Defend your Druids right to exist!

[Jack of Speed]

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]

[Paladin2000]

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.

[MasterPooBaa]

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!

[Luvian]

Originally posted by MasterPooBaa: 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!

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

[Guinness]

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!

[Jack of Speed]

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?

[Luvian]

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 ]

[Vassago]

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.

[koz-ivan]

Originally posted by Jack of Speed: 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?

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.

[Jack of Speed]

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???