Info on starting a druid.

[RigaMortus]

Here is an idea I had for a Druid. Pick one of the small races (Gnome or Halfling), I prefer Halfling for this. If you are allowed to use the FR sub-races, pick Strongheart Halfling for the bonus feat.

Take the "mounted" feats (Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge and if you want later on, you can pick up Trample and Mounted Archery). Then max out your Ride skill. I beleive you need to pick a specific type of animal for this, so pick a medium sized animal something your Druid would encounter a lot (like a wolf). This is best if it is also your animal companion. You might also want to invest in Skill Focus: Ride or the one from the FR book that adds +3 to Ride checks.

Edit: Forgot to mention something. You want to keep your Ride skill maxed because you will most likely be switching through many different types of mounts in your Druidic career. I think you get a penalty for Riding mounts you haven't trade in. Anywhere from -2 (for riding animals with similiar features, like a wolf to a pony) and -5 (for animals with dissimilair features, like a wolf to a large dire bat). So keeping Ride maxed is a good idea.

Anyway, the set up will allow you to Ride your animal companions into battle. You can also summon nature's ally and ride the creatures your summon into battle as well.

It may not be an all-powerful combination, but it is definately something different. I plan to make this type of Druid one day

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Here is a question for whomever. Let's say a Druid picks the Trample feat (and all pre-req feats). Can they apply this feat to themselves when they Shapechange into a Rhino (for example)? What about Ride-By Attack? Can they Ride-By Attack someone themselves if they were Shapechanged into a Rhino, or would they need Spring Attack for this?

 

[Wippit Guud]

It may not be an all-powerful combination, but it is definately something different. I plan to make this type of Druid one day

With a PrC like Windrider, this is sick sick sick.

 

[Pickaxe]

I run a druid in a campaign. The DM has lately been reminding me (grumpily and with great frequency) that Entangle is a very powerful spell. Of course, it only really works outdoors, but it has a 40' radius (at first level). If you save, you only move half, and if you don't make the reflex save, you're stuck until you make a generally much harder check (strength or escape artist, DC 20, I think DC 25 for the latter). Even if you save and move, if you don't get out of the area, you have to save again.

So, if you're at the center of the spell and fail your save, you have to make this harder check on your turn. If you succeed you can move half, which means that anyone with less than an 80 move will have to save again. Even if you do save the first time, you need a 40 move to get out and avoid a second save.

Anyone else find this unusually powerful?

--Axe

 

[SteelDraco]

Entangle is very powerful... if you can use it. Pretty much any underground or civilized area is going to make it totally useless. It's a very nice niche spell that has no use at all outside it. I've got no problem with it.

I've played a very amusing druid recently. He was a dwarf with bear and frost themes. There are a lot of good spells out there for druids, if you have access to a few splatbooks. I found that Masters of the Wild, Defenders of the Faith, Magic of Faerun, and the Book of Eldritch might were very useful here.

Anyway, Berrik was a mounted druid. His bear animal companion advanced with him, and went from a regular grizzly bear (6 HD) to a 14 HD advanced dire bear over the course of the campaign, with GM permission and the rules for companion advancement in MotW. Very cool stuff. That bear was a killing machine - at high levels, druid's animal companions can be hard to compete with. If I used the proper buff spells (Greater Magic Fang, Animal Growth, Bear's Heart (DotF), Greater Mark of Earth (BoEM), and Rapid Healing (MoF) worked pretty well), that bear could rip any of our 14th level fighters to shreds over the course of a few rounds. It was terrifying.

Unfortunately, you're starting at lower levels. Hmmm. We started that game at somewhat higher than normal, so I'm not sure how I would have played him at that level.

A wolverine is a pretty solid low-level animal companion, though it's hard to keep them under control. A badger might be wiser, for that reason. A 1 HD bird that you have well-trained can serve all manner of functions, especially if you can talk to it (by 3rd level). Unfortunately, once you can wild shape pretty regularly, this gets to be less useful.

