my first time building a druid, and i am at a loss as how to go. most of the feats in the books just stand out for wiz or fighter or cleric, but im having a hard time figuring out how to build this druid, and what route to go, since i have seen people talk about wild shape druids, and spell caster druids. Ill admit, i like the idea of being the shapechanger, but not sure if its the best.
Wildshape is now nothing like as OP as it was before.
You likely want to focus on one of four areas:
Party Buffing (Spells duration, ability increase, magic item creation)
Spellcasting (Save DCs, monster summoning makes Augment Summoning a must, build to wind up and debuff the badguys in a controller-esque fashion with pits and entangles)
Melee Druid (Self-Buff, Wildshape, big freaking gorilla companion)
Expert (All rounder, good int, track? Wild shape makes you an excellent scout.)
For some general insight and overview, along with specific feat advice for the Druid, see Treantmonk's guide to Druids here. Note that there are three parts (first part). Since Druids got smacked with the nerf bat from their 3.5 counterparts, it's important to focus on what you see your character doing- Druids can no longer do it all effectively.
I had fun running an archer-build elf druid in 3.5. I played him from 1st level to 16th or so. He was VERY
I started with Point Blank Shot and Rapid Shot, then got the pretty much manditory Natural Spell feat (lets you cast spells while wild shaped), then got Empower Spell, Craft Wand, and Improved Counterspell.
Skill-wise, he focused Listen and Spot (Perception) and Spellcraft, and dipped into Knowledge nature, Knowledge arcana, Diplomacy, Swim, Profession sailor, Survival, Ride, Handle Animal, and Speak Language(Linguistics) (to speak to summoned critters), etc.
He was able to tank, summon, archery, blast, heal, be the party face, track, be the transporter, battlefield control, counterspell (using flame strikes to counter rakshasa fireballs saved the party's bacon multiple times).
I usually had a wardog animal companion. I think I went through 4 of them (Gorsedd, Betty, Blue, Spike) and once I had to "take over" the animal companion of a fallen ally, so I had Midnight the tiger for a session or 2.
Druids can be very versatile, so you don't want to be overwhelmed with all the choices. If you already have a relatively large party (5+), you may not want to concentrate on summoning, as this can really drag out your turn in combat and slow things down a lot.
Definitely pre-stat you most common summons and wildshape forms. This makes combat go a lot quicker, since you've already done the math and don't have to flip through books. This is especially important if you take Augment Summoning and summon a lot or have lots of self-buffing items when you wildshape.
EDIT:
Also, make a character sheet for your animal companion. They can use gear and get special attacks and stuff, so it's really worth the prep time to get everything organized. My wardog had the highest AC in the party, and we had a sword (khopesh) and board fighter in the party.
I'm usually able to get most of my PCs on 1 sheet of paper, but my druid was like 20 or 30 with pre-statted common wildshape forms and summoned beasties and animal companion.
my first time building a druid, and i am at a loss as how to go. most of the feats in the books just stand out for wiz or fighter or cleric, but im having a hard time figuring out how to build this druid, and what route to go, since i have seen people talk about wild shape druids, and spell caster druids. Ill admit, i like the idea of being the shapechanger, but not sure if its the best.
There aren't a whole lot of druid feats.
the nice thing is that druids don't NEED feats
You can take skill focus perception (with your high wis you're a better trap spotter than the rogue)
Item creation feats aren't bad. Brew potion gets kind of expensive, but if you don't have "magic mart" scribe scroll can be a good way to keep situational spells on hand. You don't always need "delay poison but its not a good idea to go without it.
Ultimate cheese tactic: Take a domain instead of the animal companion. Take the domain that gives you the animal compaion at -2 levels, then take the feat from the apg that gives your animal companion +3 levels (or really +2). It nets you a domains worth of spells for a feat.
School focuses are kinda iffy. Druid spells that take saving throws are in the transmutation , enchantment, and evocation schools. its a little too spread out to make it really worth it... although if you double up on school focus transmutation you'll be killer when you get baleful polymorph.
I have a 3.5 druid I am converting to Pathfinder. In 3.5 she was an archer and ranged attack spell specialist. Her feats were the "shot" tree, with point blank shot, precise shot and rapid shot. She also had "natural spell" just because, well, she's a druid.
She goes though lots of encounters doing no spellcasting at all, and in others she mostly buffs the melee characters. She sometimes summons but not that much.
She has typical druid skills and is a master bow and arrow maker (so nobody needs to buy arrows).
Until I saw SmiloDan's comment above, I thought she was a unique druid concept. :)
She's very effective in combat, and if combat starts to go south, she can bring some heavy spells into play. But usually she buffs up her dex and uses her bow.
In Pathfinder I think she'll be a bit less powerful (and she's by far the most powerful character in our party) due to the lack of druid ranged attack spells in PF compared to 3.5, but I am sticking to the concept just because it's such a cool concept to play.
my first time building a druid, and i am at a loss as how to go. most of the feats in the books just stand out for wiz or fighter or cleric, but im having a hard time figuring out how to build this druid, and what route to go, since i have seen people talk about wild shape druids, and spell caster druids. Ill admit, i like the idea of being the shapechanger, but not sure if its the best.
There aren't a whole lot of druid feats.
the nice thing is that druids don't NEED feats
You can take skill focus perception (with your high wis you're a better trap spotter than the rogue)
Item creation feats aren't bad. Brew potion gets kind of expensive, but if you don't have "magic mart" scribe scroll can be a good way to keep situational spells on hand. You don't always need "delay poison but its not a good idea to go without it.
Ultimate cheese tactic: Take a domain instead of the animal companion. Take the domain that gives you the animal compaion at -2 levels, then take the feat from the apg that gives your animal companion +3 levels (or really +2). It nets you a domains worth of spells for a feat.
