Why WOULDN'T a druid take Natural Spell??

[Nifft]

I dunno... I think it's possible to build a good Druid without Natural Spell. For PCs, I recommend it because it gives a lot of flexibility.

Non-Wild Spell Builds:
- Monstrous Druids
- Mounted Druids
- Weapon-oriented Fighter/Druid Hybrids

-- N

 

[Technik4]

As Nifft Said, if I want to make a druid/barb hybrid I don't necessarily want to be able to cast spells in Wildshape, I want to rage in wildshape, I can cast spells when Im in human form.

That said it wouldn't break anything to give it to druids for free at some point.

As for its comparison to fighter or wizard I think the key point is that wizards and fighters both get bonus feats to further customize their characters (as well as increase their power). One of the biggest things 3e dropped the ball on is allowing some classes to be massively customizable but restricting most classes to rote "paths" at best (via how the character chooses feats/skills). I hope every class has bonus feats (if only 1 or 2) in 4e.

Technik

 

[mikebr99]

<grops for straws> I would stay away from it for flavor reasons only... I'm a spellcaster first, and fall back to wildshape only for self-defence, or when the spells are all gone. Feats are so hard to come by these days, and there are SO many to choose from. YMMV

It IS a VERY good feat.


Mike

 

[green slime]

I dunno... I think it's possible to build a good Druid without Natural Spell. For PCs, I recommend it because it gives a lot of flexibility.

Non-Wild Spell Builds:
- Monstrous Druids
- Mounted Druids
- Weapon-oriented Fighter/Druid Hybrids

-- N

This is because in two of those three examples, the player has deliberately postponed the Druid advancement to gain other abilities (one due to ECL, and the other to gain Fighter/Barbarian levels). This delays both the Druid spellcasting and the Wildshaping. No wonder the player isn't too interested in taking the Natural Spell feat! They have already played down their Druidic abilities to garner other abilities!

The Mounted Druid, relying on his small size and a nasty animal companion, is a fairly rare beast. And does he loose anything by taking Natural Spell? The two are not mutually exclusive. What last seventh feat on this druids list comes even close to the versatility offered by Natural Spell?

 

[FrankTrollman]

As Nifft Said, if I want to make a druid/barb hybrid I don't necessarily want to be able to cast spells in Wildshape, I want to rage in wildshape, I can cast spells when Im in human form.

1> You are not in fact a Druid at that point.

and

2> You still want Natural Spell because it will allow you to cast pre-combat buffs on yourself to prepare yourself to rage in Wildshape.

Wildshape lasts for hours, so you are going to assume animal form presumably long before you enter melee. You are also going to want to cast spells - such as Greater Magic Fang - at the same time. Does any one feat make up for the difference between having Greater Magical Fangs and not? How many feats do you know of that give you +2 attack and damage and allow you to penetrate DR?

Even on soething as simplistic as a Barbarian/Druid combat monster - the Wildspell feat is so much better than any other two feats you could take that it is absurd.

-Frank

 

[youspoonybard]

Level 9 Druids get Poison Immunity tho.

Poison Immunity is soooooo good.

 

[Crothian]

Level 9 Druids get Poison Immunity tho.

Poison Immunity is soooooo good.

Not really, depends on how often the DM has one face posion. And as Fort is a Druids good save, it really doesn't protect against much since Druids should make more then they fail.

But what I'm curious about is how a Druid with barbarian or fighter levels is no longer a druid? As long as they are still nutral, respect nature, and don't teach the druidic ways to people they are fine and still druids.

 

[youspoonybard]

Don't teach the Druidic language to people.

I'm sure Druids in general wouldn't mind teaching their ways...

 

[Crothian]

Don't teach the Druidic language to people.

I'm sure Druids in general wouldn't mind teaching their ways...

Ex-Druids
A druid who ceases to revere nature, changes to a prohibited alignment, or teaches the Druidic language to a nondruid loses all spells and druid abilities (including her animal companion, but not including weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies). She cannot thereafter gain levels as a druid until she atones (see the atonement spell description).

 

[youspoonybard]

Exactly.

My point was a Druid could teach her WAYS to people. That's fine.

Druidic, on the other hand, is a no-no.