So... you're going to play a Druid...

[Kannik]

Like the subject says... } You're going to play a Druid, starting at 4th level. You're going to play the Druid a bit differently -- not so much the tree-hugging type per se, but more of a fusion of the traditional druid and the elf's dual nature of nature protector and arcane master; think of the 4 basic elements with nature in the middle as a combination of all of them, wrapped by the postiive/negative energies, and you have the idea (bit more of an elementalistish type druid). The druid class is remaining as-is, just the thought behind it is a bit different.

Now, what feats would you take? The 1st level and 3rd level feats, and what feats for 6th and 9th that you think would be good to take too. }

I call upon the collective experences of the mighty EnBoard! }

Thanks all,

Kannik

 

[gariig]

Eschew Materials and Natural Spell? Now you can be a Dire Bear calling down flame strikes, yummy.

Gariig

 

[Nifft]

First two Feats:
- Improved Initiative and Spell Focus (Transmutation) -- Get that Entangle off quick!
- Point Blank Shot and Rapid Shot -- you're a backup archer
- Quickdraw and Improved Initiative (get those wands ready!)

Natural Spell at 6th level for sure.
9th level: Craft Wonderous Item (if your DM allows you to make stuff)

-- Nifft

 

[Saeviomagy]

I'd certainly take elemental substitutions for ice, acid and sonic (representing water, earth and air respectively - druids already have plenty of fire).

 

[Pielorinho]

Spell focus: transmutation will get you good saves on several earth spells. Spell focus: evocation will get you good saves on several fire spells.

Were I you, I'd start mining splatbooks for elemental spells, and start substituting out spells from the main books. This is what I'm doing for my rock-based druid.

Consider, for example, getting rid of all plant-based spells and all vermin-based spells, and limiting your summoning spells to elementals. In exchange, take every elemental spell from splatbooks that you can find.

Relics & Rituals 2 has some fantastics spells for doing this. To a lesser degree, so does Masters of the Wild.

Daniel

 

[Caliber]

What Saeviomagy and Pielorinho said.

 

[Nightfall]

Or wait and see if the Player's Guide to Clerics and Druids (due out in August) has anything to offer for druids of Mesos. But that's just me.

 

[Kannik]

-g- Thanks for all the replies...

Definitively Natural Spell at 6th I think -- there's too many opportunities hidden in there not to do so }

We were thinking about elemental substitution... it's too bad that one needs to take it multiple times for each element, plus that it requires another metamagic feat as a prereq, they mar the beauty of taking the feat a bit I think. Though getting addmixture later on could make up for it perhaps...

Improved Init and entangle -- I like the sound of that. }

Splatbooks, the DM does seem to be allowing from some sources, so there's spells from BoEM, BoEM2, BoHM, RR, MoF and the WotC splatbooks... which help a lot. } When you mentioned mining the splatbooks, did you mean only the druid spells, or sneaking in other elemental spells for the loss of the vermin/plant ones? (though I think the player for this character isn't wanting to lose too much of her druidness insofaras normal nature stuff, so I don't know how amenable she would be to that suggestion }

I'd love to wait for the Player's Guides, but... the character will be played this friday. }:>

Hmm. I'm thinking I'll suggest Improve Init as one of the feats for sure... nooooot 100% sure on the second yet... } (persuade me! }

Kannik

 

[Pielorinho]

[BSplatbooks, the DM does seem to be allowing from some sources, so there's spells from BoEM, BoEM2, BoHM, RR, MoF and the WotC splatbooks... which help a lot. } When you mentioned mining the splatbooks, did you mean only the druid spells, or sneaking in other elemental spells for the loss of the vermin/plant ones? (though I think the player for this character isn't wanting to lose too much of her druidness insofaras normal nature stuff, so I don't know how amenable she would be to that suggestion }
[/B]

That's up to you. For balance reasons, I suggest that divine casters have a limited number of spells on their list, equal to the number of spells in the Player's Handbook. A PhB druid has acces to 22 first level spells (I think); if that druid wants access to an earth-based spell from a splatbook, she has to give up one of her first-level PhB spells to make up for it, taking that spell of her list entirely (i.e., no casting it with wands or scrolls, either). There are other ways to keep divine casters in check, but I think this is the fairest way. If you're the DM, you can choose whichever method works best for you.

I do recommend that you make her give something up in exchange for becoming an elemental master; giving up plant-based magic is probably the least-painful thing to give up. Other than entangle and wall of thorns (two very,v ery nice spells), most druid plants spells aren't particularly useful, in my experience.

With the Druid I play, I've also sweet-talked the DM into creating a new spell subtype: earth. Conceivably, this would allow me to make up a feat such as spell focus (earth), giving me +2 on relevant saves or something. In exchange for this, he's giving some creatures (e.g., earth elementals) immunity or resistance to this new spell type: I cannot hurt an earth elemental with my spell earth blast, for example, any more than I can hurt a fire elemental with a flame strike.

You may want to think about doing this for your player.

Daniel

 

[Plane Sailing]

If the Druid has any Dex to speak of, then I would recommend Combat Reflexes as your 1st level feat - it works wonders with your longspear (an allowed weapon), and probably comes in even more useful when you start wildshaping into large+ creatures with reach.

Another interesting possibility is Mounted Combat, since an animal friend could easily be something rideable by the time you are 4th level, and the ability to prevent an attack hitting your animal friend with a ride check is a great one if you get involved in combat with them.

I really think the Combat Reflexes is a great one for Druids though.