Nature Witch (Druid 60)

[talon]

This is my first build, and also very new to NWN in general, so any feedback or opinions expected! ;p

(Objective: To make the best functioning caster druid for the HG server at this point in time using spells)

Ideas inspired by Zachan and the prior posting on the druid build on these forums mostly, and from my limited experiences(which include 2 scrapped druids)

My race is Thri-Kreen (For the armor skin ac boost and deflect arrows both of which will help with this build, also if memory serves correctly doesnt need lev ring and gives a free ring slot then while in desert)

starting attributes before sub-race influences:

STR	8
DEX	10
CON	16
WIS	18
CHA	8
INT	10

Skills: Keeping Concentration, Lore, Spellcraft and Animal Empathy Maxed per level. (I understand only so much of spellcraft is needed, but adding max for SR, not sure if it stacks with spell reistence spell though. Main reason was to counterspell, but with highest one [greater dispell] as a lvl 6 spell does that mean druids can only counter lvl 6 and below unless its the spell itself they have learned?)
Variations: drop animal empathy (then cant take advantage of the new summons, though not clear on how good they are at the lvl 50 one in any case, and also drop spellcraft then you can max discipline [though i dont forsee loosing your staff and a few spell too much trouble when you get it back, and more to sto takign yoru armor off] or appraise just to get more money.

Feats:

LVL	Feat	Reason
1	Spell Penetration	I know its not needed this early but nothing is and is most important later
1	Great Spell Penetration	same as above
3	Spell Focus Trans	Most effective early lvls as it increases AC from barkskin
6	Greater Spell Focus Trans	also for GMF and Spike
9	Spell Focus Conjure	Startign mainly for bombard but also for early lvls of SoV
12	toughness	need it before 20 fits in nicely here with a noticible difference
15	Combat Casting	Dont want to mess with defensive casting
18	Meta-magic Empowered	Only metamagic feat i thin you need for druid after wrtign down spells you want for high lvl
21	Epic Spell Focus Trans	Again barkskin AC bonus
24	Epic Spell Penetration	takign the penetrations as soon as i can
24	Imp. Combat Casting	Starting to attract more attention by this time with yoru AOE spells
27	Greater Spell Focus Conjure	For SoV and Bombardment
28	Great Wis I	For Dragon shape earlier
30	Great Wis II	Same as above
32	Dragon Shape	Mainly for early desert runs, but also for geneal usefulness in tight situations
33	Epic Focus Conjure	Bombardment
36	Spell Focus Evo	Call Light, Flame strike, icestorm. using Empowered on all these. Wont need the DC until now
36	greater Spell Focus Evo	Same as Above
39	Epic Focus Evo	Save as above
40	Great Will III	more will
42	LL Spell Penetration	Desert
45	LL Focus Conjure	Bombardment DC
48	Great Will IV	More Will
51	Great Will V	More Will
54	Great Will VI	More Will
57	Great Will VII	More Will
60	Great Will VII	More Will

Some more reasoning and explinations:
Ok this build utalizes the Trans for more AC and epic spell, Conjure only for bombardment(though the extra 10 to conceal is nice but not needed i would say for epic spell), Evo for epic spell and DC for remaining attack spells to be used, will use NEcro book for Necro epic spell. With the 4 Epic school spells will still end up with 60 ending Wisdom (up to personal opinion if you want to drop that down a few more to pick up Abj epic spell).
In early lvls will use Dire Tiger summons with greater magic fang scroll (until can cast the spell) to kill everything. However with the most currernt medium armor on and tower shield, cloak, ammy for ac you wont get hit much at all. By time you hit finish with Artic Kobalds and move to Strange Tower you should have some AOE's to throw around and the highest (or just behind the highest) one in the party with AC and able to tank as well. Stonehold works great here also. Soon as you get 2 SoV's head out to farm (or sooner if CoB'er in party) and use it to Stun and Creeping Dooms to kill.
This build will always utalize armor and shield. When you hit lvl 24-5 use the Druid staff from castle and equipt platemail +10 wihtout havign to use a feat for it. However in the end you will be wearing the UR druid medium armor. Your AC will be higher then mixing with monk, and better protections all around.
Until you start getting good equiptment this build will suffer some in LL area's and will want to use Dragon shape alot. Your spells will hit, but you wont be able to shrug off the dmg until you get soem nec. items (i.e. forwarned clasp, druid UR armor, wallopwader shield, ectoplastic weave, elemental amulet, presevation shield)

Why Pure 60 and not 1 monk or 1 fighter?
Reasoning: the Extra penetration, the extra feat, nothing in monk helps really but tumble and evasion but I feel this isnt nec due to the high ac and immunties this build has, and isnt helpful as better spells and the needed feat with the few you got anyways. As for fighter, you dont need anything fighter has and already have Armor skin and Deflect arrows for free the 2 most valuable ones.

