Recommend a Druid domain?

[Jiggy]

So I think I'm about to play my first-ever druid. I'm planning to use the Menhir Savant archetype from Ultimate Magic, and I'm planning to choose a domain instead of an animal companion.

But what domains (or subdomains) are good? Please, no recommendations that grant me a familiar - half the reason I'm using a domain instead of an animal companion is to save on bookkeeping.

Not trying to fill any particular function with the domain choice (i.e., I'm not specifically looking for blasting or buffs or whatever). Just looking for something useful and/or interesting. So any non-critter-granting suggestions are welcome.

Thanks!

[Obolus]

Jiggy wrote:

So I think I'm about to play my first-ever druid. I'm planning to use the Menhir Savant archetype from Ultimate Magic, and I'm planning to choose a domain instead of an animal companion.

But what domains (or subdomains) are good? Please, no recommendations that grant me a familiar - half the reason I'm using a domain instead of an animal companion is to save on bookkeeping.

Not trying to fill any particular function with the domain choice (i.e., I'm not specifically looking for blasting or buffs or whatever). Just looking for something useful and/or interesting. So any non-critter-granting suggestions are welcome.

Thanks!

So you are thinking of being a more "spell caster" Druid than a "Ranger' Druid?

[Torger Miltenberger]

Jiggy wrote:

So I think I'm about to play my first-ever druid. I'm planning to use the Menhir Savant archetype from Ultimate Magic, and I'm planning to choose a domain instead of an animal companion.

But what domains (or subdomains) are good? Please, no recommendations that grant me a familiar - half the reason I'm using a domain instead of an animal companion is to save on bookkeeping.

Not trying to fill any particular function with the domain choice (i.e., I'm not specifically looking for blasting or buffs or whatever). Just looking for something useful and/or interesting. So any non-critter-granting suggestions are welcome.

Thanks!

I can say from experiance that a druid with the fire domain can be alot of fun. Sure it mostly gets you blasting spells and sure the prevailing "wisdom" is that blasting is weak but meh it's fun.

Torger

[Mort the Cleverly Named]

Weather and Storms are fun. A bit of blasting, a bit of battlefield control, and the starting domain power is a blast with a built in debuff. If you are allowed Terrain Domains, Desert is great for a spellcasting focused druid, and Plains can be very strong for a combatant type (free pounces AND haste. Yum).

[Silent Saturn]

Weather is my personal favorite-- the 1st level ability is pretty sweet, and getting to throw lightning bolts around like crazy at 8th level is worth the wait. Fire is probably my next choice, since it lets you pretend you're a blaster sorcerer if necessary.

[rat_ bastard]

I love the plains domain, but it does mean you need to keep track of summoned critters.

[Thalin]

Be an urban Druid, take Protection domain. Spontaneously cast shield other and protection from energies, and have great saves. A dwarves urban protection Druid might get the best saves in the game :).

[Darigaaz the Igniter]

I like Ice. It's got a mix of control and blasting.

[Jiggy]

Obolus wrote:

So you are thinking of being a more "spell caster" Druid than a "Ranger' Druid?

Actually, I'm going with more of a "doesn't feel like a druid" druid. I never really liked the tree-hugging wilderness hippy feel of the druid, despite being intrigued by the mechanical possibilities of a 3/4 BAB full caster with a couple of martial weapon proficiencies and a mix of offensive and defensive spells.

Then I saw the Urban Druid and Menhir Savant archetypes; both trade out some of the more stereotypical druid abilities for other stuff. Of the two, I find the Menhir Savant much more interesting. So I'm going for sort of a wanderer/explorer who can defend himself with a blade and is also no stranger to the mystical. He's going to be a Varisian human who trekked (mostly on foot) to Absalom to join the Pathfinder Society.

So a self-sufficient wandering martial mystic. Or something like that.

