*PFS* Caster Druid Optimization

[Slyme]

I was originally planning on making a new Shifter character for PFS once Ultimate Wilderness came out, but like many others, I find the Shifter to be less than impressive. This led me back to the Druid class, though after looking over the options for a wild shape focused build I still wasn't really feeling very hyped about building it.

It did however give me the urge to make a casting focused druid. They have a lot of solid options, and I could still use wild shape for utility and defensive purposes.

Looking over the various races with stats appropriate for a caster druid, the Tengu caught my eye. The +2 Dex and +2 Wis are great for a druid, and the -2 Con is easy enough to buy back up. Racial traits are a bit meh.

Nature themed bird man sounded like fun, so then I started looking at archetypes, and the Storm Druid sparked my interest (pun intended) I was leaning towards taking domains instead of a companion anyways, and I did not want to focus on summoning (While summoning can be super powerful, it can also really bog down a game and make it less fun for everyone else at the table while you spend 5 minutes resolving your turn every time you are up in combat) so trading spontaneous SNA for spontaneous domain spells is a win. Plus all the other trade outs seemed like solid buffs too (Free (Ex) ability to see through fog? Yes please)

So, Tengu Storm Druid...current working name Stormcrow :)

Stormcrow:

Race: Tengu
Class: Druid (Storm Druid Archetype)
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Faction: Scarab Sages

Str: 8
Dex: 14
Con: 12
Int: 12
Wis: 20
Cha: 7

Alternate Racial Traits: Claw Attack

Traits: Reactionary, Highlander

1. Nature Bond: Domain - Wind, Nature Sense, Orisons, Wild Empathy
Feat: Fey Foundling

2. Windwalker

3. Stormvoice
Feat: Extend Spell

4. Eyes of the Storm, Wild Shape (1/day)

5. Feat: Natural Spell

6. Wild Shape (2/day)

7. Feat: Wild Speech

8. Wild Shape (3/day)

9. Windlord: Domain - Weather
Feat: Spell Penetration

10. Wild Shape (4/day)

11. Feat: Dazing Spell

12. Wild Shape (5/day)

Racial Traits: Claws instead of a sword...always threaten, can't be disarmed or taken away. Swords don't feel very Druidic anyways.

Traits...open to suggestions, my initial thought was Highlander to gain Stealth as a class skill so I can be a better scout, nut sure it is needed though once I shift into a diminutive bat or bird. Reactionary is of course a good choice for just about any build.

Feats: I thought Fey Foundling might be nice if I get injured...heal myself up faster. Extend Spell for longer buff duration (Should I rely on a metamagic rod instead?). Natural Spell and Wild Speech almost seem like must haves for any druid build. Spell Penetration always feels like a must for casters. Dazing Spell? Maybe...if no one has better suggestions. Thoughts?

Tactics...turn into a small/tiny/diminutive bird (or air elemental at higher levels), fly above the combat, hide in a fog cloud (which I can see through thanks to the Storm Druid archetype), rain down death and debuffs from the sky.

This is (as mentioned above) a character for Pathfinder Society, so 20 point buy for stats, Paizo materials only, etc.

[master_marshmallow]

Is there a specific reason for your domain choice?

I'll agree that Storm druid is the best choice for a caster focused druid, but i would recommend the Lightning domain instead. It'll give you shocking grasp and free empowers later on.

Extend Spell is too good on a druid, you have a lot of long duration buffs that you'll love to have extended. A rod is fine if you can afford it early enough.

If you want to be caster focused, I'd recommend Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus, along with Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration. You don't want your spells to be useless. Elemental Spell can also help with this build. Intensified spell can make those damage dealing spells a lot better.

If you're looking for a different trait, think of one of those domain spells to specialize in, probably lightning bolt, and take Magical Lineage on it.

[cavernshark]

master_marshmallow wrote:

Is there a specific reason for your domain choice?

I'll agree that Storm druid is the best choice for a caster focused druid, but i would recommend the Lightning domain instead. It'll give you shocking grasp and free empowers later on.

It's not really clear if you can take Lightning in PFS on a storm druid. It was released after the storm druid which has very explicit domains and subdomains listed as valid choices. Common sense for a home game says that if you worship Gozreh (or one of the other three deities) you should be able to take it but since it's not explicit I think it's best to avoid it.

[Slyme]

Storm Druid wrote:

A storm druid may not choose an animal companion. A storm druid must choose the Air or Weather domain, or the Cloud, Storm, or Wind subdomain.

