I have a player that wants to play a non-archetype druid (standard Core druid) in Carrion Crown. I am worried that the Druid's class abilities will not be able to shine in this AP. Does anyone have any advice on this?
I have a player that wants to play a non-archetype druid (standard Core druid) in Carrion Crown. I am worried that the Druid's class abilities will not be able to shine in this AP. Does anyone have any advice on this?
Throwing spells and being able to change shape are such generally useful abilities it's hard to imagine them ever *not* coming in handy.
|
I have a player that wants to play a non-archetype druid (standard Core druid) in Carrion Crown. I am worried that the Druid's class abilities will not be able to shine in this AP. Does anyone have any advice on this?Throwing spells and being able to change shape are such generally useful abilities it's hard to imagine them ever *not* coming in handy.
a druid shines as a melee support caster. a truly awesome and unique position that not many classes can fill as well. he can always summon natures ally, cast defensive spells like mists and healing, then he can take enemies out of the fight, limiting NPC healing and support spells, by grappling the opposing caster out of the fight.
if hes dead set on core then hes already good to go. something that may help him is if you show him the half elf favored class variant for druids. that is a tremendous ability to help him shine more in combat, or with social situations.
Thanks guys!
I know you said he wants the non-archetype Druid, but flavorfully, the Moon Caller druid would fit *great* into the AP.
Also, this topic is best suited for CC forum. And why no spoilers, you're the dm?
I know you said he wants the non-archetype Druid, but flavorfully, the Moon Caller druid would fit *great* into the AP.
Also, this topic is best suited for CC forum. And why no spoilers, you're the dm?
I'm guessing he expects his players to take a look at this thread.
Or he's simply advertising that he's not going to post spoilers.
Mechanics, uh sure, I guess so.
Fluff-wise, Druid is a terrible choice. Make no mistake about it: this is an urban campaign through-and-throughout. You are in cities filled with superstitious and xenophobic peasents the entire time. (Or enough of the time.)
At worst, the Druid is hamstrung on every side and causes the NPCs to kill him. This is a real possibility. But you said no spoilers, so I won't elaborate.
At best, it's a thematic sore thumb, akin to if a CN Dragonkin Blackgaurd tried joining the Fellowship of the Ring.
Either way, it's likely to hurt his fellow partymembers' enjoyment of the milieu. And I wouldn't underestimate that: a huge part of the reason people choose to play Carrion Crown is for the milieu and the feeling that comes with it. Don't let him ruin the very thing that is attracting other players to the scene.
Mechanics, uh sure, I guess so.
Fluff-wise, Druid is a terrible choice. Make no mistake about it: this is an urban campaign through-and-throughout. You are in cities filled with superstitious and xenophobic peasents the entire time. (Or enough of the time.)
I disagree with Carrion Crown being explicitly urban throughout.
CC is about as Urban as Rise of the Runelords.
EDIT: Wow, the way I look at it, the first three books are almost exactly Rise in terms of Urban/Non-Urban spectrum.
Haunting of Harrowstone -> Burnt Offerings
Trial of the Beast -> Skinsaw Murders
Hook Mountain Massacre -> Broken Moon
|
We've got a Gozrah-worshiping Oracle in our party, and I can think of several good hooks for druids in Carrion Crown.
Remember that Ustalav was founded by Varisian settlers under the first King Ustalav who drove out the barbaric tribes of the region. Those tribes were worshipers of nature (and sometimes, far darker things). Plenty of room for strange shrines, giant standing stones (there's a bunch in Lepidstadt!), and encounters with terrible beings once worshiped by unknowing shamans (See AP#46 or Carrion Hill!).
Plenty of reason for a druid to join the party. Lorimor could have petitioned him for knowledge regarding the Shudderwood. Recent outbursts of toxic undeath are on the rise. Both of the major cities featured (Lepidstadt and Calaphis) are embodied by the terrible urban-born monsters within (those of mad science and vampirism).
And as previously mentioned, a druid is always a boon to the party. Healing, buffing, combat, and utility spells are all available, and shapeshifting only adds to their versatility.
So, I guess I'm in they "sure, let the druid play" camp.
Sorry for this, but...
*Gozreh
*King Ustav
*Lorrimor
*Caliphas
Getting back on the topic. Size of the city doesn't really matter, the point of urban is that there's a lot of interaction with people. And Druids are not predisposed towards that. Sure, with addition of traits, they can make any class their class skill, but I'm more of an opinion that CC is best suited for classes with abilities to back it up (Inquisitors for example).
King Ustalav
Queen Ustav. :(
If this is the person we're talking about:
http://www.pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Soividia_Ustav
Then it's a King.
If this is the person we're talking about:
http://www.pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Soividia_Ustav
Then it's a King.
Why does he have a woman's name?
Thank you for correcting me. In my game, it's going to stay a woman. I'm tired of founders of nations being men.
Well, that was how it happened historically. I can't really name one nation that was founded by a woman.
Why does he have a woman's name?
Just wondering, as the DM of a group that's having a reasonable amount of trouble with the name selections in this AP, how can you tell the gender of the name? I can't identify any sort of ethnic background which matches this naming scheme well enough to consistently borrow new names from, and have been hacking out whole syllables from minor NPC's names just so I'm not the only one at the table who can pronounce them. So, any help with background for the names Ice Titan?
Just wondering, as the DM of a group that's having a reasonable amount of trouble with the name selections in this AP, how can you tell the gender of the name? I can't identify any sort of ethnic background which matches this naming scheme well enough to consistently borrow new names from, and have been hacking out whole syllables from minor NPC's names just so I'm not the only one at the table who can pronounce them. So, any help with background for the names Ice Titan?Why does he have a woman's name?
I think with Ustalav, going with any names with a Slavic root is a safe route. Hungarian, Bulgarian, Romanian names in particular (as Russian would be more Brevoy). Soividia could easily be a man's name. For some reason we have an assumption as English speakers that names ending in -a are feminine. While it may follow some language formats, it not always the case. For instance I had a good friend in Italy who was a man named Andrea. -a doesn't always follow that its feminine.
Don't want to rain on your parade, but Slavic names also follow the rule with names ending in -a being feminine. Andrea is a common female name in Serbia/Croatia/Bosnia. Also note that only Bulgaria is a Slavic country, Hungarians and Romanians have a very different ancestry.
With that being said, I don't believe that Ustalavic names use Slavic names as a root. There are *some* cases (Madame Ivanja), but as a whole, they give out a Germanic feel. To me, at least.