Proficiencies

[Dancing Virginia]

Okay, I've stacked out my future DC fighter/druid with clubs and slings. I did so for role playing value because the pic I chose looked kind of barbarian and wild. Plus I liked the idea of a woman smashing the hell out of skeletal undead with a big stick. I'm starting to thing clubs weren't such a great idea. Haven't found a useful one yet. It's unfortunate, because the first time I played through Vale of Shadows I found a magic +1 club. But that must have been randomized because it didn't turn up again. *sigh* Someone please tell me there is at least one decent club I can purchase/find along the way! I knew I should have given her a proficiency in scimitars. {{Cary swears like a sailor under her breath.}}


I'm posting this again for those of you who have given me a hard time about the swing dancing! Yes, believe it or not there is at least one female gamer on the IWD/HoW board.
http://benswing.com/glenecho/glenech.../Image122.html

[ 11-09-2004, 11:06 AM: Message edited by: Dancing Virginia ]

[ZFR]

On a side notice... how can a druid get prof in bows??

You can purchase a club +2 +4 vs spiders from Conlan in Kuldahar but you must have HoW installed. Thre is also a random +3 club in DragonsEye (level 4?)(even without HoW).

Once you reach HoW there is an amazing club on B***** I***.

[Dancing Virginia]

Oops, sorry I meant slings.

[Otto]

SPOILER
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Clubs is a good proficiency if you have HOW installed. Without HOW, most of the clubs will be random (i.e., Dazer & Peacekeeper). With HOW, you can buy the "Evil Spider Crusher of Doom" from Conlan in Kuldahar. It's +2, +4 against spiders. Not a bad weapon. However, as a HOW druid you'll also have the spell, "Star Metal Cudgel":

STAR METAL CUDGEL
Level: 4
Sphere: Combat
Range: Caster
Duration: 3 turns
Casting Time: 7
Area of Effect: Caster
Saving Throw: None

This spell creates a meteoric iron magical club that is +2 to hit and damage, and treated as a +4 weapon for purposes of what it can hit. Proficiency, strength, and specialization bonuses and penalties apply. It does an additional 2d6 points of crushing damage against unnatural creatures (undead, golems, outer planar creatures, etc).

P.S. Don't forget about your animal shapes. They can be very effective in combat, especially when augmented by spells.

[ 11-09-2004, 04:08 PM: Message edited by: Otto ]

[Aerich]

There's also a good (but random) club on DE lvl 4 called Peacekeeper. For a list of clubs, look here

[Wolf On Fire]

I haven't ever really found animal shapes to be useful at all. When do you use them?

[Aerich]

It depends. A druid in a six-character party may never need them. For smaller parties, or parties in which the druid may need to tank, they are quite useful.

The wolf is fast, so it makes a good scout/decoy, and it's not bad for attacking spellcasters. The beetle is a decent tank, especially if your druid is being hit: it gets 50% resistance to piercing, slashing, and missile effects. I've used it in the Temple of the Forgotten God to good effect. The polar bear is ok if you want to fully block a chokepoint.

Best of all, you heal some damage with every shapechange, so you can keep a druid alive that is under attack. I used shapechange in the Severed Hand to keep my druid alive when under attack from multiple missile users (retreating wasn't an option). I shapechanged three times in quick succession, healing HP each time, and ended up as a winter wolf, which has an 18 Con and better HP. Shapechange cannot be disrupted by anything except Dispel Magic, so it's a good way to heal under fire when a spell would be disrupted.

[JrKASperov]

I've used the polar bear form in the severed hand a bit when fighting on the lower levels there. Polar Bears are handy because of their massive damage.