Death Druid and the Shade of the Uskwood feat

[Rhal, the Styx Boatman]

I have been looking at away to make a necromatic type druid without using third party stuff. What do people think about using the Death Druid archetype with the Shade of the Uskwood/Woodlands feat?

[I'm Hiding In Your Closet]

It looks mostly okay, but the fact that Shade of the Uskwoods grants animate dead suggests a conflict of interest, as it were; the Death Druid is very, very anti-undead. However, I suppose if you stayed away from that one spell, the rest of it would be fine. Note that you have to be Neutral Evil to be a Shade of the Uskwood.

[Rhal, the Styx Boatman]

I'm Hiding In Your Closet wrote:

It looks mostly okay, but the fact that Shade of the Uskwoods grants animate dead suggests a conflict of interest, as it were; the Death Druid is very, very anti-undead. However, I suppose if you stayed away from that one spell, the rest of it would be fine. Note that you have to be Neutral Evil to be a Shade of the Uskwood.

I know the description says it is anti-undead, but nowhere (unless I missed it) does it effect the archetype with any sort of penalty if you do.

[I'm Hiding In Your Closet]

You don't think the spirit of the thing matters?

I guess it depends on the venue you'd be playing this in - needless to say, it would be a non-starter in Society play. Otherwise, it's up to your DM.

[Rysky]

Shade of the Uskwood (without any numbers filed off)

You also have to worship Zon-Kuthon if you're playing in Golarion and/or PFS.

[M1k31]

Rhal, the Styx Boatman wrote:

I'm Hiding In Your Closet wrote:

It looks mostly okay, but the fact that Shade of the Uskwoods grants animate dead suggests a conflict of interest, as it were; the Death Druid is very, very anti-undead. However, I suppose if you stayed away from that one spell, the rest of it would be fine. Note that you have to be Neutral Evil to be a Shade of the Uskwood.

I know the description says it is anti-undead, but nowhere (unless I missed it) does it effect the archetype with any sort of penalty if you do.

I agree with the person hiding in your closet... it would be an issue short of fiat/home game levels of control.

Essentially the issue with the "Death druid archetype" that would arise is that the archetype centers around the character attracting helpful spirits that are drawn to them because the character helps them pass on.

Knowing that, how exactly do you expect said spirits would respond to your summoning undead?

I'm not saying you can't do this, I'm just trying to clarify what exactly you'd need to change with fiat;

1. You summon undead, why?

2. Your spirits reaction to this is to join you, why?

Example answer; You summon your spirits back to life so that they can enact their own justice, allowing them to be at peace and pass on.

[Lorewalker]

So long as you do not interact with souls(make only unintelligent undead), creation of undead and helping spirits cross over would not conflict at all. Though the game does not often make a mechanical difference between the two, there is a significant flavor difference between intelligent and unintelligent undead.

Also, I do not think people should be completely bound by their classes flavor. Different people(characters) being different and all. Though, in this case I think it is really stretching flavor further than is comfortable for most players who care about flavor.

[Entryhazard]

If I wanted to do an necromancer druid I'd pick the Blight Druid archetype

[I'm Hiding In Your Closet]

Entryhazard wrote:

If I wanted to do an necromancer druid I'd pick the Blight Druid archetype

Good suggestion.