Druids

RA · Post by RA » Sun Jun 24, 2001 3:43 am

Did anyone tried druids in ToB? How are their abilitys

ReignsOfPower · Post by **ReignsOfPower** » Sun Jun 24, 2001 3:58 am

Yeah I did.

I think they suck. One Planetar could take a level 30 Druid on. Let alone 5!

Stick to Mages, Fighter/Monks/Paladin and Thieves/Bard for you main character.Dont go Druid or Cleric for Main Character. Too weak. Besides, you want you Main character to get into the battle with some mlee attacks don't you?

Cygoth · Post by **Cygoth** » Sun Jun 24, 2001 7:46 pm

Ranger/clerics are the best druids

Druids are really feeble in BG2, and the cleric gets most of the same high level abilities in ToB, with the added bonus of turn undead, great fighting buffs, better thaco, better armour and better summons. The druid shapeshift abilities are pretty much useless after the first few chapters in SoA, and the elemental shapeshifts in ToB are still a lot weaker than a fighter. When you consider that a druid can't cast spells while shapeshifted, then they suck horribly. Ironskins, Summon Woodland Beings and Insect Plague are about all they have going for them, and a ranger/cleric has all of those.
Ranger/clerics get all druid and cleric spells, but can actually fight - not to mention stealth and turn undead! A Stalker dualled to cleric at level 9 also has triple backstab (use clubs or quarterstaff) and can cast haste and minor spell deflection.
If you like priests, play a cleric. If you like being able to do nearly everything, play a ranger/cleric. If you like being a burden on your group, play a druid. If you like cheese, play a mage

Of course, dualling from Berserker to druid - that's completely different

[ 06-24-2001: Message edited by: Arameus ]

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Mon Jun 25, 2001 1:09 am

Don't forget about Nature's Beauty. One of the best anti-Dragon/Lich/whatever spells IMO. Practically insta-kills and no save (talking about the Blindness effect here). Manual says 5' area, but it's actually over half the screen.

Drezden327 · Post by **Drezden327** » Mon Jun 25, 2001 6:29 am

I'm not a big druid fan, but I kept Jaheira as my only priest b/c of her fighting skills and I hate Anomen, plus there are so many superior healing potions all over the place. Anyway, I was lamenting her lack of spell power until I got Greater Elemental Summoning - WOW - the prince that appears just kicks ass - prob more powerful than a planetar - just try that and it might change your mind about Druids, since clerics don't get this.

Tharan · Post by **Tharan** » Fri Jun 29, 2001 10:59 am

Actually druids can suck pretty bad, and not suck that bad.

The thing is in TOB druids can wear armor made out of animals, such as Ankeg plate mail, and dragon scale armors. So that's pretty cool. Elemental Summoning (greater) is
very nice also. Then nature's beauty can kick some ass and don't forget about the best anti mage spells, true sight + insect swarm. Renders Mages useless. Also such as implosion and Storm of Vengence can do some nice damage.

On the bad side.
They are pretty damn weak I think. Only 1 proficency slot, and you use a damn scimitar or a staff, or a spear! You can hardly hit anyone. And the kit druids I just find sorry and lame. Shapeshifter sucks balls cause he still gets owned even in greater werewolf form and he can't cast spells. Then Avenger.... look at what he can turn into! He sucks!!! And totemic druid's animals are pretty much useless!!

So there you have it. Try not to be you main char as druid. Though as a back bone of your party for healing or desrupting magic he can be pretty usefull. Other then that ... I prefer much funner character. Druids get pretty boring.

OH yea and no an Elemental Prince cannot take out a Planetar. You gotta be kidding me.

RA · Post by RA » Fri Jun 29, 2001 12:30 pm

I don't know if you played trough BG1?
I did, I have a druid with really great stats. like:
Strenght 19
dexterity 18
constitution 20
intelligence 11
wisdom 21
charisma 16

I(I played trough the game twice with a two headed party a bard and a druid, so that is why I have con 20 and dex 18 the tome of dex went twice to the bard and the tome of con to my druid)

But I found them really fun to play and they are really good in BG1.
I think you must like druids, they have to fit in your playing style.
I like druids, bards, clerics, thieves and sorcerers and I hate palladins, monks, fighters and rangers.
Can't help it but i think the fighter types make the game easy (especially palladins, I know what I am saying because I played with all classes).
And I love druids, I admit they suck in BG2 especially Schapeschifters, and I don't like avengers to.
I play a normal druid, I like those the best.
But to make druids powerfull you have to have a well balanced team (you always have to).

Look wenn I have a bard and play the bard (enchanted bard song)song the elemental shapeshift form improves to and she will fight better.
Then you say my fighter fights even better but my druid can do other things as wel, like heal enz (not while shapeschaged but in general combat).
So she can do more things then only wack the enemy until he dies.
I love druids and I shall keep using them, it is just how you want to play the game. But I have heard really many diferent opinions about druids. Some say there great others say they suck. It depends on how you use them and fit into your team.

