Looking for a pure druid build

[Such755]

Hello.
On my way to completionist, I have decided that druid will be my next class to play.
The only thing I know about druids is that they can be either melee or spell casters, so there are options there. Other than that, I am clueless.
My goal from the build:
1) Get to know and understand the druid class
2) Be able to go all the way to level 28, while doing elite \ epic elite content, and having decent survivability but also usefulness to the party. I solo a lot in heroics, but I also -always- put up LFMs, so I end up with other people most of the times, and I never solo epic elite content.
3) Be a pure druid

I have no preference as for being a melee or a spell caster druid, I do want some information on either options.

Some info:
Past lives: All except for bard and druid, all x1
VIP with all adventure packs

So, please help me come up with a build that will serve me will until I TR again.
Other than feats, please give some information about gear I should get before I TR.

Thank you in advance :)

[Silverleafeon]

Honestly, there is very little difference between a Favored Soul Build and a Druid build.

The main difference is that you are an Earthquake EVOKER, never a necromancer.
You want Epic Spell Focus Evocation or at least Greater Spell Focus Evocation.
You want Empower and Maximize for your Spell Like Abilities.
Since you are not as likely to use instant kill, you have less need of spell pen.


I copied below a Favored Soul build, its practically the same thing. Druid Adaptations in red




Well your feats are taken at the wrong levels (imho wcbvw), let me explain.

Heighten is worthless until you can reach high enough spell levels to justify using it. For example if your highest cast spell is level 6 and you heighten blade barrier you get nothing from it.

Maximize spell is very expensive and not really usable at low levels due to the sp costs, so taking it at level 1 is worthless too.

Heavy Armor proficiency becomes desirable when you can wear Thunderforged Heavy Armor with Epic DR 30 option, that makes it a possible Epic Feat.

Spell Focus Necromancy is tied into with Spell Penetration and since you don't have all your spell pen past lives, you might want the ability to twist more spell pen by opening up that route with Spell Penetration.

Your favorite school is Evocation, so why not take that early on?

You have totally left out quicken and that is super nice to have.

You did not mention what ED you will be in, which changes things too?



Changed:

Human: Spell Focus Evocation
Level 1: Empower Spell

Level 3: Arcane Initiative

Level 6: Spell Penetration or whatever

Level 9: Maximize Spell

Level 12: Quicken

Level 15: Heighten

Level 18: personally Greater Spell Pen if you want to dabble in instant kills or Greater Evocation Focus if you want to be the Evoker

Level 21: Whatever you want. Epic Evocation Focus

Level 24: Heavy Armor Proficiency or whatever you want

Level 26: Spell Power Light or Spell Power Fire or Spell Power cold

Level 27: Ruin

Level 28 ~ Hellball or Mass Frog or Forced Escape (try them out, btw Mass Frog does not properly apply spell pen but that is one of your weakness anyway)


See above.




I like Int of 14 if you can afford it.

Concentration + Heal + Spellcraft
Extra points into Balance
Some into Jump

You can make do w/o UMD as you are wearing Medium armor.



Dump everything into Angel of Vengeance Season's Herald

And don't forget the often overlooked Order's Wrath spell (auto stun, evocation school, will save) Word of Balance



hmm... are you doing epic levels too?

how about a few CitW and hunting down the casting staff from there, but you don't have to have it


I would recommend some plat to use the auction house occasionally, and craft up some tier 2 thunderforged as you go along, or make them ahead of time. Spell Focus Evocation on one of them, maybe spell pen on the other. Light and Force 150 spell power. One could be an orb or off hand weapon, and other could be a dart/throwing dagger.

Darts are nice because you can draw a monster into your blade barrier aoe. Learn the Blade Barrier Earthquake dances, it is your cup of tea. Comet Fall Ice Stormis also nice along with Greater Command Greater Creeping Cold and Holy Smite SLAs.

Also a non upgraded lantern ring is nice.


Do you have choice of ED?

Shirdia and Exalted Angel work well.
Magistar, Primal, and others work fine if you tinker a bit.

[Silverleafeon]

Melee Druids involve Wolf form and what works and does not work with wolf form changes as it slightly buggy.
However, done right it is near the top of the dps chain (close enough).

Likely pick up 2WF, all the natural fighting you can take, multi-class monk or fighter or ranger, etc...I'll leave the specs to others...

[Silverleafeon]

3) Be a pure druid


This likely sends you down the caster path, as melee druids love their fighting feats. However, you can melee on a pure druid and do fairly well.

[unbongwah]

For a caster spec, have a look at Ginger's build (https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/427398-Gingerspyce-s-caster-healer-quasi-tank-build). If you don't care about quasi-tanking capabilities, you can drop the Toughness & Shield Mastery feats for more metamagics, DC bonuses, or the Mental Toughness chain.

If you're interested in a melee-caster hybrid wolf pure druid build, I've been running one thru a couple of EPLs. Current feat loadout is TWF x3, Precision, IC:Blunt, Quik, Max, Emp Heal, Heighten, Overwhelming Crit. For more info on what's working on wolf builds, see this thread (https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/455517-Melee-druid-what-is-working-with-it).

[silinteresting]

may i ask why pure druid?

by mixing you can have better stats and more power, im currently on my
13th druid life (i love the class) and i can honestly say pure isnt the best.

some examples below:

15 druid, 4 fvs, 1 wiz.
light and fire based caster running in the exalted angel tree.

17 druid, 3 sorc.
cold caster running in the draconic tree.

17 druid, 3 fighter.
tank running in the unyielding sentinel tree.

17 druid 2 fvs, 1 wiz.
group friendly, running in the shiradi champion tree.

all the above i believe are better when run in above trees than a pure.

anyway good luck on what you do and i hope you have as much fun as i
do playing a druid.

your friend sil :)

[Silverleafeon]

I forgot to add, umd as a skill is a must have, because Reincarnation is terribly slow to cast (almost life threatening in desperate times) as you are locked into to casting it once started (and yes that is even with quicken). The Use Magic Device skill is for Raise Dead and Resurrection scrolls (which could really cost you plat if you are doing a ton of Mark of Death raids).

[Vooduspyce]

Thanks Unbong for plugging my build :)

If you are new to druid and you decide to do any type of caster druid I recommend reading through my build post, as there's lots of good info in there for folks new to druid casters.

Good luck and I hope you have fun playing your druid!