Talk:Druid

Possible Changes to Wild Shape

• pre-defined forms: consider defining a fixed number of forms for the druid, instead of "any animal" - a tank form, a striker form, a caster/hybrid form, and their normal humanoid form.

• would allow us to create feats to allow specialization into one or more of the forms, making that particular form better than normal -- a skill tree, basically. The deeper into the tree you go, the stronger/better the improvements for that form, at the expense of the other forms remaining "normal" for your level.

• more like monster summoning: alternatively, consider creating a table of stats for each CR for a "PC" instead of a monster, which define a shape-shifted character's HP's, AC, To-Hits, Damage, Saves.

• at time of shapeshifting, would also select from a list of possible senses, movement types, and possibly special abilities
• this would also apply to all spells which allow you to change shape. Works akin to the monster summoning rebuild - generic form which gets updated with a few select special things at time of casting, to make them less generic.

Animal Companion

• your animal companion can only act if you allocate one or more of your actions to it. That is, it can only move if you grant it your move action. It can only attack if you give up one or more of your attacks.

• during a full attack action, a character could make their first attack themselves, and then let their animal companion make all their other (secondary/tertiary) attacks of the full attack. Since its the animal companion's first attack of the round, it would not suffer the -5 penalty to BAB.

• Letting the AC take the other attacks (w/o -5) is a bad rule, IMO. It's non-obvious and not really appropriate, IMO. --Bstern (talk) 00:59, 2 October 2018 (UTC)

• at higher levels, may grant some bonus abilities which allow the animal companion to act more efficiently - attack with a move action, move with a swift, etc. But in all cases, an action must be sacrificed by the controlling character for the animal companion to act.

• mostly avoid free actions for animal companions, as that completely negates the fairness of this approach
• one exception to the 'no free actions for animal companions' may be to allow the animal companion to remain adjacent to their master (free move, if they begin and end adjacent).

• however, even this could be achieved with a swift action without severely hampering the character's action economy.

• perhaps at higher levels, this "come to me" command could be expanded to "end in any space within 10 feet of the master", still as a swift. Would allow very efficient flanks.

Druid Example Build

(Probably not actually a legal build; needs reviewed; keeping it here in case we get around to building a viable sample build later, so we can steal ideas from this one)

Spell-Flinging Naturalist

Human, base stats: Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, int 8, Wis 18, Chr 14.

Example Feats

1st Level: Dodge, Still Spell. These are always useful. Always.

3rd Level: Spell penetration. Because caster level checks are HARD.

5th Level: Natural Spell. Dude. This is WHY you play a Druid.

7th Level: Wild Speech. Because talking bears are AWESOME.

9th Level: Spell focus. Let's see them make THIS saving throw.

11th Level: Selective Spell. This means a lot less apologizing after the Firestorm goes off.

13th Level: Maximize Spell. heh heh he ha ha HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!

15th Level: Greater Spell Penetration. Punch it through, baby.

17th Level: Greater Spell Focus. Even harder saves.

19th Level: Spell Perfection. What? Double the effects of four feats on my favorite kill-o-zap spell? YES, PLEASE.