Tips for a starting druid

[Dread Polack]

I've got a character I'm working on for an upcoming campaign (we just concluded our 7-year D&D campaign from 1st through 20th level, and we're starting a new one in about a month), and I'm looking for some ideas and advice.

He's going to be a 1st-level Lizardfolk: poison dusk druid. I'm about 90% sure we're going to use the "Aspect of Nature" variant of Wild Shape from UA. You can see it here: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/classFeatureVariants.htm#wildShapeVariantAspectOfNature

The campaign is taking place on a chain of islands off the coast of a large continent mostly in a subtropical climate.

What I'm mostly looking for is ideas and advice about what sort of feats, equipment, skills, spells, and animal companion options to take. The race is small and not very combat-oriented, at least not in melee. Should I focus on spells? My Animal Companion? Should I take riding skills and feats, or buff up my companion? Should I take Wild Shape feats? What are some good druid feats?

You get the idea. Thanks in advance for the help.

Dread Polack

 

[lukelightning]

My advice: Don't get overly sentimental and attached to your animal companion. You can always replace it.

 

[The Blow Leprechaun]

My advice: Don't get overly sentimental and attached to your animal companion. You can always replace it.

And you never know how the local constabulary will feel about this.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

summoning is your best spell, hands down. if you have extra feats, use them to improve your summoning. also spells from spell compendium rock, like vortex of teeth, and ice rose.

Anyway, summoning... well summons let you summon combatents, but the real power in summoning comes when you hit level 7. You can summon a unicorn. While only so so in melee, they are best summoned outside of combat to heal. the healing you can acheave is as good as a claric once you sna 4. the problem is its hard to heal in combat. Later you will get spells that fix that. Dont forget that you can use sna 5 to summon more unicorns, and you can fizz for sna, so you never need to actually prepare it.

the other awesome summon is a wind elemental. They let you pick up your foe fly him 100 feet above the ground and drop him for 10d6 points of damage. They also control combat like god. You can move your opponents all across the board in any manor you like. I have found that most creatures cant make the reflex save with this summon.

You may find that you have to tone down your druid because i have found that their is a thing as being too good. Aspect of Nature may be enuff so your not godly strong, but still useful and awesome.

 

[Dread Polack]

My DM is a pretty easy-going guy who wouldn't use my animal companion against me, and if I'm fond of him, will work with me to keep it cool and in the game. I'm the sort that would probably rather try to make my companion cooler instead of getting a cooler companion. I guess the question is whether this is possible without house rules. Do companions suffer any critical weaknesses or flaws that can complicate a druid's life?

My current plan for an animal companion is a riding dog. I've thought about mounted combat feats, but it might be better to let the dog run free in combat, since he just might end up being the tank of the group (yeah, druid, rogue, bard, so far).

I'm personally not fond of summoning in general, which is something I suppose I'll have to get over if it's a big part of the druid's functionality. What are some good ways to make summoning better?

Dread Polack

 

[Shayuri]

Augment Summoning is a good start. Later on, when you have room for some metamagic, Rapid Summoning (+1 spell level adjustment metamagic feat) is very nice.

Regarding animal companions, at low levels a Medium Viper is actually pretty good. They tend to have high AC, which improves survival...and the bite isn't much worse than a dog's, plus poison.

Later on you'll want to upgrade...I find that a dire wolf is a great druid pet throughout the mid to high levels, being powerful enough to compete "bare" at first, but without sacrificing too many druid bonus HD. The caveat is that dire wolves are Large, and thus present some challenges in average dungeon settings.

Other strong companions include:

Dire Bat (available earlier than wolves, can carry up to Medium creatures, has blindsense AND a very good AC).
Dire Weasel (Give it some buffs, and it's a Con draining machine! For big battles, lather it up with Stoneskin, Barkskin, and Animal Growth...and it'll tear through nasties horribly fast).
Lion or Tiger (so-so damage per attack, but with pounce and rake they can really add up)

Dire Bats are Large, but dire weasels are only Medium, I believe. If your character is Small, consider the Dire Weasel as a mount and combatant. You don't have to fight mounted.

-- Oh, and some other reasons unicorns rock for druids.

