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Currently looking to build out an elemental blaster druid to lv 20. Basically a spell caster that does very minimal wildshaping. Manipulates the weather and the elements primarily.
PB 20, Human, Menhir Savant archetype.
Currently statted out at Lv 1 as follows (open to suggestions even for this):
Str 7, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 20 (Human Bonus +2 applied here), Cha 7
Alternate Racial Trait: Heart of the Fey
FCB: Hitpoints
Traits: Gifted Adept (Use this for Entangle, or Flaming Sphere?), Student of Faith (Campaign Trait)
Feats: Improved Initiative, Spell Focus (Conjuration)
Nature Bond (Lightning? or Weather? Domain)
Also, good spell choices?
The lightning subdomain takes a trait to get. It's probably worth it. Druids don't otherwise get any bonuses to blasting - well, maybe bonuses to ranged touch attacks if they wildshape into something which gives a dex bonus, but you're ruling that out for some reason.
Gifted adept gives +1 CL which on a blaster you'd normally apply to a spell which does damage based on caster level - i.e. Not entangle or flaming sphere.
Conjuration for druid spells means battlefield control, debuffs, utility or summoning. Blasting is mostly under evocation (plus a few necromancy, maybe transmutation.) Spell focus in conjuration is a fine idea, but it isn't for blasting. Are you sure you want to play a blaster? You don't seem to be building that way.
Well to be honest I can't say I want to focus 100% on blasting, because otherwise why wouldn't I just build a sorcerer or a wizard (my question to myself).
I'm thinking probably 60% elemental blasting, 40% summons/battlefield control, plus a couple of spot heals here and there?
On first look, the feats I was interested in for this build were:
Improved initiative
Natural spell
Planar wild shape
Divine intervention
Spell focus (conjuration)
Augment summoning
Superior summoning
Wild speech
Quicken spell
Spell penetration
Spell focus (evocation)
(and not sure what else really...)
Also, which trait? I honestly thought druids had access to that subdomain...
Empower spell is the #1 blasting feat. Persistent spell, spell penetration and spell perfection may be on a blaster's list also.
At low levels a druid gets access to a lot of ranged touch spells which can be an alternate means of blasting. Those want point blank shot & precise shot instead. This doesn't age well but it can be very effective up to ~6th level. You could stretch that out a little longer with empowered pale flame perhaps but it will eventually be a waste of time.
On notable druid spells for blasting, consider produce flame/pale flame and explosion of rot for any druid. If you get the lightning subdomain then aggressive thundercloud/greater and ball lightning are worth considering. If you want spells which mix damage and battlefield control or debuffs the druid list has dozens, more with some metamagic feats.
About the lightning subdomain - the trait you need is Acolyte of Apocrypha.
I'm thinking perhaps Weather domain might be easier, as the differences between the two domains are actually quite minimal imo. Assuming that I go with that... What's a good build out to 20?
I'm thinking a grand majority of my blasts will be stuff like AGTC, flaming sphere, that kind of stuff, 60/40'ed with summons/battlefield controls/spot heals.
The lightning domain gets lightning bolt which does damage instantly (rather than over time like flaming sphere or 'thundercloud), and that free empower a few times a day. These are worth a trait IMO.
Anyway: to L20, human menhir savant, save based blasts, weather domain, BFC & summons used extensively. Here's one way to build that.
Feats
1: improved initiative
Human: spell focus (conj.)
3: augment summoning
5: natural spell
7: empower spell
9: persistent spell
11: quicken spell
13: spell penetration
15: spell perfection (explosion of rot)
17: divine intervention
19: intensified spell
Explosion of rot is the single best blasting spell on the druid list. There are less good ones under conjuration, but for your perfected spell you want the best even if the save DC is lower because your spell focus is elsewhere. You'll want a metamagic rod of reach spell to use with it eventually.
