Author Topic: The Druid Handbook  (Read 598746 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Endarire

  • Man in Gorilla Suit
  • *****
  • Posts: 2171
    • Email
Re: The Druid Handbook
« Reply #40 on: January 20, 2009, 06:24:41 AM »
The spell is desiccate, not dessicate.  See Sandstorm for details.
Hood - My first answer to all your build questions; past, present, and future.

Speaking of which:
Don't even need TO for this.  Any decent Hood build, especially one with Celerity, one-rounds [Azathoth, the most powerful greater deity from d20 Cthulu].
Does it bug anyone else that we've reached the point where characters who can obliterate a greater deity in one round are considered "decent?"

archangel.arcanis

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 2938
    • Email
Re: The Druid Handbook
« Reply #41 on: February 09, 2009, 01:40:20 PM »
quick question on the spells section, where is the splinterbolt stuff coming from. You have it marked as x3 in the description but the spell doesn't say that and in the Acorn spell from the Far corners article it state added benefit for splinterbolt but not what that would be.  i'm just wondering if there was a sage ruling or something since it isn't in the errata.  I would love this since splinterbolt is one of my favorite spells.
Clerics and Druids are like the 4 and 2 in 42. Together they are the answer to the ultimate question in D&D.
Retire the character before the DM smacks you with the Table as the book will feel totally inadequate now.-Hazren

johnboy069

  • Barbary Macaque at the Rock of Gibraltar
  • ***
  • Posts: 142
    • Email
Re: The Druid Handbook
« Reply #42 on: March 03, 2009, 12:58:48 AM »
Cool handbook, for a very cool class. Thank you. :clap
This is johnboy069 and toryn from the wizards boards:)
\m/ RIP Ronnie James Dio, you will be missed.\m/ :bigeye


Endarire

  • Man in Gorilla Suit
  • *****
  • Posts: 2171
    • Email
Re: The Druid Handbook
« Reply #43 on: March 04, 2009, 12:19:04 AM »
A boar topiary guardian (Monster Manual III 174) makes an excellent tank form come level 7 when you first get enhance wild shape.  It's a Medium 5 HD creature that acts normally at less than 1 HP, has DR 10/slashing (!), and weighs about 100 pounds among other things.

BOAR TOPIARY GUARDIAN
Medium Plant
Hit Dice: 5d8+10 (32 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 17 (+3 Dex, +4 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+6
Attack: Gore +6 melee (2d6+4)
Full Attack: Gore +6 melee (2d6+4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Ferocity, merciful
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/slashing, freeze, low-light vision, plant traits, tremorsense 90 ft., vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities:Skills: Move Silently +11

A boar topiary guardian stands 3 feet high at the shoulder and is 4 feet long. It weighs about 100 pounds.

Combat
Ferocity (Ex): A boar topiary guardian continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying.

Topiary Guardian Traits
Merciful (Ex):Freeze (Ex): A topiary guardian can hold itself so still that it appears to be a normal sculpted shrub. An observer must succeed on a DC 30 Spot check to notice that a topiary guardian is actually an animated creature.

Plant Traits (Ex):Skills: A topiary guardian has a +8 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.
Hood - My first answer to all your build questions; past, present, and future.

Speaking of which:
Don't even need TO for this.  Any decent Hood build, especially one with Celerity, one-rounds [Azathoth, the most powerful greater deity from d20 Cthulu].
Does it bug anyone else that we've reached the point where characters who can obliterate a greater deity in one round are considered "decent?"

CannibalSmith

  • That monkey with the orange ass cheeks
  • ****
  • Posts: 225
    • COBoard Wiki
    • Email
Re: The Druid Handbook
« Reply #44 on: March 04, 2009, 03:14:41 AM »
Topiary Guardian is a template. You can't shape into templated creatures.

Endarire

  • Man in Gorilla Suit
  • *****
  • Posts: 2171
    • Email
Re: The Druid Handbook
« Reply #45 on: March 07, 2009, 01:45:41 AM »
From what I see, Topiary Guardian isn't a template.  MMIII includes rules for making TGs of all creatures Medium to Huge- including its 3 base creatures- and has its templates in a separate section.

Also, eagles and owls, but especially owls, make for airborne scouts and messengers from level 1 via SNA I.
« Last Edit: March 07, 2009, 01:53:37 AM by Endarire »
Hood - My first answer to all your build questions; past, present, and future.

Speaking of which:
Don't even need TO for this.  Any decent Hood build, especially one with Celerity, one-rounds [Azathoth, the most powerful greater deity from d20 Cthulu].
Does it bug anyone else that we've reached the point where characters who can obliterate a greater deity in one round are considered "decent?"

