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  1. - Top - End - #451
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Quote Originally Posted by eggynack View Post
    I've seen the spell mentioned a decent amount, which may be justification in and of itself for inclusion, but I really don't understand the hype on this one. If we're on standard face punching, which is more or less all the earth and fire versions can do, then it seems kinda do nothing. We're dealing like 43 to 86 damage a turn (46 to 92 on fire monolith, but with lower to-hit odds), dependent on whether there's a full attack and on whether they can hit. They're solid numbers, but quite a bit less so when you have to maintain concentration to keep up that damage figure. If you're not just damaging, then you're using whirlwind or vortex+water mastery. In the former case, I dunno why I'm not casting control winds for a massive tornado, and in the latter, it's a decent effect but it seems rather situational and replaceable. Is there really no other way to screw with underwater creatures or ships? If I really want to prepare a 9th level summoning spell that's water specific for the most part, should I not simply cast doom of the seas? It just feels like there's a lot working against this one, particularly the spell level, concentration requirement, the fact that you're actually preparing a summoning spell instead of going spontaneous, and that the utility seems broadly replaceable, if not replaceable perfectly.
    There is another problem with summon elemental monolith: Size. An elemental monolith is Gargantuan. Sure, that means great grappling, but it also means it takes up a 20-ft square. That limits you to outdoors and very large rooms and caves. It's basically unusable in most dungeons and similar places. And that's not even talking about the height - assuming it follows the standard elemental size progression, an elemental monolith is 64 feet tall. The situational exception that gets around the height problem is an earth monolith in an earthen cavern environment. Earth glide allows them to stretch out.

    Worth noting, though: If you have Rashemi Elemental Summoning, you can summon thomil monoliths. The thomil monolith's Engulf is a many-use, SR: No, DC 37 save-or-lose targeting Reflex (usually the weak save at high levels) on anything in its 20-foot-wide path that's Huge or smaller. Ask your DM if freedom of movement allows automatic escape (I would say it probably shouldn't) - if it doesn't, this is a very stylish way to neutralize a broad array of enemies until they can land 120 damage with light weapons or claws against DR 15/- (AC 27 is not going to protect much at this level), and it looks like that damage may not even count against the thomil monolith's hit points. The alternatives, a DC 40 Escape Artist or DC 36 Strength check, are also decently steep.

    Also worth noting: If you get an Eternal Wand of sonorous hum (10,900 gp for 2 uses per day), which anyone can use if they know the command word, you don't have to concentrate on summon elemental monolith. I still wouldn't bother without Rashemi Elemental Summoning, especially if shapechange isn't banned. If you know you're going to be in open spaces and have the eternal wand and Rashemi Elemental Summoning, though, go for it.

  2. - Top - End - #452
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Stonehold (Druid6, Spell Compendium 209) seems like a spiffy spell for fortifying a Druid base.
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  3. - Top - End - #453
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    One thing I didn't notice mentioned in this guide was that you can cast shapechange on your Animal Companion due to how rules work. If you two stay within 5' (or 30' with Companion Spellbond), you can each become something spiffy (and perhaps are required to be the same form at the same time depending on your GM). In short, your Riding Dog can become an Angel! What an upgrade!
    Quote Originally Posted by GPuzzle View Post
    And I do agree that the right answer to the magic/mundane problem is to make everyone badass.
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  4. - Top - End - #454
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Quote Originally Posted by Endarire View Post
    One thing I didn't notice mentioned in this guide was that you can cast shapechange on your Animal Companion due to how rules work. If you two stay within 5' (or 30' with Companion Spellbond), you can each become something spiffy (and perhaps are required to be the same form at the same time depending on your GM). In short, your Riding Dog can become an Angel! What an upgrade!
    You can both become bone oozes and merge together to become a Colossal monstrosity

