Xamanic Pure Druid Summoner/Caster/Tank/Healer/CC

[newmart]

Hi there!

Im very happy that after 8 druid lifes, 6 wizard lifes and 3 artificer lifes, all of them getting all augument summoning feats to test the viability of pet builds (not all up to lv 30!), i could make a viable toon, with viable summons taking all pet feats to lv1 up to 30.

This build focus primary traditional Water Elemental form, but focus Eletric spells, more than Cold spells because they are in great number for druids, synergy with Air Sorcs that are plenty and more versatile than cold spells. Use Primal Avatar for 6 wis, Good spells (Tsunami and Stormrage) and survivability trough pets taking most possible bonus from the tree, and left Draconic and Sentinel Behind.

This build can be done by a first lifer, tough Harper and Druid past lifes improve it a lot. Pets will be less reliable to tanking and not able to use all runes. Still probably fine to Heroic Elites. Like all builds, tomes and past lifes improve its performance. Not necessary to be viable still.

What this build do:

Good (not top) dps, mainly single target dps.
Good CC (Loss 6 dc from feats)*
Good healing
Pet superb tanking (Able to tank EE)
Press all runes, pull all leavers in the game (i have not seen one i cant use yet)
Finish Legendary Hound of Xoriat using 3 stones.

Note: Reach LE DCs is difficult, if not impossible to all first life casters. This can and must be supplemented with past lifes and good gear. If u plan doing EE, LE and Reaper with this build, top Wis and Evo focus is a must. The lost of 6 DC in DPS can be supplemented with wolf and dryad dps and cc (taunt).

Now lets talk about pet stats:

Wolf Atributes:

+6 Druid Past Life
+4 Harper
+4 Augument Summoning
+3 Guild
+2 Amenity
+8 Improved Augument Summoning

+4 Mass Spells (Pack Amplification dont work)
+4 Animal Growth (Dryad Spams in the wolf)
+5 Primal Shout

+40 Str and Con for Wolf. Idk how much base he has, but mine at lv 30 and all this has 80 str without itens, enough for LE Tempest SPine leaver.

Other:

60% Healing amplification from Tenacious Pack
30% Fortification TP
50% Fortification AS
100% Fortification Scion (all this stack)
10% Dodge
5% Chance to ignore all atacks
30 PRR Natural shielding
50 PRR Epic Lvs
25 PRR Scion
50 Melee power Epic Lvs
25 Melee power Scion

All this is only to illustrate how much bonuses they have. My wolf ended with 80 Str and Con, 2k hp, 220PRR in heavy armor (Shadow Plate), 30/60 DR, 180 fortification. Pretty sure u get this stats using this feats and spells in heavy armor. Evasion of natural shielding seems to work in heavy armor, and all pets/hire that arent magical beasts.


Pack Presence: Using this spell all your pets do a intimidate check with +20 bonus. Not sure how high goes, but this spell never failed to me. Usualy Dryad and hires do agro bosses too. Able to taunt LE HOX and Dragons in Thunder Peak. A note about Thunder peak (i was at lv 25 at time in EE) the taunt is so powerful (and dragon hitbox so large) the wolf agroed both dragons everytime is used. Since they must be separed this is a problem, but works well in single bosses!



How to to play this build and how it feels:

I played a lot with caster druids and always found fun and usefull getting augument summoning. Many low lv quests pets and hire did all job (Kobold assault u can do nothing). EE and Reaper 1 are fine with this build, i leveled only doing R1s and wolf rarely died.

But all this was most for flavor until i learn to use Pack Presence. This spells gives pets and hire INSANE imtimidate check, and never fail. Using a hire and/or Dryad they heal wolf and themselfes so u dont need to worry about healing them unless is a tough boss or pack of champs (I dont belive most tanks resist long 2-3 champs without external healing). They shine against most bosses and abishai takes very long to take them down, even in EE due evasion.

Using sleet storm to blind enemies, plus mantle of icy soul slow your pack can handle most mobs in game.

This build also allow u to be main healer of party (as well main tank at same time). Due somewhat short sp pool, i recomend do not dps or CC at all, leave dryad to top hp between fights and abuse Cocoon. Dont forget dryad remove negative lvs and has deathward.

Besides that, use your water elemental form and make your enemies fell, crawl, deaf, blind, slow with your spells, toasting them with eletric spells in meantime.



Why sacrifice 3 feats (Augument, Improved and Scion) besides flavor?