CannibalSmith

  • That monkey with the orange ass cheeks
  • ****
  • Posts: 225
    • COBoard Wiki
    • Email
Re: The Druid Handbook
« Reply #46 on: March 07, 2009, 05:02:21 AM »
Indeed, I'm puzzled why Topiary Guardian is not marked as a template, because it is one - it takes a creature and modifies it. The ways of WotC are mysterious.

Caelic

  • Hong Kong
  • ****
  • Posts: 979
Re: The Druid Handbook
« Reply #47 on: March 16, 2009, 02:36:13 PM »
As I recall, Enhance Wildshape allows you to either assume plant form early OR gain the special qualities of the creature, no? 

CannibalSmith

  • That monkey with the orange ass cheeks
  • ****
  • Posts: 225
    • COBoard Wiki
    • Email
Re: The Druid Handbook
« Reply #48 on: March 16, 2009, 02:41:53 PM »
Multiple castings.

cru

  • Donkey Kong
  • ****
  • Posts: 613
    • Email
armor
« Reply #49 on: April 06, 2009, 11:31:03 AM »
The equipment section is empty. Here's a start, a discussion about druids and armor.

Light and Medium Armors

premise: druids are proficient with light and medium armor, with wooden shields and cannot wear metal (except druids of Mielikki, FRCS)

Start with leather (light) or hide (medium) armor for a handy +2 or +3 to AC.
Consider sharkskin armor (stormwrack), +3 AC, light, +6 escape artist to cut bonds, 85 gp
Chitin armor (stormwrack): +4 AC, medium, 75 gp
Mammoth leather, +4 AC, light (RoS) is an exotic armor, ergo it sucks.
Living coral (+6) from Stormwrack is probably not worth it.

Next, consider dragonhide (dmg) or chitin (RotD) breastplate, 700 gp, +5 AC, +3/4 max dex, medium
[or bluewood (UE), wildwood (RotW, -1 AC)...]

If you suspect to stay longer with low funds, +1 or +2 magic enhancement of the armor might be worth it. This will hopefully be enough for you to survive until you can wild shape.


Shields

Druids can and probably should use shields, such as Darkwood Shield (dmg): It weighs 5 pounds and has no armor check penalty. Price 257 gp.

Talking about shields... there's the exotic Rider's Shield (RoS), granting your shield bonuses to your mount. If you tend to stay on the back of your animal companion, an (animated) rider's shield is an uncommon, but possibly interesting option.

Wearing shield negates the effect of monk's belt.


Full plates and Monk's Belt and Wild Shape

A character who is wearing armor with which she is not proficient applies its armor check penalty to attack rolls and to all skill checks that involve moving, including Ride.

Druids are not proficient with heavy armors. Taking feat sucks. Still, druids might want full plates. There have been suggestions armor melded with body in wild shape (with wild enchantment) does not incur penalties. Maybe. But for now, here are some definitely legal options.

Blue Ice (material from Frostburn) is treated as 1 category lighter, +7000 gp, +1 max dex, half weight, grants penalty -1 to Reflex and Initiative unless you're tolerant to cold

Sentira (material from Sarlona) - organic, stats as mithril (+9000 gp, +2 max dex)

We've got the armor, how to keep it in Wild Shape?

Wild armor (price +3 bonus) - keep armor and enh.bonus in WS; while in WS, armor can't be seen

Wilding Clasp 4000 gp - attached to any item worn on the body; prevents the worn item from melding into your new form when you use wild shape (as long as the item could reasonably be worn by the new form). Thus, the item remains fully functional...

Provided you can use Wilding Clasp, it is the most cost-effective solution. 1800+7000+4000 = 12800 gp for a blueice fullplate (+8 AC, 2 max dex) + the clasp. You can enchant the armor as you wish. Not bad.

+1 Wild blue ice full plate costs considerably more, at 24800 gp, and it's more expensive to add further magic to it.

Unclear points:
- can clasp be used? it doesn't mention changing sizes, and e.g. small plate cannot reasonably be worn by the new form. discuss
- new form can have high dex and armor limits it. RAW it seems that clasp will limit it. wild armor enchantment might not limit it (armor not seen = melds). discuss

Then there's Monk's Belt (DMG, 13000 gp), granting armor bonus equal to Wis bonus +1, also if flatfooted or vs. touch attacks. You might need a wilding clasp to keep it functional in WS (or not). What's not to like? Well - you can use neither armor nor shield. I miss the animated/wild shield.
« Last Edit: April 06, 2009, 11:58:07 AM by cru »

CannibalSmith

  • That monkey with the orange ass cheeks
  • ****
  • Posts: 225
    • COBoard Wiki
    • Email
Re: The Druid Handbook
« Reply #50 on: April 06, 2009, 11:35:06 AM »
The equipment section is here.

bayar

  • That monkey with the orange ass cheeks
  • ****
  • Posts: 254
    • Email
Re: The Druid Handbook
« Reply #51 on: May 25, 2009, 04:44:38 PM »
I just found out something weird.

