Author Topic: Hybrid Druid/Avenger, can this work ?  (Read 4323 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Banor

  • Curious George
  • ****
  • Posts: 318
Hybrid Druid/Avenger, can this work ?
« on: October 01, 2009, 01:11:12 AM »
Alright so I really like the idea of building a predator, someone who will be hunting targets down locking 'em up in melee and make them pay big price if they get away. Censure of Pursuit seem pretty good, but straight Avenger sounds boring to me.

Concept : Lycanthrope, my Druid levels are basically just my Lycanthrope powers, my Wildshape is acting as my Hybrid (and more combat form).

Role : I'm trying to aim for good Striking ability.

Pros : I have insanely good mobility, at the point I even might have too much of it. My damage seem on par with normal striker damage (yes, I know I'm no Ranger but we are trying to stay playable and I don't want to spoil the fun for the rest of the group, just to be able to hold my own)

Cons : I will be really action starved until L11 (starting at 9). Between Wild Shape, Oath of Enmity, Hunter's Quarry and Various utility, I fear I might run of out action per turn. Other major Con is my total lack of AC which I'll try to cover up with Invisibility and the like to get out without too much damage.

So here's the build (Item as L9 since he'll be starting at this level)

[spoiler]Level 16
Elf, Druid|Avenger, Zealous Assassin
Hybrid Druid: Hybrid Druid Reflex
Hybrid Avenger: Hybrid Avenger Reflex
Hybrid Talent: Avenger's Censure (Hybrid)
Avenger's Censure: Censure of Pursuit
Background: Heretic (+2 to Stealth)

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 11, Con 14, Dex 22, Int 9, Wis 22, Cha 12.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES (Pre-Racial)
Str 10, Con 13, Dex 16, Int 8, Wis 16, Cha 11.


AC: 26 Fort: 23 Reflex: 29 Will: 27
HP: 102 Surges: 9 Surge Value: 25

TRAINED SKILLS
Nature +23, Stealth +21, Acrobatics +19, Perception +21

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +7, Bluff +9, Diplomacy +9, Dungeoneering +14, Endurance +10, Heal +14, History +7, Insight +14, Intimidate +9, Religion +7, Streetwise +9, Thievery +14, Athletics +8

FEATS
Level 1: Hybrid Talent
Level 2: Weapon Proficiency (Greatspear)
Level 4: Warrior of the Wild
Level 6: Elven Precision (retrained to Secret Stride at Level 11)
Level 8: Focused Expertise (Greatspear)
Level 10: Invigorating Pursuit
Level 11: Quick Wild Shape
Level 12: Inexorable Pursuit
Level 14: Enraged Boar Form
Level 16: Paragon Defenses

POWERS
Hybrid Avenger at-will 1: Overwhelming Strike
Hybrid Druid at-will 1: Grasping Claws
Hybrid encounter 1: Darting Bite
Hybrid daily 1: Aspect of Might
Hybrid utility 2: Distracting Flare
Hybrid encounter 3: Bound by Fate
Hybrid daily 5: Roar of Terror
Hybrid utility 6: Camouflage Cloak
Hybrid encounter 7: Chains of Censure
Hybrid daily 9: Temple of Shadow
Hybrid utility 10: River of Life
Hybrid encounter 13: Expose Weakness (replaces Darting Bite)
Hybrid daily 15: Revitalizing Pounce (replaces Aspect of Might)
Hybrid utility 16: Astral Cloak

ITEMS
Alfsair Spear Greatspear +2, Ghostphase Cloth Armor (Basic Clothing) +2, Periapt of Cascading Health +2, Iron Armbands of Power (heroic tier), Gauntlets of Blood (heroic tier), Boots of Adept Charging (heroic tier) [/spoiler]

As you can see, I get decent charging options. Will probably go after Horned Helm and the like to increase it.

Any comments/ideas/major flaws ?

Thanks a bunch

PhoenixInferno

  • Hong Kong
  • ****
  • Posts: 1360
Re: Hybrid Druid/Avenger, can this work ?
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2009, 02:04:58 PM »
I'm not convinced you need Warrior of the Wild - your DPR comes from having a high effective to-hit.  That'll save you some actions.

Alternatively, you could embrace the fact that you spend a lot of time doing "nothing" - and use Assassin to build up your shrouds?  Haven't really looked much at the Assassin class, so I could be way off base on that.  Wait, there aren't Hybrid Assassin rules yet...d'oh.  Something to think about, once they do come out, however.

Have you considered using Paragon Hybrid instead of Zealous Assassin?  You can use the 2nd Hybrid Talent to get Armor of Faith.  Zealous Assassin just doesn't do it for me - I think I'd rather go with Serene Initiate (Divine Power) if I wasn't going to go with Paragon Hybrid.