These feats are basicaly all u need for this build (druid past lifes are a plus for early game), while the 2 augument summoning feats are manageable, Legendary feat is a high cost, i admit. But:

- 30 spellpower lost form Scion of Air can be supplmented with wolf and Dryad DPS. Lightning bolt does 25d10 (with master of wilds) ~125 dmg per cast, 30 spellpower adds 40 dmg per cast. Wolf does a way more than that, comparable to all spells stacked.

- If u not getting the feats, u are not using pets at all, since they will die too much, so the feats arent used for improve pet dps, they are used to be able to use pets at all.

- Using wolf to tank let u improve your dps holding an orb or staff and not a shield. Also permit u to run in Primal Avatar not in Sentinel as most do, and improve caster lv of all spells by 5, allowing Master of Wilds maximum use (and more dps)

- Dryad heals arent that reliable, but they are superbely useful in reaper. Tops your party HP without costing SP, and 50% more than u do in yourself in R1, saved me a lot of times. Different to most summons Dryad has infinite SP. Also dryad does 300-500 dmg on bolts each 3 seconds. 9-15k per minute for 50 SP, noticiable in long fights.

- If u have past lifes and good gear, earthquake DC will be enough 95% of time. Wolf can tank the rest.

- U dont need dodge from Scion of Air if wolf is tanking.

- Basicaly u trade 6 dc from feats (Greater Evocation Focus, Wizard Past Life, Scion of Air) to be able to use pets in elites. I preffer the later option, since u can use your pet to tank bosses with ease as earthquake dont help against them. Wolf also gives u a bit of melee dps when its needed against certain enemies plus dryad heals (Ai is working fine for her). If u are not kiting or running in sentinel destiny using pets actually increses your overall dps.

- Last But not least, u can use hires to come along your party in EE and they perform as players (less dps But good heal and tankier as tanks. not metions awsome implosion uses.), instead leaving them at etrance



Thunder Power

This build is focused in eletric spellpower. Most sorcs are air and eletric vulnerability can be quite common in raids. Plus u have a way more eletric spells than cold spells. Rotation for maximum dps:

Maximum DPS area of Effect Rotation (4 or more enemies):

1) Cast Pack Presence
2) Cast Earthquake
3) Cast Sleet Storm
5) Cast Icy Storm
6) Cast SoV
7) Cast Sov (SLA)
8) Cast Quench
9) Cast Creeping Doom
10) Cast Spike Growth

Single target:

1) Cast Call Lightning Storm (Lasts 1:13 minute in this build)
2) Cast SoV
3) Cast Sov (SLA)
4) Cast Quench
5) Cast Freezing Spray
6) Cast Cast Creeping Cold
7) Cast Greater Creeping Cold
8) Cast Stormrage
9) Cast Tsunami
10) Cast Lightning Bolt (SLA)
15) Cast Lightning Bolt

U feel like a Lightning God with all this bolts from Aov, Stormrage plus Dryad. I love it

Other spells

Faerie Fire: Overlooked. This spell removes blur and displacement from mobs. Also if u know the dungeon, it shows all invisible rogues in a area. Usually not necessary because of high spot of druid casters but useful to melee druids.

Gust of wind: Low lv earthquake. Its evocation so can have it high. Usefull for quests with kobolds, and u dont use lingering spells still. Tsunami is the high lv substitute.

Pack Presence: Essential for this build. Upon use all hires/pet/charmed mobs/wolf intimidate surroundings with +20 bonus. U must be cautious at lower lvs elites and reaper, pets start to get tanky after Natural Shielding and Improved Augument Summoning. Up to there be sure to cc mobs well to not overrun wolf.

Salt Ray: With crescent number of champions in reaper single target stuns get greater importance. This is spell is an evocation so can have a functional dc to stun mobs. Keep a hightened version in bar for champion emergency or to accelerate dps, since it renders mob helpless.

Quench: Use it all the time in fire quests, Exellent to handle fire elementals. Also make mobs take greater dmg.

Spike Growth: Use to kill oozes at lower lvs. Can suplemment your aoe dmg while u dont have Storm of Vengeance. Does decet dmg if u have force spellpower ad crit, besides its untyped dmg useful a lot of times, dont understmate! Duration is based on caster lv, so at lv 30 and primal u can stack them.



About gear:

Im not fan of crafting. The only thing i crafted is a Guardian Shadow Plate to wolf because is pretty awsome. For the rest, i use named itens. I recommend to get Legendary Slavers Staff, Epic Halcionya and Legendary Chieftan and Legendary Brazeband, Epic Earthen Mantle, Legendary Spinneret and Leathers of Celestial Sage.

The build is below. I wanna thank you for reading and testing my build. Id love to see coments about to improve it with time. Its posted with +2 tomes that are the easiest to get. Like all builds all past lifes can improved it, but the only necessary are 3 Sorc and 3 Druid past lifes. U can put Heavy Armor Proficiency, Greater Evocation focus or Past Life: Wizard instead Completonist or Empower healing Spell.

