WotC_Dave: Druid!

[Bishmon]

4e already balances 'lopsided' actions in the form of minions, elites and boss monsters. Though to some extent a boss is balanced by giving it more actions.

The issue with summoning (and animal companions and the leadership feat) is not so much balancing actions, it's one player getting more table time. Much, much more in the case of a 3e druid. A 3e druid with the leadership feat and his cohort is also a druid? My God, his turns are going to take half an hour each.

I'm not sure how to do it for an animal companion, but for summoning, they already have a 4E mechanic in place. The same way a wizard has to spend a minor action to sustain his 'fly' spell, a druid could have to use a standard action to sustain his summoned animal.

It would take some playtesting to find the proper execution of the idea, but that seems to me to be the way to go.

 

[HeinorNY]

Yes. Druids should not be treating nature's children as disposable tools to be used and abused at the druid's whim.

So 4E druids will be PETA members?

DESA (Druids for the ethical summoning of animals)

 

[Bishmon]

It doesn't make sense that a priest of nature and wildlife should summon animals and place them in battles (which are unnatural for them) to get them killed. Moraly, it's not an acceptable behaviour for Druids, IMO.

Then make the summons animal spirits. Spirits are quite common in myth, and it'd be very evocative for a druid to summon the spirits of the animals of the land to wreak havoc on those that would do harm to that land. And if the spirit "dies", no big deal, it was a spirit.

 

[Phasics]

It might be intresting if the 3 paragon tiers break the druid into

advanced wildshape

animal companion

advanced nature and elemental magic with a summoning flavor

An advanced animal companion could be fun if it means the driud basically gets a Large/Huge mount to fight on, nothing like being able to legitimately getting a Dragon to ride hehehe perhaps the druid would even be able to have the companion do the wild shaping.


Also I'd love to see the wild shaping broken into 2 different paths , a Beast and Elemntal path.
Beast would have you going bears, treants, Giant spiders, Dragons etc
Elemental would see you starting with small of all 4 varieties working up to the Large and Huge forms potenially with some associated powers.

 

[ZombieRoboNinja]

This is the only way that I can see it being balanced... you would be a striker while in animal form, and a controller in your normal form, with spells primarily only available in your normal form.

It is probably very likely that the Druid builds would be split between one that enchances wild shaping abilities and another that enchances spell casting abilities... assuming that we only get 2 build choices per class, of course.

This makes a lot of sense to me too. The druid could lay down some crowd control with spells like Web and Fog and then shift to wolf form and start shredding bad guys. (Shifting might be a good minor action

The tricky part would be divvying up powers... what's a good at-will power for a druid who's not in animal form?

 

[HeinorNY]

Then make the summons animal spirits. Spirits are quite common in myth, and it'd be very evocative for a druid to summon the spirits of the animals of the land to wreak havoc on those that would do harm to that land. And if the spirit "dies", no big deal, it was a spirit.

Let it for the shamans.

 

[ZombieRoboNinja]

I am extremely wary of this. Wasn't preventing characters who were supposed to fill a role, but couldn't actually do enough of what they were used for, the reason that 4th edition gave classes defined roles in the first place? This kind of balancing act could easily break and overpower or underpower the class.

This is why I'm thinking a striker/controller hybrid is likely. Controllers are probably the most expendable role in 4e (at least judging by the fact that WOTC saw fit to only include one in the first PHB, thus ensuring that a lot of parties don't have 'em), and more strikers are always nice, so it makes sense to have a controller who can lay down the damage in melee when necessary. (After all, let's face it; even the wizard ends up doing single-target damage like a striker a lot of the time. He's just not as good at it.)

 

[Kzach]

Somehow, Ive never associated "Druid" with "shapeshifting warrior." From mythology, shouldnt they be mysterious nature shamans who draw upon the power of nature?

From myth and history druids went through several incarnations. The oldest of which was from Celtic legend where they were primarily shape-shifting warriors with otherworldly abilities beyond the norm. Almost all the ancient Celtic gods were druids as well.

Later and more historically, they were judge, jury and executioner in Celtic culture and travelled from one village to the next. They also acted as leaders in battle, inciting their people into a blood-frenzy.

They also were said to conduct animal and human sacrifice to a mother goddess but from what I remember, that is mostly speculation.

Even later than that, they became little more than Christian clerics with a Celtic slant.

At least, this is what I remember from reading and watching docos. I could be remembering some things incorrectly as druids are a favourite class of mine and one which I've worked on extensively in my setting histories and mechanics so I could be confusing myself.

Yup. It's another nod to what most players feel is 'cool' about the 3E druid.

Again, wild-shaping is more historically and mythologically accurate so it's not necessarily a bow to WoW.

 

[Stogoe]

I'm loving the wildshape and weather-magic focus of the Druid. The sorcerer can soak up the elemental bits of the Primal power source. I'm a bit concerned about the 'hybrid' description, but it may be okay.

I am fed up with the Druid's monopolizing of table time, so banishing the fighter-substitute animal compaion and the dozens of summoned badgers sounds great.

 

[HeinorNY]

The tricky part would be divvying up powers... what's a good at-will power for a druid who's not in animal form?

Nature's Wrath Druid Attack 1
Green energy flows from the earth into your hands, and you release it on your enemies.

At-will, Primal, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 20
Target: One creature
Attack: Wisdom vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d4 + Wis modifier radiant damage.
Special: This power counts as a ranged basic attack. When a power allows you to make a ranged basic attack, you can use this power.