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I'm trying to decide whether to play a Magaambyan Arcanist or a druid. I already have found several druid only spells I want for this character concept I just need to know if there are enough for me to go druid.
Basically what are the best spells on the druid spell list. Less situational spells preferred. Feel free to mention ones that are already on the wizard spell list just denote them somehow. Thanks
Personal faves of mine, in no particular order: entangle, spike growth and stones, the entangle upgrades, animal growth, aspect of the wolf, fire seeds.
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Euphoric cloud, snowball, wall of thorns, shapechange
While there are LOTS of great druid spells a wizard does have a better selection overall. But druids also have lots of advantages over wizards. If you don't take advantage of some of those (animal companion, ability tp be competent in combat, wild shape) you'll be worse off (although not hugelyvworse off)
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Wall of Thorns is so obnoxiously strong.
It has no save or SR and every option the spell lists for being stuck in it is coupled with a horrible drawback.
Magical fire can work, after 10 minutes.
You can slash through with a machete at one square per hour.
If you have good strength, you can power through with full-round actions and still take the damage.
If you do manage to move at this snail's pace, don't worry, it still sucks. The thorn bush itself is almost 100 cubic feet and last for an hour and a half. The Druid might have cast it from anywhere within ~200 feet of you, and his whole party had time to set up an ambush for you.
This is not counting the possibility that the druid turned into a Behemoth Hippopotamus and came in after you because he's immune to it from Woodland Stride.
It's only balanced by being on the spell list of a 9th-level caster who can turn into an elemental.
ohwaitthat'snotbalancedatall
Plant growth is one not mentioned above. Whether as a long duration spell to set up the battlefield or as a spell to make you popular/rich it's worth getting.
I like Quench, though only vs. creatures with the fire subtype.
5 to 10 d6 worth of no save, large area damage for a 3rd level spell?
Oh Yeah!
Source PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 329
School transmutation; Level druid 3, hunter 3
Casting
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, DF
Effect
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area or Target one 20-ft. cube/level (S) or one fire-based magic item
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none or Will negates (object); Spell Resistance no or yes (object)
Description
Quench is often used to put out forest fires and other conflagrations. It extinguishes all nonmagical fires in its area. The spell also dispels any fire spells in its area, though you must succeed on a dispel check (1d20 +1 per caster level, maximum +15) against each spell to dispel it. The DC to dispel such spells is 11 + the caster level of the fire spell.
Each creature with the fire subtype within the area of a quench spell takes 1d6 points of damage per caster level (maximum 10d6, no save allowed).
Alternatively, you can target the spell on a single magic item that creates or controls flame. The item loses all its fire-based magical abilities for 1d4 hours unless it succeeds on a Will save. Artifacts are immune to this effect.
I think you are overlooking one thing about the druid. As a prepared divine caster he has access to his entire spell list when he gains the ability to cast the required level of spell. Situational spell tend to be a lot better when used in the situation that favors them. This means the more situational spells you have access to the better of you are. The only downside is that to fully utilize it you have to have a access to all the books and know you spell list very well. If you do that and have enough advanced warning you can usually find the spell you need.
The druid spell list is actually one of the most versatile spell lists out there. While it is not the best of any particular field it can do just about anything.
I think Urban Druid can spontaneously cast domain spells if that's good.
Oh yeah! Domain spells.
Edit: Urban Druid can get the nobility domain enabling spontaneous casting of the following:
1st—divine favor, 2nd—enthrall, 3rd—magic vestment, 4th—discern lies, 5th—greater command, 6th—geas/quest, 7th—repulsion, 8th—demand, 9th—storm of vengeance.
Repose domain is also pretty sweet. Great offensive spells like Slay Living.
Produce flame can be fun, especially when combined with Rapid Shot.
I also like combining flamestrike with the Improved Counterspell feat. It knocks out fireballs and lightning bolts. And unlike other spellcasters, Improved Counterspell isn't as boring and passive as it can be because you'll have an animal companion and/or summoned beasties to do the more active stuff on your turn.
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The druid spell list is actually one of the most versatile spell lists out there. While it is not the best of any particular field it can do just about anything.
They've got good summons, crowd control, healing and blasting.
But they are bad at teleportation, terrible at buffing non-natural attacks, skill boosts, the better save or suck/lose spells and a lot of utility in general.
Wizard >> Cleric >> Druid. It has the best class features to make up for this.
Im going to vote fire seeds again. Nothing is better than the sound of 8 bombs going off all at once while you are 5 feet away.
Mad Monkeys can incapacitate quite a lot of foes. Destroy enemy spell components, damage them, force concentration checks, and nauseate and deafen them. Great anticaster spell. Its also a wizard spell though.
