Tell me about your low level druid!

[jgsugden]

Uh-oh.

This thread's projected length just jumped

-Hyp.

That issue (HP change in wildshape form) has been discussed to death. Let's avoid it here, please.

To summarize all the other threads on the subject on the various boards: The book is not perfectly clear on the subject with reasonable arguments based upon the PHB text going both ways. The sage said he thought hit points did change in 3.5 when polymorphed/wildshaped. Andy Collins (according to reports that were never verified (AFAIK)) uses the rule that hit points do *not* change in his campaign.

 

[Hypersmurf]

That issue (HP change in wildshape form) has been discussed to death. Let's avoid it here, please.

Hey, I'm not discussing...I'm just expressing doubt that the "Change in Con means change in hit points!" camp will let that post go uncontested

-Hyp.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

I am having fun with a 2nd level gnome who rides a wolf companion. (Bareback, of course, 'cause it is more stylish.)

My offensive ability in hand-to-hand combat is laughable because of small size and Str 10; I use Aid Another whenever possible. I expect I will have more punch when I get Flame Blade and Flaming Sphere.

My 1st Feat choice is Scribe Scroll. The Druid has an excellent spell selection but many of the spells are too specialized to "dare" prep on a typical day. SS will let me have those weird spells on a special occasion. In the long term I can hedge my bets with spontaneous casting, but the durations are too low to bother right now.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

BTW, the Riding Dog is a bit more optimal for combat than the Wolf. Riding Dog has higher Str and AC; Wolf has higher movement and Trip.

 

[Mytholder]

My character in a severely infrequent game (second session next week) is Greendog. The GM wanted weird characters, so Greendog is an ordinary wolf given vaguely humanoid shape by the sentience of the Green to act as a defender of nature. He's only four years old, and travels with The Brother, his animal companion and brother, who is still an ordinary wolf.

We've only played one session - shillelagh+two weapon fighting+flanking=serious smackdown.

 

[Argent Silvermage]

A 3rd level elven druid should take a Horse for a companion and Mounted combat and Mounted Archery. It maximises your skills all around and keeps your animal companion next to you for effective spell sharing.

Or if you see a lot of dungeoneering in your future look more to a creature that can climb or fly. Apes should not be overlooked.
Remember that as an Elf you CAN use a longsword and Bows.

Oh... and If your a Druid of Obad-Hi take a few ranks in Preform Pan pipes and then get a few magical pipes like a pipe of the sewers. it fits well and is a nifty thing to use in a pinch.

 

[River]

A 3rd level halfling druid with Mounted combat is a force to be reckoned with... Tired of your Animal Companion dying? Mounted combat + leather barding on your animal companion. Sheliligh gives you a 1d10 +1 weapon regardless of size as I recall....

Druids do make awsome summoners.

 

[Argent Silvermage]

Druids do make awsome summoners.

Truer words cannot be typed. Take spell focus Conjuration and the Augment summoning feat at 3rd level and watch the fun. It takes a lot of planning but it's worth it.

Eventualy you can do what I have done and work up towards the Leadership feat and start "awakening" animals and take them as followers. they are no longer Animals and thus some of your enchanting spells will not work but a few eagles with alchemical bombs they can drop on the opponants can save a lot of pain on your side.

 

[Darklone]

I have two druid types in my group.

One is an elven archer wolf shaman (variant druid class from the Kalamar Players Guide: They can only wildshape into one totem animal but do get additional domain spells and abilities depending on their totem) the other one is a powergaming golden halfling druid with cheetah animal companion for 500ft movement (riding), he's thinking about a level monk for that nifty +6 to AC...

The girl is the only initial character that survived the whole campaign, she's usually shooting with her bow and sends her wolf wherever help is needed (trip is deadly). In case someone closes into melee combat, she wildshapes into wolfform and trips ... Her spells are secondary, but she saved the day more than once with a weird spell that noone prepares usually... Another ability: She can build fetishs that give a +1 to saves. These fetishs are permanent as long as the recipient obeys her condition given when she handed it to him...

The halfling druid has by far the best stats in the whole group (I think his worst attribute is Charisma 14). He's planning to wildshape into large animals as soon as he reaches level 8 (won't take long anymore) but till now he usually summoned big monsters (and got the party into bad situations). His cheetah mount companion usually keeps away from the biggest battles but makes him horribly mobile.

Another hint for low level druids concerning healing power: Goodberries last several days, use one 1st level slot each day and you'll have a lot of healing power for the next time.

As soon as you have 4th level spells, prepare a cure serious wounds for emergency cases and drop it to summon a unicorn for healing if you have the time

 

[Pielorinho]

My apologies on the potential hit-point hijack; I forgot some folks play it differently. If you're interested in the power-game aspect of druids that I described, check with your DM first .

Can't believe I forgot goodberries. Well, scratch that -- I can believe it, since it's not a very good spell past level 8 or so. Around level three, if you prepare one or two goodberries every day, you should be able to equip every member of your party with 8 goodberries -- basically a free cure light wounds potion for them. (You may want to see if your DM will let you prepare 5 goodberries every day instead of 2d4; this will make the bookkeeping on them a lot easier).

Daniel