Druid destiny

[HastyPudding]

So, I'm about ready to TR my caster character (19th life) again out of boredom and I'm doing my third and final druid life (yeah right, like I did my 3rd/4th/5th and final cleric, wiz, and sorc lives...). I've got all my caster destinies maxed out, but I can't decide on a good destiny for druid (my last 2 druid lives I didn't stay at cap long enough to actually do anything).

Naturally, he's going to be a pure caster druid (I dislike multiclassing my spellcasters, an 18/2 pali-sorc is as far as I'll go). Exalted angel is a nice destiny for caster druids, but it does almost nothing for the majority of druid spells (fire, lightning, and ice spells) other than light/positive spellpower and +3 dc's. Draconic has good boosts to spellpower, but the SLA's are all charisma or intelligence, not wisdom. Magister can be a nice boost to evocation spells, but it's in the same boat with draconic. Primal avatar just looks like a horrible destiny for caster druids, with very little spell-boosting options.

What do you guys usually run on your spellcasting druids?

[Lonnbeimnech]

Exalted angel. Twist in empyrean magic from crusader, and the dc boost from magister and you're set. Focus on fire/light spells.

[Hobgoblin]

shirardi is fun, but not op

sent make you really durable, but not much else

crusader is fun. bonus to fire/light conscrated ground twist in dc's from magistar/drac
angel is good as noted before
fate singer is not that bad

up to you really

[unbongwah]

...is there some reason Shiradi isn't on your list? Like, are you still working on your ERs in other spheres; or are you just trying to avoid the obvious choice?

[Panzermeyer]

It all depends on the kind of druid that you want.

An evoker can wreak havoc in Draconic.
You can be a great DPS caster in Shiradi.
You can be a great healer/caster/tank in Unyielding Sentinel
You can be great caster/healer in Divine Crusader
You can be great in Exalted Angel

Those really are some of the best destinies for a Druid caster.

It depends on your play style and what you like to do.
So it is all up to you.

What's the style you are looking for?

[HastyPudding]

...is there some reason Shiradi isn't on your list? Like, are you still working on your ERs in other spheres; or are you just trying to avoid the obvious choice?

I hate shiradi casters on principle, alone. I'll make a pure warforged barbarian with improved fortification before I make any sort of shiradi caster. That's just me.


I had thought of draconic, it's just the SLA's are charisma and intelligence-based, instead of wisdom, meaning they'll have a pretty low DC compared to anything you'd get from the divine or primal spheres. Exalted Angel is pretty much a straightforward, safe and strong destiny, but it adds nothing to your spellcasting other than light/positive (not that I mind, I have tons of cleric gear saved up that boost light spellpower).

I'm just looking for some overall usefulness, nothing in particular, which is what drew me to EA. I would like to be something other than a one-trick pony that does nothing but spams earthquake, ice storm, firewall, and regenerate. I do wish call lightning scaled better into epics. It's your primary damage from 6-19, then you hit 20 and mobs look at you like you rubbed your feet on the carpet and zapped them with your finger.

[Panzermeyer]

I had thought of draconic, it's just the SLA's are charisma and intelligence-based, instead of wisdom, meaning they'll have a pretty low DC compared to anything you'd get from the divine or primal spheres. Exalted Angel is pretty much a straightforward, safe and strong destiny, but it adds nothing to your spellcasting other than light/positive (not that I mind, I have tons of cleric gear saved up that boost light spellpower).

I found good success in Draconic on my caster druid.
When I built the druid for those lives I Maxed, Wisdom, put Con to 16 and dumped the rest in Int (I like skill points) you could do the opposite for UMD if you wish.

Having your Draconic feats as Ice or Fire melds well with the Druid.

If you are planning on farming for XP running EN or EH regularly you will not notice the lower DC's. I saw crits often enough on Energy Burst for excess of 10k that I was quite happy. Between that, dragon breath, dragon's roar, and whatnot it mixes the spell list up quite well.

I have not tried EA as with my final build and for my divine PL I will be running in US. But Druids need to boost so many elements, I personally would find it hard to boost yet another spell element, that really not not even mess well with any native spells other than two.

[HastyPudding]

I found good success in Draconic on my caster druid.
When I built the druid for those lives I Maxed, Wisdom, put Con to 16 and dumped the rest in Int (I like skill points) you could do the opposite for UMD if you wish.

Having your Draconic feats as Ice or Fire melds well with the Druid.

If you are planning on farming for XP running EN or EH regularly you will not notice the lower DC's. I saw crits often enough on Energy Burst for excess of 10k that I was quite happy. Between that, dragon breath, dragon's roar, and whatnot it mixes the spell list up quite well.

I have not tried EA as with my final build and for my divine PL I will be running in US. But Druids need to boost so many elements, I personally would find it hard to boost yet another spell element, that really not not even mess well with any native spells other than two.

Yeah, I don't run many EE's unless I'm running with the guild or such, and I'm more than happy to fall into a healing/support role during raids. I run EH 80% of the time, so I guess the DC's won't be much of an issue.

I guess I'll try draconic once he gets back to cap, if not I can always switch to EA and play with light spells.

[SirValentine]

...I can't decide on a good destiny for druid
...
Naturally, he's going to be a pure caster druid
...
Primal avatar just looks like a horrible destiny for caster druids, with very little spell-boosting options.

Really? What's wrong with Primal Avatar? Spell Power, Wisdom, some SLAs, summons boosts if you're into that. I'm not saying it's the best thing ever, but it looks OK to me.

