Druid help

[Reshy]

I get it, it's bad. It doesn't take something away and replaces it with something equally good. It takes away and doesn't give back. I understand that.

But, what can the OP do about it? Their DM has said that's how it will be. I believe instead of going on a tangent here and discussing the merits of OP's DM decision, we should just focus on making the best out of it, don't we?

Like you said, SS variant can be incompatible with certain prestige classes. That's something for the OP to take up with his DM and see if there's anything that can be done about that.

If there isn't, and he still wants to own face, he could go for a summoning build.

As I said previously, since the class features that druids normally want fully progressed are non-existent that opens up the ability to use a lot of prestige classes that normally would be sub-par.  Holt Warden 1//Contemplative 1//Sacred Exorcist 1 for example.

[JohnnyMayHymn]

Hi Welcome!   

May I suggest going with the classic Druid1/Monk20 build, you will totes own face.  Also Master of Many Forms later on eclipses straight druid in ways that most other Prc's cant with the whole not wanting to mess with the whole trifecta thing.  Be sure to dip Divine Minion1 and Wizard1, you'll be singing all the way to the bank.  This trick even works with the other half of CoD and alternative wildshape variants.

[xanth]

Wow..this escalated quickly. Anyways to add some more clarification(always helps) the wild shape has also been amended in tandem with being swift cast that I take on all abilities of the shape taken. I will also be able to shift into anything up to 2more HD than myself(as opposed to just the same HD). That being said what shapes at level 10 would allow me to best use this ability?

[linklord231]

Wow..this escalated quickly. Anyways to add some more clarification(always helps) the wild shape has also been amended in tandem with being swift cast that I take on all abilities of the shape taken. I will also be able to shift into anything up to 2more HD than myself(as opposed to just the same HD). That being said what shapes at level 10 would allow me to best use this ability?

Ok, throw everything everyone said out the window.  You have been given the most powerful ability in the game, period.  All you have to do is expand your Wildshape options a bit - the feats Reshy mentioned at the beginning are a start, but you really want Master of Many Forms and Planar Shepherd.  A Druid 5/Planar Shepherd 9/MoMF 6 has 7th level spells, but can wildshape into animals, humanoids, giants, monstrous humanoids, fey, vermin, aberrations, magical beasts, and outsiders.  If you get all the abilities of those, that includes thing like Wildshaping into a Planetar for 17th level Cleric spellcasting.  Or Wildshaping into a Choker for 2 standard actions per round.  Or an Efreet for 3 Wishes per day. 

Edit:  A Wild Shape Amulet (Magic of Faerun, pg 167) will let you Wild Shape as a Druid 4 levels higher than you actually are, which means you can Wild Shape into creatures with 6 HD more than you actually have.  Super useful. 

Keep in mind that a Sarrukh is a 14HD Monsterous Humanoid.  I'm not saying that you should become Pun-Pun, but, you know, it's a thing that could potentially happen. 

[Blightersbane]

the DM isnt limiting the creatures you have access to? It sounds as if he is simplifying the build for you because your new. The Druid is probably the single most player intensive class there is.  You have spells, not the best, but a full caster nonetheless. Your magics can be very simple or extremely complex, the druid can get away, if not outright shine in a campaign with limited access to magicals. wildshape this is more complex in and of itself than any other class. SNA this by its lonesome can and often is more complex than most other classes. Then you have your natures ally basically making another pc albeit lower level.

So i think it safe to say the Druid is hands down the most complex class to play..TAKING TIME OUT OF CAMPAIGNING!!! I think your DM is trying to simplify things by pigeon holing you into a a wildshaping specialist and removing spell casting while in alternate form will certainly limit your decision making, thusly speeding things up. So all the planar Shepherds stuff probably aint going to fly!

I think DM is going for a "less is more"

Blightersbane

[phaedrusxy]

Hi Welcome!   

May I suggest going with the classic Druid1/Monk20 build, you will totes own face.  Also Master of Many Forms later on eclipses straight druid in ways that most other Prc's cant with the whole not wanting to mess with the whole trifecta thing.  Be sure to dip Divine Minion1 and Wizard1, you'll be singing all the way to the bank.  This trick even works with the other half of CoD and alternative wildshape variants.

Wait... did you mean monk 1/druid 20?

[Reshy]

Wow..this escalated quickly. Anyways to add some more clarification(always helps) the wild shape has also been amended in tandem with being swift cast that I take on all abilities of the shape taken. I will also be able to shift into anything up to 2more HD than myself(as opposed to just the same HD). That being said what shapes at level 10 would allow me to best use this ability?

Take Surrogate Spellcasting and cast regardless of the form you assume.  Or assume a form that has hands/claws and can speak (like dragons) and retain casting anyway.

As for shapeshift into anything, does that mean anything or do you mean any animal?  Also all ability scores or all Ex/Su/SLA/etc.?


If you can turn into anything, as well as get all the powers; consider picking an outsider with racial spell casting.  Trumpet Archon has 12 hit dice, and casts as a 14th level cleric.  Another option would be a Tome Dragon of 12 hit dice, which has 9th level sorcerer casting and metamagic reduction.  Maybe later in the campaign turn into a Modron that has 20th level sorcerer and cleric casting and monk features.


Here's the Handbook I work on with eggynack, just so you know:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tvNDnsnzj4dOkkYwxl1iGTeTNnQ5PK3geufSX5DwyYo/edit

the DM isnt limiting the creatures you have access to? It sounds as if he is simplifying the build for you because your new. The Druid is probably the single most player intensive class there is.  You have spells, not the best, but a full caster nonetheless. Your magics can be very simple or extremely complex, the druid can get away, if not outright shine in a campaign with limited access to magicals. wildshape this is more complex in and of itself than any other class. SNA this by its lonesome can and often is more complex than most other classes. Then you have your natures ally basically making another pc albeit lower level.

So i think it safe to say the Druid is hands down the most complex class to play..TAKING TIME OUT OF CAMPAIGNING!!! I think your DM is trying to simplify things by pigeon holing you into a a wildshaping specialist and removing spell casting while in alternate form will certainly limit your decision making, thusly speeding things up. So all the planar Shepherds stuff probably aint going to fly!

I think DM is going for a "less is more"

Blightersbane

Planar Shepard would totally fly, Spell-Like abilities are different from spells and they always function as if they were silenced and stilled so they can be used regardless of form.

[JohnnyMayHymn]

Hi Welcome!   

May I suggest going with the classic Druid1/Monk20 build, you will totes own face.  Also Master of Many Forms later on eclipses straight druid in ways that most other Prc's cant with the whole not wanting to mess with the whole trifecta thing.  Be sure to dip Divine Minion1 and Wizard1, you'll be singing all the way to the bank.  This trick even works with the other half of CoD and alternative wildshape variants.

Wait... did you mean monk 1/druid 20?

Mind your step, there's troll bait everywhere...