  5. - Top - End - #455
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Quote Originally Posted by eggynack View Post
    I've seen the spell mentioned a decent amount, which may be justification in and of itself for inclusion, but I really don't understand the hype on this one. If we're on standard face punching, which is more or less all the earth and fire versions can do, then it seems kinda do nothing. We're dealing like 43 to 86 damage a turn (46 to 92 on fire monolith, but with lower to-hit odds), dependent on whether there's a full attack and on whether they can hit. They're solid numbers, but quite a bit less so when you have to maintain concentration to keep up that damage figure. If you're not just damaging, then you're using whirlwind or vortex+water mastery. In the former case, I dunno why I'm not casting control winds for a massive tornado, and in the latter, it's a decent effect but it seems rather situational and replaceable. Is there really no other way to screw with underwater creatures or ships? If I really want to prepare a 9th level summoning spell that's water specific for the most part, should I not simply cast doom of the seas? It just feels like there's a lot working against this one, particularly the spell level, concentration requirement, the fact that you're actually preparing a summoning spell instead of going spontaneous, and that the utility seems broadly replaceable, if not replaceable perfectly.
    Sonorous Hum is extremely useful in this situation. You don't need to maintain concentration because the hum is doing it for you. It's possible a druid could get a wand of sonorous hum. Heck an eternal wand is possible. Also smoke monoliths are ****ing scary they can fly over an army and if they fail a dc 35 fort smoke gets in their lungs as the smoke literally tears apart their lungs as it turns into claws. Quasi-elemental monoliths are ****ing scary. (Dragon Magazine)

    Also depending on the GM a Monolith can be VASTLY useful. My GM runs with elementals actually being able to harness their elements so an Earth Monolith can straight up mess with the terrain like raising an island out of the sea or ripping a mountain out of the ground.

  6. - Top - End - #456
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Quote Originally Posted by Endarire View Post
    One thing I didn't notice mentioned in this guide was that you can cast shapechange on your Animal Companion due to how rules work. If you two stay within 5' (or 30' with Companion Spellbond), you can each become something spiffy (and perhaps are required to be the same form at the same time depending on your GM). In short, your Riding Dog can become an Angel! What an upgrade!
    True, I suppose. Dunno if it's especially worth mention though. It's obviously a good thing to do, but two shapechange isn't that much more insane than one shapechange.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zephonim View Post
    Sonorous Hum is extremely useful in this situation. You don't need to maintain concentration because the hum is doing it for you. It's possible a druid could get a wand of sonorous hum. Heck an eternal wand is possible. Also smoke monoliths are ****ing scary they can fly over an army and if they fail a dc 35 fort smoke gets in their lungs as the smoke literally tears apart their lungs as it turns into claws. Quasi-elemental monoliths are ****ing scary. (Dragon Magazine)

    Also depending on the GM a Monolith can be VASTLY useful. My GM runs with elementals actually being able to harness their elements so an Earth Monolith can straight up mess with the terrain like raising an island out of the sea or ripping a mountain out of the ground.
    The sonorous hum plan is a reasonable one, though we're still in an awkward space with the whole using a 9th for a decent beatstick plan. The dragon magazine monoliths are a pretty interesting idea. I'll check that out. The weird thing where you add extra abilities on the basis of DM fiat sounds like a non-object.

  7. - Top - End - #457
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Quote Originally Posted by Endarire View Post
    One thing I didn't notice mentioned in this guide was that you can cast shapechange on your Animal Companion due to how rules work. If you two stay within 5' (or 30' with Companion Spellbond), you can each become something spiffy (and perhaps are required to be the same form at the same time depending on your GM). In short, your Riding Dog can become an Angel! What an upgrade!
    Strictly speaking, the animal companion is in control of its own shapechange instance and therefore needs to be familiar with the forms it takes. (I don't think any rules require a specific intelligence score to change, but if your DM says it needs better than an Int score of 2, you can try fox's cunning.) Depending on interpretation, the first form change might be immediate upon casting the spell, in which case you could control the initial form but the companion wouldn't be able to change each round. Still quite potent, but not as potent as it sounds like at face value.

    With a sorcerer or wizard's familiar, this isn't much of a problem - the familiar is plenty intelligent by the time the master can cast shapechange (and, in the case of a sorcerer, likely more intelligent than its master) and has the same Knowledge ranks as the master does.

    Quote Originally Posted by Zephonim View Post
    Sonorous Hum is extremely useful in this situation. You don't need to maintain concentration because the hum is doing it for you. It's possible a druid could get a wand of sonorous hum. Heck an eternal wand is possible. Also smoke monoliths are ****ing scary they can fly over an army and if they fail a dc 35 fort smoke gets in their lungs as the smoke literally tears apart their lungs as it turns into claws. Quasi-elemental monoliths are ****ing scary. (Dragon Magazine)

    Also depending on the GM a Monolith can be VASTLY useful. My GM runs with elementals actually being able to harness their elements so an Earth Monolith can straight up mess with the terrain like raising an island out of the sea or ripping a mountain out of the ground.
    I can't find quasi-elementals (do you mean para-elementals?), but I don't think the smoke para-elemental works that way. The ability specifies that it affects a single target, and since it doesn't specify an activation action, it defaults to a standard action. Which is too bad, because that would be awesome.

