is this PFS LEGEAL pls help

hey guys, i wanted to make a shape shifting druid, i am new to PFS. The local GM for the pfs told me shape shifting druids pretty much suck. i did alot of research and found a feat called shaping focus in the ultimate magic handbook. my question is would i be allowed to roll druid to lvl 4 then put 1 level in fighter take shaping focus and be able to use wild shape as if i were a lvl 8 druid into a huge beast? ive seen several PFS players make guides telling us that this is they way to go to be a shape shifting druid.when i brought it up to the GM he said he wasnt sure if this is legal in PFS or not.. any one out there know? it seems to be the standard way of rolling a melee druid?

Shaping Focus caps at your current character level meaning a druid 4/fighter 1 wildshapes as a druid 5, and a druid 4/fighter 4 wildshapes as a druid 8

First off shape shifting is very powerful if you are smart with it. Once you can become an earth elemental you can earth glide through every wall and spy on the enemies. If you want it just to make an elite fighter type with it. You will be outdone by other clases(but you have plenty of other advantages). If you like the flavor of beast shape and tearing it up you can still do well with it.

As for the legality of it the link below says what is legal or not. Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Magic
Feats: Blighted Critical, Create Reliquary Arms and Shield, Create Sanguine Elixir are not legal for play.

So shaping focus is not listed in there.

http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety/about/additionalResources

You can only get the max chracter level. So a level 4 druid with 1 fighter would count for 5 for wild shape.

Benefit: If you are a multiclassed druid, your wild shape ability is calculated as though your druid level were four higher, to a maximum level equal to your character level.

If you multi-class, your wild shape keeps progressing, but you won't be equivalent to an 8th level druid until your character is 8th level. So at Druid 4/ Fighter 1 you would wild shape as a 5th level Druid, at Druid 4/ Fighter 2 a 6th level druid and so on until Druid 4/ Fighter 4 where you wild shape as an 8th level druid. After 4 levels of fighter, wild shaping doesn't progress unless you continue with druid levels. I suspect most of the guides suggest taking 4 levels of fighter with the feat (taking Weapon Specialization) then switching back to druid until 12th or 13th level, then finishing off with Fighter.

You can look at the Additional Resources Page to see if that specific feat is PFS legal.

I think the idea of jumping into fighter is getting all the nifty feats that come with it and using that to make you a better beast(I'd prefer barbarian myself, if I had to dip). The one thing I have against shapeshifting druid is that your first 3 levels aren't the most fun in the world because you just aren't an animal, and to my knowledge there isn't a good shapeshifting archetype that changes this. So be sure your ready to live with that if you plan to go that route.

...The one thing I have against shapeshifting druid is that your first 3 levels aren't the most fun in the world because you just aren't an animal, and to my knowledge there isn't a good shapeshifting archetype that changes this. So be sure your ready to live with that if you plan to go that route.

I play an urban druid who doesn't wildshape until level 8 (I have no love for wildshape or animal companions, I just like druid spells). Because of this, playing a druid who isn't really designed for low levels without those two things is pretty tough, so I sort of echo this sentiment. Just need to persist through it, and it teaches you to be a better support player.

any tips on how to build a charecter like this? what spells? feats? traits? equipment for that matter... lol this will be my first charecter playing in pathfinder so im pretty noobish will take any help

any tips on how to build a charecter like this? what spells? feats? traits? equipment for that matter... lol this will be my first charecter playing in pathfinder so im pretty noobish will take any help

this is probably better question to ask in the advice forum. just mention you are building a PFS character and lots of people should help with suggestions.

personally i prefer 1 barbarian (for rage), 2 fighter (for 2 extra feats) and 1 other class as my 4 levels in another class, and planar wild shape feat is a must if you're going to be an animal most of the time.

I would suggest you keep multi-classing to a minimum if this is your first character. There are a lot of pitfalls and it's a lot more complicated. Druid 4/ Fighter 4 is pretty good, you get weapon specialization which is a solid damage bonus, and some other nice fighter specific goodies and things are a lot more straight forward.

If you go that route, consider Magical Knack as a trait. Just understand that Caster Level is not tied to how many spells you get. So a Druid 4/Fighter 4 will have a CL of 6, but still only get 2nd-level spells.

