yes, AC is amazing, offering a private tank \ bodyguard etc.
can do damage and also learn to bodyguarm with in harm's way to allow you to summon quietly.
BUT
domains are not... bad at all :
saurian druids:
Destruction :
rage? true strike? harm? good spells for a druid...
war:
magic vestment, divine power, balde barrier
the the GREAT power for feat on demand, not bad really.
also the re roll initiative is nice.
strength:
enlarge person is WOW for you... righteous might is... hammer time.
lion shaman with glory (heroism)
is AMAZING summoner... just... amazing. offering buffs for every one and all that will you kill as a dire tiger.
the level for charisma skill can go along way for diplomacy or use magic device. and lastly the spell list is just... gravy.
nobility os OK but less than glory.
so... they are nice buffs indeed... BUT... is it worth the big friend loss?
it does make you more mobile.... not have to concern with the friend that stays behind.
Unless you really need another front-line fighter, a Domain is probably the right choice for a caster. Domains that give you a Wis-based ability are quite nice for early levels, and without the domain spells you'll be running out of spells quite quickly.
Keep in mind, you have spontaneous casting - if you ever need more muscle, you can always just summon.
I think the domain is probably always the right choice. They mean you can dump charisma where the sun never shines without worrying that your lack of handle animal will render one of your class features useless. A domain doesn't need to do much for the combination of the domain and the better stats from a charisma dump to be worth ditching the animal companion.
If you can get into the Storm Druid archetype they're spectacular for a melee build. With improved vision through clouds and the spontaneous domain casting you can be hitting flat footed AC all the time starting at level 6 (when you get access to the first forms with 10' reach) and use mist like a miss chance defense. I think the Tempest Druid has similar properties.
Then there are the terrain domains. Plains gets you another way to get pounce that's form independent and therefore good for when you need flight or if you want the extra strength mod of an earth elemental. Other terrain domains are also better than the CRB options, though they don't stand out in my memory like Plains.
Animal companions were good when Treeantmonk wrote because the domain choices were lackluster and the handle animal rules were less rigidly defined than they later became. They're not so good now and I'd only take one if I knew someone in the party wanted to use it for mounted combat. Sticking your tiger under a sohei or ferocious mount barbarian can be worth the trouble still but that's not the common case.
Reynard_the_fox wrote: Unless you really need another front-line fighter, a Domain is probably the right choice for a caster. Domains that give you a Wis-based ability are quite nice for early levels, and without the domain spells you'll be running out of spells quite quickly.
Keep in mind, you have spontaneous casting - if you ever need more muscle, you can always just summon.
What are your favorites?
Also the reason for muscle - is so I can summon - using the AC as a wall.
Atarlost wrote: I think the domain is probably always the right choice. They mean you can dump charisma where the sun never shines without worrying that your lack of handle animal will render one of your class features useless. A domain doesn't need to do much for the combination of the domain and the better stats from a charisma dump to be worth ditching the animal companion.
If you can get into the Storm Druid archetype they're spectacular for a melee build. With improved vision through clouds and the spontaneous domain casting you can be hitting flat footed AC all the time starting at level 6 (when you get access to the first forms with 10' reach) and use mist like a miss chance defense. I think the Tempest Druid has similar properties.
Then there are the terrain domains. Plains gets you another way to get pounce that's form independent and therefore good for when you need flight or if you want the extra strength mod of an earth elemental. Other terrain domains are also better than the CRB options, though they don't stand out in my memory like Plains.
Animal companions were good when Treeantmonk wrote because the domain choices were lackluster and the handle animal rules were less rigidly defined than they later became. They're not so good now and I'd only take one if I knew someone in the party wanted to use it for mounted combat. Sticking your tiger under a sohei or ferocious mount barbarian can be worth the trouble still but that's not the common case.
I never tank charisma - I like to speak ;)
The storm is cool- such a pitty the options are crap- the ability to put fog around you and fight look awesome.
I think I like also Strength and glory for the spell list . Enlarge prson is just amazing on Druids.
Cave is also nicer or tremor sense - with earth elemental it's the ultimate scout in the game.
