The Worst Druid

[Halinn]

Now if only there was some way to prevent him from using magic items.

If only there was some way your character could make a pledge, a vow if you will, not to have material items. Some sort of voluntary poverty. If there was, I think I'd call it a Vow of Poverty or something like that.

Of course, the druid would need not to put the stat boosts into wisdom or con, but that is doable.

Oh, and remember to take the Frail flaw and the Quick trait, for even less hp.

[Maat Mons]

Vow of Poverty

You lose the benefits of vow of poverty by using magic items, but the feat doesn't actually prevent you from using them. 

[Bozwevial]

Vow of Poverty

You lose the benefits of vow of poverty by using magic items, but the feat doesn't actually prevent you from using them.

Still works as a decent way to burn feats irrevocably.

[veekie]

Besides the Druid can live just fine with VoP.

[Halinn]

Besides the Druid can live just fine with VoP.

Oh, a regular druid can live perfectly fine with it. This druid has lost spellcasting, animal companion and wildshape. So it's really just about trying to prevent the druid from regaining spellcasting.

[Noliar]

Besides the Druid can live just fine with VoP.

Oh, a regular druid can live perfectly fine with it. This druid has lost spellcasting, animal companion and wildshape. So it's really just about trying to prevent the druid from regaining spellcasting.

Give him the Mage Slayer feat: -4 CL to all spells and SLAs which stops him casting from the blighter level (we can't go below Wis 11 with pt buy and venerable) and will hamper the druid spell casting post atonement - in fact, up the blighter levels to 4 - he can't use them and he can't get 9th level casting as a druid even if he does atone and pump his wisdom. Also means we can completely waste feats on those SLA feats from CA instead of toughness.

[Halinn]

(we can't go below Wis 11 with pt buy and venerable)

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/environmentalRacialVariants.htm#arcticKobolds

We have a base wis of 6, because arctic kobold has a -2 modifier. Venerable then only gets us to 9.

[Ithamar]

Now if only there was some way to prevent him from using magic items.

Use the PHBII shapeshift variant.  It specifically states all items absorb into your form and become non-functional.

[Halinn]

Now if only there was some way to prevent him from using magic items.

Use the PHBII shapeshift variant.  It specifically states all items absorb into your form and become non-functional.

But then the druid would get potentially useful combat stats.

[Ithamar]

Not necessarily.  Take the avian form, which only gives +2 STR.

[Noliar]

Not necessarily.  Take the avian form, which only gives +2 STR.

But

-The challenge isn't "Can you play a Druid poorly" anyone can do that. The challenge is, "Can you make a druid that is impossible to play well."

[Ithamar]

OK, so purposefully making your druid unable to cast spells is acceptable, but simply taking the least optimal combat form is NOT acceptable?  ???

Anyway, even the "best" shapeshift form gives you +16 to STR, and that is at level 18 I believe.  If you only have like STR 1 or 2 to begin with, then oh wow, you have STR 20...  Big deal.

[sirpercival]

Make it a Karsite instead of an arctic kobold.  Then, not only can they not cast spells, they have SR so other people can't buff them.

Yes, your base stats will be better, but who cares if your wisdom is higher if you can't cast spells?

EDIT: Honestly, a Karsite Metal Master 20 may come close to the worst druid.  You have no animal companion, no wildshape, and no spells. Instead, you get Iron Body 1/day, Major Creation 1/day, and DR 5/adamantine.  And some useless skill bonuses.

You have 3/4 BAB and proficiency w/ martial weapons, is about the only thing going for you.

[Halinn]

OK, so purposefully making your druid unable to cast spells is acceptable, but simply taking the least optimal combat form is NOT acceptable?  ???

That's right. It's like this: you make a character sheet, then hand it over to someone who tries to play it as optimally as s/he can (ignoring them saying "Pazuzu, Pazuzu, Pazuzu")

Oh, and @metal master - Major Creation can be sort of powerful.

[sirpercival]

Even if you can only make metal objects?

But either way, go Karsite to kill the spellcasting.  A venerable karsite will have -6 Str, -6 Dex, -4 Con, +3 Int, +3 Wis, +5 Cha.  Don't give them any points in Handle Animal, I guess.

[Maat Mons]

A karsite could be reincarnated, losing the spellcasting inability special quality.  A warforged with adamantine body can't be reincarnated, and he can't get rid of the feat without going into the reforged prestige class (Races of Eberron). 

[JohnnyMayHymn]

OK, so ...

That's right. It's like this: you make a character sheet, then hand it over to someone who tries to play it as optimally as s/he can (ignoring them saying "Pazuzu, Pazuzu, Pazuzu") ...

Good point how can we make it so the druid can't speak?

[Cannotthink]

Well, a single level dip in Commoner lets you take the Incomprehensible Accent and Unimportant NPC flaws. That gets rid of any ways of communicating, reduces treasure to nil, and may or may not allow the druid to do anything in combat.

[Halinn]

Well, a single level dip in Commoner lets you take the Incomprehensible Accent and Unimportant NPC flaws. That gets rid of any ways of communicating, reduces treasure to nil, and may or may not allow the druid to do anything in combat.

Ooh, ooh! Commoner dip for Corpse flaw. Unimportant NPC would then insure you would not get raised.