Druid Avenger

UncleScratchy · Post by **UncleScratchy** » Fri May 07, 2004 7:50 am

Just started a new game with a female half-elf druid avenger as the main char. I've never done the druid stronghold so thought it might be interesting. The char seems really lame right now and a terrible fighter what with only one specialization point allowed on a weapon. Its bad enough she can't use anything but leather armor and has so few weapons to choose from. Should I have made her a human so that I could dual her later on? Also, how do you play this char effectively? Right now my party only has Minsc but I was thinking of picking up Jan as my M/T and maybe Anomen as well. Any advice?

Thanks

Kaitsuburi · Post by **Kaitsuburi** » Fri May 07, 2004 8:31 am

If I were you, I'd keep her pure class and become very high level druid. Definitely challenging but fun

Jan is a great choice, maybe pick up Valygar/Keldorn to fill in the fighter slots. I assume you are probably going to take Imoen later on?

Nice game lined up though. I've done a pure druid only once but it was great for a change!!

-kaitsuburi

Numinor · Post by **Numinor** » Fri May 07, 2004 8:36 am

The Avenger's special shape-shift forms are very nice early in the game, especially the Sword-Spider because of the 5 attacks/round + poison. Later in the game you'll have to rely more on spellcasting then on combat though, because the Sword Spider form only has non-magical "weapons", so it is more or less useless against some powerful monsters.

kopywrite · Post by **kopywrite** » Fri May 07, 2004 9:39 am

Originally posted by UncleScratchy
Should I have made her a human so that I could dual her later on? Also, how do you play this char effectively? Right now my party only has Minsc but I was thinking of picking up Jan as my M/T and maybe Anomen as well.

Fighter dualled to to druid is a great character to play...druid dualled to a fighter would be basically a fighter with, what, 2 iron skins? Not very interesting...I'd agree with Kait, stick with it! Druids get fantastic high level spells and lots of them...once you get over that huge 1.5 to 3 million xp jump between levels 14 and 15 that is, which nerfs Jaheira's druidic powers for a large part of the game. Wouldn't get too excited about any stronghold quests though.

UncleScratchy · Post by **UncleScratchy** » Sun May 09, 2004 10:36 am

Re: Re: Druid Avenger

Originally posted by kopywrite
Fighter dualled to to druid is a great character to play...druid dualled to a fighter would be basically a fighter with, what, 2 iron skins? Not very interesting...I'd agree with Kait, stick with it! Druids get fantastic high level spells and lots of them...once you get over that huge 1.5 to 3 million xp jump between levels 14 and 15 that is, which nerfs Jaheira's druidic powers for a large part of the game. Wouldn't get too excited about any stronghold quests though.

I wasn't able to make a human fighter and dual him to a druid. So I checked the manual and I read that druid is one of classes you can't dual to/from (same as for paladins and rangers). Did you actually dual a fighter to a druid? If you did, did you do it through the game or with Shadow Keeper? Sounds like the only legitimate fighter/druid would have to be a multiclass char.

kopywrite · Post by **kopywrite** » Mon May 10, 2004 2:25 am

It was a legitimate dual as I recall, although it was a while ago. You have to be careful of your stats as druids require high wisdom and charisma. Plus you have to be neutral too...

unrelated · Post by **unrelated** » Mon May 10, 2004 12:44 pm

I believe to be able to dual-class into a druid one must have 15 charisma and 15 wisdom and be true neutral in alignment.

UncleScratchy · Post by **UncleScratchy** » Mon May 10, 2004 1:58 pm

Originally posted by unrelated
I believe to be able to dual-class into a druid one must have 15 charisma and 15 wisdom and be true neutral in alignment.

Been trying that and it hasn't worked. I will use SK to give a fighter char all 18's and then start a game with him to see if he can dual. Obviously he has to be true neutral as its the only option open to druids (which is bizaar when you consider the way Faldorn acts - she is anything but neutral). If the manual is correct it shouldn't work.

Mr.Waesel · Post by **Mr.Waesel** » Tue May 11, 2004 2:24 am

Swors Spiders don't have poison AFAIK. At least, I've never been poisoned by them and don't recall ever having to make a save when hit.

PnP Sword Spiders don't have poison either. They get impale though

kopywrite · Post by **kopywrite** » Tue May 11, 2004 3:40 am

Uncle S.

I'm positive I've played an un-SK'd fighter>druid before...hmm, will test this.

kopywrite · Post by **kopywrite** » Tue May 11, 2004 4:00 am

Yes it worked. Sorry Uncle, I'm not sure why you can't...

(You are trying this with a human character though, right?)

UncleScratchy · Post by **UncleScratchy** » Tue May 11, 2004 6:45 am

Originally posted by kopywrite
Yes it worked. Sorry Uncle, I'm not sure why you can't...

(You are trying this with a human character though, right?)