The druid spell list is actually one of the most versatile spell lists out there. While it is not the best of any particular field it can do just about anything.
They've got good summons, crowd control, healing and blasting.
But they are bad at teleportation, terrible at buffing non-natural attacks, skill boosts, the better save or suck/lose spells and a lot of utility in general.
Wizard >> Cleric >> Druid. It has the best class features to make up for this.
Actually as far as buff spells they do a lot better than most people think. They have all the physical stat boost spells as well as many protections spells especially vs elemental damage. There spell list also includes a large number of buff spells that people dismiss without realizing how useful they are. The various aspect spells are often overlooked but can be very useful. Aspect of the Wolf for example gives you a +4 Bonus to both STR and DEX, as well as scent, and a bonus to trip. You can also make a trip attack as a swift action without provoking an AoO. The buff spells tend to be nature focused but that does not mean you have to use them in natural surroundings. They are also about the one of the few classes to be able to grant a natural armor bonus without having to change your form.
They don’t have a lot of spells that allow them to teleport, but they can get just about any other form of movement without having to shift form.
As you said though they have better class features than either the cleric or wizards. If I could only have a single spell caster in the party my first choice would be druid..
As far as situational spells, you have the option to swap them for summons on the fly, and how few are the adventuring days that you can't find a use for summonned critters? So memmorizing a "not always useful" spell is not a big issue for druids.
And barkskin, longstrider, create treasure map, earthglide.
Liveoak, Wall of Thorns, Changestaff, Shambler, Awaken, Sirocco, Summon Natures Ally IX, Caustic Blood.
Awaken is one of my favorite Druid spells. The animal or tree you awaken remains loyal and grateful to you and will serve you until you awaken something else. Basically it's a free Cohort.
Sirocco fatigues, or exhausts if already fatigued, anyone damaged by it... even with a successful save. Double damage and -4 to save vs Water subtypes as well.
Liveoak and Changestaff both grant a Treant guardian. Giant powerful bodyguards that excel at wrecking stuff? Yes please!
Wall of Thorns really messes people up and slows them down big-time. They either gotta suffer the damage while they struggle through it, wait it out (10 mins/lvl) or destroy it... 50 minutes to chop through 5ft of it or 10 minutes of magical fire. Imagine being Exhausted while stuck in there... not a good time.
Shambler is great when you're outnumbered, 1d4+2 Advanced Shambling Mounds(CR 7)
On a fun note, Transmute Mud to Rock and Transmute Rock to Mud are definitely handy but I usually only prepare them for the purpose of killing a specific person. It's not the best way considering the level of these spells, but it's SO satisfying if you can pull it off... which isn't easy without allies (Wall of Thorns helps). Turn the unworked stone at your enemy's feet into mud, someone keep him there or bullrush them back into the mud if they leave or Wall of Thorns, turn the mud back into stone... the enemy is stuck and most likely helpless, Coup de grace. If they are tripped then even better because they are submerged... you entomb them inside stone. They suffocate, immobile, in their grave of solid rock. Muahahaha!
Aboleth's Lung is pretty messed up as well if there is no water around. Just keep your distance and watch them suffocate.
But they are bad at teleportation,
Tree stride, Transport via plants.
They get about a 1 level higher penalty on teleportation in exchange for more range for their dimension door, and less "need to know about the area" than teleport.
Edit: tree stride is even a fair bit better than dimension door, offering a teleport per level, longer range, and a duration a bit longer than the average adventuring day at the level you gain it.
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That all sounds like bad at teleportation for things most adventurers want to use it for.
Which will do them so very little in an area with few plants, such as your average dungeon.
But they are bad at teleportation,Tree stride, Transport via plants.
They get about a 1 level higher penalty on teleportation in exchange for more range for their dimension door, and less "need to know about the area" than teleport.
Edit: tree stride is even a fair bit better than dimension door, offering a teleport per level, longer range, and a duration a bit longer than the average adventuring day at the level you gain it.
Having the second best spell list for a thing doesn't make you bad at it. CLERICS/oracles are bad at teleportation. It either is limited to 1X day as a domain spell, or a return to a preset location. Druids are a lot closer to sorc/wiz teleport than they are cleric.
Druids have an excellent mix of blasting and combat control spells. What I like best about their list is that a good number of their spells are not subject to spell resistance. This becomes key as you reach mid-level.
Examples of some of my favorites (SR=NO spells)include Snowball, Euphoric Cloud, Stone Discus, Aqueous Orb, Spit Venom, Wall of Thorns and Fire Seeds.
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Which will do them so very little in an area with few plants, such as your average dungeon.
