Need some Assistance with a Hybrid style druid


Advice

Grand Lodge

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So I am trying to plan out feats for my druid. 20 Point buy, no dinosaurs, Human (I am considering oread as well)
I want to wildshape and fight till about 11 then focus more on sumoning (and using air elemental forms special attack)
Druid (Menhir Savant)
Traits: 1: Reactionary, 2: not sure
Stats:
16 str, 13 dex, 13 con, 8 int, 18 wis, 7 cha

Feats:
1 Spirit Companion, Power Attack
3 Improved Spell Sharing (Teamwork Feat)
5 Natural Spell
7 Planar Wildshape
9 Powerful Shape
11 Spell Focus: Conjuration
13 Augment Summoning
15 Quicken Spell
17 Superior Summons
19 Evolved Summons
Skills: Handle Animal, know: nature, Spellcraft, Perception

Crocodile (Might just go cat, but I like the crocodile)
Skills: Perception, Acrobatics
Feats:
1 Power Attack
3 Improved Spell Sharing
5 Vital Strike
7 Improved Natural Attack: Tail
9 ?
11
13
15
17
19

Any thoughts? anything to improve? I am trying to be pretty optimized as we are facing challenging encounters.


Your crocodile can't get power attack at lv 1 : you can't get any feats that require +1 BBA at level 1. It's a special rule for AC.

Improved spell sharing, requires spellcraft 10, so you can't take it until lv 10.

Spirit companion is for Spirit’s Gift? It's solid

You might want to summon earlier if you face challenging encounters, it's pretty effective and saves you a lot of health and ressources for your team.


Croc starts with a int of 1 and vital strike is not on the list of feats always available to animal companions.

Without DM approval (which admittedly may be easy to get) you would have to raise your croc's int to 3 before getting vital strike.

Remember, that according to the faq, even if you use wild shape several times to become an air elemental, abilities such as whirlwind and the smite from planar wildshape can only be used once per day. (which means 1 rnd per 2 hit die for whirlwind and once for smite)

Also, oread, while legal, seems an odd choice to focus on air elemental.

Grand Lodge

Yeah I wrote this when I was tired, should not of put the feats in order, it was just a couple to eventually take. He'll be using the air elemental in later levels for perfect fly and the whirlwind special attack to deliver slams while casting spells.

I think I should swap out power attack and other feats to get augment summoning earlier (7 or so), since power attack cant be taken at 1 as a druid anyway. Crocodile can since its 2 hit dice at level 1 (+1bab)

Scarab Sages

If you like a Crocodile, consider the Crocodile domain. You get useful extra spells, a mini-croc familiar, and a situational grapple ability that is very good in wild shape.

Grand Lodge

I prefer the animal companions, though I am probably just going to go with a cat. Im just wondering what should be my focus if im going a more hybrid style, should I have higher wis or strength? Should I use more feats for casting or fighting. I assume casting since its more powerful, maybe with just power attack, planar wildshape and powerful shape.


Your stats are good enough that you'll be able to do both fine. I'd definitely work the summoning tree of feats out a lot sooner. The 18 wis is all you need to be a spell caster in general.


Treemystic wrote:

Yeah I wrote this when I was tired, should not of put the feats in order, it was just a couple to eventually take. He'll be using the air elemental in later levels for perfect fly and the whirlwind special attack to deliver slams while casting spells.

I think I should swap out power attack and other feats to get augment summoning earlier (7 or so), since power attack cant be taken at 1 as a druid anyway. Crocodile can since its 2 hit dice at level 1 (+1bab)

Dude, your AC can't get power attack at lv 1...

rules wrote:

Feats

This is the total number of feats possessed by an animal companion. Animal companions should select their feats from those listed under Animal Feats. Animal companions can select other feats, although they are unable to utilize some feats (such as Martial Weapon Proficiency). Note that animal companions cannot select a feat with a requirement of base attack bonus +1 until they gain their second feat at 3 Hit Dice.

