Thinking of a druid caster build- few questions

[Hirosue]

I haven't played a druid yet and thought that i would like to play a caster druid as i have build many melee casters in the past.

want to make a 20 druid not multi-classed

My main has past life's

3 x wizard
3 x sorc
3 x Fvs

I was thinking about going Half-Elf with monk dilettante which nets- 40% healing amp + 3 spell pen and 100 extra spell points and +2 wisdom all from the racial tree(25ap)

been reading these forums a fair bit and a lot of people are going human .I would assume for the extra feat and heal amp ?

Does human offer so much more than half elf ?

Inclining towards Evoker type build

any suggestions appreciated

thanks

p.s i have lots of gear. was thinking revers refuge robe with 10% ans 20% healing amp plus 30 % gloves plus HE would make very survivable druid

[Grailhawk]

I haven't played a druid yet and thought that i would like to play a caster druid as i have build many melee casters in the past.

want to make a 20 druid not multi-classed

My main has past life's

3 x wizard
3 x sorc
3 x Fvs

I was thinking about going Half-Elf with monk dilettante which nets- 40% healing amp + 3 spell pen and 100 extra spell points and +2 wisdom all from the racial tree(25ap)

been reading these forums a fair bit and a lot of people are going human .I would assume for the extra feat and heal amp ?

Does human offer so much more than half elf ?

Inclining towards Evoker type build

any suggestions appreciated

thanks

p.s i have lots of gear. was thinking revers refuge robe with 10% ans 20% healing amp plus 30 % gloves plus HE would make very survivable druid

I personally think Human is better but Helf is the only other race I've even thought about using the +1 Wisdom over human makes it a very good choice if not the best.

Pure 20 Caster Druid is pretty simple to build take the 2-3 Metamagic feats (Max, Empower, Quicken being my choices) take the all the DC (Spell focus (Evocation) + Wiz Past Life), then fit in either defensive feat like dodge, toughness, Epic toughness, or Spell Point (mental toughness)

[unbongwah]

I was thinking about going Half-Elf with monk dilettante which nets- 40% healing amp + 3 spell pen and 100 extra spell points and +2 wisdom all from the racial tree(25ap)

Too expensive, IMHO - I'd rather have the extra feat from human and put more APs into druid - but certainly doable.

Since you've clearly played casters before, I presume you already know how to build them. The specific advice concerning druids:

• Most DPS spells are Evocation, so naturally that's the school you focus on. But Storm of Vengeance is Conjuration and it's probably my favorite druid spell; closest thing we get to Meteor Swarm. Not necessarily the most effective, just the one which looks coolest. Just because we dress in twigs & leaves strategically stapled together doesn't mean we shouldn't have style.
• Druids only have two major spells with Spell Pen checks - Finger of Death & Word of Balance - so I usually skip investing in Spell Pen; just not worth it for two spells. [Howl of Terror also has Spell Pen check, I think, but I almost never use it.]
• The main drawback to druids is almost all of our DPS is elemental, so we're weak against resistant mobs. FoD, WoB, Sunburst, Splinterbolt, and Salt Ray are basically our only options for those mobs.

[Panzermeyer]

Here is a great evoker build. https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/434207-Evoker

I go human for the extra feat.

With the past lives, I really wouldn't bother with Spell Pen, except for maybe one to open up some ED options.

I actually run with Enlarge for the SLA's since those are my staple spells.
Being able to dot things up before they can even see me is great.

I run with the Fire Ellie Shiradi option that is described in the Evoker thread above, though I am not a completionist.

Druid's are a ton of fun, and I am very happy with my caster druid.

[Doutrinador]

Here is a great evoker build. https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/434207-Evoker

I go human for the extra feat.

With the past lives, I really wouldn't bother with Spell Pen, except for maybe one to open up some ED options.

I actually run with Enlarge for the SLA's since those are my staple spells.
Being able to dot things up before they can even see me is great.

