Gingerspyce's caster/healer/quasi-tank build

[Parn]

Probably a dumb question but when farming DQ raid for torc do you recommend heroic or epic? I've been doing heroic because I've been told it has a smaller table.

[Vooduspyce]

Probably a dumb question but when farming DQ raid for torc do you recommend heroic or epic? I've been doing heroic because I've been told it has a smaller table.

That might be true because the epic raid can drop shards, but I'm not really sure if that cuts into named item drops. What is very important is your 20th completion. If you do your 20th completion on epic you will get a list of shards. If you do your 20th completion on heroic you will get a list of raid items.

[Parn]

That might be true because the epic raid can drop shards, but I'm not really sure if that cuts into named item drops. What is very important is your 20th completion. If you do your 20th completion on epic you will get a list of shards. If you do your 20th completion on heroic you will get a list of raid items.

Gotcha. Thank you for the swift response.

[Elxxia]

Hey Ginger, first of all I love how you keep this post up to date and relevant. keep up the good work.

On the list below, your link to Legendary Compliance actually takes you to the Legendary Wild Frost page. Also your Greensteel item links do not function, though there may not be a way to fix that

Head: Legendary Pansophic Circlet*, Legendary Drow Sage's Cowl, Legendary Compliance , Legendary Unbreakable Stormreach Guardian's Helm, Legendary Hardened Hide, Epic Halcyonia*, Epic Eloquence*, Epic Minos Legens*, Epic Mushroom Cap

Thanks so much for this build, I working on it right now over on Khyber.

[Vooduspyce]

Hey Ginger, first of all I love how you keep this post up to date and relevant. keep up the good work.

On the list below, your link to Legendary Compliance actually takes you to the Legendary Wild Frost page. Also your Greensteel item links do not function, though there may not be a way to fix that

Head: Legendary Pansophic Circlet*, Legendary Drow Sage's Cowl, Legendary Compliance , Legendary Unbreakable Stormreach Guardian's Helm, Legendary Hardened Hide, Epic Halcyonia*, Epic Eloquence*, Epic Minos Legens*, Epic Mushroom Cap

Thanks so much for this build, I working on it right now over on Khyber.

Hi Elxxia, thanks for the note, I fixed the Compliance link, but as far as I can tell the LGS links are an issue on YourDDO's end so going to leave the links as is for now and hope it gets fixed on the other side.

I'm glad your enjoying the build post, ty for saying and good luck with yours

[OliviaCrowley]

I've been gone quite a long time (four or so years?), but came back recently and have been wanting to get into TRing and such. I never really got into it when I was playing before, instead just enjoying my characters at cap and having a variety of characters. Now I've been wanting to focus on one main character, but I was suggested to have a secondary that just sits at 30 for raid completions and picking up BTA items for the other character.

Reading over the guide, this seems like it might be a great, flexible build for that purpose. Was thinking of going for a fairly minimal time investment and doing two PLs and stopping on third life. Something like Shadar-Kai Sorc x2 and then transition into the deep gnome build. Yes I realize how mechanically poor of a combination the two PLs are, but getting from 15-30 with it shouldn't be much of a problem. It'd be a fairly quick two PLs in each of the most important PLs and get the character to 36pt.

I'm a little uncertain of ending on Deep Gnome simply because of the guide suggesting doing them with multiple PLs, but I'm not sure how necessary that would be. The main reason I'd pick up Deep Gnome at the end would be to skip most of the Heroic content. I enjoy that content but I'll be doing it plenty on the character that won't be just sitting at 30. If I did the full heroic leveling process at the end I'd likely go Dragonborn.

I'd appreciate any thoughts or advice you may have on my goals with this build, or even just a simple 'this should work for your needs' would be greatly appreciated.

[Vooduspyce]

I've been gone quite a long time (four or so years?), but came back recently and have been wanting to get into TRing and such. I never really got into it when I was playing before, instead just enjoying my characters at cap and having a variety of characters. Now I've been wanting to focus on one main character, but I was suggested to have a secondary that just sits at 30 for raid completions and picking up BTA items for the other character.

