I'll be starting Jade Regent in a couple of months, and I'm looking to play a human druid. The GM is new so it'll be core rule book only.
The druid will be timid, and only really feel comfortable around his animals. His best friend of course is his bear who he feels is his only true equal.
Now the problem I'm running into is that I'll be low on spells early on without picking up a domain, but I really don't want to lose my animal companion. I'm thinking I'll pick up scribe scroll early on to augment my lack of spells. Hopefully as I level the need for scrolls will lessen. I'm also hoping that this will make it worth it for me to scribe a bunch of circumstantial scrolls that I wouldn't otherwise prepare.
I also want to pick up augment summoning by level 3 so that I'll be the animal summoner.
So far I'm thinking that the point buy will look like:
str: 14
dex: 12
con: 12
int: 8
wis: 18 (with human racial)
char: 8
For feats, I'm currently thinking:
1. Spell focus Conjuration
H. scribe scroll
3. augment summons
5. natural spell
7. ? not sure from here onward...
For traits:
- Friend of the family (+1 perception)
- Survivor (+1 initiative, +1 sense motive and class skill)
Skills I'll max:
- Perception
- Sense Motive
- knowledge nature
- handle animal (at least until hitting 25 is easier)
Skills I'll need to dip into:
- fly
- survival
Is there anyway to improve this? Should I drop strength? I'm really hoping she goes 20 point buy, but right now I'm trying to make due with 15. Is there anything obvious I'm missing?
|
I'd go Int 10, Chr 7. The -1 Charisma won't effect you too much (though low Charisma in general sucks for the relationship rules in Jade Regent, and I'd never take a low Charisma character into that AP...but that's a personal/thematic preference, and 7 doesn't suck much more than 8), while the +2 Int effects you quite a bit, and is very useful.
From level 7 onward, Metamagic Feats, Crafting Feats, and other caster focused stuff seem the way to go.
From a mechanical perspective, a Big Cat is better than the Bear as an animal companion, and likely equally good thematically.
|
If you're going to be using Handle Animal a lot, I don't recommend a Cha penalty...at least at low levels. It will be less noticeable at mid levels, but it might be rough early on.
Since you're restricted to Core, there's not a lot that you could be missing. I think your character sounds interesting and your plan is pretty solid. You are right that scrolls will dramatically help your utility and expand your options in battle.
I recommend dumping Str. You seem to be planning on being a caster Druid, so you won't need it.
Consider this stat array:
Str 9
Dex 12
Con 12
Int 12
Wis 18 (including +2 racial bonus)
Cha 10
All level bonuses go to Wisdom.
15 point buy can be tough, but this will make you more well-rounded and preserve your spell-casting ability.
Traits are from the APG, so consider that. There are some good options for Druids in the APG if that's fair game.
I recommend reading the Druid guides on this page: Guide to the Guides
The "wild mystic" is fun to play.
Don't underestimate the value of a sling and Magic Stone at low levels. It can be nasty.
Produce Flame is another good one.
Buff your companion with Magic Fang and he will rip stuff up at low levels.
Entangle is a great spell that stays useful into mid level play.
Also, bears have kind of a bad reputation in Pathfinder. Most people think they're fairly weak as far as animal companions go. They start out small and don't have an impressive bump at 4th level.
Consider the horse. There's a PF joke that the way you can 'fix' the bear companion is to just take a horse companion, cross out 'horse' in the entry and write 'bear' above it.
Two quick suggestions:
First, I like Spell Focus(Conjuration), Augment Summoning, Craft Wondrous Item, Natural Spell as a feat chain much better than Spell Focus(Conjuration), Scribe Scroll, Augment Summoning, Natural Spell. You will save so much money over the course of an AP on wondrous items you can afford to buy all the scrolls you need and then some.
Second, I think that Bears are as bad in Pathfinder as they were good in 3.5. Cat(Big), Horse, and Snake(Constrictor) are all much better than Bear.
I certainly think that Craft Wondrous item is worth taking, but I would stick to Scribe Scroll at 1st. It does dramatically improve or usefulness, survivability and combat power at low levels. At higher levels it helps utility. Jade Regent has periods when scroll may not be for sale.
Haldrick, I agree that having both feats would be nice and that Spell Focus(Conjuration), Scribe Scroll, Craft Wondrous Item, Natural Spell/Augment Summoning, Natural Spell/Augment Summoning is probably better than either. I also know from playing a druid that you want to be wildshaped constantly and would probably delay Augment Summoning until I had SNA IV anyway. But if the concept calls for an early Augment Summoning, choices have to be made and playstyle is the biggest factor. Scribe Scroll is brilliant for players who like to have exactly the right spell and don't mind spending gold on it. Craft Wondrous Item comes 2 levels later but it saves you money on "required" items like stat boosters and cloaks of resistance.
A lot of really good information in here, thx everyone.
1. I like your stat buy Tomos. I guess I just hadn't given up on the concept of being able to wildshape and be combat effective. By ignoring that aspect it makes everything else more doable.
I have read treantmonk's guide, and the one thing he stressed was losing the animal companion, which I really don't want to for flavor reasons.
2. It sounds pretty anonymous that I should dump the bear, so I'll do that. A big cat will work just as well, and probably be easy to replace later if necessary.
3. I love the idea of getting craft wondrous item, so that'll probably be my 7th level feat. I'd get this earlier but...
At 1st level I get 2 spells per day, and no real combat utility (outside my animal companion). Crafting some 12.5 gold level 1 scrolls will go a long way to improving my usefulness the first few levels. By level 3 I want to be summoning animals (I know it's not optimal at this point, but we're using a dead tree copy so at level 3 I'll be summoning 1d3 riding dogs since were using pre-errata material that attack for +5/7 and deal 1d6+5 damage)
4. Although we do get traits (including from the APG) anything else is GM fiat. If there's something there that would be super useful, I can make a case for it. (although it'll probably be a no for the first few levels until they've gotten used to GMing).
