Which of these abilities is best for a caster druid


Advice


Which of the following would you say is the most powerful choice.

Blinding Flash (Su): As a standard action, you can emit a flash of light from your holy symbol or divine focus. The most powerful light emanates out 20 feet from you. Creatures with fewer Hit Dice than your cleric level within this area are blinded for 1d4 rounds unless they succeed at a Fortitude save. All creatures in this area are dazzled for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your cleric level (minimum 1). You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier

Touch of Loyalty (Su)
As a standard action, you can touch a willing creature, granting it a +4 sacred bonus on saving throws to resist charm, compulsion, and fear effects for 1 hour. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier

Malign Eye (Su): As a standard action, you can afflict one target within 30 feet with your malign eye, causing it to take a –2 penalty on all saving throws against your spells. The effect lasts for 1 minute or until the target hits you with an attack. You can use this ability for a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.


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1) Probably not useful most of the time. Usually there'll be some allies within 20', and if not you don't want there to be enemies that close.
2) A buff with an hour duration is probably the best.
3) The second best. You won't normally want to spend a standard action for this but when you're running short of spells making sure the ones to cast do land may make it worthwhile.


Would Malign eye be considered mind-affecting like Evil eye? Or since its not specifically stated do we assume its not? Certainly not being mind-affecting is a real nice thing.

Grand Lodge

What archetypes are you using to get these on a druid?


The Halycon Druid

Grand Lodge

They don't get a domain they get a bonding item mask.


Half-Elf FCB

Select one cleric domain power at 1st level that is normally usable a number of times per day equal to 3 + the druid’s Wisdom modifier. The druid adds +½ to the number of uses per day of that domain power

Grand Lodge

If you read the rest it has a clause for natures bond. So I'm pretty sure you only get more uses of an ability you have. No domain no extra uses.


Looking at the archetype, I feel it doesn't shine as a caster class. It's main advantages over an arcane caster is 3/4 BAB, which serves little use as a caster and access to druid spells, which a magaambyan initiate or arcanist which do as well.

It trades out domain and wild shape, which makes it subpar vs a normal druid caster type.


Grandlounge wrote:
If you read the rest it has a clause for natures bond. So I'm pretty sure you only get more uses of an ability you have. No domain no extra uses.

:(


Atalius wrote:

Half-Elf FCB

Select one cleric domain power at 1st level that is normally usable a number of times per day equal to 3 + the druid’s Wisdom modifier. The druid adds +½ to the number of uses per day of that domain power

You can only select that FCB if your Druid has a domain power already. It doesn’t give you access to one if you’re Druid forewent getting a domain in the first place, like the Halcyon archetype does.

So this whole discussion is moot.


This archetype is moot. Can he still spontaneously cast cleric spells from the Good domain?


Yeah, the archetype does give you that ability. You just don’t get a domain since you’re swapping out nature bond, the class feature which would have given you a domain.


skinshaper druid - caster


The archetypes not terrible, still get druid/wizard spells with a sprinkle of cleric

Shadow Lodge

Atalius wrote:
The archetypes not terrible, still get druid/wizard spells with a sprinkle of cleric
I liked the Halcyon Druid archetype at first glance, but upon further thought, it seems much closer to 'horrible' than 'good' in most circumstances:
  • Trading Animal Companion for a specific Arcane Bond does not seem like a great trade-off (remember, Arcane Bond has drawbacks if you lose the item for any reason).
  • Trading spontaneous Summons for the Good domain spells is a bit situational: Great if you often face evil outsiders, but not so great otherwise (although Protection from / Magic Circle against Evil is always good to have).
  • Trading Wildshape for Arcane Spells is probably a plus (it will really depend on the spells chosen, of course) but it definitely makes the archetype feel like a DINO (Druid In Name Only).
  • After all of these trades, the one feature you keep is the armor restrictions
Keep in mind that, unlike an oracle or cleric, you can not spontaneously cast heals, so you are going to have to keep this in mind when prepping spells.

Overall, you give up some of the most 'druidy' features of the class to gain a few unusual spells, which makes me wonder 'why play a druid at all?'

  • If you want the arcane spells, why not play a wizard, who would get more spells earlier and a more flexible arcane bond at the cost of not getting somewhat questionable Druid and 'Good' spells?
  • If you want the 'Good' domain spells, Cleric or Oracle is probably a far better choice.
  • If you want a real nature theme, Druid without the archetype or Nature Oracle seems like a better fit.
If you want all three in one package, understand that you will probably be fairly 'weak' in each.

I wanted to like this archetype, but it just doesn't feel 'right' to me...


Hmm indeed you may be right.

The Exchange

Maybe the Magaambyan Initiate Arcanist Archetype could be a good alternative choice for you.


Bearserk wrote:

Maybe the Magaambyan Initiate Arcanist Archetype could be a good alternative choice for you.

Can you link me it? I can't seem to find it


It's in the same book (Adventurer's Guide) as the Halcyon Druid.

Arcanist Archetype

It costs a lot of exploits, so I think I prefer the base arcanist.


Why not choose an archetype Feyspeaker Druid?

The Exchange

nicholas storm wrote:

It's in the same book (Adventurer's Guide) as the Halcyon Druid.

Arcanist Archetype

It costs a lot of exploits, so I think I prefer the base arcanist.

Thx for the link.

Yes it cost 4 exploits but you got the full Wizard spell list and can ad a druid spell or a cleric spell with the Good descriptor per level besides the Spell Mastery features.

And you can get more exploits with feats if you realy need that much so i think it's a fair trade.

It could be fun to go into the Stargazer Prestige Class so he can get the Stars Domain and Witch Hexes and Shaman hexes of the Heaven Spirit besides two Oracle Revelations and a Familiar too without loosing only one level of spells. ^^

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