666bender wrote:
I think I like also Strength and glory for the spell list . Enlarge prson is just amazing on Druids.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Druids are limited to nature-related domains.
I'm not super familiar with all of them, but I believe the standard cleric domains (fire, etc.) are better for casting druids, and some of the animal/terrain ones are better for melee druids. For example, Crocodile lets grappling druids do a cool death roll technique, and Wolf gives you Improved Trip for free. Again, hard to say if it's worth giving up your AC for it (particularly for a melee druid).
Oh, and if you're multiclassing and don't want to spend a feat on Boon Companion (or are multiclassing more than 4 levels), go with a domain. If your AC isn't at max level or -1 at most it tends to be pretty worthless/fragile in combat.
Reynard_the_fox wrote: 666bender wrote:
I think I like also Strength and glory for the spell list . Enlarge prson is just amazing on Druids.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Druids are limited to nature-related domains.
I'm not super familiar with all of them, but I believe the standard cleric domains (fire, etc.) are better for casting druids, and some of the animal/terrain ones are better for melee druids. For example, Crocodile lets grappling druids do a cool death roll technique, and Wolf gives you Improved Trip for free. Again, hard to say if it's worth giving up your AC for it (particularly for a melee druid).
Oh, and if you're multiclassing and don't want to spend a feat on Boon Companion (or are multiclassing more than 4 levels), go with a domain. If your AC isn't at max level or -1 at most it tends to be pretty worthless/fragile in combat. as for dipping a agree... but unless you go monk hard dip it's hardly worth it...
as for the nice domains, saurian got strength.... lion shaman got glory.
Oh, be careful! Saurian/lion shaman is an archetype, not a domain. It delays your Wildshape until level 6 and trades out your class features for different things. The domains are just the cleric-style domains given by the Nature's Bond ability. They are two very different things.
EDIT: Ah nvm, I see you understand. I totally forgot the shaman archetypes open up domains not usually available to druids. I really hate delaying wildshape, though, so I wouldn't go shaman unless you really like summoning things - after Master Summoner they are they best summoners in the game.
Reynard_the_fox wrote: Oh, be careful! Saurian/lion shaman is an archetype, not a domain. It delays your Wildshape until level 6 and trades out your class features for different things. The domains are just the cleric-style domains given by the Nature's Bond ability. They are two very different things.
EDIT: Ah nvm, I see you understand. I totally forgot the shaman archetypes open up domains not usually available to druids. I really hate delaying wildshape, though, so I wouldn't go shaman unless you really like summoning things - after Master Summoner they are they best summoners in the game.
why do you think they delay wild shape?
the text clearly say "replace the level 6..... "
hence, level 4 you are normal wild shaper.
level 6, instead of large animals and small elemental all stay as level 4, BUT dino's are as level 8...
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2pzty?Animal-Shaman-Druid-Wild-Shaping#1
The author of the ability has stated that it was his intention that you don't get Wild Shape until level 6. If you can convince your GM otherwise, good for you. Generally, though, the consensus is that Shamans are poor wild shapers but AWESOME summoners. OTOH, all you really get at levels 4 and 5 of wild shape are different movement types and senses, so if you really want to become a huge dinosaur ASAP, the shamans are great.
I always take AC but then I love the roleplay opportunities from it.
In terms of mechanical power the non-AC options are quite reasonable now but frankly I'm a AC man. If your AC is a person to you play AC option, it's more rewarding. If your AC is just a tool, then go for Domains. Horses for courses.
I would always take a Domain, as I have enough juggling to do with one character sheet. Adding a second one is complicated and makes my turns too long.
|
1 person marked this as a favorite.
|
Juggling character sheets is just a fact of druidism.
You should probably have one sheet for a wildshape form of each size from medium up, one for a flier, and possibly a stealth form, forms for other movement modes, and any other forms with unique properties you think might be handy.
And that's not counting the monster sheets for summoning if you have augment summoning.
An animal companion is the least of your paperwork.
Excel Docs are what you want, trust me. Who knew druids were so good at accounting?
Oh , I did a super excel- I chose a animal form list and every thin is calculate automatically.
|