[ 06-29-2001: Message edited by: RA ]

]RiPPeR[ · Post by **]RiPPeR[** » Fri Jun 29, 2001 12:35 pm

i think druids are very cool, dont care about their armor restrictions, i have soloed as an avenger trought Soa and his level 14 didnt made it impossible, if you know how to use his habilities and spell you can discover a pretty good character
before tob was released i saw on a site that the shapeshifters would have a better transformation than the greater werewolf or somthing, if anyone have played this class and know the stats of this better-werewolf please post here

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Fri Jun 29, 2001 2:32 pm

I'm also curious about the Avenger. Their shapes must suck pretty badly in ToB. Baby Wyvern versus Marilith? Right...

Cernd's Greater Wolfwere AC has been "fixed" from, what was it, 0, to -12 or something. I'd call that a rather substantial improvement.

Did the Avenger get anything? (or the Beastmaster, or the Totemic Druid for that matter...)

Yshania · Post by **Yshania** » Fri Jun 29, 2001 2:44 pm

I am playing an Avenger in Chapter 5 at the moment. Shapeshift to sword spider is really cool - -5 AC, 5 attacks per round (increased dexterity) and an attack that can slash through stone skin...

humanflyz · Post by **humanflyz** » Fri Jun 29, 2001 3:39 pm

I don't know if it is my stats, but my cleric doesn't have any kind of insect summonging ie: insect swarm, creeping doom, insect plague. Only Jaheira can cast those spells. My wisdom is 18. Are the insect spells available to druid only. If it is, then I'll play as a druid or dual to a fighter because I love insect summonings because of the spell disruptions.

]RiPPeR[ · Post by **]RiPPeR[** » Fri Jun 29, 2001 4:48 pm

yes, there are many spells only avaliable for druids, but if you are a ranger/clerig you will have all spells(from clerics and druids)
the shapeshifts sword spider is pretty cool, you have a good thac0 and that poison is amazing, but the best advantage of the avenger are the few mages spells you gain, cromatic orb at level 12 is like a weaker version of the spell finger of death, improved invisibility is cool also, when fighting a mage you put the cloak of non detection , use improved invisibilty and he cant direct spells at you, in Tob druids must be really good with those high level habilities like shapesifht greater earth and fire elemental, the elementals princes must be one of the best sumonings in the game, resuming druids rocks

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Fri Jun 29, 2001 4:56 pm

Then again, is there any class (not kit) that does not rock when played right?

humanflyz · Post by **humanflyz** » Fri Jun 29, 2001 5:45 pm

Quote: "Then again, is there any class (not kit) that does not rock when played right?"

I still think Wizard Slayer is the hardest class/kit I have ever played. Even though they get magig resistance as they level up, they are still a pain to play.

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Sat Jun 30, 2001 5:58 am

Wizard Slayer is a kit from the Fighter class. I'm sure someone managed to solo the game with another Fighter kit...

ReignsOfPower · Post by **ReignsOfPower** » Sat Jun 30, 2001 6:03 am

If you refer to the first reply to this Post I thought Druids sucked harcore.....not anymore!

I think Druids are a must have now! The 'were' c r a p but now they are one formitable class indeed.

My party would not be complete without Cernd anymore.

[ 06-30-2001: Message edited by: ReignsOfPower ]

Yshania · Post by **Yshania** » Sun Jul 01, 2001 5:16 am

Even in Chapter 2 my Avengers Chromatic Orb caused some impressive explosions esp when cast against the undead!

Showered in body parts and not a scratch on him!

]RiPPeR[ · Post by **]RiPPeR[** » Sun Jul 01, 2001 7:24 am

i want to ask anyone who has summoned an elemental prince to post here how strong they are

Masteraleph · Post by **Masteraleph** » Sun Jul 01, 2001 9:40 am

They're really strong. They only last for a little while tho, or so it seems, so make sure to summon it with as little time as possible before a battle.

TheHellion · Post by **TheHellion** » Sun Jul 01, 2001 5:16 pm

Originally posted by Tharan:
OH yea and no an Elemental Prince cannot take out a Planetar. You gotta be kidding me.

I sh!t you not. An Elemental Prince will make mince-meat out of a Planetar. If you don't believe me, try it for yourself; have Jaheira use Greater Elemental Summoning, and have Imoen cast Summon Planetar. Pause the game, initiate a fight, and then watch the sparks fly! Jaheira's Earth Elemental Prince was injured by the time he finished smacking Imoen's Planetar around, but he won nonetheless. Now, a Solar would surely be a different matter... but we can't summon those.