Druid Archetype advice

[Kazumetsa]

I'm slowly creating a 10monk/10druid, monk being Qinggong.

I'll be a huge + strong jaw flurrying monk once wildshaped, with the snake style suite, improved trip, vicious stomp, etc. Disarming, pummeling, tripping, some spells here and there etc.

I'm wondering some things though to help me really fine tune this dude.

1.) One can Flurry whilst in Wildshape correct? From what I've read I can still flurry with my IUS, I just can't combine/replace that with any natural attacks from my form without the feral combat training.

2.) What archetype if any should I take with my Druid? There are so many I'm slightly overwhelmed and I don't know what would benefit my build.

3.) Once I run into an animal, I can take it's shape correct? Once I have acquired that shape, and lets say my Wildshape grows, could I take a Huge form of that original beast? Or would I have to actually meet with a Huge version of that beast first?

4.) Any suggestions outside of my first 3 questions would be great.

[Kazumetsa]

5.) Can a druid in his/her form actually still use a "Style" form?

[GM Arkwright]

1) Unsure
2) Menhir Savant is great, and easily understood.
3) Not quite, once you make the appropriate Knowledge Nature check you can take its shape. You might have never seen the creature before except in books but if you can make the check you're fine. And no wildshape does not allow you to just take larger or smaller versions of animals.
4) I'd make sure you understand wildshape and the monk feat/abilities first; sounds like you're a little unclear. Remember to pick up Feral COmbat Training so you can use your bite with your style feats.
5) Yep, as long as they have Feral Combat training i'd say.

[mplindustries]

1) Yes, you can flurry in any form, but you use Unarmed Strikes, not natural weapons, unless you have Feral Combat Training.

2) Menhir Savant or plain druid. Most of the archetypes are traps.

3) You can identify more animals than just ones you've run into. The very rarest animals on the planet only take a DC: 15+HD Knowledge Nature check to identify, so it's pretty safe to say that all of the bestiaries are probably up for grabs.

You can't change the size of creatures, though--you have to take forms of actual creatures, not templates (like Giant or young).

4) My best suggestion would be to take less Monk and more Druid. You really don't need anything out of Monk except the Wis to AC and maybe Flurry.

5) Wild shape does not stop you from using Styles.

[Atarlost]

1) Everything has unarmed strikes, so yes. You won't be using natural attacks, though. Headbutts are specifically mentioned and very few of your shaping options lack heads.

2) Menhir Savant is the best unless you're trying to do something specific. Don't even consider a shaman or urban unless you're really desperate for a specific domain.

3) Nothing to add to GM Arkwright except that you're going to generally want to be an elemental

4) Don't do a monk 10 druid 10. You're a melee build running afoul of the rounding rules for BAB. When using 3/4 BAB classes one should always be a multiple of 4, either druid 8 monk 12 or druid 12 monk 8. A druid 8 monk 4 with shaping focus or a druid 12 without will also max out wildshape. Your best forms are going to be the biggest earth or air elemental you can shape into or the allosaurus depending on if your GM restricts pounce to natural attacks. RAW the allosaurus can flurry pounce, but as GM Arkwright demonstrates not everyone accepts the RAW on unarmed strikes. If one doesn't accept unarmed strike from elementals, though, they're probably not going to apply the rules fairly. All elementals have variable form and earth and fire explicitly mention the possibility of humanoid forms and the earth elemental even has hands in the bestiary illustration.

5) Yes. Some refer to free hands and therefore require forms with hands. Elementals can be shaped like anything and some plants have hands. Your GM may or may not allow other bipeds to count as having hands for such purpose, but RAW Elementals and most mobile plants are fine. You should also be able to use an appropriately sized temple sword or quarterstaff if you're not carrying it when you shift.

[Kazumetsa]

You guys/gals are AWESOME!!

Thank you so much. If I could give a rating to people on the forums, you'd all have the maximum possible.

Now this build is entirely plausible and my Vanaras Qinggong Monk is going to be SUPER happy. Now this is the kind of flavor I wanted - my style :3

Even though I don't plan on using natural attacks, it sounds like Feral Combat Training would be a smart investment regardless of what I think.

[Kazumetsa]

Also after looking over it, I'll stay a Standard Druid with the Plant Domain.

It all just looks so damn good >_>

[Imbicatus]

I would take a look at Storm Druid before deciding. You'll get two domains at 9th level, can spontaneously cast domain spells, and your domain powers are damage effects that you can combine with the Domain Strike Feat to add more damage.

[Kazumetsa]

Thanks Imbicatus! I can always count on your input.

[w01fe01]

it honestly depends on how you want to play, and on what concessions or limitations your group has.

for instance, my group often houserules things (especially in gestalt) so things make more sense.

example is unarmed strikes in wildshape...the books say anything can make unarmed strikes, however, the mechanics of imagining a cat, with its skeletal and muscle structure, trying to mak ea effective, closed fist, no claw involved punch...or a snake headbuttong repeatedly without using its teeth...is strange, comical, but strange. so they houserule that you need to either take weapon focus>feral combat training or adopt a form that can make human stances (like apes)...OR be master of many styles as you are a master, and should be able to work out the mechanics.

This is not for everyone, but i know everyone plays differently.

Also, your focus should be on whatever you like more, imo if your monk/druid gestalt and your melee your mainly using druid for wild shape for a stat stick that increases your attack range as well. In that regard i imagine multiclassing out of druid for a full bab class to be beneficial. But this also depends on things, are you ok with only having a certain level of spell casting? youll probably want at least level 8 so you can achieve huge size, since wild shape isnt going to get better for you after that save for number of times per day you can do it. if you dont care about spells that much, you dont get that much beyond level 8 (or 12 if you want to use elemental forms) that isnt fluff or something a monk can already do.

honestly with being able to shift 3-4 times a day at 8 hours a time...ive rarely had to do more then twice in a gameday.

now if you want to multiclass sooner, i think a shaman is good for that, at level 6 you can achieve huge size in that specific animal, your considered effective level of 8 for it, so you can turn into that form 3-4 times (again depending on if you get those druid vestments) at 8 hours a day already.

1-you can flurry no problem, if you go the route you speak of tho id say elemental forms at level 12 may be superior in terms of raw damage and defense (less DEX penalty, CON bonus, higher STR bonus, immunities to things like bleeding, criticals etc)

2-for archetypes, depends what you like, but the only one thats considered really good is manhir savant. however, some can be nice for multiclassing like the shamans.

3-like people say, the checks are not hard so long as you have decent knowledge. my group even lets me roll without having seen one in a game session in case ive seen one somewhere else (roleplay)

4-pretty much explained it.

tho if you go MoMS/qinggong, things like truestrike are very helpful. i like gaseous form, ki leech is great and a autoinclude imo. beyond that id almost consider something for swarms.like a aoe or something.

[Kazumetsa]

Thanks dude. I looked into it and did the Math for 10/10 druid/monk vs a 12/8 druid/monk and the 12/8 takes the cake.

I wish i could obtain Ki Leech but I am at a loss for that. I'm sure with everything else I gain it'll far surpass the importance of Ki Leech.

Thanks a lot W01fe01!!

[GM Arkwright]

@w01fe01- Now now, we've all seen Kung-Fu Panda, snakes and tigers and such can make all kinds of unarmed strikes!