I run with the Fire Ellie Shiradi option that is described in the Evoker thread above, though I am not a completionist.

Druid's are a ton of fun, and I am very happy with my caster druid.

Hi, i would like to make a caster druid in my next life, maybe you can help me:

1- Flame blade looks like a good way to save SP. What to you think about take TWF and ITWF and use this spell for some meele?
2- Never played a druid, a caster use the animal form? when?
3- what is best: summer or winter? What spell power i have to invest more?

Thx

[Fhauvial]

3- what is best: summer or winter? What spell power i have to invest more?

Thx

Greater Creeping Cold is a fantastic DoT spell. You could make an argument for Winter on that spell alone.

[Panzermeyer]

Hi, i would like to make a caster druid in my next life, maybe you can help me:

1- Flame blade looks like a good way to save SP. What to you think about take TWF and ITWF and use this spell for some meele?
2- Never played a druid, a caster use the animal form? when?
3- what is best: summer or winter? What spell power i have to invest more?

Thx

As a caster druid, I have never bothered with melee or animal forms. Elemental forms all the way. I wwouldn't bother with TWF feat lines as a caster druid, that will impact the metas you are able to get for casting.

That being said, animal forms and flame blades and such work great in the lower heroic levels to level. By the teens you should be dropping animal forms and going strictly casting.

You are constantly switching between summer and winter. So you will want to invest in both cold and fire spell power. Which you focus on more strongly depends on the quest (are things fire resistant? Cold resistant?) and what epic destiny you end up running in.

You build for it being in Draconic and Water Ellie are powerful. That being said Greater Creeping Cold is probably the best DoT in the game.

I run in Fire Ellie and focus on fire with my main mode of combat being dropping an earthquake, fire wall, body of the sun, and call lightning and just stand in the middle of the earthquake. I am in Shiradi and these four spells drop so many shiradi procs it is fun to watch. The only time I jump around in that AOE is on EE.

But either way, as a druid every five minutes you are cycling through winter and summer. I still use Creeping Cold and Greater Creeping Cold all the time. I just know that it is not doing quite as much damage as it would if I was in Water Ellie form. But I run based on procs, and get more with my fire spells.

So basically it depends on your playstyle.

Basically Water Ellie and Draconic more raw nuking DPS, generally slightly lower earthquake DCs.
Fire Ellie and Shiradi for more Proc and Earthquake CC, but a bit longer to kill stuff.

[unbongwah]

Greater Creeping Cold is a fantastic DoT spell. You could make an argument for Winter on that spell alone.

For single-target DPS, it's hard to beat Freezing Spray -> Gtr Creeping Cold -> Creeping Cold. Tell the monkchers with icy-bursted bows to gang up on your target too. For AoEs, it's hard to beat Icy Mantle (Reflex debuff) + Ice Storm + Earthquake + Storm of Vengeance; now you've got a whole bunch of prone mobs taking blunt, cold, lightning, and acid dmg.

[Panzermeyer]

Greater Creeping Cold is a fantastic DoT spell. You could make an argument for Winter on that spell alone.

Absolutely.

[Doutrinador]

As a caster druid, I have never bothered with melee or animal forms. Elemental forms all the way. I wwouldn't bother with TWF feat lines as a caster druid, that will impact the metas you are able to get for casting.

That being said, animal forms and flame blades and such work great in the lower heroic levels to level. By the teens you should be dropping animal forms and going strictly casting.

You are constantly switching between summer and winter. So you will want to invest in both cold and fire spell power. Which you focus on more strongly depends on the quest (are things fire resistant? Cold resistant?) and what epic destiny you end up running in.

You build for it being in Draconic and Water Ellie are powerful. That being said Greater Creeping Cold is probably the best DoT in the game.