Reading over the guide, this seems like it might be a great, flexible build for that purpose. Was thinking of going for a fairly minimal time investment and doing two PLs and stopping on third life. Something like Shadar-Kai Sorc x2 and then transition into the deep gnome build. Yes I realize how mechanically poor of a combination the two PLs are, but getting from 15-30 with it shouldn't be much of a problem. It'd be a fairly quick two PLs in each of the most important PLs and get the character to 36pt.

I'm a little uncertain of ending on Deep Gnome simply because of the guide suggesting doing them with multiple PLs, but I'm not sure how necessary that would be. The main reason I'd pick up Deep Gnome at the end would be to skip most of the Heroic content. I enjoy that content but I'll be doing it plenty on the character that won't be just sitting at 30. If I did the full heroic leveling process at the end I'd likely go Dragonborn.

I'd appreciate any thoughts or advice you may have on my goals with this build, or even just a simple 'this should work for your needs' would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Xinrok,

Getting sorc past lives is definitely a good goal for caster druid. As far as this build working for your goals, I'm not really sure because it's not clear to me what your goals are. You want to have the toon at 30 to raid with, but that by itself is ambiguous. What kind of raiding, what difficulty, what role do you wish to fill in those raids, etc.? For example if you wanted to tank end game raids on R1, I would not suggest that a third life version be used for that. But if you're just doing legendary normal and hard raiding then that would be a different matter. If you give me a better idea of what you're looking to do with the toon then I can give you a better answer. I am also happy to discuss this live during one of my live streams if you like at twitch.tv/vooduspyce. I live stream nearly every, though not on a schedule

[GrantAnderson]

Thanks again for such a useful and comprehensive thread. I've been away for a long time (before Ravenloft came out) and I was partway through a Druid life when I stopped. This has let me pick her back up with a minimum of relearning! (And the update 38 changes didn't hurt either.)

[GrantAnderson]

It turns out that my Druid build was basically this, but with 8 AP sunk into Harper Agent, Augment Summoning, and a Druid past life, so that my pets/summons/hirelings have +10 to all ability scores. It's been working pretty well so far, but I imagine that the +10 to ability scores starts to become less significant as I go up levels. I'm about to hit L8, and I'm wondering when it makes sense to redeploy my 8AP back into Season's Herald or Nature's Protector, and feat-swap Augment Summoning for Shield Mastery or something similar. (It was nice to have my hireling be able to trigger all the runes in Epic Partycrashers at level, though )

[SirValentine]

It turns out that my Druid build was basically this, but with 8 AP sunk into Harper Agent, Augment Summoning, and a Druid past life, so that my pets/summons/hirelings have +10 to all ability scores. It's been working pretty well so far, but I imagine that the +10 to ability scores starts to become less significant as I go up levels. I'm about to hit L8, and I'm wondering when it makes sense to redeploy my 8AP back into Season's Herald or Nature's Protector, and feat-swap Augment Summoning for Shield Mastery or something similar. (It was nice to have my hireling be able to trigger all the runes in Epic Partycrashers at level, though )

So I was recently doing something similar (w. 3 Druid PLs), all the way up to taking Improved Augment Summoning and Scion of Elysium at level 30. And I made a 3-slot Sentient with the Cry of Battle set in it. Not for primarily for summoned monsters themselves, nor even for my wolf, though they get the benefit. I did probably my fastest ever Reaper Heroic HoX at level 19, and a quick & smooth Reaper Legendary HoX at level 30. It all came together nicely for favor & first-time bonuses. After that, I ERed, dumping all that stuff for more conventional caster feats/enhancements.

Another interesting thing to note about hireling-ability-boosting is that hirelings who have abilities with a number of charges based on ability score will indeed have more charges. I.e., the higher Charisma means those Cleric hirelings will be able to give you more Divine Vitality.