Traits: beast of the society (if you're in a dungeon you can't go wrong with a velociraptor)

I would not leave druid. While shapeshifting itself drops off after a while, the self buffs you can throw on yourself at the higher levelsare pretty obscene. Strong Jaw, aspect of the wolf,

Multi attacker

Pro: Fits in the dungeon, probably the most damage, most mobile melee build in the game

Con: Damage reduction will really cram your style. First 4 levels aren't much fun.

Human: Imp. unarmed strike
1st: Heavy armor proficiency
3rd: Dragon style
5th: Natural spell (naturally)
7th: Wild speech (unless you like growling at your party, also very useful in pfs for activating scrolls, wands, and whatnot)
9th: Power attack
11th: ??

Stupid druid tricks:

Instead of waiting for the wild armor enchantment, just get stone plate barding made for your velociraptor form and have the party put you in it. At 4th level you've got 8 hours of raptory face eating goodness

If you need to get out of the armor asap, wildshape. It merges with you.

STR: 19 DEX: 12 CON: 14 INT: 9 WIS: 14 CHA: 7

Useful spells: Longstrider. Bulls strength. Strong jaw. Aspect of the wolf

Also, don't forget the pet. The damage they do isn't inconsiderable, and at the very least its a roaving +2 flanking bonus.

As a quick suggestion, you may want to pick a non-animal-related class for your first character, until you get a better handle on the rules. I have a good friend who built a druid as his first character, and he didn't seem to enjoy it very much at the start, because he didn't really understand entirely how they worked or how to build them.

Also, don't forget the pet. The damage they do isn't inconsiderable, and at the very least its a roaving +2 flanking bonus.

Your gonna be hard pressed to get that +2 flanking bonus to do anything with your Handle Animal check at a -2 to start with thanks to 7 Cha and only 3 skill points per level thanks to your 9 Int. Combine that with your absolute (at least as far as I can tell) inability to communicate with the AC at all after you Wild Shape, at least until you get Wild Speech, and it looks more like the AC is just gonna hang out on the sidelines taking up space on the map. ;)

Also, just cause Im curious, why Hvy Armor Prof?

@ Brawnlen: There is a lot of good info here, and Big Norse Wolf makes some good suggestions (mostly Im just pokin fun at him), though I agree with Netopalis that you amy want to choose a different class to start with, if this is your first character. The Druid is very complicated. If you absolutely want to go with this class, though, then I hope you enjoy it. It can be a ton of fun.

Also, just to clarify (though I dont know if this was your intention, I may be reading your first post wrong), you have to create all PFS characters at level 1. You cant roll the thing up at 4 and start from there.

Also also, if you do decide to take Druid, I really suggest you get the new Animal Archive book. It's pretty awesome.

Your gonna be hard pressed to get that +2 flanking bonus to do anything with your Handle Animal check at a -2 to start with thanks to 7 Cha and only 3 skill points per level thanks to your 9 Int. Combine that with your absolute (at least as far as I can tell) inability to communicate with the AC at all after you Wild Shape, at least until you get Wild Speech, and it looks more like the AC is just gonna hang out on the sidelines taking up space on the map. ;)

A) all that is needed, even with a 7 cha, is 4 ranks in handle animal in order to auto make any check to order the AC to do any trick it is trained in, and that is not including any racial or tool modifiers.

B) nowhere is it stated that you have to speak in order to command an animal. they can respond to signals as easily as words.

A) all that is needed, even with a 7 cha, is 4 ranks in handle animal in order to auto make any check to order the AC to do any trick it is trained in, and that is not including any racial or tool modifiers.

How so?

B) nowhere is it stated that you have to speak in order to command an animal. they can respond to signals as easily as words.

I would be fine with letting a player use gestures instead of speaking to give directions. However, there is a difference between the intricate gestures a humanoid can make with their fingers and such to differentiate one action from another, and the ability to just nod and tilt your head after you have transformed into a wolf. It would be much more challenging to get your point across once transformed.

Your gonna be hard pressed to get that +2 flanking bonus to do anything with your Handle Animal check at a -2 to start with thanks to 7 Cha and only 3 skill points per level thanks to your 9 Int.

