dragon wench wrote:
So.. don't tell me that shape-shifting "sucks".. I already know it's the weakest of the specialisations.
Shape-shifting *sucks*.
..but NOT because it's the "weakest" of the specializations.
I've tried it out, and you always use magic and rarely use shape-shift form, *except* when you run-out of lyrium, and that's only if you don't have the Blood Mage specialization and are purposely limiting your lyrium potions. The problem here is that you can't have your own sustained spells going while shape-shifted, and that pretty much leaves shape shifting as a last resort - and as a result the specialization is *rarely* used.
Actually I think the better Druid character is via the Rogue "Ranger" specialization, with the poison line for offensive "spell casting" and weapon damage enhancement. Invisibility via Stealth (..which mages don't have.)
The Ranger's summons are *always* useful, and even more so with Ranger Mastery.
Further, you can limit and at the same time "expand" your character's build by NOT creating a "back-stab" type character.
Consider a strength-based build with dual weapons. Longsword + Dagger. (Archery is also possible, but far less effective.)
The build progression becomes far more "relaxed" with such a build, and as a result is far more effective at early levels.
For skills it's Poison Making, Coercion, and Combat Training, and early-on with a fairly even distribution. All of the "bomb" recipes only require *2* skill ranks in Poison Making and do 80 damage to each in the area it effects assuming no damage type resistance to that element (..though its radius is considerably smaller than most spells).
For Talents it massively eases the build's progression. Dual-weapon Training, Dual-Weapon Finesse, Dual-Striking, and Stealth I. (..Dirty Fighting before entering the Fade.)
The highest attribute requirement there is Dexterity at 16 for Dual-Weapon Finesse at the start of the game.
Combat Stealth only needs 18 in Cunning.
Dual-Weapon Expert only needs 26 in Dexterity.
Those two Attribute scores are your limits, and neither the Stealth line nor the "Expert" or Momentum (line) are really necessary until you have your Mage-Tower Fade augmented attributes. (..so you'll probably be "saving-up" about 4 talents until you have the attributes to handle them.)
The Fade bonuses are:
Strength - 4
Dexterity - 4
Willpower - 4
Cunning - 5
Magic - 2
Constitution - 2
If you have a Human (classic std. Druid race) then you have +1 to Strength, Dexterity, and Cunning.
With a max Cunning requirement of 18, and + 6 with your racial and fade bonuses, that means you only need to spend 2 points in Cunning, and only one point early-on for getting your Coercion skill to level 2. (..as noted below, incorrect because of Rogue starting values.)
With a max Dexterity requirement of 26, and +5 with your racial and Fade bonuses, that leaves a Dexterity requirement of 11, and only 5 early-on. (..actually on *1* point early-on because of Rogue starting values.)
The rest you can apply to Strength. High attack numbers, high regular damage, and the ability to wear massive armor (..though of course keeping it to non-metallic armor, or *mostly* non-metallic
).
The Ranger talents you can start into immediately at level 7. Dualist at level 14 to increase you attack numbers to penetrate weakness and *almost* never miss.
Upper level talents would include the Dualist line, Below the Belt, and Deadly Strike.
And remember: it's not a lock-picking trap-setting/disabling rogue.. it's a Druid!
EDIT: I'd forgotten that you get Dirty Fighting for free and that Cunning is set at 15 for Rogues to start. That makes some of the attribute points wasted.. (at least until latter *if* you seek Stealth Mastery).
I could also see a potential Shape Shifter *with* Wynn buffing your shifted form to a considerable degree: Heroic Offense for the attack bonus and Haste. Another problem here is still damage, with no significant way to increase it UNLESS you want to spend attribute points on Strength instead of Magic, AND expect the total to be higher than the form's base.
