Pathfinder Society Primer has a trait that will double the time that you can remain wild shaped.
Maybe consider taking Magical Knack, and dipping two levels in to fighter, barbarian, or ranger. But that will delay your Wild Shape, and your animal companion. Though I now must muse about the possibility of raging while transformed... Or you could skip the Magical Knack trait, since you are specifically NOT focusing on spells.
Best advice for Wild Shaper, or any Shape changer, is to have you're wild shaped forms done up on paper ahead of time. Make sure you've read the ability and the spell it's based on carefully.
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This is my PFS Druid Alias. Feel free to see how I did things.
Check out the various Shaman archetypes. They don't get Wildshape until 6th level, but you do gain a Totem Transformation ability at 2nd, which I used to great effect at low levels.
I also used Shillelagh fairly often, and still used it up until 10th level in combination with Vital Strike when we were too cramped underground for me to Wildshape. I took the Heirloom Weapon trait to gain proficiency with a Composite Longbow, but I never really used it after low levels.
I started with a 14 Wisdom, but in retrospect I really wish I had gone with a 16. Those bonus spells at higher levels are so worth it.
As far as I can tell, Shillelagh is your best bet for doing damage before you can wildshape. You don't need to use it on easy fights, since it's limited. Your normal attack of +3 (1d6+4) is quite respectable by itself even before turning it into a +4 (2d6+5). At leve1 1, anyways. And it's still okay for level 2. If it seems lower than the fighter's damage, that's okay! You also have your animal companion doing stuff.
Thanks for the response, but I have a few sidenotes.
That grappling build might be cool, but I don't know how PFS handles retraining; additional resources refers to the guide for organized play, page 10, when it comes to retraining. page 10 only lists 1st level retraining.
For combat reflexes: the DEX of this character is 14, -4 for wildshaping into a huge animal means no extra AoO. Without it, I can keep dual talent, taking the summoning feats at 1, 3 and 5. Normally, I'm not that comfortable dumping stats, but this time it the concept I have in mind ;) This way, I can keep Wisdom at 16, which was what Sithis recommended.
Retraining is allowed in PFS, but requires that you own the Ultimate Campaign source, and costs Prestige Points in addition to the gold cost. I can look up the exact rules later if no one responds sooner
Start as a Human Saurian Shaman with IUS and Improved Grapple. The 2nd lvl totemic transformation will let you bite / claw / claw and rake. Use this option until you have wildshape, then retrain the above feats.
Also, make sure to take Combat Reflexes at 5th lvl, so by six lvl, when you can wildshape into a Huge Allosaurus, you can make a lot of attack of opportunities.
Take Improved Initiative at 3rd lvl, Power Attack as your 9th lvl bonus feat. Natural Spell at 7th lvl. Also, Powerful Form at lvl 9.
Start with an Allosaurus animal companion, then change it with a Deinonychus at 7th lvl, as you can increase size with buffs like animal growth and you want it to have as many natural attacks as possible.
I have to disagree on almost all points here. IUS for wildshape is not legal for PFS. Improved grapple is not optimal as a lot of the better wildshape options will give you grab for free, particularly if you go Shaman.
Combat reflexes is not great in that as you are able to wildshape into huge creatures that have reach and potentially a lot of AOOs, you get hit with a dex penalty limiting combat reflexes utility.
If you are waiting until level 9 for power attack you are seriously hamstring your character. Take it at 3.
As I see it you have the AC recommendations backwards. At early levels the Deinonychus/Raptor is better, when the Allosauras hits level 7 it gets reach, pounce and grab making it the better choice. I think it can even take narrow frame feat to eliminate the squeeze penalty in 5ft areas.
You shoukd take natural spell as soon as you can.
Start as a Human Saurian Shaman with IUS and Improved Grapple. The 2nd lvl totemic transformation will let you bite / claw / claw and rake. Use this option until you have wildshape, then retrain the above feats.
Also, make sure to take Combat Reflexes at 5th lvl, so by six lvl, when you can wildshape into a Huge Allosaurus, you can make a lot of attack of opportunities.
Take Improved Initiative at 3rd lvl, Power Attack as your 9th lvl bonus feat. Natural Spell at 7th lvl. Also, Powerful Form at lvl 9.
Start with an Allosaurus animal companion, then change it with a Deinonychus at 7th lvl, as you can increase size with buffs like animal growth and you want it to have as many natural attacks as possible.
I have to disagree on almost all points here. IUS for wildshape is not legal for PFS. Improved grapple is not optimal as a lot of the better wildshape options will give you grab for free, particularly if you go Shaman.