I run in Fire Ellie and focus on fire with my main mode of combat being dropping an earthquake, fire wall, body of the sun, and call lightning and just stand in the middle of the earthquake. I am in Shiradi and these four spells drop so many shiradi procs it is fun to watch. The only time I jump around in that AOE is on EE.

But either way, as a druid every five minutes you are cycling through winter and summer. I still use Creeping Cold and Greater Creeping Cold all the time. I just know that it is not doing quite as much damage as it would if I was in Water Ellie form. But I run based on procs, and get more with my fire spells.

So basically it depends on your playstyle.

Basically Water Ellie and Draconic more raw nuking DPS, generally slightly lower earthquake DCs.
Fire Ellie and Shiradi for more Proc and Earthquake CC, but a bit longer to kill stuff.

Thx for the reply,

For shiradi i have to raise diplo? In low lvls, better meele in animal for + flame blade + shild (to save mana)?

I know that I have to raise wis and cons, what abought the others stats? better raise dex for reflex and AC or Intel or skill points? Or STR for melee in low lvls?

I can be a water elemental and cast fire spells?


Thx again.

[Panzermeyer]

For shiradi i have to raise diplo?

I actually don't bother with diplo. Earthquake has to be the best CC spell in the game. I am still grinding lives out and so am not fully specced for DC's. I run around with a DC in the high 40's. I have no problems hitting most things on EH content and still hit most stuff on at level EE content about 70% of the time. When standing in my earthquake the only usually hitting me are the casters that aren't in the earthquake. But either way you should have more than enough skill points to put in diplo.

In low lvls, better meele in animal for + flame blade + shild (to save mana)

In the leveling process on Heroic you are doing melee, cause you really don't have much in the way of damage spells yet. So it's easier to cruise through fighting in animal form. Once you get ice storm or firewall you can start to go pure caster.

I know that I have to raise wis and cons, what abought the others stats? better raise dex for reflex and AC or Intel or skill points? Or STR for melee in low lvls?

I put all my stats points into Wis and then equally into Con and Int. Int because that will end up being my DC for Energy Burst. The additional skill points are nice. But Energy Burst's DC's are based INT or CHA. You get more utility with skill points out of Int and I also took insightful reflexes to boost my reflex saves. Everything else I left at default starting stats.

Unless you are planning on doing a LR at higher levels, don't put anything in making a melee build at lower levels, build to be a caster, but be a melee at the lower levels. Any other way and you will be decreasing your effectiveness at casting at higher levels.

That being said, there are a ton of great successful melee druid builds, and some hybrid melee/caster builds. Check those out. I really did not like the animations and movement of being in animal form. Just my personal preference. I am strictly a caster build. The only time I go animal form in final fight in Von 5, since the construct gets healed by all elements and is immune to force. So I am basically useless. Then I just drop into bear form to feel like I am contributing something, even though it is very very little (outside healing)

I can be a water elemental and cast fire spells?

Absolutely and via versa. Being in the either form just boosts one while giving you a slight penalty to the other. There are a few spells that can only be used in one form or another. A couple buffs, and a few offensive spells. Like body of the sun can only be used in Fire Ellie form. While there are a could of cold spells that can only be used in Water Ellie form. There is like 2-4 for each. Again just give each a try and figure out which on you like best for your playstyle. Both options are very effective.

[Panzermeyer]

Hi, i would like to make a caster druid in my next life, maybe you can help me:

Just to be clear I speak a lot more from a Epic level caster druid. If you are just looking to get a Druid past life out of the way. Making more of a melee/caster hybrid is probably fine. Firewall and earthquake while smacking stuff should be very viable in Heroic content.

It just tends to be better to pick your poison (casting or melee) for Epic content.

And if you are planning for epic content, then build for epic content.

[unbongwah]

In the leveling process on Heroic you are doing melee, cause you really don't have much in the way of damage spells yet. So it's easier to cruise through fighting in animal form.