I guess what I'm really after is if there are any domains available that either are traps (look a lot better than they are) or are hidden gems (better than they look). Or whatever. I dunno, I guess I'm just getting ideas before I just pick fire or something by default.

[Thalin]

Mehir Savant is better off a caster-type; largely due to his primary power increasing caster level. Urban Druid gives you access to better "non Druid" domains, and is better suited to the combatant / wanderer role.

As to "better than they seem", weather is by and large the best druid domain for the most part. It's first level ability is deceptively good; in addition to minor damage, it acts as a no-save, typeless debuff for monsters. It also has a great spell list; far and away the best domain that doesn't offer an animal companion.

If you do want to be a true combatant (especially if you don't want to shapechange much), the plant (growth) domains has good spells, amazing self-buffs, and the "best early domain power" of swift-action enlarge person.

[Jiggy]

Thalin wrote:

As to "better than they seem", weather is by and large the best druid domain for the most part. It's first level ability is deceptively good; in addition to minor damage, it acts as a no-save, typeless debuff for monsters. It also has a great spell list; far and away the best domain that doesn't offer an animal companion.

You know, looking at it again now that you said that, Weather does seem pretty good...

Quote:

If you do want to be a true combatant (especially if you don't want to shapechange much), the plant (growth) domains has good spells, amazing self-buffs, and the "best early domain power" of swift-action enlarge person.

I have seriously considered Growth. It does seem pretty sweet.

[doctor_wu]

Remember growth got errataed to one round for its first level ability.

[Jiggy]

doctor_wu wrote:

Remember growth got errataed to one round for its first level ability.

I must never have seen it pre-eratta, then. Thanks for the heads-up anyway, though.

And still, a 1-round enlarge as a swift action half a dozen times per day is pretty sweet.

[leo1925]

doctor_wu wrote:

Remember growth got errataed to one round for its first level ability.

Yes but it's still sweet, swift action for 1 round enlarge....

[Thalin]

The amount of control it gives is incredible though; the combat-reflexes Longspear Druid really benefits. You can choose the direction you grow, then attack 20 feet away and take a 5-foot step. This enables full attack from 30 feet away, then as they close you can AOO again, then you choose which square to shrink back to, attack from 10 feet away, and 5 foot step back, essentially setting up more AOOs if they want to close. Also, it comes with righteous might; which you can legally cast in animal form for even better goodness.

It also comes with Spike armor @ 6, which also does not take your round to activate and discourages attacks.
Human
Str: 18 Int: 12 Wis: 14 Dex: 14 Con: 12 Chr : 7

With power attack and combat reflexes at 1. Quite the powerhouse, you can have 30 foot range for 2d6+10 at +3 to hit @ first level 5 times, with 3 AOOs / rd (2 when large). If you don't mind int-dump as well you can get Dex to 16 and Wis to 15.

[leo1925]

Thalin wrote:

The amount of control it gives is incredible though; the combat-reflexes Longspear Druid really benefits. You can choose the direction you grow, then attack 20 feet away and take a 5-foot step. This enables full attack from 30 feet away, then as they close you can AOO again, then you choose which square to shrink back to, attack from 10 feet away, and 5 foot step back, essentially setting up more AOOs if they want to close. Also, it comes with righteous might; which you can legally cast in animal form for even better goodness.

It also comes with Spike armor @ 6, which also does not take your round to activate and discourages attacks.
Human
Str: 18 Int: 12 Wis: 14 Dex: 14 Con: 12 Chr : 7

With power attack and combat reflexes at 1. Quite the powerhouse, you can have 30 foot range for 2d6+10 at +3 to hit @ first level 5 times, with 3 AOOs / rd

A druid can't take power attack at first level.

[Thalin]

Well, PA @ 3... probably not a good idea to use it at 1 anyway. So +4 for 2d6 +7, 30 feet away. And if you want then, take Half-elf, get a Luceren Hammer proficiency, and do 3d6+7 at +4 when grown.