Tell me about your druids

[mikebr99]

My current character is a 7th level, Gnome Druid (3.5). My Animal Companion (from the beginning) is the Riding Dog. It's easier to walk around villages with a dog beside you then some of your more ferocious animals. And he makes a great mount, even underground! Anyway... the dog is 6 hit dice now... +7 to hit, before buffing...

I am thinking about keeping the dog till Awaken is available, then Awaken the Dog (see Andy Collins reply about it being an animal instead of magical) who would then continue as a friend (in some character class)... And then getting a new Animal Companion.

YMMV


Mike

 

[mikebr99]

I completely disagree. Metamagic feats are wicked cool for all spellcasters, including druids. Natural Spell from 3.5 is practically a must. No self-respecting spellcaster should be without at least one craft feat, either. Improved Initiative. These are all awesome feats.

On the subject of no good prestige classes I agree. And you know what - who cares? Druids are a 20-level prestige class on their own. They are dripping with spellcasting, combat potential, and skills.

I'll second this!
Why go out when you have everything you need at home already!

Go 20 levels of Druid, then maybe a few Hierophant for a few feats, then into Epic Druid.

 

[Wippit Guud]

Re: Re: Re: Tell me about your druids

The light warhorse is not an option specified in the 3.5 rules. I'm leaning towards the riding dog, as it does more damage and has more Hit points than the wolf.

SRD, Druid, Animal companion:

A druid may begin play with an animal companion selected from the following list: badger, camel, dire rat, dog, riding dog, eagle, hawk, horse (light or heavy), owl, pony, snake (Small or Medium viper), or wolf.

Indeed, it is an option

 

[mikebr99]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Tell me about your druids

Indeed, it is an option

No... the one trained for war isn't...


YMMV


Mike

 

[Pielorinho]

Good Feats for the druid:

You WILL take natural spell at sixth level. This is the no-brainerest feat choice in the entire game.

Scribe Scroll is great for druids; many spells (quench, anti-vermin shell, dominate animal, etc.) are useless most of the time but awesomely good on rare occasions. That's what scrolls are for. Brew potion isn't so great. Wands are okay, but nothing special for druids -- except for cure light wounds wands, which are a wise investment.

Craft Wonderous Item is fun, but not particularly useful for a druid.

Metamagic is perfectly fine for a druid: an empowered flame strike can really drive your point home, if your point is, "I want your butt fricaseed." Extend Spell can keep your summoned creatures around for awhile, can make your buffing spells better, can do all the other good stuff extend normally does. Spell focus (conjuration) isn't particularly great, but augment summoning is fantastic for those spontaneous-summoning druids, probably worth the two-feat cost. Otherwise, spell focus (transmutation) is probably worthwhile.

Wanna fight? Consider weapon focus (claw) or weapon focus (bite). Dodge and mobility might be decent, but aren't really necessary. Improved trip could be fun for a wolf-oriented druid: you attack, get a free trip attempt, get +4 on that trip, and get a free attack if you succeed at the trip .

Daniel

 

[mikebr99]

Good Feats for the druid:
Wanna fight? Consider weapon focus (claw) or weapon focus (bite). Dodge and mobility might be decent, but aren't really necessary. Improved trip could be fun for a wolf-oriented druid: you attack, get a free trip attempt, get +4 on that trip, and get a free attack if you succeed at the trip .

Daniel

I'd like to add power attack to that list Daniel...

YMMV


Mike

 

[Pielorinho]

I'd like to add power attack to that list Daniel...

YMMV

In this case, MMDNV at all . Power attack is a very good choice for a druid, especially once you've wildshaped into something like a brown bear or a tiger. In fact, I could easily see a fightin' druid pursuing the power attack chain: imagine a bull-rushing brown bear barrelling an opponent off a ledge, a sundering tiger biting a sword in half, a rhinoceros overrunning an opponent -- good stuff!

Daniel

 

[Wippit Guud]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Tell me about your druids

No... the one trained for war isn't...

It takes 3 weeks and a DC 20 handle animal check to make a horse into a warhorse.

You may also “upgrade” an animal trained for riding to one trained for combat riding by spending three weeks and making a successful DC 20 Handle Animal check. The new general purpose and tricks completely replace the animal's previous purpose and any tricks it once knew

The horse you gain is just like any other horse, make it into a warhorse.

 

[avatarolt]

Fascinating. It always amazes me that Druids fill in the slots where they're needed.

My druid is a Gray Elf originally to be trained in the ways of wizardry...but plays hooky from class and discovers the ways of the forest instead. After having travelled to the Orient for a number of years, he's brought a plant named cannabis back to the mainland. He sees it as his holy quest in life to propagate this new plant life while examining all of the intricacies of plant life.

Str 10/Con 8 (yes, I know -- it's for the flavor of a skinny sedentary elf)/Int 20/Wis 19/Chr 17 (non-standard point buy)

He's primarily a spellcaster with emphasis on plant and direct damage spells. He provides almost all of the flanking opportunities for our rogue via summons since our tank has a reach weapon and doesn't like getting hit. We're lacking a cleric, so the majority of the healing is coming from this character. Feats at 7th level:
Silent Spell/Create Infusion/Natural Spell
Planing on:
Craft Magical Weapons & Armor (IRONWOOD)/Blindsight (MotW)/Still Spell...haven't decided the last two yet. I'm playing around with fast wild shape, but in my techniques I don't think
Combat techniques include "run and hide", "run, wildshape, and hide", and "run, wildshape, cast a silented spell from some place inconspicous". His animal companion is a panda bear (using stats for black bear) shipped from the Orient and his herbalist instructor there.

Heavy focus on alchemy as well (ELVEN DARKLEAF). He does the primary appraisals of goods found, and is the face whenever the party doesn't need to blatantly lie their asses off.

Anyhow, it's a blast of a character to play, even with the con penalty.

 

[candidus_cogitens]

Since my druid is going to be in the Forgotten Realms, I am considering this idea: Let's say he's from Anauroch, the desert. That would make him a bit different from the woodsy type of druid. Could have nice roleplaying possibilities. The Sandblast spell from MotW would be a frequent selection.

Or, I'm considering taking the Snake Blood feat (which unfortunately would not be available if I were from Anauroch). It's not a particularly powerful feat, although it has some nice flavor. It would boost my Dex (my weak save) and give me some resistance against poison. I could then select a medium viper as an animal companion, which in itself would be a very interesting twist.

Too bad I can't do both!!