helf or human for melee specced druid?

[Ertay]

Now that veteran status is allowed for druids, I decided I'll get started with one as well. Currently I'm considering a 2 monk splash with full wis for stunning fist, one more feat and evasion (I know monk splash animal form damage is broken for now, think I'll hold off the actual monk levels until later). The question now is, are 3d6 sneak attack worth sacrificing the free feat from human? I'm tempted to say yes, especially considering I'll beat stunned stuff more often then not in the end, where sneak attacks really start to shine.

Any input on that?

[Zyerz]

2 words.... Half orcs.

If you don't have half orcs, go half elf, imo.

[Ertay]

2 words.... Half orcs.

If you don't have half orcs, go half elf, imo.

I won't use 2h weapons, so horc is pretty much out. str bonus < 3d6 sneak attack any day, especially on one handed builds with stunning.

[Dolphious]

For a 2 monk splash I would go helf also. The wolf has a bluffing attack that should help to get your SA damage a fair amount, and no one feat is going to touch the DPS of 3d6 SA.

Wolf druid is only highly feat starved if you're going for capstone and/or you want both shield mastery feats on top of the 3 natural fighting feats. I think you'll be fine as an 18/2 centered "drunk".

[jsaving]

Bear in mind that you won't receive the usual handwrap attack speed bonus while in form, won't be able to slot passive bonuses in your offhand (or receive any shield doublestrike bonuses), and will make much more of a sacrifice defensively than pre-U14 monks had to endure. Those are all serious downsides to the 'dronk' that anybody should consider before making one.

But a monk splash also gives significant benefits such as evasion, bonus feats, and stances. And once you decide it's worthwhile to splash, I think rogue dilly is the strongest dilettante feat available by a wide margin and is easily worth the feat slot. Even if you didn't take stunning fist, it would *still* be better than a human bonus feat, at least in my view.

The only reason to consider anything else would be if you wanted to add a 1-level rogue splash to your build for extra versatility, in which case the human bonus feat would probably be better than your remaining dilly options.

[wax_on_wax_off]

I'd plan to not be centered even if you splash 2 monk and go half-elf, get SAs through a radiance weapon or other strategy. The 15% doublestrike available from Shield Mastery/Improved Shield Mastery/Legendary Shield Mastery is just too ridiculously good to give up on a wolf form druid.

[Memnir]

A lot of wolf and bear melee-by-spell attacks require ether a bluff or intimidate check. You don't need to succeed - just make the attempt. For that reason alone Half-Elf is a viable choice, due to the Social Graces they get.

[Myrddinman]

A lot of wolf and bear melee-by-spell attacks require ether a bluff or intimidate check. You don't need to succeed - just make the attempt. For that reason alone Half-Elf is a viable choice, due to the Social Graces they get.

^^
He speaks truths

I'd plan to not be centered even if you splash 2 monk and go half-elf, get SAs through a radiance weapon or other strategy. The 15% doublestrike available from Shield Mastery/Improved Shield Mastery/Legendary Shield Mastery is just too ridiculously good to give up on a wolf form druid.

^^
So does he

I am a huge fan of the 17 Druid/2 Monk/1 Fighter split (not that I've leveled one all the way up).

[Ertay]

I'd plan to not be centered even if you splash 2 monk and go half-elf, get SAs through a radiance weapon or other strategy. The 15% doublestrike available from Shield Mastery/Improved Shield Mastery/Legendary Shield Mastery is just too ridiculously good to give up on a wolf form druid.

Yes, got around to trying the split on live servers now that we have vet status, and decided to go helf 20 druid for now. I would have loved a highly synergetic stunning fist, but all the sacrifices tied to it (mainly the hit to doublestrikes by having to go without shield and another 2d6 from the capstone) made me reconsider.

I still think he won't turn out to be epic elite worthy, but the way to 20 should be a breeze with his solo capabilities, and a nice distraction from all those trs on my caster =)

[LupusVai]

Other things to be aware of.

Imortant if you thinking of taking monk levels:
Taking any levels of monk reduces your in form base damage to 1d6 (rather than 1d10 or 1d12)


Random broken stuff:

Baiting bite that is supposed to cause a bluff check doesn't. (supposed to be fixed in the latest lamania patch but suprise suprise it isn't) However they may eventually fix it.

Natures warrior PRE is broken and doesn't very often add the extra d6 damage to mobs under 50% health. Also the tier 2 version that is supposed to add 2d6 still only adds 1d6 on the odd occasion it actually works. Again they may actually fix it some day.

The enhancement that is supposed to reduce armour on a bluff check (cant recall name) I think is also not working. I've not seen any evidence of it happening when I've used the bluff skill. Although strangely it has debuffed me on more than one occasion! lol

Winter wolf critical 18-20 is actually 19-20 despite description. WAI? no one knows.

*EDIT* ahh just seen that you've decided to go pure and not take monk levels. Yeah the stunning fist is a nice bonus (i took a level of monk for it) I can't make up my mind though if I'm happy to live with the reduced base damage (1d6 over 1d10) though due to the monk level.

[Ertay]

Random broken stuff:
(...)

thx for the writeup, I knew most of those but some are new to me as well. Feels disheartening that we basically have to build around the bugs somehow. I'm also baffled that there is no statement about the crit range until now, as it would be a really devastating blow to that class if it would be WAI now.