Author Topic: Druid/Planar Shepherd Build  (Read 15821 times)

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kalaskaagathas

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Druid/Planar Shepherd Build
« on: August 16, 2010, 09:57:43 PM »
So, I'm playing in a one shot, level 20, standard WBL, all books open, and I was thinking about the build below:

Druid 6/Prestige Ranger 4/Planar Shepherd 10

I'll be taking the feats Natural Spell and Sword of the Arcane order

Sobolev

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Re: Druid/Planar Shepherd Build
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2010, 10:38:37 PM »
So, I'm playing in a one shot, level 20, standard WBL, all books open, and I was thinking about the build below:

Druid 6/Prestige Ranger 4/Planar Shepherd 10

I'll be taking the feats Natural Spell and Sword of the Arcane order

Generally you pick a plane that has accelerated time so that you take 10 actions every time someone else takes one action.  This is generally considered unsporting.
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Quote from: Negative Zero on November 04, 2009, 02:16:14 AM
In my humble opinion, CO is haberdashery. Some say we're mad, but we can all agree we're hatters. Yes, we have potential to make very sophisticated hats, very fancy hats, be they dark or light. But the truth is that the color of the hat does not come from the group of us - our community doesn't directly produce hats. We simply give average head circumferences, list current fashion trends, and point out some shiny, obscure baubles to add to the latest hat line.

jolt

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Re: Druid/Planar Shepherd Build
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2010, 10:59:30 PM »
Solar is a 22HD creature, so you need two more levels to be able to wildshape in that. I think that's not worth it, as in a one shot game, you are not likely to level up that much and fast. I'dd go for a plane that gives you the best wildshape for the level you are now at. I've always considered Pit Fiends to be one of the most solid choices, Balor is also pretty neat. Taking Prestige Ranger cramps your HD for wildshaping, unless you get yourself an amulet of wildshape (Magic of Faerun).

Edit:
As far as feats go, I'dd go for a venerable kobold:

Dragonwrought
Rashemi Elemental Summoning
Initiate of Nature
Natural Spell
Companion Spellbond
Flyby Attack
Quicken Spell
« Last Edit: August 16, 2010, 11:03:36 PM by jolt »

kalaskaagathas

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Re: Druid/Planar Shepherd Build
« Reply #3 on: August 17, 2010, 01:06:47 AM »
I'd rather avoid VDK, as this may develop into an actual game, starting back from level one and moving up to the one shot at twenty.  That said, I am rethinking Prestige Ranger, as Endurance, Track, and such aren't necessarily the best feats around.  I was hoping to get some nice arcane spellcasting from that, but I suppose I could do it with Draconic Wildshape instead.

If I can get Pit Fiend or Balor form without having to be evil or attuned to an evil aligned plane that'd be nice, as we are supposed to be "...Paragons of Good, or at least Order..." according to the DM.  That's why I was going for Solar form, as they tend to be considered pretty good on that front.  What other forms might you suggest?

I wonder, would Prestige Ranger hurt as bad if it advanced my Wildshaping?  The DM might be open to it, as there's already a 'Wildshape Ranger' ACF.

Dragonamedrake

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Re: Druid/Planar Shepherd Build
« Reply #4 on: August 17, 2010, 01:56:14 AM »
I'd rather avoid VDK, as this may develop into an actual game, starting back from level one and moving up to the one shot at twenty.  That said, I am rethinking Prestige Ranger, as Endurance, Track, and such aren't necessarily the best feats around.  I was hoping to get some nice arcane spellcasting from that, but I suppose I could do it with Draconic Wildshape instead.

If I can get Pit Fiend or Balor form without having to be evil or attuned to an evil aligned plane that'd be nice, as we are supposed to be "...Paragons of Good, or at least Order..." according to the DM.  That's why I was going for Solar form, as they tend to be considered pretty good on that front.  What other forms might you suggest?

I wonder, would Prestige Ranger hurt as bad if it advanced my Wildshaping?  The DM might be open to it, as there's already a 'Wildshape Ranger' ACF.

Here is a great Handbook for Planar Shepard. Gives each plane, its alignment, planar traits, and the best forms of each. Very very good handbook. Planar Shepard Handbook

My suggestions:

Lamannia - The Twilight Forest - Its your Druidish plane. Free extend for all your spells, a huge list of creatures including all animals with the infernal or celestial template, a Dao who can provide your party 3 xp free wishes a day(until your DM throws a book at you) and it just fits well with any druid alignment.

Shavarath - The Battleground - My personal favorite and the one I chose. Its planar traits are meh, but you get pretty much every devil/demon and Archon/Angle. You cant really go wrong there. My DM also ruled that all animals are there too with the celestial/infernal template.

Syrania - The Azure Sky - Not as good as Shavarath imo but its strongly good aligned. And though the Handbook disagrees the Prismatic Golem form is potentially Game Breaking... immune to magic, and Incorporeal.... how exactly to do you hurt you.

I would avoid Dal Quor - The Region of Dreams... Its 10:1 ratio is just too cheesy.

Hope that helps. I love this prestige class... to bad most my gaming friends think its horribly broken(they are probably right lol).
« Last Edit: August 17, 2010, 01:58:03 AM by Dragonamedrake »

Sobolev

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Re: Druid/Planar Shepherd Build
« Reply #5 on: August 17, 2010, 02:09:11 AM »
I'd rather avoid VDK, as this may develop into an actual game, starting back from level one and moving up to the one shot at twenty.  That said, I am rethinking Prestige Ranger, as Endurance, Track, and such aren't necessarily the best feats around.  I was hoping to get some nice arcane spellcasting from that, but I suppose I could do it with Draconic Wildshape instead.