Maybe for Korthos you need to melee, but by the end of lvl 3 you should have two SLAs (Produce Flame & Creeping Cold), as well as their regular versions; at that point, I don't think you need to melee any more than the average wiz does. Takedown is nice CC, but presuming a typical STR-dumped WIS-based caster druid build, you'd probably be better off using Flame Blade for occasional melee, rather than wolf form.

[Doutrinador]

I actually don't bother with diplo. Earthquake has to be the best CC spell in the game. I am still grinding lives out and so am not fully specced for DC's. I run around with a DC in the high 40's. I have no problems hitting most things on EH content and still hit most stuff on at level EE content about 70% of the time. When standing in my earthquake the only usually hitting me are the casters that aren't in the earthquake. But either way you should have more than enough skill points to put in diplo.



In the leveling process on Heroic you are doing melee, cause you really don't have much in the way of damage spells yet. So it's easier to cruise through fighting in animal form. Once you get ice storm or firewall you can start to go pure caster.



I put all my stats points into Wis and then equally into Con and Int. Int because that will end up being my DC for Energy Burst. The additional skill points are nice. But Energy Burst's DC's are based INT or CHA. You get more utility with skill points out of Int and I also took insightful reflexes to boost my reflex saves. Everything else I left at default starting stats.

Unless you are planning on doing a LR at higher levels, don't put anything in making a melee build at lower levels, build to be a caster, but be a melee at the lower levels. Any other way and you will be decreasing your effectiveness at casting at higher levels.

That being said, there are a ton of great successful melee druid builds, and some hybrid melee/caster builds. Check those out. I really did not like the animations and movement of being in animal form. Just my personal preference. I am strictly a caster build. The only time I go animal form in final fight in Von 5, since the construct gets healed by all elements and is immune to force. So I am basically useless. Then I just drop into bear form to feel like I am contributing something, even though it is very very little (outside healing)



Absolutely and via versa. Being in the either form just boosts one while giving you a slight penalty to the other. There are a few spells that can only be used in one form or another. A couple buffs, and a few offensive spells. Like body of the sun can only be used in Fire Ellie form. While there are a could of cold spells that can only be used in Water Ellie form. There is like 2-4 for each. Again just give each a try and figure out which on you like best for your playstyle. Both options are very effective.

Thx

[Hirosue]

Thank you for the replies and information provided which i found very useful

[Panzermeyer]

I actually don't bother with diplo. Earthquake has to be the best CC spell in the game. I am still grinding lives out and so am not fully specced for DC's. I run around with a DC in the high 40's. I have no problems hitting most things on EH content and still hit most stuff on at level EE content about 70% of the time. When standing in my earthquake the only usually hitting me are the casters that aren't in the earthquake. But either way you should have more than enough skill points to put in diplo.

So just soloed Line's of Supply last nite on EH.

With a 45 Diplo (half from items) I diplo the harpy matron and got her to fight for me. Unfortunately she took a lot of mana to beat and I had to get back to the quest entrance to shrine.

Then the main fight with the supply carries.

Actually I was farming for XP for the new Divine Crusader ED so wasn't even in Shiradi. Sat in front of where the troops come out. Earthquake and ice storm. Followed up by Energy bursts and Creeping cold on those that managed to get up and get through the earth quake.

Not a single supply carrier made it through, not even the zippy gnolls.

So hope that gives you an idea of what to expect from druid CC.

[Xormax]

I wanted the same things you did when I was making a druid caster. I only have 3 Sorc past lives though. My ultimate goal was to either make everything lay down with a high earthquake dc or blind everything with dual sunbursts/sunbeam. I also went Ice elemental with winter for the -4 to reflex saves when damaged by cold spells. I went human for the extra feat. I took the following feats: maximize, empower, heighten, quicken, toughness, spell focus evocation, greater spell focus evocation and mental toughness. For epic feats I took, Epic spell focus evo, epic spell power cold (I don't any destinies really maxed), great wisdom x2 and mass frog (so much fun!). Starting stats were 18Wis, 18 Con and rest into Int. Here was my DC in EN Dual dragon raid.