[GrantAnderson]

So I was recently doing something similar (w. 3 Druid PLs), all the way up to taking Improved Augment Summoning and Scion of Elysium at level 30. And I made a 3-slot Sentient with the Cry of Battle set in it. Not for primarily for summoned monsters themselves, nor even for my wolf, though they get the benefit. I did probably my fastest ever Reaper Heroic HoX at level 19, and a quick & smooth Reaper Legendary HoX at level 30. It all came together nicely for favor & first-time bonuses. After that, I ERed, dumping all that stuff for more conventional caster feats/enhancements.

Another interesting thing to note about hireling-ability-boosting is that hirelings who have abilities with a number of charges based on ability score will indeed have more charges. I.e., the higher Charisma means those Cleric hirelings will be able to give you more Divine Vitality.

That sounds awesome! Is there anything I should be watching for in the mid levels?

[Vooduspyce]

It turns out that my Druid build was basically this, but with 8 AP sunk into Harper Agent, Augment Summoning, and a Druid past life, so that my pets/summons/hirelings have +10 to all ability scores. It's been working pretty well so far, but I imagine that the +10 to ability scores starts to become less significant as I go up levels. I'm about to hit L8, and I'm wondering when it makes sense to redeploy my 8AP back into Season's Herald or Nature's Protector, and feat-swap Augment Summoning for Shield Mastery or something similar. (It was nice to have my hireling be able to trigger all the runes in Epic Partycrashers at level, though )

Having a buff wolf can be a lot of fun. In heroics, I've found that beyond about R3 the wolf requires too much maintenance but is useful for R1-3 questing. I've also found that the wolf's usefulness tends to noticeably diminish around mid-teen levels. Ultimately, I would encourage you to keep going with it for as long as you're having fun with it

[Malliat]

Newbie here, just curious how your aoe gets later on as a druid. Im at level 8 now and its a struggle to clear trash since a lot of it is immune to cold damage. I'm not to sure if i want to stick with the druid or go like an air savant, i just like dropping lightning on people.

[Vooduspyce]

Newbie here, just curious how your aoe gets later on as a druid. Im at level 8 now and its a struggle to clear trash since a lot of it is immune to cold damage. I'm not to sure if i want to stick with the druid or go like an air savant, i just like dropping lightning on people.

What difficulty are you running? Ice Storm does both cold and bludgeoning damage, and I've found it works well at level 8 to clear just about anything, but you'll get Wall of Fire at level 9, so you'll have another good option for mobs that aren't taking as much cold damage, and Wall of Fire is definitely preferable for undead since it does extra damage to undead. At level 13 you'll get Body of the Sun, which makes you a walking firewall, at 17 you'll get Storm of Vengeance. Stick to SLA's for single targets and smaller groups to conserve sp and save a maximized and empowered Ice Storm for larger groups.

If you're interested in comparing performance you can check out a couple videos that I made during 2 different series this year...

Northwynd 2 ep 8: Level 8 - R1 Tharashk Arena (VON 1) - here I am soloing on 2nd lifer on another server where I didn't have access to all the goodies on my main server.

Gingerspyce Tiefling Druid ep8: Stromvauld's Mine, Captives of the Cult, Libram of the Six - here I am on Gingerspyce in a group with a few guildies.

Both of these videos were made prior to the level restriction changes of Update 42.4 so the above content could be done now as high as level 10 for maximum Rxp and bravery.

Hope that helps

[GrantAnderson]

What difficulty are you running? Ice Storm does both cold and bludgeoning damage, and I've found it works well at level 8 to clear just about anything, but you'll get Wall of Fire at level 9, so you'll have another good option for mobs that aren't taking as much cold damage, and Wall of Fire is definitely preferable for undead since it does extra damage to undead. At level 13 you'll get Body of the Sun, which makes you a walking firewall, at 17 you'll get Storm of Vengeance. Stick to SLA's for single targets and smaller groups to conserve sp and save a maximized and empowered Ice Storm for larger groups.

If you're interested in comparing performance you can check out a couple videos that I made during 2 different series this year...

