Druid build

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Sab1
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Druid build

Post by Sab1 » Tue Nov 07, 2017 2:40 am

I was thinking of making a druid, but with the new changes I am unsure of a good way to build a totem druid, such as starting stats and if there are animals to avoid. But I was thinking of not necessarily being the most common animals if possible. I am not looking for pvp mostly something to have fun with yet not die to the first monster I see. Are there schools of magic I should focus in etc.. Does weapon finesse or weapon focus unarmed helped when shifted? I hear druids get imp unarmed is that true? Any help is appreciated.
Last edited by Sab1 on Tue Nov 07, 2017 3:11 am, edited 1 time in total.

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One Two Three Five
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Re: Druid build

Post by One Two Three Five » Tue Nov 07, 2017 2:44 am

Played a totem druid with conj and improved expertise and basically died once from 1 to 21. It was however pretty boring.
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Jagel
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Re: Druid build

Post by Jagel » Tue Nov 07, 2017 8:51 am

Pretty sure a vanilla druid would be better. Might struggle a bit until elemental summons but from there..

Totem druid is very tanky. There are no animals to avoid per se as the biggest strength is the stats in totem shape, not the perks. Obviously some are better than others but not deal-breakers.

As for schools: go conj and/or trans

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Ironfoot
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Re: Druid build

Post by Ironfoot » Tue Nov 07, 2017 12:51 pm

Go Conjuration and go pure druid really it pays off in Monolith shape but also your pet will be like playing with someone epic. Transmutation is also great so at least get greater one. Dragon Knight now is a must if you ask me.

zinlor
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Re: Druid build

Post by zinlor » Wed Nov 08, 2017 2:27 am

What about wisdom you shoot for just 19 or need more? Also what would likely be more important Dex or Con?

Improv
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Re: Druid build

Post by Improv » Wed Nov 08, 2017 2:47 am

Jagel wrote:Pretty sure a vanilla druid would be better. Might struggle a bit until elemental summons but from there..
Totems get access to the same elemental shapes, the biggest drawback is loss of constitution and strength but that can be covered pretty well with enchanted gear (most of which is useless in shapes anyway.) Totems can just be more fun if that's what you're looking for (a swarm of identical animals is pretty awesome) and unlimited free action polymorph from the beginning has advantages. But if a particular totem animal isn't an RP draw then "pure" druid is a safe bet.

Also for underdarkers certain totems can be better than default druid animals for "flavor".

There are some decent spells you could use high DCs for but it's not as important as mage so you need at least 19, 25 if you want access to dragon shapes. Some people are trying con based druids with EDR to augment elemental shapes but that's something I would bet stops working some day.

Con is still way more important than dex. I think it's Wisdom, Constitutions and Intelligence (I think INT should be at least 14 because druids need quite a few skills and expertise is a nice thing to have if you can manage), Strength, then Dex and Charisma in order of importance.

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Jagel
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Re: Druid build

Post by Jagel » Wed Nov 08, 2017 8:56 am

What I means was:
totem shapes are better than what vanilla druids have access to. The standard wildshapes are quite weak even when they become dire at lvl 12. Totems on the other hand can act as main tank almost from the start.

Once vanilla druid gets elemental summons, they do not need to tank and are actually better off bring able to cast healing/disabling spells in combat. Once they get elemental shape, they tank just fine.

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Sockss
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Re: Druid build

Post by Sockss » Wed Nov 08, 2017 6:31 pm

You can level super easily behind a summon, so taking totem is by no means a requirement to level.

Totem shape is fine in a group if you want to tank with IE.

Outside of this, Totem shape is for:

Shoving on a bunch of temp hp when you need it (aka caught in a timestop, or KD'd) as it doesn't have an animation associated with it so you can pop it whenever you like.

Giving other polymorph spells/abilities extra stats.

As a trade off, of course, for being weaker outside totem shape.
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Sab1
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Re: Druid build

Post by Sab1 » Thu Nov 09, 2017 2:20 am

So I guess if non totem pure druid you would want to focus a lot on spells focus to buff summons and stuff

As a totem you probably fighting more as an animal I take it. So would weapon focus unarmed and imp crit be of use?

rookie
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Re: Druid build

Post by rookie » Thu Nov 09, 2017 5:05 am

If the wiki is correct the you could start as a ranger, select your totem in game, then start leveling as a druid. You would gain -polymorph, all your summons would have that animal skin, but you would not gain the animal specific buffs or the -4 to all physical stats.