Open your 3.5 DMG at page 208. Look at Epic Druid. Animal companion to be precise. Is that a rule for 3.0 ?

Salt_Crow

  • Ring-Tailed Lemur
  • **
  • Posts: 64
Re: The Druid Handbook
« Reply #52 on: May 25, 2009, 07:49:18 PM »
I just found out something weird.

Open your 3.5 DMG at page 208. Look at Epic Druid. Animal companion to be precise. Is that a rule for 3.0 ?

Hey, it is too! Maximum number of animal companions goodness!

bayar

  • That monkey with the orange ass cheeks
  • ****
  • Posts: 254
    • Email
Re: armor
« Reply #53 on: May 27, 2009, 09:32:42 AM »

Wild armor (price +3 bonus) - keep armor and enh.bonus in WS; while in WS, armor can't be seen

Wilding Clasp 4000 gp - attached to any item worn on the body; prevents the worn item from melding into your new form when you use wild shape (as long as the item could reasonably be worn by the new form). Thus, the item remains fully functional...

Provided you can use Wilding Clasp, it is the most cost-effective solution. 1800+7000+4000 = 12800 gp for a blueice fullplate (+8 AC, 2 max dex) + the clasp. You can enchant the armor as you wish. Not bad.

This, with Rhino Hide (DMG 220) = Goodness for a charger druid ?

Arcane-surge

  • That monkey with the orange ass cheeks
  • ****
  • Posts: 222
Re: The Druid Handbook
« Reply #54 on: May 28, 2009, 12:29:13 AM »
They fixed the Epic Druid entry in the errata for the DMG.
This space intentionally left blank.

cru

  • Donkey Kong
  • ****
  • Posts: 613
    • Email
Re: The Druid Handbook
« Reply #55 on: June 03, 2009, 07:50:17 AM »
Megalodon Empowerment (Druid 8, Stormwrack) is a nice spell. Apart from other cool stuff (e.g. divine power for druids), it allows you to wild shape into animals one category larger than normally allowed. I am not sure how long this larger form can last, but I assume the duration is not limited by spell. Thoughts?

List of all gargantuan animals I could find:
MM1 has 12 HD Whales (35 Str) and Roc (18 HD, 34 Str flyer).
MM2 has two 20 HD choices: Spinosaurus with Frightful Presence and Dire Elephant with 40 Strength.
Frostburn has a 15 HD Zeuglodon: fish, 38 Str and stunning tail attack (DC31 fort for 2d4 rounds).
SK has 18HD Stegosaurus, underwhelming.
Stormwrack has 16 HD Plesiosaur, aquatic, faster but weaker than Zeuglodon.


Suggested additions to the druid equipment section:
Minor Schema of Goodberry (400 gp) - food
Minor Schema of Healthful Rest (400 gp) - especially for faster healing of ability damage
« Last Edit: June 03, 2009, 07:52:40 AM by cru »

BowenSilverclaw

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 5337
  • Walking that fine line between genius and insanity
    • Email
Re: The Druid Handbook
« Reply #56 on: June 03, 2009, 07:56:43 AM »
To bad you lose your casting ability with the Form of the Killer.
"Weakness? Come test thy mettle against me, hairless ape, and we shall know who is weak!"

Quote from: J0lt
You caught a fish.  It was awesome.   :lol

cru

  • Donkey Kong
  • ****
  • Posts: 613
    • Email
Re: The Druid Handbook
« Reply #57 on: June 03, 2009, 08:39:20 AM »
To bad you lose your casting ability with the Form of the Killer.
Indeed. But after the 1 round/level of Form of the Killer, a druid can remain in the gargantuan animal form for 1 hour per druid level, right? Losing the extra BAB and other Form of the Killer goodies, regaining access spellcasting (with Natural Spell, obviously). Is this a valid interpretation?

CannibalSmith

  • That monkey with the orange ass cheeks
  • ****
  • Posts: 225
    • COBoard Wiki
    • Email
Re: The Druid Handbook
« Reply #58 on: June 03, 2009, 09:13:12 AM »
Yes.

BowenSilverclaw

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 5337
  • Walking that fine line between genius and insanity
    • Email
Re: The Druid Handbook
« Reply #59 on: June 03, 2009, 10:08:40 AM »
Methinks so, yes.
"Weakness? Come test thy mettle against me, hairless ape, and we shall know who is weak!"

Quote from: J0lt
You caught a fish.  It was awesome.   :lol