Help Wanted: Dryad LA

[reanjr]

Suggested Level Adjustment for a dryad without Tree Dependent and entangle only once per day?

Gut instinct is +1, but I'm looking for other views. My reasoning is that they have fairly poor HP (d6) and poor BAB (+1/2), making them worse on that front than any other class but sorcerer/wizard. They do have a good number of skill points (6), but of course a monster skill points are very limited in scope. Over 4 levels (hit dice), they are compensated by really good ability mods (+8 Dex, +8 Cha, +4 Int, +4 Wis), low-light vision, DR 5/cold iron (no armor proficiency, +3 natural armor), and wild empathy as druid. This seems like a reasonable set of abilities for a 5th level character with poor melee capabilities (and missing a hit die to boot).

Here's the pertinent info:

Dryad
Size/Type: Medium Fey
Hit Dice: 4d6 (14 hp)
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Base Attack: +2
Armor Class: +3 natural
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/cold iron, wild empathy
Saves: Good Reflex and Will
Abilities: Dex +8, Int +4, Wis +4, Cha +8
Skills: Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Hide, Knowledge (nature), Listen, Move Silently, Ride, Spot, Survival, Use Rope
Challenge Rating: 3

Spell-Like Abilities

At will—speak with plants, tree shape; 3/day— entangle, charm person, deep slumber, tree stride; 1/day—suggestion. Caster level 4th (my mod from 6th). The save DCs are Wisdom-based.

Wild Empathy (Ex)

This power works like the druid’s wild empathy class feature, except that the dryad has a +6 racial bonus on the check.

 

[monboesen]

IMO thats way way too cheap. Good skills and a decent skill list (at least 4 very good skills), wild empathy, some very nice spell like abilities and rocking stat adjustments (+24 total !). Natural armor +3 and a hard to beat Damage reduction of 5/cold iron. Its got to be at least +2 or +3.

A dryad will make a great rogue. Lose out some sneak attack and a bit of BAB, gains in every other department. Try comparing these two 10th level, 25 pt buy builds. Note that the Dryad has better skills even though it payed cross class price for many of them at the first 4 hd.

Rogue 10
Half-elf, Medium humanoid
Hit Points: 48 (10d6+10)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft (10 squares).
Armor Class: 16 (+3 Dex, +3 armor)
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+7
Attack: Rapier +10 melee (1d6)
Full Attack: Rapier +10/+5 melee (1d6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Sneak attack +5d6
Special Qualities: Improved evasion, Improved uncanny dodge, Trap sense +3, Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +10 Will +2
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 12
Skills: Climb +13, Disable device +15, Jump +7, Hide +16, Listen +12, Move Silent +16, Open lock +16, Search +15, Sleight of hand +16, Spot +12, Tumble +13
Feats: 1/Dodge, 3/Weapon finesse, 6/Mobilty, 9/Spring attack

Rogue 5
Dryad, medium fey
Hit Points: 43 (9d6+9)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 30 ft (10 squares).
Armor Class: 23 (+7 Dex, +3 armor, +3 natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+5
Attack: Rapier +12 melee (1d6)
Full Attack: Rapier +12 melee (1d6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Sneak attack +3d6,
Special Qualities: Evasion, Uncanny dodge, Trap sense +1, Damage reduction 5/cold iron, Low-light vision, Wild empathy +11, At will—speak with plants, tree shape; 3/day— entangle, charm person, deep slumber, tree stride; 1/day—suggestion. Caster level 4th. The save DC’s are 12+spell level.
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +16 Will +6
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 25, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 20
Skills: Climb +13, Disable device +15, Jump +7, Hide +16, Listen +12, Move Silent +16, Open lock +16, Search +15, Sleight of hand +16, Spot +12, Tumble +13, +7 rogue skill points not spent.
Feats: 1/Dodge, 3/Weapon finesse, 6/Mobilty, 9/Spring attack

 

[Nifft]

Those ability bonuses are really, really good. Even with the lame Fey HD, that's a very strong Rogue or Ranger (archery path) right there. If she's allowed to leverage her Charisma somehow, that could be a very strong PC.

Here's my suggestion:

Fey Gift [General]
You have partially awakened your latent Fey blood.
Prereq: Elf
Benefit: You are attuned to Nature, particularly your own. You gain a +4 bonus to any save vs. effects of the Enchantment school. This replaces (does not stack with) your innate Elven racial bonus vs. Enchantments.
Penalty: You are treated as a Fey for all magical effects that target or require a Fey to activate. Under the Core rules, this is largely negative -- you are now a valid target for Fey-bane weapons. However, at your DM's option, and should you have the opportunity to acquire them, you may use the arrows of a Pixie or Grig.
Special: This feat is a prerequisite for several Fey themed Prestige Classes. Some are presented below.


Dryad as Racial Paragon

Prereqs:
Race: Elf (female-only?)
Alignment: Any non-Lawful, non-Evil
Special: Fey Gift (see below)

Benefits:
HD: d6
BAB: Poor (as Wizard)
Good Saves: Reflex, Will / Bad Save: Fortitude
Skill Points: 6 + Int bonus
Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Any) (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana, geography, nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (any)(Cha), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex)

[u]
Level   BAB   F/R/W	Special Abilities [/u]
1	+0   +0/2/2	Fey Gift, Wild Empathy, DR 1/cold iron
2	+1   +0/3/3	Int +2, Spell 1
3	+1   +1/3/3	DR 2/cold iron, Dex +2, Cha +2
4	+2   +1/4/4	Wis +2, Spells 2, Natural Armor +1
5	+2   +1/4/4	DR 3/cold iron, Dex +2, Cha +2
6	+3   +2/5/5	Spells 3, Natural Armor +2
7	+3   +2/5/5	DR 4/cold iron, Dex +2, Cha +2
8	+4   +2/6/6	True Fey, Spells 4

Special Abilities :

• Fey Gift : If this class is the character's first level, she gains this feat as a free bonus feat. Otherwise, she must possess this feat to qualify for the paragon class.
  
• Wild Empathy (Ex): This power works like the druid’s wild empathy class feature, except that the dryad has a +6 racial bonus on the check.
  
• Spells 1, 2, 3 and 4: The Dryad has a choice. She may elect to gain either spell-like abilities which scale with her total HD or spellcaster level +1 as a Druid or a Bard. Once chosen, this ability does not vary.
  
  The Dryad may choose +1 spellcaster level for a class in which she does not yet have any levels.
  
  If the Dryad chooses spell-like abilities instead, she gains the following spell-like abilities, with caster level equal to total character level:
  • Spells 1 (Sp): speak with animals and tree shape 3/day each
  • Spells 2 (Sp): entangle, charm person and deep slumber 1/day each
  • Spells 3 (Sp): speak with animals and tree shape at will; tree stride 1/day
  • Spells 4 (Sp): entangle, charm person, deep slumber and tree stride 3/day each; suggestion 1/day
    
    The DC for the Dryad's spell-like abilities is Charisma-based.
• True Fey : The Dryad's type changes to Fey. She is no longer affected by spells or effects that target Humanoids. However, she may choose to be treated as an Elf for any item or effect that would benefit her. She gains DR 5/cold iron, an additional Natural Armor +1, and gains +2 to her Int, Wis, Dex and Cha (for a total over eight levels of Dex and Cha +8, Int and Wis +4, and Natural Armor +3).

-- N

 

[Aust Diamondew]

LA +2 probably about right.

 

[Nifft]

IMHO, it depends on how the SLA DCs scale -- if class HD count or if only racial HD count.

-- N