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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 6102536" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Issue 311: September 2003part 5/9Changing nature's design: Druids also get a whole load of variant classes with their own names. However, since the main class feature they have to exchange or concentrate focus for in these is their wild-shaping ability, I think they probably come off a little worse from the exchange than Clerics. Wild Reapers concentrate on the deadly side of nature, only able to transform into carrion feeders, but resistant to disease and able to turn undead. Wind Walkers gain flying and the ability to talk to air creatures, but their only transformation powers are into air elementals. Metal Masters gain skills with mines akin to dwarves, and a fair bit of damage reduction, but lose out the worst of all on flexibility. And Winter Wardens get to walk on ice, ignore cold, and use extra cold-based spells at the expense of only turning into arctic creatures. Since these slightly power down druids, while the previous ones slightly power up clerics, I think they put them on approximately equal footing. It's balance …. of a sort. Hey, a party of different sorts of customised CoDzillas is an entirely valid choice for a team if that's the way you want to play. Musical Masters: Like Rogues last issue, Bards get the selection of 5 level prestige classes, once again rubbing in how formulaic this set of updates is. They don't get the general advice though, making this more limited than that one. I suppose given their flexibility, they ironically need multiclassing less than most other classes to achieve concepts and get into prestige classes, so advice on that isn't so important.Worldspeakers are all about the Bardic language talents, gaining first the obvious power to speak any language, then adding talking to animals, plants, the elements and the dead. Since those are normally split between the wizard, cleric and druid spell lists, this might actually be a more optimal way of getting all of those than multiclassing and then going for mystic theurge. You'll certainly get more interesting class features, at any rate. Mourners sing undead back to the sleep of death. As is often the case, this is a definite improvement mechanically on the 2e kit with the same schtick. Spellcasters continue to get cooler stuff than nonspellcasters, even the secondary ones. Memory Smiths are dwarven bards who enchant items with their keen craftsmanship and magic singing. That's definitely a literary niche that's served better with a prestige class than standard wizard or sorcerer. They also get full BAB and spell progression, so you won't be sacrificing in battle effectiveness if you go into them either. Will you provide the next Sting or Glamdring to your group? Battle Howlers are the obvious Bard/Barbarian hybrid, getting full BAB, bardic music and Rage progression, plus the ability to use bardic music while raging, which means they can be inspiring while kicking ass on the front line. This synergy definitely works better than the Rage Mage. Green Whisperers are easy to get into, and get full dual progression in Bard and Druid Spells. This makes them a good intermediate step if you want to build a really twinky Fochlucan Lyricist with near full progression in both spell lists all the way up. Not that it'll be easy to make those skill requirements even so, but every little helps. If only one of the variant druids earlier swapped something out for Evasion, so you didn't have to spend two levels on rogue that really hurt your magical might.</blockquote>

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