Looking for some advice if you were starting at level 8. Would it be better (in terms of more useful till level 18) to go a full caster druid or a wild shaped druid and why? What makes caster druids more powerful in the later levels or what makes wild shaped ones more powerful? Assuming the wild shaped one has an animal companion and a caster one does not and instead takes a domain.
Yeah turning into a small air elemental with 60ft perfect fly speed and high stealth is really really handy for a caster.
I wouldn't take a domain over an animal companion unless there is a particular spell you want, with Animal Growth + Barkskin + Greater Magical Fang + +Vine Strike and Spending some money on their barding you can make a pretty nasty combatant.
I've actually considered using From of a Dragon on an animal companion before XD I don't know if that works though?
Funny thing, for personal violence a domain is better than an animal companion. Sure, the two of you might be able to do more damage together, but if you want one specialist then there's something to be said for, say, the Wolf domain. And on the other hand a caster druid gets real value out of having a bodyguard.
Those points aside the caster druid will be much more useful than the wildshaper with their AnC as you get close to 18th level. At 8th level, it depends more on what the group needs - a caster throwing spells like slowing mud around, or a couple extra melee types. I'd prefer playing the caster, but that's just my choice.
Does the melee druid lose his power as the games scales to the higher levels? I have read animal companions don't scale so well past the middle levels 7-12 peaking at around level 12.
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The animal companion doesn't age well but it's absolutely possible for the melee druid to keep going.
The animal companion can be kept competitive it just needs more buffing in the higher levels, its a bit jarring because they start off stronger than most level 1 PCs and then slowly fall behind but if you buff them up you can keep them pretty nasty, if I was buffing I'd go
Extended Air Walk
Greater Magical Fang
Extended Barkskin
Vine Strike
Extended Resist Energy
Extended or quickened Animal growth (which you think will work for you)
with that running if you picked a good companion, like a tiger, you should find them reasonably effective, probably easier for a caster druid to do damage that way than to try and build for blasting anywho xD (although there is dazing spell...)
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It depends on what you want your animal companion to do. If you want it to grab casters you can do this up to level 20. Well, you have the stats for it. Other people will have to help with magical defenses.
If you make it a bodyguard it is helpful straight through to level 20. Sharing damage around is a good defensive tactic.
As for one or the other. If you are willing to get aggressive with stats you can so both.
17/12/14/10/18/5 (oread 20 point buy)
You can keep some cha a drop Dex to 10 and int by 2 if you like.
Get heavy armor proficency and you can switch from casting to melee.
Rime frostbite will give a good amount of damage to your ac or your own natural attacks.
Elementals have to best accuracy and AC for wild shaping.
Accuracy is hard for druids so outflank and menacing amulet of mighty fist are life savers.
The biggest benefit to switching back and forth to keeping your most potent spells for the toughest fights. And it's crazy fun.
Is form of the exotic dragon III any good for a caster druid? Is it better than the best Level 8 wild shape Huge form? Or is this a trap spell?
Why would you want it on a caster druid? Typically, people go as small as possible to get really accurate with range touch spells and increase AC.
It is not good for a caster. You’re not gaining anything from it that helps you cast better and at level 17 you should be exclusively casting.
Sounds good! Should I be using Summon natures ally as a staple? Could you recommend some ranged touch spells for me?
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Summoning is good but slows down the game. I use it sparingly, when I don't have something better prepared or when the group needs it.
Snowball
Produce Flame
Pale Flame (new not online yet)
Divine Trident
Spit Venom
Heatstroke
There are not a ton but being tiny helps ac and the dex boosts your weakest save.
As for as staples you should pick your spells once you know the terrain where you are going. Then pick spells to provide battle field control.
- Big open area stone call.
- Rainforest Soften Earth and Stone
- Most forests Spike Growth
- Most places Aqueous Orb
- Anywhere explosive rot, Burst of Radiance, animal companion buffs
Use your spells to control the battle field, your animal companion to do damage, chorale enemies and threaten casters, and out of combat provide healing, buffing (resist energy), condition removal etc.
Thanks a lot!
Oh that's nifty
Yeah turning into a small air elemental with 60ft perfect fly speed and high stealth is really really handy for a caster.
I wouldn't take a domain over an animal companion unless there is a particular spell you want, with Animal Growth + Barkskin + Greater Magical Fang + +Vine Strike and Spending some money on their barding you can make a pretty nasty combatant.
I've actually considered using From of a Dragon on an animal companion before XD I don't know if that works though?
Ya form of the exotic dragon looks pretty cool I was thinking the same thing turning my AC into a dragon but not sure if that's allowed. Would that dragon form be better to wild shape into then an allosaurus if I were built as a combat druid?
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Form of the dragon would be a good spell share spell. But you can't "wildshape" into it per se. Wild shapes strength is it is always on.
No loss of combat actions. You can spend a spell slots to cast the spell and transform.
What you don't want to do is waste a turn on combat doing this. That is the reason the animal growth, barkskin, airwalk, is a good option as the duration is better. When you have 7-9 level spells you want to do something they decides the battle turn 1. A control spell or a pounce in mammoth armor. Should decisively move things in your favour.
Fun yes, if you know a combat is coming yes, in combat stick to the for you are already in.
Well with an extended rod you could have form of a dragon up for like 34-40 minutes which isn't too bad, I would not use it on my self but maybe for the animal companion
If the AC had pounce would it lose it by being a dragon
Great advice thanks
If the AC had pounce would it lose it by being a dragon
Probably because with Polymorph spells
While under the effects of a polymorph spell, you lose all extraordinary and supernatural abilities that depend on your original form (such as keen senses, scent, and darkvision), as well as any natural attacks and movement types possessed by your original form.
And given that pounce is something you gain from taking a creatures for it's probably safe to assume that you would lose it if you were not that form. At least that'd be my basis if I was ruling it.
Then it's arguable that Air walk + Animal growth is better for creatures with pounce.
