Hello everybody,
I'm going to start my first pathfinder campaign (although I have quite an extensive experience in RP in general) and I'd like to build a goblin druid (please note that the race is fixed due to RP reason, and of course personal preference).
I have thought of a nice bg, I think, but I'm unsure of what route to take in building my pg.
I'd like to fully take advantage of goblin racial abilities, from the +4 to Dex, to the +4 on ride and stealth.
I'd like to be a hybrid combat/casting druid, and I'd like to ride my animal companion (I think my best option is classic wolf, although I really like the giant frog).
We're using a standard 20 points build and at first I've thought using the following array (after racial):
Str 10
Dex 16
Con 12
Int 10
Wis 17
Cha 8
I know that augument summoning (and, alas, spell focus) and natural spell are kind of a staple for druid build, and I'm probably going to take them.
My main problem, however, is the lack of strenght, and I'm unsure in how to exploit high dexterity with a druid.
Weapon finess could be a good choice, but I don't know if it would be useful when wildshaped.
Can you please help me with this build, provide some suggestion on tactics, feat or spell selection? What about skills?
Thank you very much
Elementals are going to be your best wildshape forms because they don't have to turf your dex as size increases. You can benefit from weapon finesse on a large or huge air elemental. You're not going to do the damage druids normally do though.
If goblin is locked in I'd consider going pure caster. Look at a modern blaster wizard guide and take your feat selection from it. Druids have some great carriers for dazing spell, though lacking admixture you may not want to invest in any one to the point of taking preferred spell or spell perfection.
The campaign start at 1st level, and I think it won't get to high levels, so I doubt that elemental wildshape it's going to be an option.
I may go pure caster, but in this case it would be better to take a domain or stick with an animal companion? I love the idea of a riding casting gobli, but in this case what kind of animal companion should I choose?
|
Personally if you want to go the melee wrought with a druid i would recommend invest your feats in Tripping Staff and its prerequisites. Doing this though will mean you will have to take 4 levels of fighter but that is not an issue if u have Shaping Focus feat in concerns of wild shape goes. Doing this will allow you to trip every enemy around you and have all those that are tripped provoke an attack from you and any allies that near them when they go prone and when they stand up. Of course this also means you will need the combat reflexes feat with a high dex which goblins get. Also combine that with you 1st level druid spell Shillelagh you got some serious beast dmg going for you and your party.
Personally if you want to go the melee wrought with a druid i would recommend invest your feats in Tripping Staff and its prerequisites. Doing this though will mean you will have to take 4 levels of fighter but that is not an issue if u have Shaping Focus feat in concerns of wild shape goes. Doing this will allow you to trip every enemy around you and have all those that are tripped provoke an attack from you and any allies that near them when they go prone and when they stand up. Of course this also means you will need the combat reflexes feat with a high dex which goblins get. Also combine that with you 1st level druid spell Shillelagh you got some serious beast dmg going for you and your party.
Thank you for the advice, your build seems really strong, but I don't like this route, as I want to be a pure druid, and have good casting capabilities.
|
|
Personally I do not care much for pure casters because 1ce you out of spell slots you done. So its good to have a back up plan with a melee or ranged weapon to take care of this flaw. But if you are intent on doing a pure caster druid then I would personally get the following feats. Silent Spell, Still Spell, Augment Summoning, Eschew Materials, Natural Spell, Improved Share Spells, Superior Summoning, Extend Spell. This will allow you to do some nice summoning in order to breach the gap between you and your enemy while adding some extra dmg. Though I highly advise having a fall back weapon because that is the major flaw of a caster is the amount of times it can cast.
Thanks again for your inputs. I like a goblin wolf shaman for flavour! but the strenght problem is really bugging me!
What about this:
Str 10, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 17, Cha 6
Feats Weapon Finesse (?) or Spell Focus?
Traits Big Ears, Dog-Sniff-Hate
SQ Druid (Wolf Shaman)
Domain: Travel (or companion?)
Combat Gear Wooden Armor; Scimitar
What if I multiclass to ranger and maybe go toward the dervish route?
Bump.
Please? :S
|
I guess you've seen the Treantmonk druid guide. The lesson for PF (in my opinion) is that its very hard to build a druid that's good at both melee and offensive spellcasting. If you want to consistently beat opponent's saves, then you probably want a high Wis and some feats. If you want to contribute in melee, you probably want a lower Wis and more points in Str and Con.
As a caster druid, use wildshape to stay out of melee, rather than jumping into melee. Find some wands or a staff if you want to contribute after your spells are empty. As a melee druid, use buff spells mainly and avoid spells that allow saves.
Again, all this is just opinion, others will likely disagree.
If you wanted to roleplay it take a horse as your animal companion.since goblins have a hating/fearful attitude towards horses have your horse and yourself constanly at each others throats not literally.
If you're sure you won't be going high levels, the animal companion is not only great as utility but as flavor as well.
I would normally stay away from the Druid variants that give wild shape early but limit it, but again if you're only low levels it might be worth it to go that route.
Elementals are going to be your best wildshape forms because they don't have to turf your dex as size increases. You can benefit from weapon finesse on a large or huge air elemental. You're not going to do the damage druids normally do though.
If goblin is locked in I'd consider going pure caster. Look at a modern blaster wizard guide and take your feat selection from it. Druids have some great carriers for dazing spell, though lacking admixture you may not want to invest in any one to the point of taking preferred spell or spell perfection.
The campaign start at 1st level, and I think it won't get to high levels, so I doubt that elemental wildshape it's going to be an option.
I may go pure caster, but in this case it would be better to take a domain or stick with an animal companion? I love the idea of a riding casting gobli, but in this case what kind of animal companion should I choose?
Elementals come in at level 6. With your 10 Str I'd agree to use them as soon as they're available for the no Str size penalty.