1 rank +4 link+3 trained -2 cha +2 training harness = +8. You fail to tell it to flank on a roll of 1 at first level.

Attack attack flank defend down heel guard- and you're set.

Combine that with your absolute (at least as far as I can tell) inability to communicate with the AC at all after you Wild Shape

1) There's no hint at how you order a companion, a growl and sticking your talon in somethings eye probably gets your point across and

2)wildshape: ...but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form. So you have a pair of dinos running around that can talk to each other. It actually enhances your ability to control the critter.

Also, just cause Im curious, why Hvy Armor Prof?

+5 ac for 1 feat is a bargain. (going from hide to fullplate)

Seth Gipson wrote:

Your gonna be hard pressed to get that +2 flanking bonus to do anything with your Handle Animal check at a -2 to start with thanks to 7 Cha and only 3 skill points per level thanks to your 9 Int.

1 rank +4 link+3 trained -2 cha +2 training harness = +8. You fail to tell it to flank on a roll of 1 at first level.

Attack attack flank defend down heel guard- and you're set.

Ah, forgot about the +4 from Link. Not that the +2 if the AC gets injured makes it that much more difficult, but that is something to take into account, though.

Quote:

Combine that with your absolute (at least as far as I can tell) inability to communicate with the AC at all after you Wild Shape

1) There's no hint at how you order a companion, a growl and sticking your talon in somethings eye probably gets your point across and

2)wildshape: ...but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form. So you have a pair of dinos running around that can talk to each other. It actually enhances your ability to control the critter.

I think your first point is a table variance issue at best. Depending on the GM you have, you may be hard pressed on that issue. You bring up something else I forgot about the AC rules with your second point though.

Apparently I need to make a Druid sometime soon so I can refamiliarize myself with those rules, lol.

Quote:

Also, just cause Im curious, why Hvy Armor Prof?

+5 ac for 1 feat is a bargain. (going from hide to fullplate)

I suppose that is a pretty good reason. I was going to mention about losing the bonus while Wildshaping, etc, but I suppose you can just use that one item (which I assume you mean to be a dragonhide fullplate) that you can have Masterwork Transformationed into mwk quality, if it isnt already so you can give it that property that lets it function while you are wildshaped.

Hmmmm...

Also, I see what you did there with my name. Well played, sir. :P

Ah, forgot about the +4 from Link. Not that the +2 if the AC gets injured makes it that much more difficult, but that is something to take into account, though.

Yup. you'll be fine soon enough though. The first few levels with my druid were funny when the critter was attacking who he wanted. He seemed to have developed a habit for sparing with monks.

I think your first point is a table variance issue at best. Depending on the GM you have, you may be hard pressed on that issue. You bring up something else I forgot about the AC rules with your second point though.

You're not the only one. Part of wild speech is a limited duration version of the ability you already have through wildshaping... kind of like prone shooter.

Apparently I need to make a Druid sometime soon so I can refamiliarize myself with those rules, lol.

There's a LOT of them

I suppose that is a pretty good reason. I was going to mention about losing the bonus while Wildshaping, etc, but I suppose you can just use that one item (which I assume you mean to be a dragonhide fullplate)

Its dwarven stone plate. Its made out of basalt from the ISWG. I suppose dragonhide would be better, since it doesn't slow you down quite as much. (get it from a green dragon because it matches your scales)

giving your animal companion a 3 int at 4th level and giving it 1 rank in linguistics to understand sign language, will solve a lot of variance issues with being able to control your AC.

You still have to make handle animals checks. Even if it has an Int of 18.

You have a link with your animal. Meaning getting it to do tricks 'just happens' and then you make your HA roll.

You still have to make handle animals checks. Even if it has an Int of 18.

yes, i meant linguistics - sign language would bypass any GM who would claim you cannot command your animal using handle animal while in wild shape. any form can use body parts for sign language for (at least) simple commands

Chalk Microbe wrote:

You still have to make handle animals checks. Even if it has an Int of 18.

yes, i meant linguistics - sign language would bypass any GM who would claim you cannot command your animal using handle animal while in wild shape. any form can use body parts for sign language for (at least) simple commands

Even with that, I think its a table variation issue at best.