Remember that your character is in a niche. If you're in a wilderness setting, you're a powerhouse. Most of your spells are geared toward fighting in the natural world, and you can do very impressive things there. Unfortunately, if you're outside your element, you've got problems. Try and prepare battlefields beforehand, and ambush people. For that reason, a level of ranger or rogue might do you well, or even monk. You'll get a nice bonus to AC out of a monk level, along with evasion. That's handy all the time, particularly considering how often you'll be wild shaped once you get to that level. Wild Spell is a great feat to pick up, since you can cast spells while wild shaped. Very useful for all kinds of stuff, since you won't want to waste your precious daily wild shapes.

You're in between clerics and wizards in a lot of ways. You don't have all the clerical buffs or wizardy blasting, but you have some of both. Animal companions are a great asset, so use them. Use your buffs on them, too - you have access to a number of great buffs that only work on animals.

Hopefully, 3.5e will rebalance druid spell lists a bit and make some of their more useful non-core stuff core. I still don't understand why they don't get the stat boosters - they seem perfectly in keeping with the druid's role, after all.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Elf isn`t a good choice for a Druid - +2 to Dex will become useless in Wild Shape, and -2 to Con will become a hindrance.

But consider Half Elf - you don`t get the weapon profiencies you won`t be allowed to use as a Druid, you don`t lose Constitution, you gain Low Light Vision and a small bonus to skills that are always a nice-to-have...

(If I remeber correctly, the Iconic Druid Vadania is Half Elf, right? Maybe we see the reason here... )

Alternatively, A Gnome might be a good choice, too. +2 bonus to Constitution, speak with burrowing animals.
(I must just thing of my Druid/Shifter - after his death, he was reincarnated (the 9th level version from MotW) by a halfling bard, using a Scroll of the spell. I returned as a Halfling. Funny coincident...
From then on, my PCGen character sheet would describe him as "Joshua Tasden, Halfling (Ex Human) Druid/Shifter".
Gnome would have been even better, I guess, but it is funny enough at is is... )


Mustrum Ridcully

 

[Emerald]

I am currently playing a Half-Elf Druid. We don't use the splatbooks so I only have the feats and spells from the PHB. We also are playing a primarily City campaign so I don't know how usefull my suggestions might be.

Feats: Track with max ranks in Wilderness Lore have served me well, I can track almost anything. Skill Focus: Simatar, very usefull at lower level (as is the Shillallie SP? spell) but since I have reach mid-level I haven't pulled out a weapon.

Spells: Flaming Sphere is great when it first becomes available but is a little low on the power now. Cure spells are great, you don't have to wait on the Cleric to heal you. For spying you can't beat Tree Shape.

Animal Companion: I have never lost a companion I have several. An owl, a mouse, a snake, a bat. Since it is a city campaign I can't really see myself walking the streets with a pack of wild dogs they need to be descrete.

Is Natural Spell in the MotW? It sounds like a great feat, if we used the splatbooks I would definatly use that.

 

[Saeviomagy]

The key with a druid is to pick a combat focus and stick with it - if you choose to shapeshift for combat, you probably won't cast many combat spells, and you won't want to pick up any feats which rely on equipment. You WILL want to pick up fighter-style feats like power attack, expertise, dodge etc. Since your save DC's will be less important to you (you'll mostly cast buffs and heals), wisdom shouldn't be your priority. Enough of each stat to pick up the neat feats will serve you well, and a focus on con will be fantastic for your hps. a 13 in str is good for picking up the power attack chain. A 13 in int is good for picking up the expertise chain. Wis of 14 will suffice to keep you able to cast your highest level spells as long as you put each increase into it.

If you choose to only use wildshape in a utility role, then you can use the equipment-based feats more, and you'll also be firing off lots of combat spells. Focus on wisdom and physical stats, although that 13 int is still really good to have. Shillelagh and spikes are great, especially if you remember that spikes will work on a shield. Consider becomeing a shield-and-club expert, picking up shield expert, twf and ambi (a level of ranger), improved shield bash etc.

 

[Steverooo]

MotW

If using MotW (masters of the Wild), someone in another thread reccommended Briar Web and Summon Swarm as a no-win situation for those trapped within it.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Summon Swarm is even a PHB spell. It is a "turn off spellcaster" spell, especially with Druids who are able to move the creatures around.

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[Darklone]

Against Spellcasters (or poisonous creatures) I love to use the poison spell. Later empowered. Can kill anything pretty fast.

Sad thing about the druid is that he lacks all the buff spells (bulls strength etc).