Spells:
Since yoru amored you wont need any preminitions or Stoneskins after 20, so might as well drop them for more offensive spells, works great for me.
So buff spells are: Barkskin (Will add a little more ac), Spell Immunity, Mass Camoflauge(until you get Epic Trans one)
Offensive Spells:

LVL	SPELL
3	Lightning Strike Or Quill (depends on area)
4	Flame Strike
5	Empowered LS or Quills
6	Empowered Flame Strikes
7	Empowered Ice Storms
8	Bombardments
9	EQ's

As of now I am lvl 31 and without even the gear for spell slots I can use at this lvl (Due to not having great items) I have a total of 39 AOE spells and 18 Quills (Or 57 AOE spells if I go LS instea dof Quills) Thats only with the Staff, and the belt +3 for extra slots along with best ring you can get from druid store in town) All easy to get, (think you can wear a belt around +6-7 around this lvl if you have higher)
My Ac is 76 with around 550+ health, wearing +10 platemail, +9 cloak, +9 amulet, +9 tower shield and i believe +7 dodge boots, it comes to 75 ac without spells, The extra 1 comes from barkskin.

So far very fun and im enjoying it alot more then my prior builds.

*Waves* Now let the constructive critism begin ;p

[whodat1]

Main reason was to counterspell

Not really a druids forte. Think you lead yourself to this conclusion in your post tho.

12 toughness

You will benefit from moving toughness to an earlier level. Moving it to level 1 and pushing the rest down is a good idea.

Mainly for early desert runs

I don't disagree with taking dragon shape, but I would never take a feat that offers only temporary help with the build.

Great Will III

wis.

Why Pure 60 and not 1 monk or 1 fighter?
Reasoning: the Extra penetration, the extra feat, nothing in monk helps really but tumble and evasion but I feel this isn't nec due

Druids do not rely on DC as much as other casters do. You don't need to push to this extent.

Its flawed thinking to say that a non-concealment based caster doesn't need defensive help. No cheese is sacrificing a lot. Your survivability will be affected at lls.
People cheese fighter/paladin to get heavy armor proficiency. Same reasoning as above.

[talon]

Dont need heavy armor if using med armor, and even if you do need it you get the feat from staff or cloak.

As for concealment you get 60% concealment already. In my mind the extra feat plus the better spells overall is not worth evasion.

Mabey I am missing something though and I haven't played this at LL yet, so will keep you posted if i am glad to go pure or if i regret it later ;p

By all means if you disagree please post and state why, i am sure I am missing alot of advatages to this as well as disadvatages i havent thought of yet.

As for toughness yes you could move it up, but i fidn it a moot point as 1-10 hp doesnt do anything for you really when relying on dire tiger anyways ;p

[whodat1]

Dont need heavy armor if using med armor, and even if you do need it you get the feat from staff or cloak.

No, its because you dont think you need heavy plate on a druid. Med armor does not equal heavy plate, and sacrificing your staff or cloak slot is far from valid reasoning. However, you dont think you need heavy plate, then so be it.

In my mind the extra feat plus the better spells overall is not worth evasion.

Most of your core spells do not rely on dc. "better spells overall" essentially translates into "better bombardment." Dont forget your losing tumble and discipline by not taking monk. If your set on the build, then by all means.

[bort]

You can buy a cloak of worldliness from finely crafted imports in town, equip this, equip your heavy armor, then equip your cloak of choice, retaining the heavy armor. This method is a slight nuisance, but certainly possible if you think it's for the benefit of the build.

Discipline is handy for holding on to your Staff/Weapon on immortal runs, although I've not seen it come into play much after that - Drocs in desert (funny) and something in Illithids, but nothing serious as far as I can tell.

Tumble is nice for the +1 AC every 5 ranks and avoiding attack of opportunity as you get into place to blast earthquake/ other aoe spells originating from the caster.

[novia]

since you're a pure caster, i can tell you that your tumble ac isnt going to do you much good, especially if you aoe, because when you cast area spells, you're basically flanked by every single monsty around you (instead of almost every monsty around you), thus your tumble ac will be always negated (dodge and dex as well).
However, having 15 ranks of tumble is useful for running around.
As for taking discpline cross class, instead of base 43 discipline you, you can have a maximum of base 32 discipline at level 60.. that doesn't seem all that terrible to me.

Spellcraft: I don't think you'll be doing a terrible lot of counterspelling, but there's a little known fact that for every 5 points of modified spellcraft points, you gain 1 to all saves vs any sort of spell, and only spells. So it's helpful that way.

[flynn01]

There's another thread I just read that says the pluses from Spellcraft are counted in the +20 max to saves that you can get. I'm not sure how prolific + to save items are (most high lvl equipment I've seen have around +5 universal saves). So that's something to consider as well.

[FunkySwerve]

novia said:

since you're a pure caster, i can tell you that your tumble ac isnt going to do you much good, especially if you aoe, because when you cast area spells, you're basically flanked by every single monsty around you (instead of almost every monsty around you), thus your tumble ac will be always negated (dodge and dex as well).
However, having 15 ranks of tumble is useful for running around.

You are confusing flatfootedness with flanked. Flasnked just gives enemies a small bonus to hit.
Funky

[novia]

Hmm.. you know, you're right!
Oddly enough though trying to move around in combat makes you auto flatfooted, and so does finishing casting a spell...
So i guess its worth something after all.
Lag is evil.