    Against an army of mooks, though, there are several options with shapechange that, while less damaging, affect a much larger area. Living Holocaust (Fiend Folio p117)'s Holocaust Winds deals 3d6 fire damage (Ref half) to everything within an 400-ft radius in addition to the usual effects with a control winds spell at caster level 10 (it can leave the area but may only have one instance active at a time). A Lupinal Guardinal (Monster Manual II p43)'s howl deals no damage but functions like a dragon's Fear aura with a 600-ft radius (non-celestials with <8 hit dice are panicked for 4d6 rounds on a failed Will save). An androsphinx 's roar panics for 2d4 rounds any non-androsphinx in a 500-foot radius on a failed Will save. (Note that the lupinal and androsphinx key off of Charisma, so a druid will really only be reliably dispersing armies of mooks - sorcerers and sublime chords are generally much more effective with such abilities.) There are a few other similar effects, but those give you a good starting point.

    You can also use spells like control winds (or sandstorm), call avalanche, and blizzard (all fabulous 5th level spells) to incapacitate or destroy enormous swaths of enemies. The latter two aren't subject to spell resistance.

    Boreal wind (4th level) gets an honorable mention - it hits enemies in a line out to Long range, and that line is 20 feet wide and high. In addition to damaging (1d4/CL cold) any creature in the path that fails its save, those creatures are also pushed back 20+ feet, further fouling up creatures behind them. It also lasts 1+CL/2 rounds and can have the direction changed as a move action.


    Regarding elementals messing with the environment corresponding to their element, it's specific to your DM (there are no rules supporting it), but that also sounds awesome.

  8. - Top - End - #458
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Yeah, I don't see anything especially worthwhile in these para-elemental monoliths. They sound super cool and such, but there's not much utility there as far as I can tell. What seems a lot more interesting, least to me, is that that same issue gives the ability to use SNA for the paraelementals from the manual of the planes. Might still be bad, here as compared to their standard alternatives, but it's worth checking out.

  9. - Top - End - #459
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    It would help to explicitly mention that shapechange can specifically (like all personal spells) target your animal companion.

    If in doubt, mention it. You can even copy-paste stuff from our posts! You have my permission!
    Quote Originally Posted by GPuzzle View Post
    And I do agree that the right answer to the magic/mundane problem is to make everyone badass.
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  10. - Top - End - #460
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Quote Originally Posted by Endarire View Post
    It would help to explicitly mention that shapechange can specifically (like all personal spells) target your animal companion.

    If in doubt, mention it. You can even copy-paste stuff from our posts! You have my permission!
    I'm just not precisely sure why this and not, like, any other arbitrary you targeted thing. Especially because, as was noted, it's kinda awkward with an animal companion's low intelligence.

    Anyways, the normal paraelementals seem kinda neat, and also kinda odd. They're all 3.0-ish, with iterative attacks and junk. Some of them seem promising.

  11. - Top - End - #461
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Quote Originally Posted by eggynack View Post
    Yeah, I don't see anything especially worthwhile in these para-elemental monoliths. They sound super cool and such, but there's not much utility there as far as I can tell. What seems a lot more interesting, least to me, is that that same issue gives the ability to use SNA for the paraelementals from the manual of the planes. Might still be bad, here as compared to their standard alternatives, but it's worth checking out.
    More flexibility for summon nature's ally and summon monster is always useful. They should also, by extension, also be available as Elemental Wild Shape options - and, of course, shapechange.

    As I noted before, the smoke paraelemental's special ability is fairly weak given that it only hits one target at a time. However, an ooze paraelemental's acid deals a whopping 40 points of damage per round to any wood or metal it touches, which is actually really solid for making nice, neat holes in non-stone walls (as opposed to the extremely messy ones you can make with high-strength shapechange forms attempting a break check), and the ice paraelemental's Chill Metal is actually an aura that affects all metal within 5 feet per age category - if not actually useful, that's at least nifty. (I'll probably note the ooze paraelemental in my shapechange handbook but not bother with the ice.) At a minimum, though, getting a quiet, tidy wall-eater with summon nature's ally ii is fantastic utility, and that is probably worth mentioning.

