Building a grippli druid for PFS

[Bigdaddyjug]

I recently came back to PFS and, while going through my stuff, I found a grippli boon I must have traded for. I vaguely remember having the idea of a grippli druid that delivered touch spells via tongue lashings, but I have no clue how to implement this.

Any druid building maestros wanna take a swing at it

[BadBird]

I assume this means playing a Druid that doesn't shapeshift, then. Urban Druid and Nature Fang are both interesting non-shaping options; Urban Druid can spontaneously cast Divine Favor to fight like a battle Cleric. Nature Fang can study target like a Slayer to gain combat and casting bonuses against it.

Being a battle Druid Grippli with a spell like Rime Frostbite always on your tongue for lunge and reach attacks could work.

[avr]

Nature Fang also gets slayer talents which can be used for a ranger combat style. You're likely going to want a bonus feat or two.

Essential feats will be weapon finesse and agile tongue. Rime spell would be good as BadBird points out. The underhanded ranger combat style gives you some steal feats if you want to use the grippli's tongue that way, or Cayden Cailean's covers disarm. Faithful (Sarenrae) gives a bunch of mobility related feats and would be compatible with dervish dance if you want to go that way.

Which appeals? Obviously you can't do all of those, or even any two.

[Bigdaddyjug]

Wow thanks. All that said, can either of you think of something better to do with a grippli for PFS?

[Bigdaddyjug]

Ok this is what I got so far for an urban druid. I figure I'll bump Dex at 4, Wis at 8 and 12. I'll take Agile Tongue at 3 and Rime Spell at 5. If there's a better domain, that's the first thing I'd be willing to change.

Lord Jaffrey Lingus, 5th Earl of Bogsmere
Grippli druid (urban druid) 1 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 101, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 149)
NG Small humanoid (grippli)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +6
Aura deflection aura (2 ft.)
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Defense
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AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 16 (+4 armor, +3 Dex, +1 shield, +1 size)
hp 10 (1d8+2)
Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +5
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee rapier +3 (1d4/18-20)
Ranged sling +4 (1d3)
Druid (Urban Druid) Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +3)
1st—frostbite[UM], frostbite[UM], shield[D]
0 (at will)—detect magic, light, read magic
D Domain spell; Domain Protection (Defense domain[APG] subdomain)
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Statistics
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Str 10, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 12
Base Atk +0; CMB -1; CMD 12
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills Climb +5, Diplomacy +3, Heal +6, Intimidate +3, Knowledge (nature) +7, Perception +6, Spellcraft +5, Stealth +4 (+8 in marshes and forested areas.), Survival +8; Racial Modifiers +2 Diplomacy, +2 Intimidate
Languages Boggard, Common, Druidic
SQ camouflage, nature bond (Defense domain[APG]), nature sense, wild empathy +2
Other Gear lamellar (leather) armor[UC], light wooden shield, rapier, sling, sling bullets (10), 66 gp, 9 sp
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Special Abilities
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Camouflage +4 Stealth in marshes and forested areas.
Climb (20 feet) You have a Climb speed.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Deflection Aura (1 rounds, 1/day) (Su) 20'r aura grants +2 AC and +2 CMD
Druid (Urban Druid) Domain (Defense) Granted Powers: Your faith is your greatest source of protection, and you can use that faith to defend others. In addition, you receive a +1 resistance bonus on saving throws. This bonus increases by 1 for every 5 levels you possess.
Nature Sense (Ex) A druid gains a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks.
Wild Empathy +2 (Ex) Improve the attitude of an animal, as if using Diplomacy.

[avr]

Gripplis make good gunslingers by all accounts, with perfect stat mods, darkvision, a climb speed to shoot from somewhere inaccessible and the bonuses of small size. Still, a gunslinger is a fairly boring character to play I think. The same bonuses would be handy for any pure caster using wisdom and casting at least a few ranged touch spells.

BTW - if you want to make use of BadBird's suggestion that urban druids can spontaneously cast Divine Favor you'll need to take a domain which gives it. Nobility's the one.

Some domains have powers which use touch attacks. Knowledge and Madness (the latter would require you to take the Veiled Adept archetype instead) spring to mind. The Lightning subdomain of Air (standard druid or nature fang) gives you access to the shocking grasp spell for occasional spike damage.

[Bigdaddyjug]

I already have a gunslinger or that would have been perfect. I focused on druid because I don't have one of those.

I'll make sure to switch to nobility domain.

Got any recommendations for traits for such a character? I assume if I'm casting divine favor a bunch, Fate's Favored would be a good one to have.

[avr]

Yeah, Fate's Favored is a no-brainer. Aside from that you might well want a concentration bonus (several traits do this) given you're more likely than some to be within the enemies reach when casting. Careful Combatant to be better able to get away from melee might be useful too.