Grand Lodge

Ah I missed that, thats fine power attack at level one isnt that great anyway. so wait animal companions get a feat at druid level 2 then?

Grand Lodge

so What feats should I prioritize then? something like:
1 Spell Focus: Conjuration, Spirits Gift
3 Augment Summoning
5 Natural Spell
7 Superior Summons
9 Power Attack
11 Powerful Shape
13 Divine Interference
15 Quicken Spell
17 ?
19 ?

and what feats are good for my companion? (Changing to a big cat)
Dragon style? weapon focus? improved nat attack?


Unless it's flavor valuable to you, swap Spirit's Gifts (minor buffs) and Power Attack (massive damage). PA is quite important at level 1 adding 3 damage to THF attacks. This is extra true if you want to take natural spell at 5 so that you can beast mode it right off the bat. The PA will add 4-6 to your animal form attacks.

I'd suggest:
1-weapon finess (retrain at 7 or call a new cat if not allowed)
2-Power Attack
5-Improved natural attack (claws)
7[retrain]-lithe attacker
8-narrow frame

That a large combat cat that can squeeze effortlessly.


Personally, I think powerful shape sucks. You know it doesn't make you bigger, right? It just gives you a boost to combat maneuvers. No increased natural weapon size, etc. I'd avoid it unless you know there will be gargantuan or colossal guys that you really need to grapple.

Also, if you're considering oread, consider a dwarf instead. Oreads get the bonus to STR, but you're a D8 hit die class with a 13 CON and while wild shaped you're going to have a maximum +4 (mage armor) Armor bonus to AC. A dwarf would net you extra HP and better saves. Also, when not wild shaped, Dwarves have slow and steady so hide armor isn't pushing your speed to 15' like it is for oreads. Plus you get battleaxe, war-hammer, and heavy-pick proficiency.

Of course, humans get a bonus feat, which is great for summoning. Look into the ultimate magic starlight, moonlight, and sunlight summons feats. They can make it easier for you to get around DR, and they give your summons a little more utility.

Scarab Sages

Another point for Dwarf: Be a worshiper of Torag and take Blessed Hammer. Druids have some GREAT touch spells, and being able to spell strike them makes it even better.

Grand Lodge

Blessed hammer doesn't seem that great since I will be wild shaped from 6+ pretty much all the time. Also another reason I am not concerned with the armor slow is the oread +1 natural armor, allowing me to get away with lighter armor and a shield. I considered dwarfs but I had an awesome idea for a more plant like oread offshoot race that my gm okay'd (fluff only). Also my gm has changed his mind on dinosaurs (took much convincing on my part) So I can use the original archetype I wanted to use: Saurian Shaman So my stats currently are:
16 str
14 dex
14 con
10 int
17 wis
6 cha

Current feat progression:
1 Spirits Gift
3 Spell Focus: Conjuration
5 Augment Summons
7 Natural Spell
9 Superior Summons B: Power Attack
11 Divine Interference
13 Sunlight Summons B: Vital Strike
15 Quicken Spell
17 Improved Share Spells (teamwork feat) B:
19 ?

I want to summon starting at level 5 since its powerful with saurians bonuses. In addition to this I would still like to be secondary melee threat, the plan is to play a large creature with reach, striking from behind my summons/ animal companion/ Fighter with my reach and throwing out control spells from slightly behind the front line. I like the improved share spells feat since in later levels I can throw out quickened buffs for me and my animal companion in 1 round. So how does this look? any other suggestions?

Spinosaurus, then allosaurus at level 7
Feats:
Light armor Proficiency, toughness, Improved Natural Attack?

Scarab Sages

Treemystic wrote:
Blessed hammer doesn't seem that great since I will be wild shaped from 6+ pretty much all the time.

That's why you take Nature Fang to boost attacks and spell DCs with studied target, or Goliath druid to wildshape into a giant so you can keep your hammer.

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