Need Ideas: Balancing a Druid who doesn’t have spells.

[Kid Charlemagne]

I believe there's an option in Unearthed Arcana for a Ranger with wild shape capabilities. That might be a good choice. But as others have said, it would be helpful to know more about the character concept.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

I believe there's an option in Unearthed Arcana for a Ranger with wild shape capabilities. That might be a good choice.

Yeah I think your right! How did I miss that one when I looked through there..? :\ It would indeed be an awesome choice, at least in my opinion. (I'm away from my book but they wildshape instead of having a favored enemy, correct?)

But as others have said, it would be helpful to know more about the character concept.

Yeah I know, I'll try to poke and prod her in this direction but she's been rather busy...

As for more background information it's not really her that doesn't want the spells it's me... As I said earlier in the first post we are going to be playing gestalt characters, and I have a serious apprehension about allowing a character to have two full spell casting classes (druid, cleric, wizard, etc.)

Anyhow she wants to play a witch using the class from Way of the Witch, which already grants full divine spells so it's really about coming up with something earthy, or a protector of the land like character.. I suggested making a holy warrior, Gr's Book of the Righteous, a champion from Cooks' Arcana Unearthed, a UA thief with feats instead of sneak attacks but she disliked them cause they where to militant in nature or because they had the ability to find traps...

Not sure if I added anything in that last part but thats about what I know so far...

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

I am the troublesome player Brother Shatterstone is trying to find a class for. The witch class from Way of the Witch is heavily involved with the philosophy of the Wicca religion and the fey, including good and bad karma, the threefold rule, "do what you will, but harm none," iron susceptibility, and strong frowning on using magic to harm people (though this restriction doesn't hold against demon and whatnot).

Thusly I am trying to make a protector of the green. An Earth Mother type of figure, if you will. Much of her abilities will be protective in nature, and I wanted her to have a lot of utility in terms of scouting or helping people travel or escape. Wildshape would be kind of nice, or a kind of "spider sense" about things that are hurting the land, or things like that. Weather prediction or very minor weather control (just a bit warmer or bit drier where I sleep), talking with plants or animals or the breeze or something.

Is that sufficiently muddled?

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

I am the troublesome player Brother Shatterstone is trying to find a class for.

You'll have to try far harder to be more troublesome than me.

Is that sufficiently muddled?

Aye, I will grant you that.

 

[Scion]

Do you have the book of exalted deeds? It may have a bit you can mix around to help as well.

 

[Majere]

Here is a totally insane idea

Just play a druid and ROLEPLAY.

I know
ITs crazy isnt it ?
But if you take the right spells you can be the protecting weather controling Earth-Mother you want to be.
Just make appropriate spell selections each day, like lots of cure and abjuration spells.

Spells like longstrider and camoflague would be good choices for scouting, or taking a level in ranger and investing a few skill points.
Talk with plants and animals.. oh wait those are 1st and 4th level spells already !!

Sorry If I seem condescending, but really, you can make your character just by taking a druid/ranger mix of levels and Roleplaying it, no need to draw up new classess for this.

Majere

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Sorry If I seem condescending, but really, you can make your character just by taking a druid/ranger mix of levels and Roleplaying it, no need to draw up new classess for this.

Actually, your idea is fine, for the most part, but you are coming across as very condescending as capitalizing words without need has this effect more often than not.

Anyhow now that the moderator has spoken...

The reasons why I don't like this idea:

1] You still have to cast the spell. (Can't really roleplay out of that one consistently, Oh I waving some bugs away...)

2] Your spells aren't very useful in an anti-magic shell and most, but admittedly not all, special abilities do not have this issue.

3] Your approve progression don't include the Witch Class which is the heart and soul of this character.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Spellcasting doesn't need to be chanting and handwaving followed by an unrelated effect.

As an example, animal messenger has V,S and M components. It's pretty easy to visualise these as the character holding up the food and whistling for the intended messenger.

As long as the player keeps away from spectacular spells, it's not going to be any problem at all, especially with what the druid has. Simply restrict the spell list, or don't even bother, since the player will probably do so themselves.

 

[fba827]

Hmm... if she/he is keen on the wildshape aspect and expects that to essentially be the primary focus of the character how about bonus feats (at the same rate a fighter would get bonus fighter feats) except instead of being from the bonus fighter feat list, they must be a "wild" feat (and add a couple others to the list of possibilities like Extra Wildshape, etc.)

 

[Shallown]

If you went with the Complete divines wild shaping feats it would help as well. Would give you some variety as well hand them out like Fighter bonus feats. Maybe a modified feat list with those included. Perhaps a Turning ability limited to aberations. I'll try to think of some other ideas.

later