Scratch Pad for Build-fu

[unbongwah]

HA! Get it? "Scratch pad?" Because they have claws? It's - I say - it's wordplay, son, bon mots, that is!

Anyway, just a thread for some build ideas based on druid changes. DISCLAIMER: I hate minmaxing so don't bother telling me these aren't max-DPS builds which can't solo R10 Strahd (so why bother) - yes, I know, I also don't care.

Concept: DEX- and WIS-based melee / caster hybrid
Issue: Evasion is a tier-5 Nature's Warrior enhancement, but DEX to-hit and damage isn't an inherent class or tree ability for druids. MCed builds will have a few different options, but if you want a pure druid, you only have two options for DEX to-hit & dmg:

• Use a named weapon which natively supports it. [For non-druid 2H weapons, you also need the proficiency if you want to avoid the to-hit penalty. For 1H weapons, you can invest in UMD and use Master's Touch scrolls.]
• Elf with Weapon Finesse + Aerenal Grace can get DEX to-hit & damage with rapiers in wolf form. [confirmed on Lama] The other racial melee weapons can get DEX to damage but not to-hit on pure druid. [looks like they already bugfixed the weirdness of using ranged / thrown weapons in animal form too]

This build is an example of the latter.

Race: elf
Class: druid 20
Stats (36 pt): WIS 18 (+lvl-ups) / DEX 18 / CON 14
Feats: Quicken (1), Precision (3), Weapon Finesse (6), ??? (9), IC:Pierce (12), ??? (15), Spell Focus:Evocation? (18), Overwhelming Crit (21), BoGW? (24), PTWF (26), ??? (27), ??? (28), Dire Charge? (29), Scion of Plane of Air? (30)

• Lotta blank feat slots because it depends on what you want to emphasize: Natural Fighting feats for more melee DPS; metamagics for higher caster DPS; maybe even the two Augment Summons feats for better dogs. For maximum elf flavor sauce, add Shadow Dragonmark.

Enhancements: 41 Nature's Warrior (tier-5s + capstone) / 19 elf (Aerenal Grace + Skill) / 6 Nature's Protector (+20 PRR/MRR) / 11 Season's Herald (three cores for caster bonuses) with 3 APs left to tweak (Call Lightning SLA maybe)

Mainhand: rapiers eventually, though for early heroic leveling I recommend Sky Pirate's Dagger of Tiefling Assassin's Blade. [EDIT: you can also use Flame Blade, as WIS to dmg is now applying in animal forms.] At level 12 your crit threat range with rapiers becomes 15-20/x3 from IC:Pierce + Nature's Hunter. [In epics, drow rapier and Mutineer's Blade are 13-20/x3, Balizarde is 15-20/x4.]
Offhand: either orb for caster bonuses or shield for passive / defensive bonuses. Once you have Nature's Swiftness (Evasion), you can only use bucklers or small shields.

Gameplay: like I said, it's a melee / caster hybrid. Every time the temp SPs from Essence of Nature procs, you use a spell or wolf ability with them. Winter spec (cold / lightning).