I will gladly answer any questions!

THANKS!

Summoner
Druid 20
True Neutral Dragonborn


Stats
. . . . . . . .36pt . . Tome . . Level Up
. . . . . . . .---- . . ---- . . --------
Strength. . . . 10. . . .+2. . . .4: WIS
Dexterity . . . .6. . . .+2. . . .8: WIS
Constitution. . 18. . . .+2. . . 12: WIS
Intelligence. . 12. . . .+2. . . 16: WIS
Wisdom. . . . . 18. . . .+2. . . 20: WIS
Charisma. . . . 10. . . .+2. . . 24: WIS
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28: WIS

Skills
. . . . . 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
. . . . .------------------------------------------------------------
Heal. . . 4. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 23
Spellcr . 4. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 23
Spot. . . 4. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 23
Concent . . . . . . . . . . 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 3. 16
Balance . 2. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. . .11
UMD . . . 2. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. . .11
. . . . .------------------------------------------------------------
. . . . .20. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 6. 6. 6. 6. 6. 6. 6. 6. 6. 6. 6. 6. 6. 6


Feats

.1. . . . : Augment Summoning
.1 Dragon : Draconic Ancestry: Blue
.2 Druid. : Wild Shape 1: Wolf
.3. . . . : Maximize Spell
.5 Druid. : Wild Shape 1: Bear
.6. . . . : Empower Spell
.8 Druid. : Wild Shape 2: Winter Wolf
.9. . . . : Completionist (Or Heavy Armor, or Wizard Past life)
11 Druid. : Wild Shape 2: Dire Bear
12. . . . : Quicken Spell
13 Druid. : Wild Shape 3: Water Elemental
15. . . . : Spell Focus: Evocation
17 Druid. : Wild Shape 3: Fire Elemental
18. . . . : Heighten Spell
21 Epic . : Empower Healing Spell
24 Epic . : Improved Augment Summoning
26 Destiny: Epic Spell Power: Electricity
27 Epic . : Master of Wilds (For more Dps, or Burst of Glacial Wrath for more cc)
28 Destiny: Epic Spell Power: Cold
29 Destiny: Fount of Life
30 Epic . : Embolden Spell
30 Legend : Scion of: Elysium


Enhancements (80 AP)

Season's Herald (50 AP)

• Seasoned, Time, Tide, Sunburst, Storm of Vengeance, Heirophant
  1. Beguile III, Wax and Wane
  2. Efficient Maximize III, Produce Flame III, Wax and Wane
  3. Efficient Heighten II, Creeping Cold III, Wax and Wane, Wisdom
  4. Autumnal Susurrus I, Call Lightning III, Wax and Wane, Wisdom
  5. Crown of Summer, Word of Balance III, Time and Tide, Strength of the Solstice

Dragonborn (21 AP)

• Hardy
  1. Resilience, Draconic Visage III
  2. Resilience, Dragon Breath
  3. Dragon Heritage III, Power in Breath III, Draconic Knowledge
  4. True Power III

Harper Agent (9 AP)

• Agent of Good I
  1. Weathered Traveler II, Traveler's Toughness III
  2. Harper Leadership III

Destiny (24 AP)

Primal Avatar

1. Rejuvenation Cocoon III, Wisdom
2. Natural Shielding III, Wisdom
3. Tsunami, Wisdom
4. Stormrage, Summon Dryad Elder, Wisdom
5. Wisdom
6. Wisdom

Twists of Fate (36 fate points)

1. Spell Knowledge or Energy Burst (Tier 4 Draconic)
2. School Specialist: Evocation (Tier 2 Magister)
3. Precise: Evocation (Tier 2 Draconic)
4. Soundburst (Tier 2 Exalted)
5. Primal Scream (Tier 1 Fury)

[newmart]

...

[burlicconi]

Thank you for sharing your view of summoning builds. I noticed that sometimes my dog is extra useful and sometimes in only serves me towards loss of HP and SP due quick deaths, I couldn't catch whats going on. I also noticed that summons can be good at tanking rogether with dryad, its best summon in the game.

One question- what about enhancement point for your wolf pet, how did you make him- tank or evasive?

[newmart]

Thank you for sharing your view of summoning builds. I noticed that sometimes my dog is extra useful and sometimes in only serves me towards loss of HP and SP due quick deaths, I couldn't catch whats going on. I also noticed that summons can be good at tanking rogether with dryad, its best summon in the game.

One question- what about enhancement point for your wolf pet, how did you make him- tank or evasive?