    Quote Originally Posted by eggynack View Post
    Anyways, the normal paraelementals seem kinda neat, and also kinda odd. They're all 3.0-ish, with iterative attacks and junk. Some of them seem promising.
    There's a half-conversion for them in the D&D 3.5 Update Booklet. Mostly it just adjusts feats and damage reduction and stuff, but converting the iteratives to natural attacks is trivially easy.

    Quote Originally Posted by eggynack View Post
    I'm just not precisely sure why this and not, like, any other arbitrary you targeted thing. Especially because, as was noted, it's kinda awkward with an animal companion's low intelligence.
    If it was anything other than shapechange, I'd say it gets you a really nice mount (assuming you go with the interpretation that the first change is selected at casting time, which the caster would determine when sharing with an animal companion or familiar). For most shapechange forms, though, that's kind of superfluous. At best, it lets you get a high-mobility mount to use for breaking the action economy just a little bit more than you already can do with Chronotyryn. You wouldn't want to limit yourself to staying within 5 feet at all times when you change to other forms (which is what shapechange is really all about), but moving away only ends the spell on your companion, so I guess you don't really lose anything.

    There is definitely some awesome-sauce to be had with having a garngrath mount, though. I'll have to remember that one :-D

  12. - Top - End - #462
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Question: Is it ONLY the paraelementals from the Manual of the Planes that are added to the SNA list, or are things like shadow elementals fair game?
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Quote Originally Posted by ATHATH View Post
    Question: Is it ONLY the paraelementals from the Manual of the Planes that are added to the SNA list, or are things like shadow elementals fair game?
    Strictly speaking, the summon nature's ally and summon monster spells just say "Elemental, <size> (any)". If interpreted literally without taking liberties that are likely to get books thrown at you, that sounds like you can get any elemental of the appropriate size, where "elemental" refers to a family of monsters described as "<X> Elemental" rather than the [elemental] type. Under that interpretation, shadow elementals are fair game, but (for example) elemental weirds would not be. In a Core-only game, that gets you only the four base elementals. Storm elementals from Monster Manual III list explicit levels for summon monster and summon nature's ally, so you get them at those levels (generally one level higher than other elementals) because specific trumps general.

    Now, that said, it would not be unreasonable for a DM to say that summon monster and summon nature's ally only work for the four basic elementals that were printed at the same time and that other elementals added to those spells would say so specifically like the storm elementals do.

    It gets a little fuzzier with Elemental Wild Shape - the nomenclature is the same, but the ability explicitly states that you get spell-like abilities, and none of the core elementals have them. That implies (but does not state outright) that the developers intended everything of the [elemental] type to be included so long as it has one of air, earth, fire, or water as a subtype. That would also fit with the general theme of Wild Shape, which does give you access to all creatures of the [animal] type within the size and HD constraints. Discuss this with your DM before you hit 16th level so that you know for sure before it becomes relevant. In particular, discuss elemental weirds, because they get a very potent set of divination spells with their Prescience supernatural ability.

  14. - Top - End - #464
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Quote Originally Posted by jmax View Post
    More flexibility for summon nature's ally and summon monster is always useful.
    I guess. I mean, I'm pretty likely to wind up adding them, cause it's cool, obscure, and seemingly at least reasonably good, but, in a broad sense, I don't think they're all that critical.
    They should also, by extension, also be available as Elemental Wild Shape options - and, of course, shapechange.
    Shapechange, sure, though it's a bit useless for that purpose. The others, I still don't think that these abilities grant that sort of access.
    As I noted before, the smoke paraelemental's special ability is fairly weak given that it only hits one target at a time. However, an ooze paraelemental's acid deals a whopping 40 points of damage per round to any wood or metal it touches, which is actually really solid for making nice, neat holes in non-stone walls (as opposed to the extremely messy ones you can make with high-strength shapechange forms attempting a break check), and the ice paraelemental's Chill Metal is actually an aura that affects all metal within 5 feet per age category - if not actually useful, that's at least nifty. (I'll probably note the ooze paraelemental in my shapechange handbook but not bother with the ice.) At a minimum, though, getting a quiet, tidy wall-eater with summon nature's ally ii is fantastic utility, and that is probably worth mentioning.
    Yeah, stuff destruction is neat. A lot of the utility is liable to be bound up in comparative combat ability in any case.