I think we might have a problem with definitions. Only humans can dual class and only non-humans can multiclass. Did you make a multiclass F/D or dual a fighter to a druid? Making a multiclass elf or half-elf F/D is not the problem. According to the manual you shouldn't be able to dual (not multiclass) a human fighter to a druid (or a ranger, paladin, sorceror, etc). I made another true neutral all 18's stat fighter and was still not able to dual him to a druid. It would allow me to dual him to a thief, cleric or mage however.

@Mr. Waesel: You are correct. Sword spiders don't have a poison attack. They are equipped with "ANTIWEB" necklace (immunity to Hold Creature and Web), "MAGE06" ring (Free Action), and "SPIDSW1" effect (2d6+1 enchanted, speed 3, piercing attack).

kopywrite · Post by **kopywrite** » Tue May 11, 2004 7:18 am

Very strange! I was able to dual a human fighter to a druid earlier on today. Even got as far as deciding were to put the two new proficiency points... Kensai/berserker/wizard slayer>druids should be possible too. I'm baffled. I've got the usual updates (ToB, patch, Baldurdash) as well as several mods though I'm pretty they don't change dualling rules in any way. Besides, the fighter>druid I've played in the past was in the days before any mods were available.

Numinor · Post by **Numinor** » Tue May 11, 2004 7:28 am

Originally posted by UncleScratchy

@Mr. Waesel: You are correct. Sword spiders don't have a poison attack. They are equipped with "ANTIWEB" necklace (immunity to Hold Creature and Web), "MAGE06" ring (Free Action), and "SPIDSW1" effect (2d6+1 enchanted, speed 3, piercing attack).

That's the normal Sword Spider I guess, I'm 99% sure the Sword Spider the Avenger morphs into does poison damage.

Edit: BTW, I can dual a fighter to a druid and vice-versa without any problems, too.
All you need is 15 str, 17 wis and 17 chr.

UncleScratchy · Post by **UncleScratchy** » Tue May 11, 2004 8:09 am

Originally posted by Numinor
That's the normal Sword Spider I guess, I'm 99% sure the Sword Spider the Avenger morphs into does poison damage.

Edit: BTW, I can dual a fighter to a druid and vice-versa without any problems, too.
All you need is 15 str, 17 wis and 17 chr.

AAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH

This is maddening. I haven't been able to do it with all 18s. The manual (pg35) says its not possible, but you guys are telling me it can be done. It wouldn't have anything to do with the Baldurdash FixPac mod, would it? I'm playing with SoA, ToB, ToB patch, Unfinished Business v8, Tashia and Baldurdash. I will try one more time.

BTW - that was the normal Sword Spider I had orginally referenced. I looked up all the Sword spider variations and came up with the same features on all. Then I opened up my game file and checked the Avengers innate folder. The shapeshift swordspider ability is completely different. It has the "SPCL632" effect which gives entirely different stats from a normal sword spider. Built into "SPCL632" is another effect called "plyspid" (for polymorph spider, I assume). When I opened up that effect low and behold there was the attack: Melee, Range=1, Speed=2, THACO=0, 1d4 damage plus POISON. It also showed the correct weapon icon for the spider mandible, leg or whatever it is that shows up in the weapon slot when you polymorph.

You have a good memory. This is only the second time I've tried an Avenger and haven't had much experience with all the shapeshift forms. I think the baby wyvern also has a poisoned attack.

Numinor · Post by **Numinor** » Tue May 11, 2004 8:59 am

I find nothing in my (German) manual about that... all it says is that a dual class must be a valid multiclass combination, too, so Fighter/Druid should be possible.

UncleScratchy · Post by **UncleScratchy** » Tue May 11, 2004 9:28 am

Finally worked

Thanks, I just got it to work. Slapped together a quick true neutral human fighter with the stats needed for a druid and was able to immediately dual him to a druid once the game started. I can't figure out why my previous characters wouldn't work. Unfortunately I deleted them out of frustration so I can't go back and check to see what I had wrong. There are so much disinformation in the manual that its rediculous. In fact when I went to dual him I got the info screen warning that a druid could only use daggers, clubs, staves, slings/darts and spears and that any other weapons proficiencies from the original class would be lost. Seems they left out scimitars on the list of usable items. My whole goal in doing this was to make a F/D that could have 4 or 5 prof points in scimitar or spears.

Numinor · Post by **Numinor** » Tue May 11, 2004 9:42 am

That's no problem in my experience, I once played a fighter/avenger (with some help from SK

) dual wielding Scimitars.

kopywrite · Post by **kopywrite** » Tue May 11, 2004 10:13 am

Glad it worked for you. Why not try a berserker>druid?

"You're harming this delicate ecostructure with your selfish disregard for the natural way of things...ME SMASH YOU TO BITS!!"

Raumoheru · Post by **Raumoheru** » Tue May 11, 2004 3:12 pm

a barbarian druid is nice