Sab1
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Re: Druid build

Post by Sab1 » Thu Nov 09, 2017 3:40 pm

So you want to be a totem ranger but not a totem druid? Not sure a ranger totem would transfer to a druid? Just like if I was a totem druid and started going ranger not sure that makes me a totem ranger also. Seems interesting to experiment with and try.

rookie
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Re: Druid build

Post by rookie » Thu Nov 09, 2017 4:08 pm

Let me clarify a bit what I mean. From the wiki (I underlined the major part but left the rest for context):
Totem Ranger

While not strictly a path, rangers have their own version of the totem-pact of the druids. Finding the same NPCs as the druids, they can take on a favored animal to bind themselves, but they will not receive any of the mechanical bonuses or penalties, nor will they be able to use the -polymorph command. The only change that they will experience is that (nearly) all their summons will take the form of their totem animal.

A ranger that later multiclasses as druid will be able to -polymorph, but will never receive any of the other bonuses or penalties. Also, the -polymorph will only use the druid levels for determining the power of the shape, ignoring the ranger levels.

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Jagel
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Re: Druid build

Post by Jagel » Fri Nov 10, 2017 8:39 am

Just a heads up: the above is not intended behaviour and may be fixed at some point.

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Wytchee
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Re: Druid build

Post by Wytchee » Fri Nov 10, 2017 11:46 am

General rule of thumb: if it feels like it could be an exploit, don't build a character around it.

I had a healer cleric who dipped druid so her elementals would take the form of snakes. That was remedied.
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Lorkas
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Re: Druid build

Post by Lorkas » Fri Nov 10, 2017 1:01 pm

Wytchee wrote:General rule of thumb: if it feels like it could be an exploit, don't build a character around it.

I had a healer cleric who dipped druid so her elementals would take the form of snakes. That was remedied.
That example doesn't feel like an exploit to me personally. -4 to all physical stats for a cosmetic change to your summon seems almost like you're the one getting exploited, not the game. Doing something like dipping ranger, taking the totem for free, then delevelling to lose ranger levels and retake them as cleric levels would seem more like a no-no though.

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Dreams
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Re: Druid build

Post by Dreams » Fri Nov 10, 2017 1:08 pm

That wouldn't work, because you'd need to have taken ranger levels and received the totem first, before getting druid levels. It's been posted before that this is working as intended now. Previously, taking the ranger totem was giving various bonuses and -polymorph at no cost, which got fixed.

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Wytchee
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Re: Druid build

Post by Wytchee » Fri Nov 10, 2017 1:09 pm

Lorkas wrote:
Wytchee wrote:General rule of thumb: if it feels like it could be an exploit, don't build a character around it.

I had a healer cleric who dipped druid so her elementals would take the form of snakes. That was remedied.
That example doesn't feel like an exploit to me personally. -4 to all physical stats for a cosmetic change to your summon seems almost like you're the one getting exploited, not the game. Doing something like dipping ranger, taking the totem for free, then delevelling to lose ranger levels and retake them as cleric levels would seem more like a no-no though.
The totem bargain on a ranger doesn't net you -4 to physical stats. Therefore you can start as a ranger, take the totem bargain, then begin leveling as a druid with your animals and summons taking the form of that totem as well. However, you wouldn't gain any mechanical benefit.

EDIT: ah that's not what you meant. Still, the cleric thing was fixed (much to my horror).
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Griefmaker
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Re: Druid build

Post by Griefmaker » Fri Nov 10, 2017 3:56 pm

Wytchee wrote: EDIT: ah that's not what you meant. Still, the cleric thing was fixed (much to my horror).
I wish I had kept the PM, but I asked the DM team and Devs sometime between a year or two ago when I did almost the same thing (started off totem druid, switched over to caster cleric) and the idea was given their blessings. I explained why I did what I did, but there was no need to remake or fix my cleric. I was told it was an interesting idea and another mentioned that the loss of stats might be crippling due to my character not shifting, but there was never a point where I was told it needed to be "fixed" in any way.

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Wytchee
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Re: Druid build

Post by Wytchee » Fri Nov 10, 2017 7:32 pm

Griefmaker wrote:
Wytchee wrote:but there was never a point where I was told it needed to be "fixed" in any way.
Regardless, it was. Cleric summons no longer take the form of their totem animals if they have druid or ranger levels.
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Griefmaker
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Re: Druid build

Post by Griefmaker » Fri Nov 10, 2017 7:44 pm

Wytchee wrote:
Griefmaker wrote:
Wytchee wrote:but there was never a point where I was told it needed to be "fixed" in any way.
Regardless, it was. Cleric summons no longer take the form of their totem animals if they have druid or ranger levels.
Oh...I thought you meant you were required to remove your druid levels. Nevermind then!

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