It's the only way you'll ever get Magic Circle vs Evil and Detect Evil...two potentially very handy spells. Healing, as noted. And with SNA IX you get the upgunned Celestial Charger unicorn...which is a Celestial unicorn with 7 cleric levels. It's one of the best all around summons there is, with the possible exception of a Leonal Guardinial.

 

[Angerland]

check PHBII for an updated list of possible animal companions. Then consider getting a Fleshraker Dinosaur when you are able. You can find them in MMIII. My character is about to become a 5th level Druid and I must say my riding dog in studded leather armor was doing extremely well as the party tank until last level when the shifter warblade started to pass him up. Still has the highest AC at 22 (pre magic buffs, that is).

Your riding dog will be a good choice for quite a while though, so don't feel you HAVE to get rid of him. At 5th level you get Wild Shape so keep that in mind when you are planning for cool magic items and what not. You may be spending a significant part of your time in the shape of a creature other than your own.

A wand of CLW will be your parties best friend so get your other members to help spring for one early.

As stated, take advantage of spells found in Spell Compendium. There are quite a few new extremely useful spells found in that book for every class so far.

Are you playing in the Eberron setting? There are a couple of Druid orders that offer ebilities that affect your summoning spells if so. (ashbound, in particular) Other wise you get spell focus conjuration and augment summoning, don't forget natural spell at 6th level so you can cast in animal form.

Oh and do yourself,(and DM) a favor and print up a stat block for the animals you will most likely summon or wildshape in to so you don't have to go thumbing through a bunch of books to find them. Keeps the game flowing faster. Also remeber that on your turn youwill have to mangae quite a few different critters potentially. You, your animal companion and any/all summoned creatures. So know in advance of your turn what is doing what to whom so your long turn goes by a little faster.

 

[Dread Polack]

check PHBII for an updated list of possible animal companions. Then consider getting a Fleshraker Dinosaur when you are able. You can find them in MMIII. My character is about to become a 5th level Druid and I must say my riding dog in studded leather armor was doing extremely well as the party tank until last level when the shifter warblade started to pass him up. Still has the highest AC at 22 (pre magic buffs, that is).

I thought about a big lizard for my little lizard to ride on, but I settled on dog.

Your riding dog will be a good choice for quite a while though, so don't feel you HAVE to get rid of him. At 5th level you get Wild Shape so keep that in mind when you are planning for cool magic items and what not. You may be spending a significant part of your time in the shape of a creature other than your own.

I'm going with the "Aspect of Nature" variant instead of Wild Shape, so he'll be mostly lizard nearly all the time. When he's not flying, climbing, or swimming, he'll be happy to ride the dog.

A wand of CLW will be your parties best friend so get your other members to help spring for one early.

Definitely.

As stated, take advantage of spells found in Spell Compendium. There are quite a few new extremely useful spells found in that book for every class so far.

I'll czech it out.

Are you playing in the Eberron setting? There are a couple of Druid orders that offer ebilities that affect your summoning spells if so. (ashbound, in particular) Other wise you get spell focus conjuration and augment summoning, don't forget natural spell at 6th level so you can cast in animal form.

The setting is home-brewed, so most of that won't come up. I believe Aspect of Nature renders Natural Spell unnecessary, except for maybe at high levels when you can go elemental.

Oh and do yourself,(and DM) a favor and print up a stat block for the animals you will most likely summon or wildshape in to so you don't have to go thumbing through a bunch of books to find them. Keeps the game flowing faster. Also remeber that on your turn youwill have to mangae quite a few different critters potentially. You, your animal companion and any/all summoned creatures. So know in advance of your turn what is doing what to whom so your long turn goes by a little faster.

Done and done. My DM is already grateful!

Dread Polack

 

[Destil]

Anyone actually seen either Fleshrakers or Swindlespitters in play, either for wild shape or as a companion? I'm a little scared of these two given the high praise on the wizards CO board (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=465005&page=1&pp=30)

 

[Moon-Lancer]

they are very very broken. Flashrakers are broken for wildshape too. Get a boost that adds extra damage per a hit (like produce flame when turning melee touch attacks into melee attacks) and you got yourself major broken. This was in actual play. I stopped using them because they made me feel dirty.