U can build as dps for improved evasion with intimidate, as magic atacks are difficult to defend as wolf (if not evaded, because is difficult to build resistences on him with 2 itens). Wolf and Dryad can SOLO EH Grim and barret this way. They cant solo EE because of champs, and dryad heal output is not enough, but is close sometimes (if u only heal, they can). Obviously they took a lot of time to kill mobs.

Unhappily takedow is bugged and wolf dont use. This a pitty because on art pet and druid summos is super useful. Take oporttuistc it as well. With TOEE collar wolf does fire dmg, this is just the area u lack. He can actually kill cold resistat-fire vulnerale mobs and do a pretty good amout of dmg in fire vulerale champs even in EE.

[skei]

What enhancement tree would you advance first? The Harpers bonus to summons+ seems really nice in this build. Especially early on if I'm mostly soloing, or am I wrong?

[newmart]

What enhancement tree would you advance first? The Harpers bonus to summons+ seems really nice in this build. Especially early on if I'm mostly soloing, or am I wrong?

Yes, I focus on pets first because druid caster dont have a good DPS until lightning bolt. My pets/hire can handle Kobolds Assault EE with ease while im standing this way. I usually play as a healer up to lv 10 or so.

In reaper 1 pets are a lot less reliable, at least until lv 20 and natural shielding. They can tank normal mobs but champs are tough (they are for most players, VERY few multiple life people can tank more than 2 champs in R1). Besides, reaper arent ment to be soloed, but they can if u go carefully. Usually strategic sleet storm can make wolf witstand dmg.

Anyway, if u focus on Caster until lv 10 u wont be doing much better performance anyway...

[Pilgrim1]

I have been running a druid and been testing and playing with diffrent feets each time I epic reincarnate. I have be running epic elite and reaper quests mostly. I have found that in general questing pets are useless because of the horible AI. The only way to make the AI work is to train no active enhancments. That said, the pet is still able to tank most bosses and hold agro. This is realy nice in reaper because of the self healing penilty.

One thing I noticed is that the augment summing line doesn’t seam to improve the pet’s tanking abilities very much. HP, PRR, and dodge/blurry are what gives the pet more surviability.

The augment summing line gives +8 con, 150 fort, 10% dodge, and 25PRR. Some HP to? These stats are importaint but i think the key question is where are they effective. What bosses are you unable to tank with-out these buffs? I did not find to many diffrences.

The other side is what is the cost of these feats, for me i lost wizard past life, master of the wilds, and the lvl 30 +4 dc evocation feat. This was a bit to much of a cost for to small of a gain.

[newmart]

I have been running a druid and been testing and playing with diffrent feets each time I epic reincarnate. I have be running epic elite and reaper quests mostly. I have found that in general questing pets are useless because of the horible AI. The only way to make the AI work is to train no active enhancments. That said, the pet is still able to tank most bosses and hold agro. This is realy nice in reaper because of the self healing penilty.

One thing I noticed is that the augment summing line doesn’t seam to improve the pet’s tanking abilities very much. HP, PRR, and dodge/blurry are what gives the pet more surviability.

The augment summing line gives +8 con, 150 fort, 10% dodge, and 25PRR. Some HP to? These stats are importaint but i think the key question is where are they effective. What bosses are you unable to tank with-out these buffs? I did not find to many diffrences.

The other side is what is the cost of these feats, for me i lost wizard past life, master of the wilds, and the lvl 30 +4 dc evocation feat. This was a bit to much of a cost for to small of a gain.

I belive Fortitude and PRR are essential to tank some bosses, mainly champs. U also dont have many other sources to improve your pet stats. Atributes raise HP, Imtimi checks, Reflex, Fort, Will, make them able to pull leavers and runes (all in game i belive). The atributes also make Hires land spells very ofen and improves dmg a bit. 100% fort from sion is essential to tank Rogue Boss in Slaves.

I was unable to make wolf tank decentely in lvs 20-23 but after 24 improved augument summoning made a very noticiable difference, in lv 28 shadow armor also and at lv 30 pet was unkillable by most bosses and intimi (with pack presence) never fails.

I dont belive its a small gain. My pets arent able to tank all bosses without these feats, i cannot put wolf out at all because dies so much. the point is 6 DC or a Tank Wolf and Dryad. Dryad is even more useful now because of reaper healing penalities.

The use of legendary feat is debatable, but if u are going for serious tanking and immortal pets, i belive u need. They are a much more effective CC (via intimidate) than earthquake itself for my experience because Pack Presence has no Casting Time and no CD.

Master of the Wilds is included in my build. U can exchange it and empower healing spell for more DC focused build if u want.