I hate shiradi casters on principle, alone. I'll make a pure warforged barbarian with improved fortification before I make any sort of shiradi caster. That's just me.

While I share some distaste for the magic-missle-spamming-Shiradi-types, I personally don't see an issue with Druid Shiradi. Shiradi looks pretty much designed with Druids in mind.

[HastyPudding]

Really? What's wrong with Primal Avatar? Spell Power, Wisdom, some SLAs, summons boosts if you're into that. I'm not saying it's the best thing ever, but it looks OK to me.



While I share some distaste for the magic-missle-spamming-Shiradi-types, I personally don't see an issue with Druid Shiradi. Shiradi looks pretty much designed with Druids in mind.

The issue I have with primal avatar is it's just completely out-shown by draconic and exalted angel. Even magister can add more spellcasting ability than primal avatar. The main problem with avatar is it's too much of a hybrid destiny, being strong in neither weapon dps nor spellcasting. Also, the reliance on spirits for some abilities annoys me.

As to shiradi, those magic-missile spammers are the ones that completely turned it off, to me. I was once on my caster character (his 14th life, I think) as a sorcerer, with all my saved up gear, caster past lives, and arcane know-how, and some first lifer wizard with **** gear and no HP in shiradi was plowing through mobs almost as fast as I was. It was irritating, to say the least.

[unbongwah]

Weirdly enough, I found Primal Avatar to be a better complement for my TWF bard than for my druids: Balanced Atks, Symetric Strikes, Stormrage, and Nature's Fury boost my melee DPS (tho not as much as the "real" melee EDs); the persistent AoE buffs like Summer Smoke complement my songs and WC buffs; plus Rejuv Cocoon for cheap healing, ofc.

[HastyPudding]

Weirdly enough, I found Primal Avatar to be a better complement for my TWF bard than for my druids: Balanced Atks, Symetric Strikes, Stormrage, and Nature's Fury boost my melee DPS (tho not as much as the "real" melee EDs); the persistent AoE buffs like Summer Smoke complement my songs and WC buffs; plus Rejuv Cocoon for cheap healing, ofc.

To each his own, I guess. I've heard people playing bards in fatesinger and absolutely enjoying it, and I've heard of EK wizards playing in shadowdancer that make great characters.

Don't get me wrong, primal avatar seems like a decent destiny, it just doesn't have the spellcasting options of magister, angel, or draconic, and barely on par with crusader or fatesinger.

[newmart]

FOr Pure Druid Caster, Using Water Elemental, Maxing Cold and Eletric Spellpower, Primal Avatar and Shiradi are the best destinies.
Lets compare:

Primal Avatar:

30 spellpower all elements
5 caster lvs (usually ~50% bonus with main spells if are u using Master of Wilds. This is very overlooked because u need MoW to work at maximum potential.)
250 SP
Tsunami, that does 60d10 dmg at lv 30, that is a Wis based cold spell
Dryad (500-800 bolts on lv 30)
Summer Smoke
Storm Rage

Shiradi

31 spellpower
5 caster lvs
All procs
Obs.: Most druid spells hits multiple times (I belive that earthquake only do that miserable dmg (~16-20) to proc in shiradi. So Druid spell suits shiradi very well.

Draconic

30 spellpower one element
300 SP
2 dc, 2 max caster lv (can be twisted both)
Energy Burst and other actives, but all have long CD and CHA BASED DC (Means half or no dmg in most endgame scenarios) 30d15+30 at lv 30 (similar to Tsunami with cd and no cc)

Magister and Fatesinger cant really give dmg to water elemental cold druid and Exalted angel changes playstyle and focus light spell power. Maybe is viable to Fire elemental, but not Water for sure.

incresed caster lvs is where the power of Primal and Shiradi resides. U also needs Master of Wilds Feat to see their potential, also running in Dragonborn and Twisting caster lv from Draconic and increase caster lv even more, and they multiply with spellpower. For exemple if u have 500 cold spell power, a cold spell that does 2d10 dmg per caster lv, casting at lv 10 max, will do max (20).10 x 500% - 1000 dmg. With primal caster lvs u will do 15. 2d10 (500%) - 1500 dmg, 50% boost. Again MoW is needed to raise max caster lv.

Sure DC is important, but 3 DC from Exalted Angel can never do such difference in dmg, plus creeping cold, WoB, produce flame dont even have a dc.

Dryad and Stormrage are also vastly overlooked abilities. Dryad does 500-800 bolts, plus 50-100 thorns almost every 2 or 3 seconds at lv 30, a sure dps increase

Stormrage can look expansive at first glace but its 10d20 Eletric dmg for second, for 18 seconds, what means 180d20 eletric dmg for 50sp, or 18d20 for 5 sp. CD is shorter than duration so it means always active while u have sp. For comparison energy burst does 30d15+15 in lv30 (450 average) each 30 seconds, Stormrage does 300d20 (3000 average) in 30 seconds :O (single target tough)

Using Draconic actives u can have busts of dps, but cant you cant compare a creeping cold dot at 18 caster lv with a 28 caster lv creeping cold and 28 caster lv lightning bolt its about 50% more dmg for single target/sustained dps. They are also scale CHA and in endgame content they will always do half dmg or non if mob evades.

DPS and SP cost saver of MoW/Primal combination for pure druids is unmatched in my opinion. Not sure if Shiradi or Primal doing more, but sure i go Primal for some synergys, lore and playstyle.