I havent had a chance to play with a Druid yet, but I noticed that there are a lot of druid only items in the game. How have they worked for those that have them? My only experience with a Druid is Jaheria from BG2 and I never found her all that useful. But some of the Druid Spells in IWD2 seem EXTREMELY powerful. (Call Lighting/Static Charge for instance) And has anyone tried casting Tortise Shell on an enemy??? The manual says NO SAVING THROW. So the effects should basicly be the same as a ten round long Outilukes RS but they cant save with a reflex throw. This seems very useful in places like Dragons Eye for Isebelah especialy in HoF since most characters make their throws.

Just hoping for some comments/experiences/funny stories about your Druids to tell me if I should bother with one the next time I make a party. [img]smile.gif[/img]

I am not very good in taking advantage of spell casters, but I only select offensive and healing spells for my druid. As I have found out from my limited experience she is kind of okay for a spell caster but not a particularly powerful one nor is she an effective tank. My conclusion is that druid in IWD2 is just a mediocre class, something like a hybrid fighter/spell caster and I would rather trade her for another true tank (fighter or barbarian) or a sorcerer.

Yep. You have to face the truth.
Druids are just wierdo's who dress in ugly brown robes and wander the wilderness talking to animals. That doesn't sound impressive to me!
:D

Druids have some VERY powerfull attack spells. Think of a mage with healing spells and better hit points, and you have a druid.

I used to avoid druids, but i wanted to have a secondary healer, so currently one is in my party.

So far..... got to say i am extremely impressed with the Druid. BarkSkin followed by Beast Claws and he is a right beast. Not to mention some really useful spells, both outdoors and indoors.

MY druid single handedly held on to one of my flanks in the underdark when ambushed by HookHorrors. Flame Wall the door stand behind, spike ground (can't rem the name, the one with purple spikes poking out of the ground)the outside. Barkskin and Beast claws! My others were busy dealing with the others in the same cave. After that encounter, my regard of my druid sure rose quite a bit!

Do you find the shapechanging to be worthwhile? Or are they just a different flavor of Cleric? Doesnt seem like turning into a bear or a panther would be that useful when killing those creatures doenst even give you experience after the first chapter. Are you better off just figthing with weapons?

There is a feat you can take at level 8 that allow you to morph into a shambling mound. That's a giant beast with high str, 20 resistance to lightning (or was it acid?) and 8 to fire.

Also, when you shapechange to and from creature form, it heal you some, so it is usefull for that too. It saved me a few times.

[ 10-17-2002, 03:29 AM: Message edited by: Luvian ]

I haven't used one in IWD2, but a Druid was a constant feature in my parties in the original IWD:HOW. Since starting a game of IWD2, I wanted to branch out and play characters that I had not played before. I will have to say that in IWD, Druids rocked! My favorite 3 spells for him where Summon Fire Elemental, Entangle and Spike Growth. I think once I beat IWD2 once, I might go back and try my usual party, just to see how it stacks up to the 3E rules.

i rather liked the shapes esp the bears!

neat trick w/ the forms, since their stats are completely seperate from your druids stats (str, dex + con) the new form can be quite a power boost, and those stats can then be augmented by items and spells.

so the druid as war bear gets pretty powerful.

Items your wearing still take affect in shapeshift? Like even the Despana Brooch or other "useable" Items? That seems a little cheap... But I like it if it works. Shape shifting to boring beetle: Does it let you pick pocket hostiles like the boring beetle can do???

In the previous games (IWD1 BG1/2) it was a relatively weak class identical to the Cleric in many ways save for some further weapon restrictions etc, which kinda made it pointless to play and unpopular with most. I mean why bother when a Cleric can cast all the same spells and use even more weapons/armor right?

But..... the Druid class in IWD2 is very very cool. They really worked on making this underrated class just that, a class of its own. Alot of the spells are specific to the Druid character and logically, nature-oriented. The shapeshifting abilities are great too and with the added 'extra wild shape' feat your Druid can assume the Shambling Mound form - which fights well and looks very big. I've always wanted to play a Druid character in these games but up till now it wasn't really possible due to the way they portrayed this class previously. If you haven't tried it in IWD2 I suggest you do, they have done all those woodland folk a great service ;)

Don't make the same mistake I made;
don't create a deep gnome druid

I thought it was fun for roleplaying reasons, but she just levels up to slow.
A 3 level penalty for a druid is definately not worth it.
(I had her in my party which also had a dark elf monk... 2 level panalty, couldn't win a fight.)