    There's a half-conversion for them in the D&D 3.5 Update Booklet. Mostly it just adjusts feats and damage reduction and stuff, but converting the iteratives to natural attacks is trivially easy.
    I checked the booklet, and that isn't a thing that was changed by it. Sure, it's trivial to make that alteration, but such a change doesn't seem to be one that would be reflected by the rules. Notably, other monsters in the book seem to operate under more standard natural weapon rules, so it might just be a weird thing about these weird monsters.

    Quote Originally Posted by ATHATH View Post
    Question: Is it ONLY the paraelementals from the Manual of the Planes that are added to the SNA list, or are things like shadow elementals fair game?
    It's only paraelementals, but, technically speaking, it's not only paraelementals from the manual of the planes. So, if there're other paraelementals elsewhere, they're presumably summonable.
    Quote Originally Posted by jmax View Post
    Snip
    Just to reiterate, I tend towards the interpretation that only the basic four elementals are allowed by the game. It's an ambiguous area, but the text seems inclined towards that reading.
    Last edited by eggynack; 2018-06-16 at 03:31 AM.

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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Perhaps we should ask afroakuma for a list of paraelementals?
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Quote Originally Posted by eggynack View Post
    Shapechange, sure, though it's a bit useless for that purpose.

    Yeah, stuff destruction is neat. A lot of the utility is liable to be bound up in comparative combat ability in any case.
    If I even bother putting it in the shapechange handbook, it'll only be because I like the style. It's not a form I'd ever use for any other purpose. Certainly it's not worth mentioning in Elemental Wild Shape given the limited uses per day and the overall weakness of the form. But as a 2nd-level spontaneous spell effect dealing 40 damage (hardness) per round for multiple rounds, it's fantastic - even if it's limited to metal and wood. A pity that it doesn't do stone as well.

    Quote Originally Posted by eggynack View Post
    I checked the booklet, and that isn't a thing that was changed by it. Sure, it's trivial to make that alteration, but such a change doesn't seem to be one that would be reflected by the rules. Notably, other monsters in the book seem to operate under more standard natural weapon rules, so it might just be a weird thing about these weird monsters.
    Probably just poor editing. It wouldn't be the first time.

    Quote Originally Posted by eggynack View Post
    Just to reiterate, I tend towards the interpretation that only the basic four elementals are allowed by the game. It's an ambiguous area, but the text seems inclined towards that reading.
    I'm not going to dispute it - it's your handbook, and it's a reasonable interpretation. I lay out almost two pages of annotated assumptions at the beginning of my shapechange handbook, so far be it from me to judge. Trying to accommodate every possible interpretation leads to utter madness - even by the standards of someone who has written a 100-page handbook on probably the most open-ended ability in the game :-P

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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    SNA IV has Juvenile Arrowhawks for 60' fly and spammable 50' ranged touch 2d6 shock rays. They're sorta like a better version of Lantern Archons from SumMon IV. Sometimes, you just want to pew pew like this.
    Quote Originally Posted by GPuzzle View Post
    And I do agree that the right answer to the magic/mundane problem is to make everyone badass.
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    For templates, what about the +1 LA White Dragonspawn? It's one of the best official +1 LAs you can get due to flight, +7 natural armor, a breath weapon, flight, and +1 effective Sorcerer level.

    Also, what about the Time Domain? It's less hassle than the Spell Domain (and doesn't require a spellbook/domain slots/GM interpretation to work) and grants a buncha spiffy spells. Also note that Chronepsis (Races of the Dragon) grants this domain. TN/NG/LN/CN/NE Druids can access this domain.
    Quote Originally Posted by GPuzzle View Post
    And I do agree that the right answer to the magic/mundane problem is to make everyone badass.
    Quote Originally Posted by Flickerdart View Post
    If you're of a philosophical bent, the powergamer is a great example of Heidegger's modern technological man, who treats a game's mechanics as a standing reserve of undifferentiated resources that are to be used for his goals.
    My Complete Tome of Battle Maneuver/Stance/Class Overhaul

    Arseplomancy = Fanatic Tarrasque!