If I can get Pit Fiend or Balor form without having to be evil or attuned to an evil aligned plane that'd be nice, as we are supposed to be "...Paragons of Good, or at least Order..." according to the DM.  That's why I was going for Solar form, as they tend to be considered pretty good on that front.  What other forms might you suggest?

I wonder, would Prestige Ranger hurt as bad if it advanced my Wildshaping?  The DM might be open to it, as there's already a 'Wildshape Ranger' ACF.

Here is a great Handbook for Planar Shepard. Gives each plane, its alignment, planar traits, and the best forms of each. Very very good handbook. Planar Shepard Handbook

My suggestions:

Lamannia - The Twilight Forest - Its your Druidish plane. Free extend for all your spells, a huge list of creatures including all animals with the infernal or celestial template, a Dao who can provide your party 3 xp free wishes a day(until your DM throws a book at you) and it just fits well with any druid alignment.

Shavarath - The Battleground - My personal favorite and the one I chose. Its planar traits are meh, but you get pretty much every devil/demon and Archon/Angle. You cant really go wrong there. My DM also ruled that all animals are there too with the celestial/infernal template.

Syrania - The Azure Sky - Not as good as Shavarath imo but its strongly good aligned. And though the Handbook disagrees the Prismatic Golem form is potentially Game Breaking... immune to magic, and Incorporeal.... how exactly to do you hurt you.

I would avoid Dal Quor - The Region of Dreams... Its 10:1 ratio is just too cheesy.

Hope that helps. I love this prestige class... to bad most my gaming friends think its horribly broken(they are probably right lol).

They are definitely right.  I brought it up with a friend as "Omgz, you don't ban this?" and his response was "I don't ban it because I didn't think I would find someone shameless enough to even ask"
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Quote from: Negative Zero on November 04, 2009, 02:16:14 AM
In my humble opinion, CO is haberdashery. Some say we're mad, but we can all agree we're hatters. Yes, we have potential to make very sophisticated hats, very fancy hats, be they dark or light. But the truth is that the color of the hat does not come from the group of us - our community doesn't directly produce hats. We simply give average head circumferences, list current fashion trends, and point out some shiny, obscure baubles to add to the latest hat line.

Unbeliever

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Re: Druid/Planar Shepherd Build
« Reply #6 on: August 17, 2010, 02:22:28 AM »
I like the flavor and the idea of Planar Shepherd, but you say to nearly anyone "you know what class needs a power injection, that poor druid!" well, you know what response you'll get. 

I could conceive of letting someone play one, but we'd have to talk a LOT beforehand on what she would be getting out of the class/build.  Given that I feel as a DM I'm stuck w/ people playing druids to begin w/, if the PS doesn't end up all that much worse then I could deal.

JohnnyMayHymn

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Re: Druid/Planar Shepherd Build
« Reply #7 on: August 17, 2010, 03:24:51 AM »
i second shavarath,

and the divine minion template  here--->  http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20050209a

can get you 11 HD worth of wilshape for 1LA  - that gets u to the solar's 22 HD sooner

that's IF you can convince your DM to allow it, and that it stacks with druid wildshape

maybe play up the "paragons of good" aspect for flavor reasons of course,

possibly pick hathor, godess of love, and turn into a cow(bison)! sounds harmless enough.....
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kalaskaagathas

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Re: Druid/Planar Shepherd Build
« Reply #8 on: August 17, 2010, 04:18:35 AM »
We're allowed up to 3 LA (as that would be bought off already) so I could take Divine Minion no problem.  It may require reflavoring to fit the setting, but that's just fine.

Thanks for the link to the Planar Shepherd Handbook, I'll be sure to read that.

So I'm not sure that Prestige Ranger is worthwhile.  It'd be nice to have 18th level Wizard spellcasting, sure, but is it worth two caster levels and at least two (Three if I take Two Weapon Fighting, since I don't do precision damage, but if I do archery Point Blank Shot and Rapidshot seem like no brainers so they don't count) less than excellent feats?  Especially since I could get it, though not all the time, with Draconic Wild Shape and possibly from some of the outsider forms I get from PS.

Edit: Oh, and if I use ACFs, which should I go for?  If I could get Wildshape to count as a prerequisite for Prestige Ranger (instead of Rapidshot or Two Weapon Fighting) would that be worthwhile?  And what base races should I look at?

Further Edit: Oh, and should Divine Minion stack with Druid for purposes of Wildshape?  I mean, they're roughly the same thing, but from different sources, so what are your thoughts on that?
« Last Edit: August 17, 2010, 04:26:52 AM by kalaskaagathas »

fuinjutsu

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Re: Druid/Planar Shepherd Build
« Reply #9 on: August 17, 2010, 06:50:41 AM »
why 4 levels of prestige ranger?  2 should be enough.
Eh, the wizard have more money than them combined, he could in theory just use all his money on a fleet of trained attack mules, but then we aren't playing 3.5 but zergling rushing in Starcraft instead.

kalaskaagathas

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Re: Druid/Planar Shepherd Build
« Reply #10 on: August 17, 2010, 03:01:03 PM »
Because Sword of the Arcane Order requires one to be a Ranger 4 of Mystra.