You might alternately build around spells which do damage over time and use debuffing metamagic & similar (rime spell, dazing spell, _____ amplification) to enhance them. This isn't what I call a blaster but it's a viable way of combining blasts & BFC. You seem to like flaming sphere & aggressive thundercloud & these are OK spells to use with such an approach; frost fall, control winds, thorny entanglement & aqueous orb are also worth looking at.
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About the lightning subdomain - the trait you need is Acolyte of Apocrypha.
Note: "You can select one of the apocryphal subdomains detailed below, provided the subdomain is associated with your patron deity."
You'll need to worship Gozreh, Hei Feng, Rovagug, or Rull as those are the deities that are associated with the Lightning Sub-Domain.
EXCEPT that a Druid can select any sub-domain of a domain that he has available (since they don't have to select a patron deity), and since Druids have the Air Domain available, he should be able to take Lightning without the trait.
The trait is really for Clerics and inquisitors (I think).
I would recommend magical lineage over gifted adept. Since most of your good damaging spells have level caps and you're locked in to whatever spell you choose. So, either you end up picking a spell you can't use for a long time or the trait stops doing anything for you at level 10+
I would recommend something like the following. I originally was looking at cleric for this build, but druid works just as well.
Storm Monger (Bard/Cleric/Druid)
Key concepts: High electrical damage output for level
Traits: Acolyte of Apocrypha and Magical Lineage (Lightning Bolt)
Race: Sylph
Racial Traits: Like the Wind, Mostly Human
Class: Sorcerer(1), Cleric/Druid/Bard(5), Storm Kindler (10), Cleric/Druid/Bard(4) or
Sorcerer(1), Cleric/Druid/Bard(9), Storm Kindler (10)
Archetype(s): Crossblooded (Sorcerer), Theologian(Cleric), Thundercaller(Bard), Storm Druid(Druid) or Tempest Druid(Druid)
Bloodlines: Orc and Draconic (Electricity) or Primal (Air)
Variant Channel: Weather (harm, now causes lightning or Sonic Damage)
Domain: Lightning and Weather(Strom Druid only)
Feats: Spell Focus[Evocation](1st), Varisian tattoo(3rd), Spell Specialization(5th), Storm Lashed(7th), Greater Spell Specialization/Intensified Spell(9th), Empowered Spell(11th), Piercing Spell(13th), Spell Perfection(15th)
Suggested Feats: Intensified Spell-Like Ability, Burning Spell (Metamagic), Elemental Spell (Metamagic), Quicken Spell (Metamagic), Selective Channel, Bloatmage Initiate
How it all comes together:
• At 3rd level Shocking grasp does 4d6+8 damage
• Lightning Bolt is your primary spell and will get the following bonuses
o Metamagic -1 from total increase
o +1 Caster Level (Sylph)
o +1 dmg per die (Primal or Draconic)
o +1 dmg per die (Orc)
o Intensified spell (Theologian or Druid only)
o +1 Caster Level (Varisian tattoo)
o +2 Caster Level (Spell Specialization)
o Can Spontaneously cast it (Greater Spell Specialization or druid)
o At 6th level(when you 1st get the spell) it will do 9d6+18 damage (48 avg dmg vs nrml 21avg/36max)
As a druid, I would get intensified spell at 7th and storm lashed at 9th. It does mean you won't qualify for the prestige class until 2 levels later. But that's ok, since you'll already be pushing the level cap of lightening bolt at 7th level.
Pick up Dreamed Secrets feat at lvl 13 and prepare Disintegrate and any other Wiz spell you want (maybe even prepare a Quickened True Strike to ensure Disintegrate hits).
If you really want to get froggy with Disintegrate, get Spell Perfection at lvl 15 and prepare a Persistent Disintegrate as a lvl 6 spell slot (or Empowered Persistent Disintegrate as lvl 8 slot).
Quickened True Strike + Persistent Disintegrate = ~95% accuracy 40d6 nuke and save Twice.