Northwynd 2 ep 8: Level 8 - R1 Tharashk Arena (VON 1) - here I am soloing on 2nd lifer on another server where I didn't have access to all the goodies on my main server.

Gingerspyce Tiefling Druid ep8: Stromvauld's Mine, Captives of the Cult, Libram of the Six - here I am on Gingerspyce in a group with a few guildies.

Both of these videos were made prior to the level restriction changes of Update 42.4 so the above content could be done now as high as level 10 for maximum Rxp and bravery.

Hope that helps

Oh my goodness! I completely missed the Update 42.4 XP changes when I was catching up on what happened while I was gone. Those are great changes - I've been doing elite, but I was wondering what to do if I hit a brick wall; I didn't want to lose my streak and now streaks aren't a thing any more.

[babybatter]

Have your thoughts changed at all on deep gnome and the 1 wizard level?

[Vooduspyce]

Have your thoughts changed at all on deep gnome and the 1 wizard level?

I actually just went back to that a couple months ago and am playing it now. Still love it

[Vooduspyce]

I moved this section out of the op because the op was running out of space.

I have 7 video series that are designed to support the build...


Tiefling Druid Series (2019)
This is my most up to date series where I played as a Tiefling. This series is best for experienced players with a collection of past lives, but will be valuable for even new players. It features all reaper play, going to level cap of 30 with an instructional, demonstrative video for every level where I offer tips and advice. In each episode I go over gear, enhancements, feats and discuss other important considerations. While Tiefling is a good option for caster druid, by the time I finished the series and experimented with the new Tielfling race and enhancements, I decided to go back to Deep Gnome.

Check out the series at Gingerspyce Tiefling Druid


True Second Life Series (2018-19)
This series is the sequel to the 2016 True First Life series. It is best for newer players without a bunch of past lives, but will be valuable for others as well. Here I am on another server without access to the wealth, guild and resources of my main server, using only what I was able to amass during the True First Life series. It features all reaper play, going to level cap of 30 with an instructional, demonstrative video for every level where I offer tips and advice and I kept a detailed journal to help others. It is my first series that includes the new druid gear and enhancements from update 38.

Check out the companion post with all episodes and a journal of my experiences filled with tips and advice later in this thread at Northwynd 2: The Druid True Second Life Series


Dragonborn Project (2017)
This series features Gingerspyce playing through her 3 Dragonborn lives. In the first life of the series I ran as my normal druid build from levels 1-20. Like the other guides, I go over gear, enhancements, feats and discuss other important factors in each video. The series was my first featuring all reaper questing and captures my first experiences in heroic reaper questing with Gingerspyce.

Check out the series at The Gingerspyce Dragonborn Project


True First Life Series (2016-17)
The true first life series is best for newer players who are starting with very little and are still learning the game. To emulate some of the struggles of a "true first life" experience, this series puts me on another server where I have no friends, no plat, no gear, no guild and no ship buffs. In the series I worked through the build and elite streak all the way to level cap of 30. In each episode I go over the gear, feats, spells, enhancements, etc. that I'm using for that level. Anyone can follow the fun, but it is geared toward newer players who are interested in a caster druid and would like guidance all along the way in the form of instructional videos and a detailed journal. Starting at level 2, I do a video for every level so new players can see how the build performs every step of the way. This series was completed in early 2017, prior to reaper mode.

Check out the companion post with all episodes and a journal of my experiences filled with tips and advice later in this thread at Northwynd: The Druid True First Life Series


Deep Gnome Guide (2016)
The Deep Gnome series is best for experienced players with a collection of past lives, but will be valuable for even new players. Like the other guides, I go over gear, enhancements, feats and discuss other important factors in each video. This series was made in mid 2016 so was prior to reaper mode and the update 38 druid changes.

Check out the series at Gingerspyce Deep Gnome Druid Project


TR Guide (2015)
The TR guide series is better for experienced players with a collection of past lives, but will be valuable for even new players. Here I worked through what was my final life at the time. Similar to the first life series, all videos are narrated and in each video I go over what the gear, spells, feats and enhancements look like for the level I'm doing except now it is showing what gearing and performance is like after many lives. This series was made in early 2015 so some information is outdated.

