in the part about no change in hitpoints -- you're right in that it was in there for 3.0 though. It's a pretty powerful un-nerfing...wouldn't be surprised if it went back again after whatever updates they plan to do for their next version.

Once you pick up Animal Growth and Flamestrike, you should have at least 3 "attack forms", if you want to think of it in terms of lumbering mecha that have nothing to do with the topic at hand (Transformers! More than meets the eye!)

You *should* have a set of spells for "blasting" -- Creeping Cold (consider extending)-Call Lightning Storm-Flamestrike...I tend to use these spells in combats where I need to deliver heavy damage but don't want to risk wading into combat.

There's a second set of spells for melee -- Bull's Strength, Bear's Endurance, Barkskin, Animal Growth -- yeah, you should share them all with your animal companion and the two of you should be wailing together.

The third set is pretty simple -- cat's grace/produce flame/small high-dex critter wildshape = another party archer.

The beauty of the druid is that the more experienced you get, the more *options* become viable. Even if you have a standardized set of spells you memorize, you should be able to fit 2-4 options in there by 9th level.

 

[jgsugden]

Wildshape refers to polymorph, and the 3.5 polymorph does indeed change your type and sub-type. It also states that you gain the Strength, Dexterity and Constitution of the new form.

So the druid is an animal, and it gets the target's Constitution score.

The question of whether your hit points change when wildshaped (due to a change in your con modifier via the polymorph effect) is *not* clear. Custserv has ruled it both ways. The sage has given advice on the issue saying that he does not see why you wouldn't, but his advice completely ignores the hit points comment in alter self that seems to be included in polymorph by reference. Andy Collins did not list this as one of the changes facing druids in 3.5 when he listed all the other changes, but he stopped answering questions before this one was put to him specifically.

Each DM has to decide on a rule for themself until this is established by errata.

In other words, DMs out there are split on this issue.

 

[Gina]

Probably help if you described where you are, what your party is like, what your purpose is, etc.

Let's see......we are currently deep below the ancient fortress of Alderslook, having come here by a long set of circumstances we are likely to be underground for some time, since the "Test of the Gods" that we have undertaken has nine tests in it and we are not through the first one.

In our current situation, we are in a maze of steam-filled tunnels and strange formations of melted rock that seems to be somewhat resistant to magic. We keep getting attacked by winged steam-babes who breathe scalding steam on us (ow, ow, ow) and some one legged, four armed thing that keeps stealing our stuff.

Our party has:

1 Riva: Dwarven Battlerager (Barbarian1/Fighter4, I think) who wades into battle immediately

2. Thaile: Rog1/Cleric4 (again, not 100% sure on this) archer, stays in the back unless she has no other options.

3. Tieran: Wizard 5; another archer and thrower of spells. Has a strange fascination with dead things......stays back unless there are no other options

4. Mor'Elandi; Elven Ranger/Wizard: archer, keeps to the back of the pary

5. Kytum-up, NPC Kobold warrior....front line fighter

So, then there's Rowan, my Druid. I tend to do some major healing, though now that our cleric has more healing available, I can do less of that and concentrate more on offensive spells.

Already, I have seen some great advice here. Oh, our group has ruled that HP don't change with Wildshape, easier bookkeeping that way among other things.

Gina/Rowan