School focuses are kinda iffy. Druid spells that take saving throws are in the transmutation , enchantment, and evocation schools. its a little too spread out to make it really worth it... although if you double up on school focus transmutation you'll be killer when you get baleful polymorph.
The animal domain does have sucky spells for druids thoug and you prepare them everyday and cannot switch them out for summons.
I have a 3.5 druid I am converting to Pathfinder. In 3.5 she was an archer and ranged attack spell specialist. Her feats were the "shot" tree, with point blank shot, precise shot and rapid shot. She also had "natural spell" just because, well, she's a druid.
She goes though lots of encounters doing no spellcasting at all, and in others she mostly buffs the melee characters. She sometimes summons but not that much.
She has typical druid skills and is a master bow and arrow maker (so nobody needs to buy arrows).
Until I saw SmiloDan's comment above, I thought she was a unique druid concept. :)
She's very effective in combat, and if combat starts to go south, she can bring some heavy spells into play. But usually she buffs up her dex and uses her bow.
In Pathfinder I think she'll be a bit less powerful (and she's by far the most powerful character in our party) due to the lack of druid ranged attack spells in PF compared to 3.5, but I am sticking to the concept just because it's such a cool concept to play.
Don't you love Rapid Shotting produce flame???
Don't you love Rapid Shotting produce flame???
the devs have said that doesn't work, but the raw implies that it should.
The animal domain does have sucky spells for druids thoug and you prepare them everyday and cannot switch them out for summons.
Animal Domain
Granted Powers: You can speak with and befriend animals with ease. In addition, you treat Knowledge (nature) as a class skill.
as a druid i always try to have speak with animals memorized, thats one less spellslot spent
Speak with Animals (Sp): You can speak with animals, as per the spell, for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + your cleric level.
- so thats speak with animals for free.
Animal Companion (Ex): At 4th level, you gain the service of an animal companion. Your effective druid level for this animal companion is equal to your cleric level ? 3. (Druids who take this ability through their nature bond class feature use their druid level ? 3 to determine the abilities of their animal companions).
-the weak druid companion.
Domain Spells: 1st?calm animals, 2nd?hold animal, 3rd?dominate animal,
These are meh. You can use dominate animal on your animal companion to work through his body if you're incapacitated/ can't reach somewhere you send him.
4th?summon nature's ally IV (animals only)
The feat's probably worth it for this alone.
5th?beast shape III (animals only)
a nice, free short term. beast shape.
6th?antilife shell,
nasty, nasty spell.
7th?animal shapes, 8th?summon nature's ally VIII (animals only), 9th?shapechange.
My biggest suggestion is the feat Planar Wildshape. The earliest you can get it is 5th and you have to have knowledge planes at five ranks, but it allows you to become a celestial [or fiendish] version of animal wild shapes by spending two wildshape uses.
Don't think of this as a feat that gives you a template. With one feat you get instant darkvision, elemental immunities, spell resistance, and damage reduction equal to a creature of your level. Most importantly, your natural attacks are treated as magical and either good or evil aligned. You even get once a day smiting as a paladin/anti-paladin.
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If your going Wildshape...
Powerful Shape
Your wild shapes are mighty and muscular.
Prerequisites: Wild shape class feature, druid level 8th.
Benefit: When in wild shape, treat your size as one category larger for the purpose of calculating CMB, CMD, carrying capacity, and any size-based special attacks you use or that are used against you (such as grab, swallow whole, and trample).
Also if going melee wildshape route look into taking 2 levels of Monk archetype - Master of many styles
*** also take feat - Shaping Focus
Prerequisites: Wild shape class feature, Knowledge (nature) 5 ranks.
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.
Grab - (feats)
Feral Combat Training (Combat)
You were taught a style of martial arts that relies on the natural weapons from your racial ability or class feature.
Prerequisite: Improved Unarmed Strike, Weapon Focus with selected natural weapon.
Benefit: Choose one of your natural weapons. While using the selected natural weapon, you can apply the effects of feats that have Improved Unarmed Strike as a prerequisite, as well as effects that augment an unarmed strike.
Special: If you are a monk, you can use the selected natural weapon with your flurry of blows class feature.
Dragon Style (Combat)
You call upon the spirit of dragonkind, gaining greater resilience, mobility, and fierceness from the blessing of these great beings.
Prerequisites: Str 15, Improved Unarmed Strike, Acrobatics 3 ranks.
Benefit: While using this style, you gain a +2 bonus on saving throws against sleep effects, paralysis effects, and stunning effects. You ignore difficult terrain when you charge, run, or withdraw. You can also charge through squares that contain allies. Further, you can add 1-1/2 times your Strength bonus on the damage roll for your first unarmed strike on a given round.
Dragon Ferocity (Combat)
You attack with the strength of a dragon, your telling blows striking fear into your enemies.
Prerequisites: Str 15, Improved Unarmed Strike, Dragon Style, Stunning Fist, Acrobatics 5 ranks.
Benefit: While using Dragon Style, you gain a bonus on unarmed strike damage rolls equal to half your Strength bonus. When you score a critical hit or a successful Stunning Fist attempt against an opponent while using this style, that opponent is also shaken for a number of rounds equal to 1d4 + your Strength bonus.
Special: Taking this feat allows you to qualify for the Elemental Fist feat even if you do not meet that feat’s prerequisites. If you do not meet that feat’s prerequisites, you must choose one of the damage types that feat offers, and you can use only that damage type with your Elemental Fist attacks until you meet the feat’s normal prerequisites. A monk with this feat can use Elemental Fist as if he were a monk of the four winds.