I only have a +10 wisdom item and +4 wis tome, yugo pot, supreme ability pot and skill boost and being in shiradi. My standing DC without ship buffs is 63. Hand buffed its 67. That is for both sunburst and earthquake. Even salt ray is that high at that level which is really nice. I also made a teir 2 Evo staff out of the new stuff. However, even when I had a 60 DC, it still worked really well in EE's. I hope that helps.

EDIT: Didn't know the +2 evo augment stacked with all my other stuff. So now my standing Buffed is 68.

[Panzermeyer]

I wanted the same things you did when I was making a druid caster. I only have 3 Sorc past lives though. My ultimate goal was to either make everything lay down with a high earthquake dc or blind everything with dual sunbursts/sunbeam. I also went Ice elemental with winter for the -4 to reflex saves when damaged by cold spells. I went human for the extra feat. I took the following feats: maximize, empower, heighten, quicken, toughness, spell focus evocation, greater spell focus evocation and mental toughness. For epic feats I took, Epic spell focus evo, epic spell power cold (I don't any destinies really maxed), great wisdom x2 and mass frog (so much fun!). Starting stats were 18Wis, 18 Con and rest into Int. Here was my DC in EN Dual dragon raid.

I only have a +10 wisdom item and +4 wis tome, yugo pot, supreme ability pot and skill boost and being in shiradi. My standing DC without ship buffs is 63. Hand buffed its 67. That is for both sunburst and earthquake. Even salt ray is that high at that level which is really nice. I also made a teir 2 Evo staff out of the new stuff. However, even when I had a 60 DC, it still worked really well in EE's. I hope that helps.

EDIT: Didn't know the +2 evo augment stacked with all my other stuff. So now my standing Buffed is 68.

Can you provide a bit more of a break down of your Earthquake DC?

[SirValentine]

Can you provide a bit more of a break down of your Earthquake DC?

I can't give you HIS breakdown, but a 68 buffed seems pretty reasonable. Max sustainable these days for a pure Druid is probably more like 75. I haven't updated it for the increases in U21 (& Patch 1), but as of U19, I'd come up with a max Evo DC of 70 for a Druid. Breakdowns in this older thread: https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...heory-crafting

[Xormax]

To get a 68 Sustainable, I have the following.

18 Starting Wis
+7 Ability point level ups
+5 Wisdom Enhancements
+2 Druid Capstone
+2 Great Wisdom (took twice)
+4 Wisdom Tome
+10 Wisdom Item
+2 Insightful Wisdom Item
+1 Wisdom Twisted in
+6 Wisdom From Shiradi
+1 Wisdom from True Imperial Globe
+2 Ship Buff
---------
60 Wisdom with a modifier of 25

Things to boost my DC:
+2 Evocation Augment
+6 Equipment Bonus from Thunderforge Staff
+1 Exceptional from Thunderforge Staff
+1 Profane from Shadow Scale Robe
+3 Sorc Past Lives
+2 From Precise Evocation Twist (Draconic)
+3 From Evocation Specialist Twist (Magister)
+1 From Strength of the Solstice (Seasons Herald tier 5)
------
19 From Twist/items

Feats:
+1 Spell Focus Evocation
+1 Greater Spell Focus Evocation
+1 Epic Spell Focus Evocation
+1 Heighten
------
4 From Feats

Earthquake DC is 10 + Spell Level + Wisdom Stat Modifier + Items + Feats = DC

So 10+8+25+19+4= 66 without yugo pots or supreme ability pots (68 with pots). If you heighten sunburst/salt ray they are effective even in epic content with 68 saves on both. The Mass frog DC is somewhere around 50, works really well on skeletons.

Still a lot of work to go.... But definitely not needed. My 68 seems overkill. Hope this helps.