Tree Feather Tokens are an inexpensive and fun way to solve that problem. Plop one in a safe area outside the dungeon and drop another when you need to skedaddle.*
*The crafter of this wonderous item is not responsible for any damage caused by its placement in a confined area.
My favourite character to the date was a Kagonesti Druid in a Dragonlance Campaign (Lvl 1-20). My favourite spells were:
Lvl 0.- Create Water, Detect Magic, Mending, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic.
Lvl 1.- Cure Light Wounds, Detect Snares and Pits, Endure Elements, Entangle, Faerie Fire, Goodberry, Hydraulic Push, Magic Fang, Obscuring Mist, Pass Without Trace, Shillelagh, Snowball, Speak With Animals.
Lvl 2.- Animal Messenger, Barskin, Endure Elements Communal, Fog Cloud, Reduce Animal, Resist Energy, Restoration Lesser, Stone Call.
Lvl 3.- Feather Step Mass, Hide Campsite, Insect Spies, Mad Monkeys, Magic Fang Greater, Neutralize Poison, Plant Growth, Raven's Flight, Resist Energy Communal, Wind Wall.
Lvl 4.- Air Walk, Dispel Magic, Life Bubble, Reincarnate, Scrying.
Lvl 5.- Air Walk Communal, Animal Growth, Atonement, Awaken, Baleful Polymorph, Blessing of the Salamander, Control Winds, Death Ward, Fickle Winds, Threefold Aspect, Transmute Rock to Mud, Tree Stride, Wall of Thorns.
Lvl 6.- Antilife Shell, Cure Light Wounds Mass, Cyclic Reincarnation, Dispel Magic Grater, Fire Seeds, Sirocco, Spelstaff.
Lvl 7.- Changestaff, Control Weather, Heal, Scrying Greater, True Seeing, Wind Walk.
Lvl 8.- Repel Metal of Stone, Reverse Gravity, Word of Recall.
Lvl 9.- Antipathy, Polar Midnight, Regenerate, Shapechange.
And, of course, a lot of Summon Nature`s Ally!
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My favourite character to the date was a Kagonesti Druid in a Dragonlance Campaign (Lvl 1-20). My favourite spells were:
Lvl 0.- Create Water, Detect Magic, Mending, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic.
Lvl 1.- Cure Light Wounds, Detect Snares and Pits, Endure Elements, Entangle, Faerie Fire, Goodberry, Hydraulic Push, Magic Fang, Obscuring Mist, Pass Without Trace, Shillelagh, Snowball, Speak With Animals.
Lvl 2.- Animal Messenger, Barskin, Endure Elements Communal, Fog Cloud, Reduce Animal, Resist Energy, Restoration Lesser, Stone Call.
Lvl 3.- Feather Step Mass, Hide Campsite, Insect Spies, Mad Monkeys, Magic Fang Greater, Neutralize Poison, Plant Growth, Raven's Flight, Resist Energy Communal, Wind Wall.
Lvl 4.- Air Walk, Dispel Magic, Life Bubble, Reincarnate, Scrying.
Lvl 5.- Air Walk Communal, Animal Growth, Atonement, Awaken, Baleful Polymorph, Blessing of the Salamander, Control Winds, Death Ward, Fickle Winds, Threefold Aspect, Transmute Rock to Mud, Tree Stride, Wall of Thorns.
Lvl 6.- Antilife Shell, Cure Light Wounds Mass, Cyclic Reincarnation, Dispel Magic Grater, Fire Seeds, Sirocco, Spelstaff.
Lvl 7.- Changestaff, Control Weather, Heal, Scrying Greater, True Seeing, Wind Walk.
Lvl 8.- Repel Metal of Stone, Reverse Gravity, Word of Recall.
Lvl 9.- Antipathy, Polar Midnight, Regenerate, Shapechange.
And, of course, a lot of Summon Nature`s Ally!
As that campaign's GM I loved when you used the Control Weather spell casted by an enemy Druid as a way to enhance your own weather spells! That must be what people call karma xD
I like the idea of slowing enemies down with Ice Storm, then summoning Ice Elementals to go in and have fun.
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I'd rather go with Stone Call. That's only a level 2 spell and also makes the area difficult terrain. Plus, it's 40 feet radio vs 20 feet only.
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I really like the staff spells (and wish there were more spells like them).
@The Sideromancer I also care little for the fact that if there are no plants around some of my powers are not available. It's ok to not have the answer to everything, all the time and be totally awesome all the time. In a dungeon tree stride may be of no use but all of your earth and stone related spells are. And you still have fire and wind and water related things as well as summons and the ability to deal out or remove conditions. So yeah, remove 2-5 specific things and try using that as a platform to argue the druids' spell list as less effective if you would like. I just disagree.