1. I like your stat buy Tomos. I guess I just hadn't given up on the concept of being able to wildshape and be combat effective. By ignoring that aspect it makes everything else more doable.
In 3.5 wildshape made you gain the STR, DEX and CON values of the new form, in PF this is no longer true ... so, a druid who tries to be both a melee and a caster ends in being suboptimal in both.
Animal Companion is fine and TM's guide are not the Holy Bible, so go ahead and make the character you like :) you'll end in having less spells, but unless your caimpaign goes high level your pet remains a strong boon.
Wildshape still remains a strong choice - tiny animals will make you much harder to hit, and elemental form grants good maneuvrability options.
If your GM sticks to the low point buy, consider taking the Eye for Talent human alternate racial trait instead of the human bonus feat. Use this to give your big cat animal companion +2 strength. That monster will carry you through low level play; ACs really shine in low-point-buy environments.
This means you’ll lose the Scribe Scroll feat, but if your group has a wizard, the two of you can cooperate. Have him take useful 1st level spells on both of your class spell lists, like Burning Disarm, Hydraulic Push, Obscuring Mist and Snowball. Save up for a wand of Cure Light Wounds, of course.
I suspect that taking a feat to save a hundred gold or so on low-level scrolls is something you’ll regret in the long run.
I find that the key to being low level is to think low level. If I am a level 1 Druid with 2 spells and a big cat I memorize Cure Light Wounds twice. I don't even try to do damage myself until level 3. I act like a cleric for 2 levels and let my cat do the killing. Once you hit 3rd level and get Augment Summoning start up the offense and let somebody else do the healing (or just use CLW wands after combat is over if you don't have a character who wants to spend actions on it in combat.)
I hate to tell you, if a wizard scribes a scroll its an arcane scroll.
As a druid he needs a divine scroll!
|
|
1. I like your stat buy Tomos. I guess I just hadn't given up on the concept of being able to wildshape and be combat effective. By ignoring that aspect it makes everything else more doable.
In 3.5 wildshape made you gain the STR, DEX and CON values of the new form, in PF this is no longer true ... so, a druid who tries to be both a melee and a caster ends in being suboptimal in both.
Animal Companion is fine and TM's guide are not the Holy Bible, so go ahead and make the character you like :) you'll end in having less spells, but unless your caimpaign goes high level your pet remains a strong boon.
Wildshape still remains a strong choice - tiny animals will make you much harder to hit, and elemental form grants good maneuvrability options.
Exactly. If you try to wildshape and wade into combat as a caster Druid, you will probably get torn to shreds. Wildshape is a very versatile ability that can grant you all kinds of good bonuses, movement types, and senses, which are useful in a lot of different circumstances.
Don't forget the ability to scout that Wildshape gives a Druid... no one is going to pay much attention to a stray dog or a bird on a roof. When you get tiny forms, you can sneak in almost anywhere and spy like a pro.
This works in combat too. You can wildshape into a hawk, fly up out of reach and still be able to cast spells (with Natural Spell). Or, wildshape into something small and just hang out on the Cleric's shoulder.
Heck, with a few skill ranks, you could wildshape into a monkey and ride your companion into combat (*not recommended*).
Just out of curiosity, what scrolls would you scribe to be more effective in combat as a first or second level Druid? I've never really looked into it since I haven't ever played a Druid below level 3.
Two characters, one with Scribe Scroll, and the other with the spell desired to be made into a scroll, can cooperate in the crafting of a scroll, in which case the scroll is whatever type (divine/arcane) was cast in its crafting. IF your GM maintains the stupid arcane/divine scroll division. I don't, PFS doesn't, and I think it only adds to confusion and annoyance.
Looking through the traits, missionary (with 3 spells that function as if I 1 caster level higher) seems like a really good trait for helping alleviate some low-level pains.
Picking:
- Produce Flame
- Summon Natures Ally
- Entangle
Now, when I need a decent thrown/melee weapon produce flame will cover me for 2 shots for a level 1 spell.
Summon Natures ally will still be weak at 1st level, but having the riding dog last 2 rounds means that it can stick around long enough for: 2 attacks/ 2 rounds of drawing attention/ 2 rounds of giving people flank.
Entangle, well... not set on this.
Just out of curiosity, what scrolls would you scribe to be more effective in combat as a first or second level Druid? I've never really looked into it since I haven't ever played a Druid below level 3.
The scrolls wouldn't mainly be to help with combat (except entangle, obscuring mist, faerie fire (for concealment), charm animal, and cure light wounds during low level).
Mainly the scrolls will allow me to be useful outside of combat since I'll need every slot for in-combat.
That allows me to not worry about tailoring my list otherwise, since I won't have the amount of spells necessary to be more versatile.
Two characters, one with Scribe Scroll, and the other with the spell desired to be made into a scroll, can cooperate in the crafting of a scroll, in which case the scroll is whatever type (divine/arcane) was cast in its crafting.
Actually, this is not allowed by RAW.
In addition, you cannot create potions, spell-trigger, or spell-completion magic items without meeting their spell prerequisites.
Scrolls, wands and potion make exception to the general rule that you can add +5 to the DC in case you miss a requirement or have another caster cast the spell for you.
In particular, scroll section says
The creator must have prepared the spell to be scribed (or must know the spell, in the case of a sorcerer or bard)