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Message: <blockquote data-quote="lostdreamer" data-source="post: 2820747" data-attributes="member: 40210">Playing a druid? I recommend it entirely. As mentioned, one of the real strengths of druids is their versatility. Even Bards are not as good at doing pretty much anything and everything.On the RP side of things, druids only have to be part neutral, which means they can be pretty much anything shy of lawful stupid/Genocidal loon. So quiet well-mannered halflings, brooding fur cloaked savages who swear that might is right and well dressed foppish elves who would tell you it is the nature of men to build homes and communities. All of these and more are in the remit. Pacifists who will tell you all life (including that of the evil necromancer) is precious and homicidal nutcases to whom the 'cycle of life' means 'make everything black, flat and smouldering'.Right. What to do with a druid?1)    Whatever takes your fancy. Forget Amex, the druid can do more or less anything in the hands of an imaginative player.2)    Use your spells liberally. Between cleric HP & saves, wildshape and 4/level skill points, druids are not impotent when they run out of spells. Make your life easy and cast away.3)    Remember that wildshape and summon spells are not just for combat. Wildshapes also excel at movement and stealth, and there are very few problems that the right summoned monster can’t help with. Got a trapped chest? Summon a monkey, give him a spare battle axe and let him loose. In incredible pain? Unicorn please. Enormous chasm in your way? Dire bat.4)    Use your animal companion at low levels. Dogs in barding can go toe-to-toe with an L2 fighter and stand a decent chance of winning. Add in barkskin and bulls strength (these affect your animal companion as well if it is nearby when you cast them) just to be sure. Large animals like horses are a pain to move around in a dungeon so only pick them if you tend to be in the wilderness.5)    Remember your limitations, because nobody likes a cheat. This means handle animal checks with your animal companion; no speaking or casting in wild shape without the feats & remembering your entire equipment list shapeshifts with you and becomes useless in wildshape. You don’t get Ex qualities in wildshape either, and this includes scent & lowlight.6)    If you don’t have a ranger in the party, give the Track feat some thought. You want a lot of the skills that work with it anyhow, so you may as well be able to follow your foes to hell and back (and with all the bonus stuff you get to your survival, scry etc, that is doable).Things not to do with a druid:1)    Memorise curing magics. Your spell list is more that cure light, lesser restore and rem poison. Use scrolls, potions and wands for that job. Same goes for buff spells if you find yourself casting heavily.2)    Pretend you are a paladin. Yes, your fort and will saves may well be the highest in the party, but your AC won’t be and hit points only last so long.3)    Fight at range as your selection of ranged weapons is pitiful and you have no use for dex, so all you can do is throw spells at the problem. (See the ‘there is no problem that can not be solved with summoning’ entry)4)    Sit back and watch. Wildshape is pretty good at get-out-of-jail-free, so don’t be afraid of getting involved.5)    Take the mickey. This comes under the ‘nobody like a cheat’ entry. Nobody likes rules lawyers and abusive power/metagamers either. Taking your rings and necklace off before shifting and then asking your mates to put them back on your smelly flea-ridden animal form is flangey at best. The Vow of Poverty from Exalted Deeds should also be given serious consideration incase it makes your DM cry like a girl.</blockquote>

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