Druid Perks

[River Walker]

I've been kicking around a few druid concepts in my head so I sat down to try to make one that would fit the EfU setting. I've played a few druids on this server before, so I'm aware of what the gameworld offers the class. That said, druids are pretty much terrible mechanically, even on EfU.

It occurred to me that a few class-specific perks could liven up the class a bit without making it unbalanced. Those include:

Wildshape Perks - Wildshapes are pretty much the bread and butter of EfU druids. Even a caster druid must rely on their wildshapes for basic functions like travel and combat. For druids who specialize in a particular skill set, an improved wildshape that specializes in that skill set would be invaluable. Examples:

• A "mouse" (shrunken rat model) with improved H/MS and Search, but only in city areas.
• A krenshar with automatic ultravision and other wilderness or combat bonuses in underground areas.
• An eagle that can actually fly, similar to the Teleport spell.
• A "mole" (dire badger model) that can bury itself underground, leaving a hole placeable but otherwise invisible and invulnerable unless it's chased out somehow.
• A weak insect or magical creature with lots of strong ranged attacks per day, e.g. bugs with bolt attacks, wyrmlings with breath attacks, or young manticores with Quillfire.
• Some kind of underwater stealth creature, perhaps an eel (large snake model) with very weak stats but near-perfect ability to travel hidden underwater.

Animal Companion Perks - Like the wildshape, the druid's animal companion is more important on EfU than on other modules and servers. A few ideas that might be possible:

• Companion possession. If there is a way to make an animal companion controllable like a familiar, that would make a pretty sweet level 8 perk.
• Improved communion. Make a DM menu for the druid's companion AI available to druid PCs and call it a perk.
• Companion buffs. Make six or seven animal companions available that act more like familiars, but can cast buffing spells not on the druid's spell table. (Seriously, that rotten spell table is half the reason for making this post.)

Other Ideas - I'm sure there's more I haven't though of, as the EfU druid is a very versatile class. Unfortunately, that versatility ends up being its downfall, at least on paper. In practice, my druids haven't ever been particularly successful. I'd love to hear other ideas.

The one thing that druids are freaking amazing at, far better than any other class, is alchemy and herbalism. They need absolutely no help in that department at all. It might be a good idea to balance out certain perks that might be too overpowered with penalties to those two EFUSS skills.

[trick_or_treat]

While 'flavour' perks are fun, druids are an extremely powerful and versatile class and you can 'build' them in so many different ways that I do not think that this would be needed/necessary..

Just my personal opinion.

[Ebok]

I cant see how druids are bad mechanically in anyway. I mean, flavor perks are always cool, but I wouldn't want something (more then they have already) to be as general as a wild-shape. I might be more inclined to support a per character theme that might alter a few things about them in cool ways, however, I'm not really sure this is the best way to go about that.

[Pandip]

Druids are fine as is, imo.

[Paha]

Some things are available, but not readily and without app's. Not all should be open to everyone in druid range. They already got quite a lot going for them.

[Valo56]

My own experience with them is that they are very tough little guys, but extremely lacking in offense unless you use a particular summon theme or have the good fortune of it raining. You have ridiculous stealth, decent HP, and the ability to go pretty much anywhere on the server without too much risk, barring death from vein vines (assassin vines avoid you if you have AE).

This lack of offensive might has always turned me away from the class, as I feel that all I can do is run and survive, not actually accomplish anything. Of course, if you hit levels 8 and 9, you do gain a good bit of power, but the same is true for every class.

Letting druids gain access to special wildshapes more easily would be wonderful. As from what I hear the wildshape apps are very hard to get approved and even then you have to earn them. Good luck with that. Perhaps handed out occasionally to promising druids? Maybe even lesser versions of app-forms found as part of loot for dangerous quests, like bardic songsheets.

Though a way for druids who turn into birds, or creatures with exceptional jumping or climbing abilities, to climb as if they were using a climbing claw would be great.

[Talir]

Thematic perks or aspects of nature would likely be the deal for any such addition -- but druids are powerful already and the druids we have don't usually go the lengths they could to really make nature diverse, conflicting and interesting. With some exceptions.

So this is unlikely but not impossible. Good ideas are always appreciated mind!

