Help creating Lizardfolk Barbarian1/Druid8

[Eye Tyrant]

Like I said, Mmu:

Fights in watery environments against indigenous opponents go badly for PCs.


It's more work to -not- kill PCs in a watery environment than it is to kill them. If you want to pull your punches the real trick lies in not making it seem like you went soft on 'em just to be nice.

Looking at the creatures available, if I hold off on the giant types, it shouldn't get too nasty. Have a couple of normal crocs, maybe buffed a little since they only have a +6 grapple (but then again that natural environment kicks in). The Druid himself and his companion will probably receive the majority of the buff spells though.

 

[Eye Tyrant]

Sounds like you want to make this fellow a Nature's Warrior prestige class from Complete Warrior. Keep in mind, however, that a lizardfolk is equivalent to a 3rd-level PC (2d8 racial HD +1 level adjustment). Thus, a Bbn1/Dru 8 lizardfolk is actually a 12th level character.

I played an orc Bbn 1/Druid 7/Nature's Warrior 1, and he was ferocious in battle! A real terror when he shifted to dire ape form, considering party buffs, self buffs, reach and rend!

Yes! Thank you! That is perfect!

I have purchased so many new books lately, I haven't had a chance to get through them all completely, but hey thats a good thing

 

[Nail]

And please, tell me you're not one of those 'So it is written, so mote it be!' types that think the rules are sacrosanct and non-expandable?? That's what the majority of your post came across as - no offense, I'm gaming with several people of that type on a weekly basis

Sorry to hear that!

Don't get me wrong: I like flexibility and creativity and all o' that dreck. (Who doesn't??) But you do need to stick to the rules (within reason)...after all, the rules make the game fun! Not only do they define the possible, but they allow the use of strategy and reasoning and roleplaying -- all good things, IMHO.

As to my post's tone: Hey, it's the Rules forum! Ain't it th' truth!!?

Diving for cover (and looking innocent)....(snip)

Those sound fine...again, as long as the PCs have some chance to detect and respond to such "hidden-ness". Since we're talking about mid-level PCs, it's quite likely 1 or more of them will have absolutely phenomenal Spot and Listen checks...and will be able to find the spell-casting druid. Not immediately, perhaps....but soon, I assure you.

Keep in mind that the Natural Spell feat does not remove the somatic or verbal components for a spell; it just chages them so that the druid can cast in animal form. So.....if the PCs can see or hear him, they can see or hear his spell casting. And the spell casters should be allowed some Spellcraft checks. Besides: It's D&D! You don't expect archer fish to cast spells at you???

Spellcraft is useful even on those Plant Growth-ed areas. That's the point of that skill.

SPELLCRAFT (INT; TRAINED ONLY)
Use this skill to identify spells as they are cast or spells already in place.

I tend to speak in more 'poetic' terms (your word usage, not mine) than most, but I find that enthusiasm helps me describe things in a more exciting way when I GM.

I also tend to heavily use creative licensing when drafting tactical advice to people - it's far more important to me to juice up their own creativity than to tell them how to do something.

It's all good......

 

[Darklone]

Yeah, druid 9 is all that matters...

Tease the PCs a little bit with one or two summoned animals at once every hour. Remember that a protection from evil will neutralize the summoning. Once the PCs got used to being attacked by animals, summon several ones and wildshape into one of them! Animal growth... and the PCs are in for a world of hurt (though I expect the spellcasters to tport/Ddoor away). Ever been attacked by 6 giant octopi which have been enhanced by Animal Growth? Reach 40 ft? Even flying isn't going to move the PCs out of range fast enough. That druid should pick Combat Reflexes at all costs

 

[Kalendraf]

Remember that a protection from evil will neutralize the summoning.

One option for the druid is to follow up his summoned monsters with a dispel magic targetting a character with Protection from Evil. Works well when that character starts thinking they are safe and winds up split off from the main group. After the dispel magic hits them (assuming it is successful), they are suddenly swarmed by the summoned beasties! Good targets are lightly armored foes like wizards/sorcs or rogues. If they get lucky, the dispel magic can take down a whole bunch of other buff spells as well.

 

[Tilla the Hun (work)]

If you are looking at the natures warrior and/or the summoning of crocs for them to run into, it sounds like you may have your mind up as far as the style of the encounter goes... But let me bounce an idea off you real quick for a slightly different style...

Using the Barb1 + Druids Wildstride + Natural Terrain for a Lizardman, you've got abilities that will let you move through the swamp with absolutely no hindrance whatsover - as opposed to the party, unless they start wasting fly spells, etc.

Have the druid pop out of -literally- no where, hurl a single spell (SNA is great, others like entangle also rock), and then dissappear back into the marsh. With any luck, the high spot char will see him running away and make to follow... With a little effort on the druids part, this whole combat scene can turn into a long guerrilla style combat with the druid sniping, running, and leaving nasty ambushes (SNA, charmed animals, animal friends, etc.) behind as he runs away.

Not to mention, he can lure the party to some of the nastier denizens of the swamp (natural crocs, etc.) with relative ease once the party knows there is an enemy hiding out in these here parts . Natural terrain will also be the source of endless discomfort from bugs (ever been in a -real-thick swamp? Once you start sweating, you're a fricking smorgasboard to all the insects!)

Run it like a Viet Cong vs American Infantry running fight through the thicks of the swamp. By the end of the day, the druid, whose been conserving his spells, can concentrate on the party and give them an extremely rough time during the evening, robbing them of spells (no rest = no spells) for the morrow. Summon Swarm, SNA, or even just ask some local animals (snakes in the bedrolls?) to come visit

Then let them see the dragon on the second day... They'll freak with little or no magic support . 'Course, don't throw that dragon at them right then - that would probably be a TPK... Then harass them all day long with the lizardman shaman running guerrilla style warfare again .


Just a little different style, and now you can 'pull' punches and fudge dice/tactics whenever necessary to re-enforce the 'difficulty' class to the precise degree you want, without unnecessarily risking the party (unless they do something insane, like see dragon, cast flight, and pursue... with no spells, no buffs... they would deserve to lose that fight!)

On the second day, the lizardman shaman can 'lure' them to the black dragons lair to dispose of them - just be sure to have him fubar the lure to the point the players do figure it out in time to camp... The shaman leaves, figuring they are kaput from the dragon, but they have time to sleep, prep, etc. for the dragon.


Run that jungle/swamp combat right to the narrow edge of life/death for them - they'll not likely forget... throw in some off the wall tactics (SNA - Crocodile, 20' UP the tree.... drops down on party etc.) for even more memorability.

Change off the standard tactic of 'heres combat, heres bbeg, kill him' to 'heres combat, heres bbeg, heres BIG bbeg, survive the first well enough to tackle the second, then kill the first!'

Just an idea !


Oh, and for Komodo Dragons, WotC posted a thing sometime ago - use the monitor lizard stats, change the description, and advance the monster per the MM rules until desired size is reached.

Freaks out players to fight Komodo Dragons in swamps... 'specially 10' long ones

As to the offtopic - all I have to say is the same as someones sig around here - "The rules should serve the game, the game should not serve the rules"...