Check out the series at TR Guide to the Gingerspyce Pure Druid Caster/Healer/Quasi-tank Build


Beginner's Guide (2014)
The beginner's guide is better for newer players who have some experience, resources and ship buffs. I demonstrate the first-life effectiveness of the build on my home server. All videos are narrated and in each video I go over what the gear, spells, feats and enhancements look like for the level range I'm doing. This series will be valuable for anyone who is new to druid and interested in any kind of druid caster/healer. For the project I made a new toon "Scaryspyce" and through level 20 I solo everything on elite, including some of the most difficult heroic content, without using any ability tomes, store pots/buffs, hirelings, green steel or raid loot. This series was made in mid 2014, so some information is outdated.

Check out the series at A Beginner's Guide to the Gingerspyce Pure Druid Caster/healer/Quasi-tank Build

[Bricklok]

Hey,

Recently returned after a decade+ long hiatus from the game. Everything is different, and I decided to just re-roll all together to relearn the game.

I started with a druid after reading your guide, and I really like the idea of being a tanky elemental caster/backup healer. I'm level 11 on a first life so far and enjoying it. A couple questions though:

1) Is this build still viable end game as written with all the changes in the game? It's still working great at my level, but i'm still a baby.

2) Are you using heavy armor without the feat? What feat would you swap from your build for the Heavy armor feat if you did?

3) I've read that 1st lifers have issues with landing spells 17+, how did you deal with this issue with your 1st life run?

Thanks for the help!


*** UPDATE *** Answered question #2 on my own, didn't see the Magical Beast AP gave heavy armor proficiency.

[Vooduspyce]

Hey,

Recently returned after a decade+ long hiatus from the game. Everything is different, and I decided to just re-roll all together to relearn the game.

I started with a druid after reading your guide, and I really like the idea of being a tanky elemental caster/backup healer. I'm level 11 on a first life so far and enjoying it. A couple questions though:

1) Is this build still viable end game as written with all the changes in the game? It's still working great at my level, but i'm still a baby.

2) Are you using heavy armor without the feat? What feat would you swap from your build for the Heavy armor feat if you did?

3) I've read that 1st lifers have issues with landing spells 17+, how did you deal with this issue with your 1st life run?

Thanks for the help!


*** UPDATE *** Answered question #2 on my own, didn't see the Magical Beast AP gave heavy armor proficiency.

Hi Bricklok,

The build post is still current, still plays as indicated and I still play the build. My newest videos series The Gingerspyce Tiefling Druid is a post-Sharn guide, however I went back to playing as a Deep Gnome. You can also check out today's Twitch live stream where we did R8 legendary Ravenloft chain 2-3 if you'd like to take a look at how it's performing these days with a full party.

Regarding landing spells, druids have an arsenal of spells that aren't save-based such as Ice Storm, Storm of Vengeance, Sleet Storm, Creeping Cold, Greater Creeping Cold, Word of Balance, Produce Flame and Enveloping Swarm. Generally the only spells that I use that have saves are Earthquake, Call Lightning (most just the SLA because it's cheap to cast), Creeping Doom and Salt Ray. In most content I don't have issue with landing these spells despite not being a max DC build, however I definitely have issues with these spells landing in legendary Sharn. I compensate for this by using Tsunami as a twist, which hits very well and is better crowd control than Earthquake in high skull reaper since Earthquakes duration is reduced to the point of making it basically useless in R7+. I would recommend that a first life version of the build stick to much lower difficulties, especially for a new or returning player.

If you'd like to see how an under-geared first or second life version of the build performs I'd recommend taking a look at either Northwynd: The Druid True First Life Series or Northwynd 2: The Druid True Second Life Series. In every episode I show and discuss how the build performs all along the way.

I also welcome you to stop in the live stream any time to ask questions. I stream nearly every day at Twitch channel vooduspyce.

Hope that helps