How to play a druid in EFU?

[Drakill Tannan]

I'm wondering, since i've been playing a pure druids since i began to play in EFU, how do you guys do it? The druid is completly changed from the one i was used to, specially at low levels. I don't get how to make it work.

When unmodified, a druid let's summons do all the damage, while he stays behind casting spells to give his foes a disadvantage, however, in EFU the animal companions, specifically the panther has been nerfed so it becomes almost useless, no longer it has the sneak attack damage wich was the only thing remarcably good about it, instead is capped at 1d6 forever, i can't rely on it to deal damage, the summons, while effective last too little, making them good for a single encounter and then *poof* so i either memorise all summon creatures as posible, or only use one in a key encounter. I think i'm supposed to let my party deal all damage, maybe it's to encourage party play?

The druid's combat skills aren't too good either, being a caster druid i rely on wildshape to be able to stay in front and fight, i was a bit surprised when i tried to turn into a bear the first time and ended up as a deep roath (or whaetever they're called) i like the idea of many shapes, and as far as i've heard from other players the worg is the best from to fight, it's still not too efective, and unless i have barbskin, it has no AC either (well, 14, that meaning nothing) so neither can i be in the frontline for too long, because i'll get killed or will be forced back into human form to cast healing spells and- oops, can't transform untill i rest again!

But my greatest porblem is the spells, i can't get wich spells to use and wich don't, i used to memorise grese, lot's of it, it was very usefull when combined with a panther familiar, but now that it has been nerfed.. also most players don't even stop while i type to propose some kind of strategy, meaning at any time i'm facing an enemy a dwarf will be already fighting a horde, and casting grese will likely be worse for him than the enemies. So i can't use that, summoning snakes does no longer work efectively, they take 1 or 2 hits and die, and never deal damage. I ended up memorising lot's of cure light wounds. Level 2 spells are also a hard choice, i have to decie if i chose to buff up, or summon something usefull, the mountain cats are good summons, but the +3 AC is very helpfull too, specially because i need to make sure my near-useless companion doesn't get killed. Bull's strenght is something i'm looking for when on worg shape, and sometimes it does good to the panther as well. But if i do that there are no nice level 2 melee fighter summons so, what to do? At level 3 i can only use summon creature 3, already most of the level 3 druid spells where lame, but now that call lighting has been made almost unusable i really only have summon creature III as a choice, or have changes been made to healing sting, infestation of maggots, spike growth, etc.?

Just looking for some general advise on how to play, if anyone can help, i'll thank you.

[VanillaPudding]

Well, in general the changes are made to support the theme of the server and it's habitat. This is why you have different wild shapes and summons here than in a normal world. They are balanced to not be a huge duration as to not be overpowering, but useful for certain situations. (Although anything but a sorcerer will have a real hard time using the conjuration focus idea with much success)

Druids are not truly meant to be a damage dealing caster class. The spells you mentioned of third level are capable of disabling nearly any enemy in PvP, or perhaps a 'boss' creature in the quests.

I don't often play druids for personal reasons but quest wise and party wise you are mostly there for support or flanking, not to be a fighter with spells. The server is mostly dedicated to roleplay so be sure to focus on that more than the power of your character while killing monsters. Try to join with the current Druids in game and maybe ask these questions in character, ask for advice on using your powers of nature to support the people and groups you travel with.

In the end, be sure you have read over all the changes and rules posted on the website here. They are listed in detail under the changes section of information tab on top there.

[Drakill Tannan]

I understand druids are mostly support at low levels, but how to support? evey class has someting that only it can offer to the party, either it be superior healing, bard song, find/disable traps, buffs.. What does the druid has that makes it valuable in a party?

[The Crimson Magician]

Barkskin. It is useless after barkskin.

In that sense, a cleric wipes the floor with the plant domain.

[Howlando]

Some tips:

- Stealth. With camoflauge/one with the wild, you can get extremely high stealth.

- Buffs. You have access to many of the best buff spells in the game, most notable Bull's Strength (dramatically improving the damage of any fighter type), and Barkskin (dramatically removing the defensive capabilities of any fighter type). It is true that the majority of quests in EFU tend to be accomplished with fighter-types being buffed up by some kind of caster (although certainly that does and can vary).

- Herbalism. Many druids have a natural affinity towards herbalism. With Herbalism you can produce an essentially unlimited, cost-free supply of compcated medicine bags with which you can use to keep a party 100% healed up in between battles for virtually no gold cost.

Support in general. The server is awash with charged loot. A good support player/character can be the secret to beating many quests. Instead of self-buffing and fighting yourself, perhaps your druid will stand close behind a companion and keep them at top health and condition so he can keep fighting and not worry about healing himself in the middle of a battle.

Animal Empathy. Keep dangerous animals away from your party, or ally with them for tight spots (remember to use appropriately, most druids will not send animals into situations of certain death).

Various Perks. We have scripted various perks specifically for druids that are best discovered IG.