Druids, just like Monks, start getting interesting and powerful at higher levels.

[ 10-18-2002, 06:57 AM: Message edited by: Faba du Paryse ]

Bah. Just a bunch of tree hugging hippie crap ;) ;) ;)

the answer to spirit warriors problem is......... the Fighter/Druid! wear full plate. use flame blade exceptionally, and many other reasons, mainly sving throws. Otherwise plain and simple druid do suk!

I was thinking Fighter/Druid Fighter:4 Druid:the rest Human STR18/DEX16/CON18/INT3/WIS18/CHA3 HE would be a good fighter and keep raising his wisdom, as human he would get 2 skill point put them in Concentration and Spellcraft. BAM Druid fighter! PS: I dont care about aniumal empathy... I'll make him Neutral Evil cuz he HATES animals.. He's just a Druid for the Union benefits.

I always have a druid in my IWD parties for 3 reasons:
1, Entangle
2, spike growth
3, spike stones

with these 3 spells almost every enemy becomes a pushover because you entangle them and then ya SHRED them all with out lifting a single blade.

Yep... wicked combo! Except entangle doesn't work indoors (thats what u have a "web" spell for) and there is also "Static Electricity"!!!!!

Druids were not just 'crappy clerics' in IWD. They're spells made them VERY different in useability. You don't send a druid charging in as a tank, because hes a DRUID, not a tank! You sit them in the back, and just use static charges, various fire spells, creeping dooms etc etc, and watch as the enemies fall. Their summoning is far better than a clerics, and especially in IWD, they were easily the best single classed caster. Lots of variety in the uses for their spells. Their only weakness was, and still is sorta, the weak defence. Not enough defence boosting spells, and poor armour.

I couldn't help but notice that avatar lol. Is it real and, if your banned should you even be posting on the site (I thought being banned would make it impossible).

LOL! How many posts do I have to make to get that ranking? hehe

It's an old post, he wasn't banned all that long ago... for giving crap to Luvian i think (or larry)

Yeah I was just browsing back a page or so and noticed it. Hehe I must say tho the 'Banned' rank looks.....'cool' LMAO trust Ziroc to make good even on the 'smart ass' avatars! Also I like the 'banned for being a smartass line' :D You know what would be better tho? If it was changed to 'I was banned for being a smart ass so I can't reply to anymore posts :( ' heh I think it would take em down a notch or two.

When I was into pen & paper ADnD I always thought Druids were tree-hugging weirdos. When I met Jaheira (fighter/druid) in Baldur's Gate 1, I thought she woulda been better off as a cleric. When I got into BG2, and Jaheira started getting into higher levels, I thought, "man! she rocks!"

Kinda like a mage, I guess. Druids take some investment, but they pay off in the long run with a lot of versatility in their choice of spells -- a good mix of healing, offensive, and defensive spells.

BTW, I'm thinking of a human character who's a frustrated Druid (WIS: 11 to 13) and after some druid levels will switch over to one of the fighter classes. At what druid level do you think he should stop?

Never had much luck with Druids..... :(

Maybe next time around I`ll give it a shot. Some of the spells sound interesting...

[ 11-17-2002, 07:11 AM: Message edited by: Lord Corwin ]

Yeah but druids in IWD2 rock even at early levels. Truly now they can hold their own in battle.

I have a ranger/druid, but I am starting to think getting her ranger levels was a bad idea. She has 3 attack per round at an early level, and can sneak around as well as a rogue, but she is only starting to get powerfull spells. I think I won't be able to use her more powerfull spells unless I go in HoF mode.

A Druid early on can be really effective if you start with SF/GSF in Transmutation. That and the entangle spell can make alot of the early battles much much easier - and alot of their later spells are in that school; basically transmutation and evocation are nice ones for a Druid to focus in.