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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Quote Originally Posted by Endarire View Post
    For templates, what about the +1 LA White Dragonspawn? It's one of the best official +1 LAs you can get due to flight, +7 natural armor, a breath weapon, flight, and +1 effective Sorcerer level.
    Really don't get why a druid would want this. It seems like a codified list of things that don't do anything in a wild shape, except for the sorcerer level which generically doesn't do anything for a druid.

    Also, what about the Time Domain? It's less hassle than the Spell Domain (and doesn't require a spellbook/domain slots/GM interpretation to work) and grants a buncha spiffy spells. Also note that Chronepsis (Races of the Dragon) grants this domain. TN/NG/LN/CN/NE Druids can access this domain.
    It seems alright. Dunno what's so special about this. True strike is decent, gentle repose is crap, haste is pretty good, FoM is already on the druid list, permanency hits few spells on the druid list, contingency is great, moment is good, foresight is good, and time stop is past the singularity. So, we have a list that only really comes into its own starting at level 11. It does good things once you hit that point, but it doesn't seem like anything special. Nothing especially worth note relative to the other good domains out there.The spell domain is a hassle, sure, but it's also incredibly powerful, with its utility starting early on and then never really stopping.

    The arrowhawk seems fine, incidentally. Might toss it in.

  20. - Top - End - #470
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    The Time Domain is great starting at level 11ish which is the soonest people expect to dip Contemplative1 to get it.

    Animate with the spirit is a summoning spell meaning creatures produced by it can't use teleport abilities like plane shift.
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Quote Originally Posted by Endarire View Post
    The Time Domain is great starting at level 11ish which is the soonest people expect to dip Contemplative1 to get it.
    I suppose that's a reasonable argument regarding its inclusion in that context.

    Animate with the spirit is a summoning spell meaning creatures produced by it can't use teleport abilities like plane shift.
    Check yer citation yo. Summoning as a subschool doesn't have that restriction. Where that text actually appears is within the rules to summon monster and summon nature's ally (and maybe in other spells). Another place it does not appear is in animate with the spirit, meaning that plane shift is fair game.

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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Apologies about misreading/misrecalling Conjuration [Summoning] abilities.
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Thomil: I wasn't sure if a Thomil could Engulf something then turn into a boulder form to effectively trap its prey while it 'digests.' Is this RAW?

    Also, Rashemi + Augment Elemental + Augment Summoning (+ Spell Focus: Conjuration if needed) means for 3-4 feats, your summoned Elementals can get +6 HP/HD. That's sorta like tripling down on Elemental goodness.

    Celestial Animal Wild Shape: Your natural weapons are treated as magic for overcoming DR. Saves a greater magic fang sometimes.
    Last edited by Endarire; 2018-01-01 at 06:46 PM.
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Quote Originally Posted by Endarire View Post
    Thomil: I wasn't sure if a Thomil could Engulf something then turn into a boulder form to effectively trap its prey while it 'digests.' Is this RAW?
    I was skeptical of the plan, but there might be something to it. Assuming it works, then the impact would be that your DR increases to 15/- for the purposes of dealing enough damage to escape. There's no apparent reason this would stop escape artist based plans. That said, the big question is whether being in the process of engulfing a foe constitutes making attacks.
    Celestial Animal Wild Shape: Your natural weapons are treated as magic for overcoming DR. Saves a greater magic fang sometimes.
    True, I suppose. Decent side benefit of exalted wild shape.

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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    I'm surprised there's no mention of the Totem Druid variant from "Dragon 335" 87. There are some questions that the GM needs answering (like if Totem Shape explicitly counts as Wild Shape for Wild Shape-dependent abilities like Planar Shepherd and Exalted Wild Shape), but otherwise seems spiffy. In the ideal case, it works as per normal Wild Shape rules (though with very specific Wild Shape and animal companion forms) and lets you take Exalted Wild Shape, Planar Shepherd, etc. for even more forms!

    Also, what AC boostin' spells do you advise if luminous armor isn't usable or isn't wise to use? See Rules Compendium 79 for, "Observer in Complete Darkness: A light source can be spotted at a distance equal to 20 times its radius of illumination," meaning a large section of the Underdark can see you with luminous armor (effectively daylight).