Banor

  • Curious George
  • ****
  • Posts: 318
Re: Hybrid Druid/Avenger, can this work ?
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2009, 11:04:58 PM »
I took Warrior of the Wild mainly for Skill Training in Perception, I will probably be the only one trained into. On the other hand, Multiclass Assassin seem a pretty good idea (EDIT : Damn, no Multiclass Assassin either :s)

About PP, Paragon Hybrid is nice, the +3 AC would probably make me a lot more effective in toe-to-toe combat, but I fear I'd be loosing too much on PP features. For Serene Initiate, wow I never really remarked that PP, it does seem a lot better than Zealous Assassin, I'll probably swap for that.

PhoenixInferno

  • Hong Kong
  • ****
  • Posts: 1360
Re: Hybrid Druid/Avenger, can this work ?
« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2009, 11:17:46 PM »
Other ideas, which might have been repeated on the WotC forums (since this is being cross-posted) is to just be a Druid and Multiclass into Avenger with Hero of Faith and make sure you get the Avenger Utility 2 power that lets you redeploy your Oath of Emnity.  If you use Windrise Ports as your background, you might even be able to take Disciple of Divine Wrath as well to get another temporary use of OoE...not sure it works that way though...

Banor

  • Curious George
  • ****
  • Posts: 318
Re: Hybrid Druid/Avenger, can this work ?
« Reply #4 on: October 02, 2009, 11:25:40 AM »
Yea sorry for cross posting forgot to mention it, but after posting this thread I forgot that we were like 2 posting on this board :)

I fear that might be the way to go for full optimization of the character, but with Serene Initiate it seem that the character will be pretty much viable, not sure what to do right now. Full druid seem risky to sacrifice all my DPR and the good stuff from avenger, but well, I'll look into that :)

Thanks

Banor

  • Curious George
  • ****
  • Posts: 318
Re: Hybrid Druid/Avenger, can this work ?
« Reply #5 on: October 11, 2009, 08:27:30 PM »
Alright so a little follow up, I went with full druid going Avenger multiclass and wasn't disapointed. He's a damage machine and got some control elements that aren't half bad. Most players in my group are used to pathetic damage when it comes to druid in 4e and they were quite shocked when I dropped a Darting Bite (setup with Predator Flurry, those two work insanely well together) for 35+ on both targets.

I love that I'm very lethal with CA (which is fairly easy) but I'm also pretty good with charge (speed 8 and enraged boar). Combined to Elf's Wild Step, I'm so mobile it's not even funny :)

My build [spoiler]
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Llyendar, level 9
Elf, Druid
Primal Aspect: Primal Predator
Background: Windrise Ports, Elf - Wild Elf (Windrise Ports Benefit)

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 13, Dex 20, Int 11, Wis 20, Cha 8.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 13, Dex 16, Int 11, Wis 16, Cha 8.


AC: 24 Fort: 17 Reflex: 22 Will: 22
HP: 65 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 16

TRAINED SKILLS
Nature +16, Insight +14, Perception +16, Athletics +8, Acrobatics +13

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +4, Bluff +3, Diplomacy +3, Dungeoneering +9, Endurance +6, Heal +9, History +4, Intimidate +3, Religion +4, Stealth +8, Streetwise +3, Thievery +8

FEATS
Druid: Ritual Caster
Level 1: Hero of Faith
Level 2: Enraged Boar Form
Level 4: Ferocious Tiger Form
Level 6: Implement Expertise (totem)
Level 8: Acolyte Power

POWERS
Druid at-will 1: Pounce
Druid at-will 1: Storm Spike
Druid at-will 1: Grasping Claws
Druid encounter 1: Darting Bite
Druid daily 1: Faerie Fire
Druid utility 2: Fleet Pursuit (retrained to Refocus Enmity at Acolyte Power)
Druid encounter 3: Predator's Flurry
Druid daily 5: Roar of Terror
Druid utility 6: Camouflage Cloak
Druid encounter 7: Feast of Fury
Druid daily 9: Primal Wolf

ITEMS
Claw Gloves (heroic tier), Boots of Adept Charging (heroic tier), Flameheart Totem +2, Cloak of Survival +2, Hunting Beast Hide Armor +2, Iron Armbands of Power (heroic tier)
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======[/spoiler]

The rest of my group look like this

Elf Polearm fighter (focusing on control elements and OA)
Human Paladin|Cleric (STR/CHA with Fullblade, acting as our "healer")
Dragonborn Sorcerer (Dragon Magic, pretty standard stuff)
??? Wizard (Probably a summoner)

My fear is that my damage will start to go down around paragon levels as I don't get a damage scale up but I get that I can get few items to patch it up :)