Need help to build a proper druid.

[Thanee]

I absolutely see no reference to underline your statement, Frank.

From PHB (3.5, but 3.0 is pretty much the same).

"If a character's Constitution score changes enough to alter his or her Constitution modifier, the character's hit points also increase or decrease accordingly."

This clearly means to me, that you only apply the change, not recalculate based on the new modifier, like you say.

And besides this, common sense also clearly says you're wrong...

Bye
Thanee

 

[Eldorian]

As was suggested, put your second highest stat in Con, and don't listen to the Troll, that will never get past the DM's Bullsh*t-o-meter. Get a periapt of wisdom, wild hide armor +1, and a wildling clasp from the Masters of the Wild. I wouldn't ever sugest making a physical attack when not wildshaped.

Make sure you get the natural spell feat from MotW. The legendary Ape form is off limits, first off it's got 13 HD, and secondly wild shape never applies to legendary animals. Instead, you can pick your shape based on what you need, but if you need a slow moving offensive machine, the giant octopus is not to be beat, even on land. You can hold your breath long enough for almost every battle. 8 arms is pretty fun =) Dire bear is a good form if you have to move, but he doesn't have reach, or 9 attacks, like the octopus. The octopus is the highest CR animal you can turn into, I think.

I'd just like to say that I've seen the giant octapus in action, and it gave the level 12 fighter and barbarian in the party pause, cause it was indeed impressive. Add spells like barkskin and bull's strenght.. it gets messy.

Add in that you're fighting mind flayers, and it seems you're using the tentecled jerk's weapons against them! Huzzah!

Eldorian Antar

 

[Zaruthustran]

I'd just like to say that I've seen the giant octapus in action, and it gave the level 12 fighter and barbarian in the party pause, cause it was indeed impressive. Add spells like barkskin and bull's strenght.. it gets messy.

Add in that you're fighting mind flayers, and it seems you're using the tentecled jerk's weapons against them! Huzzah!

Eldorian Antar

Wow. Brilliant. Cool thing is, octopuses really can move and function in air. The octopus here in the Seattle Aquarium regularly escapes its tank, crawls along the floor, snatches fish from neighboring exhibits, and returns to its home.

Sweet. But do wildshaped druids get to use the creature's attack routines? I get so cofused with all the various revision to wildshape/polymorph. And it's 3 in the morning.

-z

 

[Eldorian]

Wow. Brilliant. Cool thing is, octopuses really can move and function in air. The octopus here in the Seattle Aquarium regularly escapes its tank, crawls along the floor, snatches fish from neighboring exhibits, and returns to its home.

Sweet. But do wildshaped druids get to use the creature's attack routines? I get so cofused with all the various revision to wildshape/polymorph. And it's 3 in the morning.

-z

Hehe, cool, the actually do work on land? I just saw the land movement on the entry in the MM and went with it.

Yah, you get all the attacks, including special attacks, of the form you assume. Improved grab, constrict, and 9 attacks a round baby! 8 of em primary attacks! No mind flayer is eating this druid's brain!


Eldorian Antar

 

[Thanee]

Wow. Brilliant. Cool thing is, octopuses really can move and function in air. The octopus here in the Seattle Aquarium regularly escapes its tank, crawls along the floor, snatches fish from neighboring exhibits, and returns to its home.

That must be a funny sight!

Sweet. But do wildshaped druids get to use the creature's attack routines? I get so cofused with all the various revision to wildshape/polymorph. And it's 3 in the morning.

Well, actually... no! At least not in 3.5!

(3.5 Alter Self, the base for Polymorph and thus Wild Shape)
"A body with extra limbs does not allow you to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal."

Bye
Thanee

 

[Eldorian]

That must be a funny sight!



Well, actually... no! At least not in 3.5!

(3.5 Alter Self, the base for Polymorph and thus Wild Shape)
"A body with extra limbs does not allow you to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal."

Bye
Thanee

Good thing he's playing 3.0. Man, 3.5 really screwed the pooch when it comes to wildshape.

Eldorian Antar

 

[Eldorian]

Good thing he's playing 3.0. Man, 3.5 really screwed the pooch when it comes to wildshape.

Eldorian Antar

Wait a minute. Alter self says you gain the natural weapons, but then says extra limbs do not allow you to make more attacks than normal. So if you get claws and bite, you can't use them? What is "normal"? I'm wishing I hadn't bought the first printing of the 3.5 stuff.. sooo much copy paste and poorly worded rules. I'm voting that the Masters of the Wild wildshape rules override 3.5.

Eldorian Antar

 

[Thanee]

Well, I think you can do claw, claw, bite, as this is appropriate for a humanoid, but you can't use 8 limbs to attack, as you do not have the mind of an octopus and simply cannot coordinate more than two limbs reasonably. The rule only speaks of extra limbs.

Also, how can an octopus on land fight with all limbs, doesn't it need some for balance?

Bye
Thanee

 

[Asmo]

Thanx for all the replies!! I will post the final build when I´m ready.

Just some questions regarding the updated version about the rules regarding the Wildshape ability in MotW: it says on page 11: "The druid retains her own Int Wis and Cha scores,lvls and classes,hit points (despite any change in her Con score) alignment, BASE ATTACK BONUS, and base save bonuses. ( New Str,Dex and Con scores may affect final attack and save bonuses)"

As I understand it,as a 12 lvl druid my bab is 9/4, that is I have 2 attacks.
If I wildshape into a dire bear (wich actually has 10 ft reach) with bab +18 for claws and +13 for bite, do I have 3 attacks (claw,claw bite) or my own attacks (9/4, claw,bite or claw,claw).The rules would indicate that I should have 2 attacks but the example with the giant octapus (wich ,btw , my DM assures me that I´ve never seen ) would indicate that I do have several attacks.
And how do I calculate my new attack score? Lets say that I´ve Str 16 and then I add the Str of the Dire bear,what would my final attack score be? ( Ithink the str. of a Dire bear is 27,but I´m not sure).

Asmo

Wow, alot of stuff did happen during this time I wrote my answer.

 

[Eldorian]

Well, I think you can do claw, claw, bite, as this is appropriate for a humanoid, but you can't use 8 limbs to attack, as you do not have the mind of an octopus and simply cannot coordinate more than two limbs reasonably. The rule only speaks of extra limbs.

Also, how can an octopus on land fight with all limbs, doesn't it need some for balance?

Bye
Thanee

How can a monk make several kick attacks in a round, if he needs at least one foot to balance? All with the same foot? Is it unreasonable to assume that he alternates?

Also, the octopus doesn't need to specify a limb for balance, he can balance on the part closest to his body, and use the 15 feet left over to attack.

And I'm not quite sure I know how to fight with my mouth, other than biting a limb that comes near it while grappling, so how would I threaten a 5 foot area?

If I was an octopus, and couldn't "coordinate more than two limbs reasonably" how could I walk, or crawl, or whatever octopuses do when on land? Or swim? Or use gills?

We have to assume that the druid is profecient in using his natural forms such that he can fight as they would in the wild. Better, if he trains himself.

In the end, it's good that he's playing 3.0. I prefer 3.5, but I'd have to rule backwards on some of this, escpecially polymorph and wildshape.

Eldorian Antar