Help with a Druid/Monk/Ranger build

[TheKIN2m]

I was talking to a guildie the other night about how the build I was focusing on was going to be 14 monk/6 druid, and he recommended not only putting a larger focus on druid, but adding some ranger levels in - the way he explained it, animal form gains the bonuses from SWF, and the doublestrike from TWF is added thanks to monks.

Thing is, I have no idea how I would even begin to build that (I left before druid dropped, and just now returned). I was thinking something like 12 druid/6 monk/2 ranger (for 8th level druid spells, free adept of forms/more unarmored speed and shadow veil, and free twf from ranger)

I'd probably use a single shortsword after getting the enhancements from ninja spy, and rely on Winter wolf form and Wind stance. Melee dps focus, and I'd like to have a useful DC on a stunning fist/take down, so I'd think wis would be my most important stat, but beyond that I'm kind a lost. Should I bother with STR, since I'd have access to dex-to-damage from Ninja Spy II? I was looking at human for the hamp and extra feat/points, though going elf to get the displacement dragonmark could work as well if I wanted to drop a few monk levels into something else, assuming I can work my feats around well enough.

Any ideas? Any corrections to my thought process? The wiki says something about TWF not working in animal form, but I don't know if that means that it'd be completely useless or what.

[unbongwah]

I was talking to a guildie the other night about how the build I was focusing on was going to be 14 monk/6 druid, and he recommended not only putting a larger focus on druid, but adding some ranger levels in - the way he explained it, animal form gains the bonuses from SWF, and the doublestrike from TWF is added thanks to monks.

Caveat emptor: TWF feats applying to animal forms was confirmed as not WAI over a year ago; and getting to take SWF on top of rgr TWF feats is considered a bug, IIRC, although it's not on the Known Issues list. Also Dance of Death apparently works with animal forms; but if TWF is not WAI, I'm pretty sure this is not WAI too. So this build piles one bug / exploit on top of another and is always one patch away from getting nerfed into the ground.

I was thinking something like 12 druid/6 monk/2 ranger (for 8th level druid spells, free adept of forms/more unarmored speed and shadow veil, and free twf from ranger)

That's one option, though druid 12 only gets you lvl 6 spells; you need druid 15 (e.g., 15/3/2 split) if you want lvl 8 spells. Another would be rgr 6 / monk 3 / druid 11: you lose Shadow Veil, but can add Dance of Death from Tempest while keeping lvl 6 spells.

Should I bother with STR, since I'd have access to dex-to-damage from Ninja Spy II?

Ninja Training doesn't apply to unarmed atks inc. animal forms, unfortunately; STR-to-dmg is your only option currently. So right off the bat, you need to decide if STR-based for better melee DPS or WIS-based for better DCs is more important to you.

[TheKIN2m]

Caveat emptor: TWF feats applying to animal forms was confirmed as not WAI over a year ago; and getting to take SWF on top of rgr TWF feats is considered a bug, IIRC, although it's not on the Known Issues list. Also Dance of Death apparently works with animal forms; but if TWF is not WAI, I'm pretty sure this is not WAI too. So this build piles one bug / exploit on top of another and is always one patch away from getting nerfed into the ground.

That's one option, though druid 12 only gets you lvl 6 spells; you need druid 15 (e.g., 15/3/2 split) if you want lvl 8 spells. Another would be rgr 6 / monk 3 / druid 11: you lose Shadow Veil, but can add Dance of Death from Tempest while keeping lvl 6 spells.

Ninja Training doesn't apply to unarmed atks inc. animal forms, unfortunately; STR-to-dmg is your only option currently. So right off the bat, you need to decide if STR-based for better melee DPS or WIS-based for better DCs is more important to you.

I must have been reading the wiki wrong (wouldn't surprise me) about the druid spells. I was actually considering going shortswords, since I'm pretty sure handwraps would make SWF pointless and TWF was supposedly just for the off-hand attack procs.

Though learning its basically a bug dependant build is disappointing lol. I still rather like the idea behind it.