Combat reflexes is not great in that as you are able to wildshape into huge creatures that have reach and potentially a lot of AOOs, you get hit with a dex penalty limiting combat reflexes utility.
If you are waiting until level 9 for power attack you are seriously hamstring your character. Take it at 3.
As I see it you have the AC recommendations backwards. At early levels the Deinonychus/Raptor is better, when the Allosauras hits level 7 it gets reach, pounce and grab making it the better choice. I think it can even take narrow frame feat to eliminate the squeeze penalty in 5ft areas.
You shoukd take natural spell as soon as you can.
What are you talking about? Improved Unarmed Strike is a feat totally legal in PFS. It is a feat tax for improved grapple, so that you can take advantage of the rakes of your totemic transformation. Of course and it drops in usefulness when you take wildshape, and this is why I suggested to retrain both of them at that time.
No matter your reach, if you do not have combat...
IIRC IUC is an approved feat in PFS but does not work with natural attacks.
A wildshape druid should be focusing on strength, not dex to get more aoos. Rescources are limited in PFS and between equipping your AC, saving for wild armor, belt for strength etc, a +dex belt is pretty low on the shopping list. You may be able to afford a str/dex bely but not until much later 9-10ish.
AOO are great but situational, Power attack is going to add damage to every attack you do, and with some shapes offering 5 primary attacks per round to suggest waiting until level 9 for it is incorrect in my opinion.
Here's the PFS retraining rules:
After 1st level, if you own a copy of Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Campaign, you may use the retraining rules that begin on page 188 to alter your character. Such changes must be made in the presence of a Pathfinder Society GM, the GM must initial each change, and each change must be noted on an official Pathfinder Society Chronicle sheet. If the GM wishes to audit your character before the changes are made, you must present the character to the GM. If time is a limiting factor, the GM may choose not to allow retraining during that session. When utilizing these retraining rules, you must expend wealth as outlined in the Retraining section of Ultimate Campaign, as well as 1 Prestige Point per day of retraining since time between scenarios is undefined.
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IIRC IUC is an approved feat in PFS but does not work with natural attacks.
Huh? That's like saying "IUS is legal, but it does not work with longswords".
Every creature and every form is capable of making an unarmed strike. Every. Creature. That. Exists.
A Tengu Monk can even Kick/Kick/Claw/Claw/Bite.
The Improved Unarmed Strike feat simply gets rid of the Attack of Opportunity that you would normally accrue otherwise.
If you're a Druid, in T-Rex form, with Improved Unarmed Strike, you can absolutely punch, kick, shoulder slam, or headbutt to your heart's content. You can even Punch/Bite, or Punch/Punch/Bite.
Would anyone DO that? Probably not. The penalties are huge. But it's perfectly legal within the Pathfinder rules set. And PFS has no stipulations against it, either.
IIRC IUC is an approved feat in PFS but does not work with natural attacks.Huh? That's like saying "IUS is legal, but it does not work with longswords".
Every creature and every form is capable of making an unarmed strike. Every. Creature. That. Exists.
A Tengu Monk can even Kick/Kick/Claw/Claw/Bite.
The Improved Unarmed Strike feat simply gets rid of the Attack of Opportunity that you would normally accrue otherwise.
If you're a Druid, in T-Rex form, with Improved Unarmed Strike, you can absolutely punch, kick, shoulder slam, or headbutt to your heart's content. You can even Punch/Bite, or Punch/Punch/Bite.
Would anyone DO that? Probably not. The penalties are huge. But it's perfectly legal within the Pathfinder rules set. And PFS has no stipulations against it, either.
Ahh you are correct. I was think of improved natural attack which is not PFS legal. I wasnt reading too closely. I was still trying to wrap my head around a melee oriented Druid waiting til 9 to pick up power attack.
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My melee-focused Druid will not be picking up Power Attack. I Wildshape into a Celestial Stegosaurus and Smite/Vital Strike. I can't afford the -3 to hit that Power Attack gives me at 11th level. If that one hit misses, I'm screwed.
Now my Spinosaurus Animal Companion with a 30 Strength unbuffed? Yeah, I gave him Power Attack as soon as I could.
My melee-focused Druid will not be picking up Power Attack. I Wildshape into a Celestial Stegosaurus and Smite/Vital Strike. I can't afford the -3 to hit that Power Attack gives me at 11th level. If that one hit misses, I'm screwed.
Now my Spinosaurus Animal Companion with a 30 Strength unbuffed? Yeah, I gave him Power Attack as soon as I could.
I see what you mean by not wanting to take the minus on to hit on a vital strike. For me though, with a pfs character, I would rather get power attack for roughly 90% of the characters life instead of getting the most out a feat I won't see until level 8. Personal preference I guess.
