|
Hi! I’m making an Eagle Shaman Druid build for PFS.
I’m hoping to get some advice on how to make a good caster druid and would really like some input on this character’s build.
Also suggestions on a good name for this character would also help.
Gandalf as an Aircraft Carrier
Character’s Background - He is a noble from Taldor who owns lands next to the Verduran Forest. His family has strong relations with the druids of the Wildwood Lodge, despite being nobles themselves. Several of his ancestors are actually druids of the Wildwood Lodge that actually married into the family. While the druids of the Wildwood Lodge are greatly respected by Taldan society, it is unseemly for a noble house to have such close relations with the druids. This have left the family cut off from the social and political circles of the rest of Taldan nobility. Other Taldan nobles see the family as country bumpkins, nobles in name only.
Class: Druid
Archetype - Eagle Shaman
Race: Aasimar (standard type)
Alignment - Neutral
Background - Taldan Noble, pariah to other Talden nobles
Deity - ???
Faction: ? - Not sure. Was originally going Taldor, but the new Sovereign Court may be a little progressive for him... Any suggestions is welcomed.
Nature’s Bond - Feather subdomain (Animal Domain)
Animal Domain call feature lv 4: Animal Companion - Roc (level -3). Aka its a lv 1 Roc at Eagle Shaman lv 4. Boon companion to boost it back to mac class level.
Ability Scores:
STR: 12
DEX: 12
CON: 13
INT: 12
WIS: 19
CHA: 10
Traits:
Influence - Your position in society grants you special insight into others, and special consideration or outright awe from others. Choose one of the following skills: Diplomacy, Intimidate, or Sense Motive. You gain a +1 trait bonus on that skill, and it is always a class skill for you.(Diplomacy)
OR
Outcast's Intuition - You are able to sense the motives of others and use that sense to bolster your magic against dispelling. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Sense Motive checks, and Sense Motive is always a class skill for you. In addition, your caster level is treated as 1 level higher for the purposes of any attempts to dispel your magic.
OR
Beast of the Society - A druid at the Grand Lodge revealed to you secrets changing your form into that of an animal. Whenever you use your wild shape class ability to turn yourself into a Small or Medium animal, the effect lasts for 2 hours per druid level instead of 1 hour per druid level. (Not sure if this is really worth it for society play.)
Feats:
lv1) Spell Focus (conjuration)
lv3) Augment Summoning
lv5) Boon Companion
lv7) Natural Spell
lv9) Sunlight Summons
lv11) Superior Summoning
Items to get:
Druid's Vestment
Ring of Eloquence
+1 Wild Dragonhide Agile breastplate
+1 Wild Heavy wooden shield
Any and all advice and suggestions welcomed!
|
|
You can't use Boon Companion to raise your effective Druid level for your Animal Companion higher than your hit dice. No reason for it, unless you plan on multi-classing.
As I'm getting a Roc via the Animal Domain lv4 Class feature, the AC is 3 levels lower then your current lv.
Meaning I get the Roc at lv 4 and it is only a lv 1 Roc.I need Boon Companion to boost it back to my full class level.
As to why I chose this? This is the only way for a Eagle Shaman to get a Roc AC.
An Eagle Shaman taking an AC via Nature's Bond instead of a domain class feature, can only pick Bird(Eagles).
I'm going druid for all levels.
LazarX is mistaken. He will see that when he reads your post. I think he didn't realize how you got the Roc companion.
I suggest taking Boon Companion at first level instead. Summoning is terrible at low levels due to duration. Take Spell Focus at 3rd and Augment Summoning at 5th level. 5th level is when summoning really takes off anyway, that is when you want that feat.
You probably do not need that high of a Wis if you are going to be summoning centric. The DCs of your spells will not matter. Save yourself some build points and spread some of those points out into Con and Dex or Str IMO.
The rest looks good. Perhaps consider a level of Mammoth Rider if you can convince your DM that Rocs should be included in that list.
|
|
Boon companion requires an animal companion to be gained before it can be picked up. So unfortunately I can only pick it up at lv 4 and above. The best I could do is to retrain a feat for it at lv 4. But it cost PP and I think I could suffer a lv with a watered down pet.
On the reason for the high wis. Reading up on the caster druid, the suggestions seems to be that caster druids should prepare some blast or debuff spells, as you can switch between those and summon spells as needed.
As for mammoth rider, is there something useful from that prestige class? I was hoping to stay in a medium sized eagle form once I hit lv 7 and just blast away with spells.
Hope I don't sound condescending :P... Just want to understand why.
Ah yeah, I forgot you don't even get the animal companion until later. Yeah. I think you got it right then.
Mammoth Rider is to increase your animal companion's size by one size category. You know, for Gandalf Airlines. ;P
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Point of order: Aircraft carriers are ships. Therefore your Animal Companion should be a whale, from which you launch falcons and tomcats. Also your weapon of choice should be tomahawks.
You know other than the kickin sword and staff style -- that is simply too sweet to let go.
I think this is more what you meant.
Imbicatus: The PrC specifically calls out that the GM may expand the list to include other animals as steeds.
Imbicatus: Apparently you can.
Among other benefits, high Wisdom gives you more bonus spells, so that looks good. Seems like Strength would be a dump stat, it was for my caster/ vanilla Druid, and I never missed it.
|
|
Why can't you get it as an Animal Companion?You can't use Boon Companion to raise your effective Druid level for your Animal Companion higher than your hit dice. No reason for it, unless you plan on multi-classing.As I'm getting a Roc via the Animal Domain lv4 Class feature, the AC is 3 levels lower then your current lv.
Meaning I get the Roc at lv 4 and it is only a lv 1 Roc.I need Boon Companion to boost it back to my full class level.
As to why I chose this? This is the only way for a Eagle Shaman to get a Roc AC.
An Eagle Shaman taking an AC via Nature's Bond instead of a domain class feature, can only pick Bird(Eagles).I'm going druid for all levels.
The Eagle Shaman archetype itself restricts you to only eagles as AC.
If you want a Roc, you have to get it via the animal domain or related subdomain.Only OTHER option is Monstrous Mount, but its not what I'm looking for.
|
Among other benefits, high Wisdom gives you more bonus spells, so that looks good. Seems like Strength would be a dump stat, it was for my caster/ vanilla Druid, and I never missed it.How low would it be advisable to dump it? Just wondering due to need to wear wild breastplate armor.
When the armor is melded, it has no encumbrance. Just sayin'.