Lightning is not an option available to storm druids unfortunately, if it were I would definitely take it.

What school would you suggest taking Spell Focus in?

[nicholas storm]

When you look at the apocryphal subdomains (of which lightning is one), the faith trait Acolyte of Apocrypha says "You can select one of the apocryphal subdomains detailed below, provided the subdomain is associated with your patron deity."

Obviously, the author probably never envisioned a druid taking this, but by RAW, it appears to work and I would probably allow it as a GM, provided the trait is taken. However, I am not sure how it would play in PFS.

[Slyme]

Even with the trait "Acolyte of Apocrypha" Hero Lab won't let me take the Lightning subdomain, so I'll just stick with the Wind and Weather domains until further notice.

Anyone got any suggestions for magic items?

I am particularly stuck on the neck slot. Amulet of Natural Armor would be my first choice...but that will get overridden by Barkskin most of the time. Amulet of Mighty Fists is a bit meh, since I will only be in melee on rare occasions.

I'm thinking +1 Darkleaf Hide armor, eventually adding the Wild enchantment. Maybe a +1 Ironwood Buckler, also eventually adding Wild.

Probably won't invest much in a weapon...maybe a masterwork Quarterstaff or Club I can throw Shillelagh on.

Cloak of Resistance, Ring of Protection and headband of wisdom are no brainers.

Maybe a belt with +2 Dex/Con?

Lesser rod of extend.

Druid's Vestments are pretty cheap, and an extra use a day of Wild Shape could be useful.

Need ideas for hand, wrist, 2nd ring, feet, and head slots if anyone has any suggestions.

[nicholas storm]

wild is expensive for someone that doesn't expect to be in combat much. I would get a wand of mage armor and try to have someone cast it on you or invest in UMD.

[Slyme]

Maybe just on the hide, that would get me a +5 AC in wild shape. At that price it wouldn't happen to late game anyways (level 9+ I would guess)

I might not get into melee much, but I still don't want to catch a stray arrow or anything.

[cavernshark]

Brooch of Amber Sparks could be fun later in game when you could drop a bolt over yourself and your opponent to charge it up and have a shocking grasp ready for if you need to go into melee or as a finisher. It's also a layer of protection just generally if you don't need your neck for something else.

[plaidwandering]

Didn't John Compton post in another thread about storm druids and lighting subdomain? That the trait opens the option and it's not a retcon just a new option?

[Scott Wilhelm]

I've been turning Mystic Theurge in my head for a while. What would a Druid/Wizard Mystic Theurge be like? If you take Shaping Focus, you can still turn into your songbirds, dust mites, or whatever, hiding in your clouds and raining death on those below. I'm pretty sure Natural Spell lets you cast any spell while in Animal form, not just Druid Spells.

Just thinking.

[Slyme]

Natural spell is specifically for Wild Shape, you cannot use it with other forms of shape shifting.

It does not specify Druid spells though, so you should be able to cast any spells you have in Wild Shape.

[Perfect Tommy]

Scott Wilhelm wrote:

I've been turning Mystic Theurge in my head for a while. What would a Druid/Wizard Mystic Theurge be like? If you take Shaping Focus, you can still turn into your songbirds, dust mites, or whatever, hiding in your clouds and raining death on those below. I'm pretty sure Natural Spell lets you cast any spell while in Animal form, not just Druid Spells.

Just thinking.

Funny. Me too.

My thinking has been revolving around feysworn Ifrit (or slyph, or oreaid) druid with a domain going into sorceror.

[nicholas storm]

plaidwandering wrote:

Didn't John Compton post in another thread about storm druids and lighting subdomain? That the trait opens the option and it's not a retcon just a new option?

link with John Compton

[Slyme]

John Compton wrote:

This isn't about retconning anything, ChaosTicket. It's a new Subdomain published in Player Companion: Divine Anthology. Rather than adding new subdomains that are always accessible, it requires a user to take a trait that opens access to the option. Each deity's published subdomains have not changes; this allows someone to take an apocryphal interpretation of the deity's vision and express it in a way that's not entirely against the deity's methods.

That post does not say whether a Druid should be able to use it (Storm Druid domains are not tied to a deity), simply that it allows a player to spend a trait to be able to use their deities domain in a different way...which is too vague to really call a ruling directly related to Storm Druids IMHO.

[plaidwandering]

The statement alone maybe, but in the context of that thread, it makes sense

[Slyme]

Unfortunately that is not enough for most PFS GMs in my experience.