Druid-centered faction. We encourage well roleplayed druids to join this group, that does have nice perks associated with it.

Playing a druid is certainly difficult to do, both mechanically and in terms of roleplay. The second is far more important than the first, but I hope these simple suggestions help alleviate some of the frustration with the first.

[tooh]

In EFU, I always read too much about "overpowered" and "balanced" but nothing about what is the "reference".  Is a secret or a unknown point ? The classes and races are diferent as is, this is the most actrative and inteligent feature of NWN, the diversity and the possiblity of harmony, to party complementaty skill and feats. It's Faerun not Nemedia.

[Jayde Moon]

I wonder who it was that started the whole trend of druids calling other druids 'druidics' and calling elves 'elven' and dwarves 'dwarven' and halflings 'halven'... OK I made that last up...

I'd also really like to see someone play a charismatic and educated druid.  Someone who graduated from some University someplace.  Not all druids need be savage, tribalistic, and hateful of the civilized!  That's an exaggerated stereotype of EfU druids, but I think we know where I'm coming from!

On the viability of druids in EfU - Drakill, I encourage you to play around with different things and see how it works out.  One of the most powerful advantages of a Druid, that I have seen, is in flexibility.

A druid can be a fairly decent tank, a druid can be a buffer and healer, a druid can be an enemy force neutralizer, a druid can be an uber stealthy scout, mental and physical, all in one build (though not necessarily all at the same time).  Certainly it won't measure up in any one capacity as well as a character built around that single component... but being able to fill a variety of roles in one character simply isn't something to overlook.

[Sternhund]

If you really want to get into the whole nature scene, I'd recommend reading Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. Although she touches upon more modern-day problems, the mindset she has in that book can be applied well to EFUA, and make for that "intelligent" druid that Jayde Moon was describing.

[Egon the Monkey]

Responding to Jayde Moon, I would like to say WE NEED MORE SIGGY! Sigfried Bookbadger is my favourite druid ever on account of how he wants to bridge between the civilised and the wild, and how very different his is to the average druid.

Yes to that, yes to more "village wise woman" type druids, to PCs who decide to start as another class, meet druids IG and multiclass into Druid after taking an oath.

[FanaticusIncendi]

Sigfried Bookbadger is my favourite druid ever on account of how he wants to bridge between the civilised and the wild, and how very different his is to the average druid.

My PC preaches this constantly. There are a couple others who are working on this as well that I know of.

Totally agree on breaking out of the druid stereotype. Not sure where people get the idea that druids all have to be savage, dirty, and covered in tattoos. If you want to look at the historical writings we have on druids (mostly written by Romans, as the druids transmitted information through an oral tradition, not written) what you find is a class of people who were the judges, scholars, and advisers to kings; not to mention the healers and spiritual advisers. They filled many roles but first and foremost they were better educated than most, with training lasting around 19 years. Part of that training was bardic, as the druids had to be able to recite the lineage of kings and recount from memory the history of the lands in which they lived. Druids were bards first.

But we're talking DnD here so all that may be moot, or not, depending on how you want to play it I suppose.

Back on the original topic

I don't think a druid is a good up-front person in DnD, particularly in EfU. I think where they shine is working as a team with others of similar goals, and is probably one of the reasons why the DMs set up a faction for druids and the guardians of druids.

[Nihm]

Howland touched upon the druid buffs - barkskin and strength are buffs every fighter will cry for if they know you have it.  So is elemental resistance.
 
Probably the biggest perk of being a druid is that you get a free pass to being someone important that people will listen to.  Even a druid who is a total idiot "speaks for the land" and "knows better than everybody else."
 
Every efu druid does have stealth loot, uses the stealth spells, and probably has invested feats into stealth as well.  It is the only way you can survive in the wilderness, where spawns are routinely much more powerful than unbuffed pcs.

[Jayde Moon]

Even a druid who is a total idiot "speaks for the land" and "knows better than everybody else."

I think a bit of RP abuse of this by some has actually caused a situation where druids DON'T get a free pass to being 'someone important that people will listen to'.  In fact, I'm having a somewhat difficult time getting reasonable PCs to give druids the time of day.

[Drakill Tannan]

Thanks, i think all i have left is, as Jayde said, experiment. I really wasn't looking for RP advise, i already have my RP all set up, but thanks anyway.

[Sedarine]

You can stray from the path a bit too..EFU summons last longer if mixed with SF/GSF conjuration. Still not perfect, but better. Extend Spell is a good feat for any caster, but has a higher spell cost attached to it. Wands and potions are very hot commodities in EFU...brew barkskin potions and watch the good times roll. Wands can allow you to wand those useful spells and allow you to use your precious spell slots to better effect.

Want to get really odd? My last druid had expertise...expertise and improved expertise can allow you to survive tough encounters. I'd attack with expertise and allow my companion to do the damage. Not 100% solution, but it can and does work

[TheMoonlightBecomesYou]

My current druid has improved expertise. I've been a frontliner since level 5, wildshape cat does that. :D