Seek Advice :: DRUID/TRAPPER With Either Caster or Melee Focused?

[pgol462]

I am 3rd time reincarnated adventurer that started playing a Druid. I am 8th level and Druid/Rogue/Barbarian that is focused on melee. I took Rogue classes as I am often annoyed with having to pay for an additional rogue to do traps (to the level purchased healer Inormally run with). I took Barbarian for enhancement and run speed. Melee focus is sword and board. In Enhancements, I am concentrated in Season's Herald (for Autumn Winds), Nature's Warrior and Occult Slayer (extra +6 AC and +3 Magic Resistance is hard to not take).

Key attributes of Level 8 toon:
6 Druid/1 Rogue/1 Barbarian
36 pt build focused in STR and CON
45 AC
20/14/16 Saves
+19 hit, +31 dmg scimitar + 5D6 sneak (15-20 crit)
191 HP/406 SP (used primarity for emergency heals and buffs)
Non-item buffed skills:
+17 Disable Device
+16 Spot
+17 Search
+15 Open Locks
*+10 to each skill above with items

The Request for Feedback
Though I am handling Reaper 1 quests well, I have read through GingerSpice's Wolf build and I wonder if Wolf Caster is a better route. Then I started exploring:
INT based Druid Melee builds
Quarterstaff (with Thief-Acrobat) Druid builds
Wolf Caster Builds
Bear Melee Builds (play tested and found my defensive capabilities increased but offensive decreased. End state, quests took longer and the extra defense didn't seem to matter)


Are Wolf Casters the strongest Druid build?
Are Rogue splashes or Barbarian splashes overrated?
What is a best Druid build to solo mid level reapers with?



Kvaos

[Ultinoob]

This is a hard nut to crack. A druid needs either to go full up in str or just to get power attack. Lets say you have a str tome. Next you need con and then int for trapper skills and then wisdom if you want to cast spells. That is a lot of abilities.

I tried making a draft for a bear build with trapper skills - there are errors but you can maybe use some of it:


New Build
15/3/2 Druid/Artificer/Barbarian
Dwarf


Level Order

1. Artificer . . . 6. Barbarian. . . 11. Druid. . . . . 16. Druid
2. Druid. . . . . .7. Druid. . . . . 12. Druid. . . . . 17. Druid
3. Druid. . . . . .8. Druid. . . . . 13. Druid. . . . . 18. Druid
4. Druid. . . . . .9. Artificer . . .14. Druid . . . . .19. Druid
5. Artificer . . .10. Barbarian. . . 15. Druid. . . . . 20. Druid


Stats
. . . . . . . .36pt . . Tome . . Level Up
. . . . . . . .---- . . ----. . .--------
Strength. . . . 18. . . .+7. . . .4: STR
Dexterity . . . .8. . . .+7. . . .8: STR
Constitution. . 18. . . .+7. . . 12: STR
Intelligence. . 16. . . .+7. . . 16: STR
Wisdom. . . . . .8. . . .+7. . . 20: STR
Charisma. . . . .6. . . .+7. . . 24: STR
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28: STR

Skills (Errors)
. . . . . A .D .D .D .A. B .D .D .A. B .D .D .D .D .D .D .D .D .D .D
. . . . . 1 .2 .3 .4 .5. 6 .7 .8 .9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
. . . . .------------------------------------------------------------
Concent . 4 .1 .1 .1 .1. 1 .1 .1 .1. 1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .23
Disable . 4 .1 .1 .1 .1. 1 .1 .1 .1. 1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .23
Open Lo . 4 .1 .1 .1 .1. 1 .1 .1 .1. 1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .23
Search. . 4 .1 .1 .1 .1. 1 .1 .1 .1. 1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .23
Spot. . . 4 .1 .1 .1 .1. 1 .1 .1 .1. 1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .23
. . . . .------------------------------------------------------------
. . . . .20 .8 .8 .8 .5 10. 8. 8. 5 10 .8 .8 .8 .8 .8 .8 .8 .8 .8 .8
Max . . .28 .8 .8 .8 .8. 8 .9 .9 .9. 9 .9 .9 .9 .9 10 10 10 10 10 10


Feats

.1. . . . : Power Attack
.3. . . . : Cleave
.6. . . . : Great Cleave
.9. . . . : Natural Fighting
12. . . . : Improved Critical: Bludgeoning
15. . . . : Natural Fighting
18. . . . : Natural Fighting
21 Epic . :
24 Epic . :
26 Destiny:
27 Epic . :
28 Destiny:
29 Destiny:
30 Epic . :
30 Legend :

.3 Druid. : Wild Shape 1: Bear
.8 Druid. : Wild Shape 1: Wolf
13 Druid. : Wild Shape 2: Dire Bear
16 Druid. : Wild Shape 2: Winter Wolf
18 Druid. : Wild Shape 3: Fire Elemental


Enhancements (74 of 80 AP)

Nature's Protector (37 AP) Nature's Protector, Nature's Defense, Magical Beast, Big Claws Rage of the Beast II, Bloody Claws III, Enchanted Defense III, Animal Brutality III
Primal Beast II, Bloody Claws, Grizzled Defense III
Enduring Beast II, Savage Roar, Constitution
Undying Beast, Beast Awakened, Constitution
Beast Unleashed, Bear Charge, Lightning Strikes the Mountain, Force of Nature III
Renegade Mastermaker (13 AP) Renegade Defender, Alchemical Shield Easily Fixed, Well-Rounded Maker I, Toughness III
Armor Mastery III
Reinforced Armor III
Frenzied Berserker (13 AP) Die Hard Extra Rage III, Die Harder III, Power Rage III
Ravager (7 AP) Furious Rage Barbarian Power Attack III, Hardy Rage III
Occult Slayer (4 AP) Weapon Bond Extend Rage III

[C-Dog]

(Gotta wonder if the OP has Arti. But Rogue should be an easy substitute.) :confused:

A Druid/Trapper wants Spot plus 2 1/2 cross-class skills (the "1/2" being Open Lock, as you can easily get away w/ half-ranks in that, 11 ranks (or even less) at Level 20). But that alone demands 6 skill points/level, and that's before any Caster Skills (Concentration, Heal, and/or Spellcraft).

So your choices are

1) Have an Int of at least 14 (12 on a Human), which doesn't synergize well w/ anything "Druid" (and an Int tome would obviously help here!),

2) abandon some/all caster skills,

and/or

3) take more than 1 Rogue level, making up the points periodically. And then (as in the above build) the question becomes - how many such levels must be "sacrificed" to achieve/maintain Trapping?


Are Rogue splashes or Barbarian splashes overrated?
The Druid questions I'm not qualified to respond to, but re this - they are rated perfectly, for what they are.

If you want to Trap, Rogue (or Arti) splash is the answer. Evasion (or dog/etc.) is a nice bonus.

If you want to run 10% faster, either for kiting or just general transportation, and your class doesn't have speed buffs of its own, Barb is the answer.

They both are what they are, nothing more. Only you can answer whether they are something you want to incorporate in your build.