PHII druid shifter variant experiences

[Klaus]

I can see new feats giving a Shapeshifting druid access to aquatic forms.

Also, the listed forms don't emulate something along the shapes of a horse, or an elephant. It's Medium predator, avian, Large predator, Plant and Elemental. I'd like to see a Swift Runner and a Wave Rider forms.

 

[Enkhidu]

One thing that we added in the Nature's Warrior variant were some options for adding aquatic and tiny forms, to replace some of the ability choices that didn't make sense for shapeshifting druids ... Regarding the point you added in the edit, I'm curious which powers caused problems for your character--nothing looked broken to us, but this isn't in play yet (one more level!), so we have time to fix it if it is.

Here was the breakdown for the 10th level character (Druid 7, Nature's Warrior 3). Note that whenever Nature's Warrior said "Wild Shape" we substituted the PHBII variant ability:

S 18, D 12, C 18, I 8, W 14, Ch 8; Saves: Fort +12, Ref +4, Will +8; HP 116; BAB +8; Feats: Tracking, Toughness (Variant that skips the +3 hit points and skips straight to +1 hit point per level), Power Attack, Cleave

The Nature's Warrior abilities taken boosted DR to 3/- and AC by +3.

That left us with the following while in Slayer (the most commonly used for combat) form:

Attack routine: +17 (Bite), d8+10, +12 (Claw), d6+6, +12 (Claw) d6+6; Speed 40'; AC 21 (touch 11, flat 20); DR 3/-, Improved Critical. Now this isn't really all that bad - about par with a fighter of the same level. Things look to get worse, however, as the PC progresses, and we add levels of Warshaper on top if it (immune to crits? Reach with natural weapons?). In addition, we couldn't figure out how to apply spells to the situation - does barkskin function throughout the forms, or end when a new form is taken?

We then took a look at the spells the druid could bring to bear (spike stones, entangle) and decided that while the druid looks different on paper, it hadn't lost any of its former power.

 

[Christian]

Here was the breakdown for the 10th level character (Druid 7, Nature's Warrior 3). Note that whenever Nature's Warrior said "Wild Shape" we substituted the PHBII variant ability:

S 18, D 12, C 18, I 8, W 14, Ch 8; Saves: Fort +12, Ref +4, Will +8; HP 116; BAB +8; Feats: Tracking, Toughness (Variant that skips the +3 hit points and skips straight to +1 hit point per level), Power Attack, Cleave

The Nature's Warrior abilities taken boosted DR to 3/- and AC by +3.

That left us with the following while in Slayer (the most commonly used for combat) form:

Attack routine: +17 (Bite), d8+10, +12 (Claw), d6+6, +12 (Claw) d6+6; Speed 40'; AC 21 (touch 11, flat 20); DR 3/-, Improved Critical. Now this isn't really all that bad - about par with a fighter of the same level. Things look to get worse, however, as the PC progresses, and we add levels of Warshaper on top if it (immune to crits? Reach with natural weapons?). In addition, we couldn't figure out how to apply spells to the situation - does barkskin function throughout the forms, or end when a new form is taken?

We then took a look at the spells the druid could bring to bear (spike stones, entangle) and decided that while the druid looks different on paper, it hadn't lost any of its former power.

14 Wisdom? That puts kind of a crimp in his spellcasting, doesn't it? I guess he'd need to focus on melee combat a bit ... Makes sense to go for Warshaper in that case. I'm not going to--don't want to give up the caster levels. Long-term plan is Druid 16/Nature's Warrior 4, that'll give +16/+11/+6/+1 BAB but still have 9th-level Druid spells.

I doubt I'll ever be the melee monster in the party. Certainly not until after the day we finally have to kill the Frenzied Berserker.

 

[Drowbane]

this variant would be cool if you didn't loose the animal companion. wtf were they thinking?

agreed. I can accept the wildshape nerf... but losing the pet too?

*F* that.

 

[The Cardinal]

ok, that settles it: my next character will be a half-orc Barbarian1/Druid(shifter)X