    Some forms (like Fleshraker) grant racial bonuses to Hide or/and Move Silently, meaning Hide & Move Silently ranks are less needed.
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Quote Originally Posted by Endarire View Post
    I'm surprised there's no mention of the Totem Druid variant from "Dragon 335" 87. There are some questions that the GM needs answering (like if Totem Shape explicitly counts as Wild Shape for Wild Shape-dependent abilities like Planar Shepherd and Exalted Wild Shape), but otherwise seems spiffy. In the ideal case, it works as per normal Wild Shape rules (though with very specific Wild Shape and animal companion forms) and lets you take Exalted Wild Shape, Planar Shepherd, etc. for even more forms!
    I have it under variants. Was oddly missing a page number though. Also already had that stone spell from before, incidentally.
    Also, what AC boostin' spells do you advise if luminous armor isn't usable or isn't wise to use?
    Answer might just be barkskin. It's kinda surprising the degree to which it's the most efficient AC booster, even as it's just alright at AC boosting.

    See Rules Compendium 79 for, "Observer in Complete Darkness: A light source can be spotted at a distance equal to 20 times its radius of illumination," meaning a large section of the Underdark can see you with luminous armor (effectively daylight).
    Unless everyone in the party is running darkvision or something, it feels like this is going to be an issue regardless.
    Some forms (like Fleshraker) grant racial bonuses to Hide or/and Move Silently, meaning Hide & Move Silently ranks are less needed.
    Can't tell how those are categorized. Seems like the best case scenario regarding their usability is Ex special qualities, and there's a good chance they're straight up natural abilities.

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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    After rereading Totem Druid and Totem Shape, I was probably mistaken about how form adders worked: Normally, form adders rely on a Wild Shaper's ability to access forms of certain types (like Animal) and sizes (like Medium). Without that, what you gain is somewhere between nothing and trivial.

    Also remember that enhance wild shape allows taking of Plant forms and you can be affected by different effects from the list simultaneously via multiple castings, making Kelp Anglers available to Druids at 11, Boar Topiary Guardians at 7, and certain other forms sooner than 12.

    Thomil: Being an Earth Elemental for Engulf may seem inefficient, but, unlike a typical grappler (Giant Crocodile, Giant Constrictor Snake, etc.), it can Engulf on round 1 and continue acting normally on round 2 (including digesting whatever's in it) if the thomil is still around.

    Orglash: May also be useful defensively in cold environments due to fast healing 3 and the [Cold] subtype for cold damage immunity.

    Extract water elemental (Spell Compendium 86): This Druid6 and Sor/Wiz6 spell does d6 nonlethal damage per caster level (max 20d6) with SR: Yes and a Fort save for half. If you kill the subject with this spell, and this subject lacks the [Fire] subtype, you get a Water Elemental of the same size from this subject's corpse (max Huge) for 1 minute. It's a unique 2fer spell.

    Summon greater elemental (Spell Compendium 214): This Druid6 spell summons a Greater Elemental (water/air/fire/earth) for Concentration (max 1 round per level + 1 round) and otherwise lets you access Greater Elementals sooner. No SNA-linked bonuses though, like from Ashbound.
    Last edited by Endarire; 2018-01-03 at 04:08 AM.
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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    Quote Originally Posted by Endarire View Post
    Also, what AC boostin' spells do you advise if luminous armor isn't usable or isn't wise to use?
    Quote Originally Posted by eggynack View Post
    Answer might just be barkskin. It's kinda surprising the degree to which it's the most efficient AC booster, even as it's just alright at AC boosting.

    (Greater) Mage Armor is always an option as well, since you want something in the "Armor" column.
    Not sure of a way to get it natively on a Druid, but you can always do what the Monk does and buy the party mage a Pearl of Power.
    Eternal Wand of Extended Mage Armor gets you 2*6 hours a day for under 5k.

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    Question Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    In the free online (3.0) adventure "An Icy Heart", there's a new magic item called the Amulet of Freedom of Speech:

    Amulet of Freedom of Speech
    This amulet allows the wearer to verbally communicate despite lacking the physical ability to do so. For example, an awakened animal or plant that could not normally form words can do so while wearing this item. Note that the amulet does not impart any language ability—the wearer must have something to say.
    Caster Level: 7th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item; Market Price: 5,000.
    ...would this allow a Druid in Wildshape to cast spells without requiring the Natural Spell feat?

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    Default Re: Being Everything: Eggynack's Comprehensive Druid Handbook

    speech pearl is cheaper

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