I have a druid in my all-drow party and she is doing great. A mix between a wizard and a cleric, throw in shapeshifting abilities.

Shapeshifting becomes useless in the end of normal mode, at least in my case, since she has high STR, CON and DEX and Flail++. The wolf shape is still very effective for scouting, mainly an invisible and hasted wolf.

I suggest taking a druid as a third spellcaster if you already have an arcane one and a cleric.

If you want to dual a druid, try taking a Barbarian instead of Fighter as second class: Rage works great when shapeshifted and Druids become immune to fatigue after a certain level.

Oh No!, I've already dumped my Ranger for a Sorceror, now I want a Druid too!, what or who can I dump now?.

I've got

Paladin,
Fighter,
Cleric,
Rogue,
Sorceror,
Wizard.

The Rogue!

im really enjoying playing mine
she has some great spells

What about traps etc?.

What about traps etc?.</font>[/QUOTE]The wizard has enough skill points to spare if she has a maxed out INT to take disable deviceas cross skill.

For scouting, instead of a rogue or a ranger who uses Hide and Move Silenly I use an invisible, hasted druid in winter wolf form. Preferably the druid has to take search as cross class skill (Animal Empathy and Wilderness Lore are not very usefull anyway)

For open lock, bashing works 95% of the time (if the one who does the bashing is the strongest character + bull strength), otherwise the knock spell.
Edited: BTW, on topic, a druid in dire bear form or whatever other shape with big strength is great for bashing.

Pick pocket is quite useless, after chapter one, anyway.

[ 11-18-2002, 10:11 AM: Message edited by: Warhammer ]

Yep my Rogue dualed to a Druid class and she rocked. Also, the fighter is another idea?

Make a Druid/Rogue you only need 1-3 levels of rogue to complete the game. And a Spellcaster heavy party is GREAT in HoF. [img]smile.gif[/img] Or put 1-3 levels of rogue on your wizard and make a pure druid.

I like my druid/sorceress. All around useful. Backup fighter, primary healer (priest/paladin isn't high enough yet), good support caster, and good secondary combat castor.

People say that druid is a superior fighter when he gets the dire bear SS ability and even more when he gets the fire elemental.

I dont agree. My druid gets her ass kicked from my barbarian everytime. She fights pretty well but she never wins. I am level 18 but if I use the elentals I get my ass kicked even more. She can land maybe 3 hits before she's dead. So whats the point of the elementals? As enemies they have tons of hp. But my con is gets lowered to 10 when I SS and I only have a bit over 200 hp. The enemy elementals should be like level 50 to have so much hp that they have.

Tell me what I'm doing wrong. I haven't patched my game, could the patch make the SS elementals better?

[ 11-20-2002, 05:43 AM: Message edited by: Gheital ]

Since I have a druid/sorceress too, I'm a bit curious how you went with ther. IIRC I myself have a lvl 4 druid / lvl 6 sorceress with maxed wis and char and the rest of the stats at avarage (no bonuses nor penalties). Haven't yet decided should I stress the druid or the sorceress in her...

Since I have a druid/sorceress too, I'm a bit curious how you went with ther. IIRC I myself have a lvl 4 druid / lvl 6 sorceress with maxed wis and char and the rest of the stats at avarage (no bonuses nor penalties). Haven't yet decided should I stress the druid or the sorceress in her...</font>[/QUOTE]She's currently 12(13?)/8(9?) D/S. She is primarily a druid. Plan on stopping S at lvl 10. I didn't max out cha (17 with enhancement) because she's mainly a druid.

[ 11-20-2002, 12:21 PM: Message edited by: Night Stalker ]

I don't have IWD2 but I can comment on the original with HoF. Druids were the most powerful characters in the game especially against enemies that do slashing damage, which were usually plentiful. In IWD a druid could change into a Earth, or even better Water elemental that are immune to slashing damage and regenerate hit points over time, they had a huge array of offensive cleric spells, don't need to rest. In the original you could use your druid as a tank, you could even just have your entire party sit back and watch as your druid turned in to a water elemental with static charge and took on an entire army, taking absolutly no damage in the battle.

It would be sad if IWD2 removed the ability for druids to change into these powerful forces of nature.