Svirfneblin druid build

[Alantar]

Hello,

Any idea or advice to build a svirfneblin druid?
I've never played a druid, so I'm quite lost.

Thank you.

[Hammerwell]

Just after I joined in December last year, a change to druid damage reduction in their elemental shape made it viable to go high CON & EDR to benefit from the eventual infinite, customized Monolithic elemental shapes.

Dragon Shape, epic spells and others can be fit into this build, especially as you could start with 21 CON due to base gnome... however, I personally started with higher INT for skills, then pumped CON rather than WIS. But you could start WIS 16 (18 due to racial), CON 16 (+5/6 to eventually get 21/22), INT 14 rest 10. If you can aim for CON 21 (or 22 for the HP) and WIS 22, you're golden. Not the strongest caster but you'll still have at least two Epic Spell Focii to increase DCs.

I didn't go Dragon Shape or ESF: Evocation because I wanted to fit in meta magic feats and had to pump CON after the change went live.

[Tourmaline]

Svirfs lose the +2 constitution bonus though so 18 con is the most they can start with. A rock gnome can pretty easily get both dragon shape and 3 EDRs since they can take two ability gifts (one stacking with existing con gift to make +4 possible) and svirfs are locked into Wis and useless (for them) Dex. Pretty sure it's not possible on a svirf, actually.

The build I would use on my own svirf druid would go for EDR and let dragonshape go. Start with 18 or 19 con (16 or 17 after picking svirf), 16 or 17 wis (which will be 18 or 19), 14 int, any leftover into strength. Get constitution to 21 ASAP to access the EDR feats.. you need to take them at 21,24,27 and/or 30.

Alternately you could take a totem and let EDR go. Totems level much faster, can be a lot of fun visually and monolith shapes are still very powerful without EDR. In this case I would max wisdom and make sure you have enough str/con to take a -4 hit (kind of depends on the totem). You can get dragon shape easily this way.

Buildwise get conjuration and greater conjuration focuses at 1 and 3, transmutation focuses before epics, probably extend spell (not essential but nice for options), and either a few combat feats like blindfight/expertise/knockdown or, possibly, evocation and greater evocation to gain hellball. Epics you need epic conjuration focus, epic transmutation, a dragon knight friend and the rest depends on your other choices.

[BegoneThoth]

Totems are really a trap.

Monolithic forms are better then dragon shape, but you can get both. Try and get EDR 3 too, remember that you need 25 druid and 25 wisdom to talk to the rock and get dragon shape.

As long as you get conjuration focus and greater conjuration focus before level 5 leveling is cake.

So go either pure 30 druid for mono form and dragon shape, or, IMO, don't bother. But mechanically it really excels when you know what you're fighting. You can do the epic fire content as a fire elemental for example, and not take a single HP of damage despite having 17 or so regen.

Get improved expertise at least, with that you can solo bosses, even epic ones.

All that said, Druids are not that hot right now, I'd not recommend one.

[Tourmaline]

Nah, I can see advising that they're not great in PVP but they are more than solid for PVE and the RP around them is unique, not to mention the nature community one of the most welcoming on the server. It's a great class for a new player.

[BegoneThoth]

OP do you want a level by level breakdown for the druid?

And if so do you want Dragon shape, EDR (recommended), or EDR monolith (most recommended)?

[Alantar]

Thank you very much for your answers.

BegoneThoth, I don't need a level breakdown for the moment. I was asking just to have an idea about how a druid deep gnome would work, but I don't intend to create the character yet. Anyhow, thank you for the offering.