InEffect: Shifter Druid for kreative_katt
Race: Human
We need the feat more than we need some stats
Alignment: LN*
*More on that later
Stats:
Str: 17
Dex: 14
Con: 12
Int: 11
Wis: 16
Cha: 10
Final Build: Monk(Traditional) 1/Druid(DotTW) 16/Barbarian(Mad Dog) 1/Fighter 1
Main skills: Mobility 3, Persuasion Max, Perception Max
Suggested secondary skills: You have 36 points spare. Lore Nature is thematic to max and maybe Athletics.
Detailed leveling breakdown:
Lvl 1: Monk - Weapon Focus: Claw // Dazzling Display // Crane Style
Lvl 2: Druid - Animal Companion*
Lvl 3: Druid - Combat Expertise (Need +2 Int item)
Lvl 4: Druid
Lvl 5: Druid - Natural Spell
Lvl 6: Druid
Lvl 7: Druid - Outflank
Lvl 8: Druid
Lvl 9: Druid - Shatter Defenses
Lvl 10: Druid
Lvl 11: Druid - Trip
Lvl 12: Druid
Lvl 13: Druid - Greater Trip
Lvl 14: Druid
Lvl 15: Druid - Persuasive
Lvl 16: Druid
Lvl 17: Druid - Fury’s Fall
Lvl 18: Barbarian
Lvl 19: Barbarian - Blind Fight
Lvl 20: Fighter - Intimidating Prowess
Important Spells:
Lvl 1: Acid Maw, Cure Light Wounds, Firebelly(Good early for swarms)
Lvl 2: Aspect of the Bear, Restoration, Barkskin(Becomes obsolete once you get Legendary)
Lvl 3: Magic Fang(Greater), Spike Growth, Resist Energy(Communal), Delay Poison(Communal)
Lvl 4: Spike Stones, Cape of Wasps, Thorn Body, Protection from Energy(Communal)
Lvl 5: Aspect of the Wolf, Geniekind, Animal Growth
Lvl 6: Tar Pool, Cure Light Wounds(Mass)
Lvl 7: Legendary Proportions, Creeping Doom, Heal
Lvl 8: Seamantle, Frightful Aspect
Gear: To tank you would need: Dreamer Ring, Ring of Circumstances(STR, DEX, WIS, AC) Gyronna Ammy/Amulet of Mighty fists, Absolver/Catigator cloak, +8 hat/belt, +8 Armor Bracers, Bokken Elixir
Alignment first: You will need at least some shifts here. You start as LN and should move to TN. That would technically be enough for the build, but not really. From there you should move to either NG or NE for absolver/castigator cloaks, because those are awesome and rings slots are precious. Shouldn’t be too hard because said cloaks will be sold in the 2nd part of the game by Pitaxan merchants.
Mad Dog is there so you have something extra to ramp your AB. Druids are not exactly spectacular in that department and Shape-shifting won’t cover for that. At least not enough.
Amulet of Mighty Fists and Magic Fang totally do stack. To wear Mighty fists or Gyronna depends on difficulty. On anything, but unfair Gyronna is not needed to break unhittable AC.
Few words about buffing: All buffs we selected do stack on top of animal form, but some of them do not transition from human to animal form. Easiest solution would be to buff in animal form and be a happy panda. Quite literally.
Aspect of the wolf is why we take trip feats. Don’t forget to right-click the trip ability you get from it after casting.
Natural Progression of forms Wolf -> Leopard -> Bear -> Smilodon is pretty much how you want to roll anyways.
Does have dazzling and shatter, Although does prefer someone else to use Dazzling due to average persuasion.
Assumes you do exploit Exp for level 20, but should be ok-ish without.
To use combat expertise or not is up to you. Depends on difficulty and if you need those points of AC to become unhittable at any point.
Skipped Lvl 9 spells as there is literally nothing of interest for us there.
The damage isn't great, but there is nothing that can be done about it.
There you have it. It CAN reach 70 AC for unfair, but Shifter druid is not what I’d realistically play there and he will lose too much AB in the process, but it's possible, I guess.
Now that the Bear scimitar is fixed, I want to try and make a Druid for Hard that is a decent damage dealer. I’m assuming I would take more off the tripping balls archetype rather then this shifter one? I plan on him being a damage dealer rather than a tank or off tank. I’m assuming I want to build around the smilodon form, critical hits, and my bear companion? Are there ways to build up the druids damage? I know there are a few on hit acid gloves or sneak attack damage?