[Valo56]

The Balancer
This druid focuses on the balance of the world, but not that between life and death, or wilds and civilization. He fights against the abstract ideals of law, chaos, good and evil, as well as any incursion from the Outer Planes, trying to return the world to a natural state where it may finally become a paradise. (True Neutral only)
2- Protection from Alignment (5) 1/day, Planar Bound (prevents teleportation), Oath of the Balancer (lose all powers if alignment shifts, even to another neutral alignment)
5- +1 AB vs Outsiders
8- Lesser Planar Binding 1/day (for holding outsiders only, if it's possible to make it do so)

[River Walker]

Wow, I'm kind of surprised at the responses so far.

It sounds like I need an education in how to make a better druid. I've always seen the druid as a jack of all trades, master of none. My concepts tend to specialize, and the druid class is not very good at that except in very limited ways. It was my understanding that each of the wildshapes and animal companions were meant to help a druid specialize, as that seems to be the effect, whether intentional or not.

Whatever the case, I think this class needs some attention. If it's really just fine as it is, someone PM me and let's breathe some life into the nature faction. I'm missing something.

[Teeth in a Bowl]

Wow, I'm kind of surprised at the responses so far.

It sounds like I need an education in how to make a better druid. I've always seen the druid as a jack of all trades, master of none. My concepts tend to specialize, and the druid class is not very good at that except in very limited ways. It was my understanding that each of the wildshapes and animal companions were meant to help a druid specialize, as that seems to be the effect, whether intentional or not.

Whatever the case, I think this class needs some attention. If it's really just fine as it is, someone PM me and let's breathe some life into the nature faction. I'm missing something.

Make a summoner druid at some point. It's hilarious.

[trick_or_treat]

Maybe you are not aware that the Wild Shapes are also getting a significant boost in power at level 8.

Basically - the difference in 'strength' between a L7 and a L8 druid is enormous.

[Gotham]

Make a summoner druid at some point. It's hilarious.

Yeah, Badger was basically a walking army of sticks and spiders.

Druids are very viable - but at a disadvantage outside of the wilds. Here's what druids do well:

Stealth - Due to wild shapes, trackless step, Camoflague, One with the Land, and later Mass Camoflague druids can get high enough stealth scores to go anywhere on the island that doesn't have tremor sense monsters, all without investing into stealth Cross Class or Primary via multiclassing

Tracking: Druids recieving tracking at 6 as per the ranger skill

Herbalism: Druids recieve a bonus = to half their level

Off-Tanking: Druids can get very high ac in the right wild shapes when buffed (esp with mage armor, or if they do something crazy like take expertise). But their lower HP and vulnerability to dispels they should be prepared to skirmish.

Summoning: There's a summoning theme (or maybe more) druids can get that is pretty powerful. My last druid was a conjurer and if he had time to prepare he was basically a one shot calvary.

Ambushing: Combined with stealth and the +2 ab druids get in wilderness and certain wild shapes means Druids are great at prepared ambushes and burst damage

Things Druids are not good at:

Hard Tanking: Without magic or flavorful DM loot, your d8 hp isn't going to be a match for a dedicated tank like a fighter or a barbarians.

Fighting Unprepared: Think of them as forest clerics. Druids rely heavily on their self buffing.

No Cats Grace: Seriously, what the fuck. Why don't druids get cats grace as a spell


This is without going into thematic advantages or limitations (such as druid alignment restrictions, codes, circles, society, etc).

THAT BEING SAID

There already is a mole wild shape and it'd be hilarious if it got the use:Shovel special power as an ability

Druids already get a wild shape that lets them travel underwater at full speed with waterbreathing.

The other stuff sounds like more stuff for a Shifter, really.

[One_With_Nature]

Maybe you are not aware that the Wild Shapes are also getting a significant boost in power at level 8.

Basically - the difference in 'strength' between a L7 and a L8 druid is enormous.

New shapes become available at 8 as well. (Unless its been changed since I last played a druid)

[Outcast]

Problem is getting level 8 as a druid considering they've so many roleplay restrictions that often get in the way of them questing. Especially if there's not a large "team nature" demographic.  At any rate, they don't really need to be made more powerful; but flavorful perks that  give them paradigm shifts of sorts in their mechanics, allowing for different playstyles, would be cool.  For instance, disabling wildshape inexchange for more  spell power.  Or losing a tremendous amount of stealth inexchange for physical power.  Something along those lines.