Gimme some cool druid tactics!

[Rel]

Since you are ambushing with a number of druids - you can have them coordinate a nasty series of spells. I don't know how many you plan on hitting them with, but for arguments sake, let's use 4.

They can either lay in wait, or fly out to intercept the party. If the druids know where the party is going and just need to defend a point, then they can make it very nasty with plant growths to keep it dense and slow movement into the area. This gives them lots of time to layer on more spells while the party approaches.

But if they intercept cast some spike stones in a broad and thick pattern across the party's path while they are still off a little. A plant growth on either side of the path ensures the party will come up the path - though I'd suggest that it helps if the druids try to blend in the overgrowth to look natural (who better to know that). When the party gets closer have the entangles, briar webs and so forth cast behind the party - maybe catch a few on the edge, but really focus on boxing them in during the surprise round. This gives one apparent opening that has been trapped. Then drop an insect plague to fill in the box. The party will be forced to choose a path and this will likely split the party as well as possibly trapping one or slowing some down - either by the spike stones or the plant growth.

The druids can then fly around a tag team if you're feeling particularly nasty or each one can start dropping flaming spheres, produce flame, or flame strikes ontop of anyone trapped in the entangles. Summoned critters who can fly can be used to draw characters into more spike stones. Awakened trees set up in the area can get involved.

You could increase the carnage by laying snares attached to the awakend trees.

You could use wood shape to make normal trees appear to have facial features - so the players will be overly suspicious of every tree.

You could drop obscuring mists to further muck up the battle field to limit the players ability to coordinate.

 

[Kalendraf]

Why hello Kal
The biggest thing I can say as a druid is that wildshape is your friend. Without a mage in our group, I am basically the firepower so that's why my spell selection tends towards the "blow stuff up" side of things. That coupled with my ability to take to flying whenever I need to makes me extremely potent. A druid above level 7 or so should almost never be in their humanoid form IMHO.

Teneb, who plays the druid in my Tuesday campaign, mentions a couple of points here worth re-emphasizing.

In terms of firepower, a druid can be nearly on par with a wizard or sorcerer. This party lacks any arcane casters, besides a bard, and as a result, the druid fills in by taking those "blow stuff up" types of spells. As the party already has both a cleric and bard to fill in the healing and buffing roles, there's little need for the druid to resort to those types of spells. The party has 6 characters, which also reduces the need to call up summoned creatures to obtain flanking or provide extra blockers.

The ability to fly is very useful, though I don't consider it broken. It is after all a class ability. A character should make the most of their abilities if they can, and this is a fairly obvious use. Just remember that being airborn can lead to its own set of problems. Can make it easier for other flying creatures to reach you, easier for others to shoot at you, etc.

And Kal: because I have such a high Wis, I get TWO fifth level spells right off the bat. Be afraid.

Yeah, I'm sure the monsters are going to be getting toasted even more than before, but you'll likely need that extra firepower for the stuff coming up.

Be very afraid.

 

[Bloodsparrow]

Two words... "Air Elementals"...

Our Druid uses air elementals for just about anything... But mostly he uses them when we need to chase somebody/thing down. They can case just about anything at tremendous speed... Even brachiating demonic simions.

He just has them hoover their quarry up and bring them back, buffeting them about doing some subdual damage as they go. It's just insane how efficient the whole thing is.

 

[barsoomcore]

All I can say is what I said after my party (plus an unexpected druid) showed up in the BBEG's lair:

No matter how clever your enemies are, the sudden appearance of a rhinocerous will surprise just about anyone.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Personally, I don't really see a problem with letting druids cast in wild shape. They are burning an entire feat to do this, and they don't get many feats at all, especially if they are non-human.

Are you equally fair to wizards and sorcerers who burn an entire feat for still spell or silent spell and allow them to cast all their spells with the benefit of the feat at no penalty then?

 

[hong]

All I can say is what I said after my party (plus an unexpected druid) showed up in the BBEG's lair:

No matter how clever your enemies are, the sudden appearance of a rhinocerous will surprise just about anyone.

"No matter how tough that dire tiger is, a stilled harm will still ruin their day."

 

[Gina]

Are you equally fair to wizards and sorcerers who burn an entire feat for still spell or silent spell and allow them to cast all their spells with the benefit of the feat at no penalty then?

Both Still Spell and Silent Spell have the penalty in the feat description. This is not the case with Natural Spell.

So, that really isn't a valid argument in this case, in my opinion.