Remathilis said:
Ok, I've NEVER, in 15 years of D&D, ever played a druid for more than a game tops. So now, I'm going to try it. However, I'm not sure how the get the most out of my tree-hugger. So I'm asking you for some advice on how to play a druid.
I'm looking for two things, mechanical and role-playing advice. Mechanical includes race (I'm thinking human or halfling), feats, spells, animal companions, wild shapes, and advice on how to maximize his utility in most situations (combat, survival, dungeons, social). Suggestions on gear (magical and mundane) are also helpful.
Gnome and dwarf are best (for the Con bonus). Quite honestly, I can't think of any core PH race that is bad for druids. Maybe elves (for the Con penalty). Note that the rules for Wildshape have changed; Con is important again. The wildshape rules technically don't give you an animal's low-light vision; take that into account if your GM is that kind of stickler.
Feats - the one that lets you cast spells while wildshaped; Natural Spellcasting. Skill Focus (Concentration) is useful for any spellcasters. Spell Focus (Conjuration) is pretty useless for druids but leads to Augment Summoning, which is
great for druids.
Spells - spontaneous summoning means you can cast Summon Nature's Ally IV and summon unicorns for healing anytime you have a 4th+ level spell you didn't end up using.
I like Spike Stones, or whatever the 4th-level spell is that does damage to opponents walking towards you. That one is great when fighting in a dungeon, too.
Barkskin is also great for boosting your AC (even while Wildshaped) and that of your animal companion. Prepare it multiple times; get a staff of it if you can. IMO, the share spell ability is useless for spells that have a duration, unless you're a small character riding your animal companion (and that's just begging for area-of-effect spells to come at you).
Don't bother with spells like Hold Animal. You have Wild Empathy to keep animals from chomping on you, and if you fail your check... well, the animal could have made it's save.
Unfortunately, there are few buffs that will affect all your summons. I think you can use Greater Magic Fang on multiple animals and give them +1 to all their attacks, but that's about it. Animal Growth is the only really powerful one here. (Obviously single target buffs are great for your companion, who needs all the love it can get.) In any event, summoning too many creatures can annoy party members.
When wild shaping, you can probably afford to pick an animal that's really strong and has poor AC. You'll cast Barkskin on yourself anyway. Alternatively, wild shape into a bird and use that powerful feat to cast spells like Call Lightning with no one being able to figure out which bird you are to target you.
Pick an animal companion that either has multiple attacks or a really cool special attack like the wolf's trip. Weaker companions get better boosts from your animal companion enhancing abilities. Technically, they're all balanced with each other. If you want your animal companion to live long, though, I'd take a "weaker" one - it'll probably end up with a higher AC bonus once you've done the math. Naturally, said animal won't do as much damage or won't grapple as well as a bear. Then again, a wolf ("it's a dog") is easy to take into town and into dungeons, plus Animal Growth (when you eventually get the spell) makes its trip attack a lot nastier.
Don't get a small and/or flying animal for scouting; even if you cast Speak with Animal, it's just not smart enough to know what would be interesting to you. Plus, away from the party, it can get eaten.
Role-playing is more nebulous: I'm looking for ideas on how a druid could/should view different things: dungeons
Probably slightly negative. Dungeons, often being underground, disturb the ecology somewhat. A little, I think, and they do create new ecologies. There's no point getting upset at an old dungeon anyway.
Possibly hatred ... but I think it depends on what you think of intelligent life forms. (They don't eat, and most don't pollute, I think.) Certainly undead that do pollute, eat, excrete, slaughter animals "for fun" or otherwise harm the environment are going to draw your ire. That's what Flame Strike's for.
A necessary evil. It's not like farming doesn't affect the ecology either, taking up massive amounts of space and all.
No concern of yours one way or another. They tend to be nice about harming the environment.
Druids don't have to be "hardass backstabbing neutral" anymore. Many druids don't care about the weak, but unless they're evil, they won't do anything to them, either. I think while all druids revere nature, the way they protect nature depends on their alignment. Starting a plague (something druids are good at) is an evil druid's way of saving a patch of wilderness from encroaching humans. EAFW (a Dark Sun supplement) had great roleplaying notes on clerics and druids; while you're devoted to nature, you're allowed to use nature's powers for other things, too. Nature doesn't really demand much of you, so you can adventure without too much trouble.
