The Forest Father attracts from all corners of the globe: those with a deep connection with nature. The Church of Silvanus has defended woods and forests from the encroachment of civilization for many thousands of years; and the war continues behind the scenes.
Having accumulated a great deal wisdom from her adventures, a lone Silvanite druid reasons that deception is essential in the ongoing secret war between silvanites and the industrious. An old and anonymous shadowdancer introduces her to the way of the shadow...
"...where there is light, there is a shadow...where there is no light, there exists a myriad of shadows...but even the most infinitesimal of shadows can hide a mountain..."
Being wise and young, she learns quickly. The shadows bend to her will...they shield her...encompass her...even as she summons ancient draconic spirits to mold her body into that of a thousand year old dragon, the shadows blend and adapt...
The Church of Silvanus counted her amongst the greatest of their assets...she blended into the shadows like the oaks of Shadewood...she became the Shadewood Mistress.
...essentially she's a HIPsing druid/dragon. This is more of an in-depth guide (and advertisement) for a generic dragon build. Hard to come up with something original for a seven year old game...
Similar Builds Bertuzzi's Sneaky Dragon: Click Here Jehoshua's Universal Dragon: Click Here Talamier's Nature's Defender: Click Here
I'm sure you've seen or thought of this sneaky little dragon. Moreover, she's a HIPsing caster with powerful spells; with spell penetration and DCs almost at the level of an exalted sorcerer.
Even if you corner this girl with a large party, she dies hard. As a dragon she has high HP, high AC, good AB, high saves, high spell resistance, etc. etc. As a druid, she's a powerful spellcaster. You wouldn't want to be caught by both stonehold and storm of vengeance; even if you're immune to paralysis, she can cast harm on you as you enter the storm...'nuff said.
DRAGON FORM [Buffed values in brackets] Owl's Insight, Barkskin, Aura of Vitality, Extended Spell Resistance, Maximised Bull's Strength
STR 48 [57] DEX 36 [40] CON 32 [36] INT 14 WIS 34 [46] CHA 10
Spell Resistance: 20 [48]
Fortitude: 34 [36] Reflex: 33 [35] Will: 35 [41]
AB (claws/bite): +46/+40 [+50/+44]
HP: 860[940]
AC: 63 [76]
Spellbook Storm of Vengeance Maximized Inferno - Cast then hide and run Extended Aura of Vitality Extended Regeneration Harm Energy Buffer Extended Spell Resistance Stonehold Owl's Insight Death Ward Maximized Bull's Strength Ice Storm Freedom of Movement Barkskin One with the Land Camouflage
Her Pros Moan in agony as a building-sized dinosaur with a wingspan the size of an A380 disappears into the crimson sunset...even the best spotters and listeners cannot detect this girl!
A naked AC of 76 in Dragon Form ensures that only those with the craziest of ABs can hit her when she actually equips something.
'Spell Resistance' Buff gives 48 spell resistance; casters without at least 30 caster levels shouldn't even try...
Conversely, she has loads of spell penetration from her 36 druid levels...
Kinda hard to dispel her when she have 36 druid levels. Yup, even exalted sorcerer will have some trouble!
She has spell DCs for conjuration type spells that rival even the exalted sorcerer's spell DCs...(DC 43)
40/+6 naked damage reduction along with all the other dragon benefits = GG in low magic world
Her dragon's breath attack is surprisingly effective when all else fails.
Those druid levels give her +4 to hide and move silently and +2 to attack rolls when she is in a wilderness area...run Tarzan, run!
Her cons True seeing...gah...good thing it's not constant and immediate, so you can still take advantage of flatfoots...
Watch out for the exalted sorcerer, his spells CAN touch her, she's lucky to have death ward and some really good saves against spells...
She did not take spell penetration feats...mainly because she wants to resist her own spells, but 45 spell resistance is the 50/50 mark for her...
If a dispel actually connects, she can't recast her buffs in dragon shape...
She is a dragon. She will not fit into a corridor. Then again, she can be your 300 spartans because she's so big (^_^)
The thing about dragon builds like her is that they don't benefit very much from items...While she is beyond godlike in a low magic world, she's not particularly overwhelming in high magic worlds.
Other dragon builds achieve higher AC and higher AB; though it would be a long battle, she will ultimately lose one-on-one. well, I guess she can unmorph and cast Storm of Vengeance and then cast harm on that dragon...
She is not immune to critical hits; watch out for devastating critical! Especially from Clerics.
Strategies Cast Stonehold, cast Storm of Vengeance and then cast harm...great for assassinating heavily armed warriors
Cast Maximized Inferno, hide, run...not a great killer but a great pisser-offer, doesn't look like the effect can be removed
Cast Stonehold, Cast Icestorm...good against a group of brutes with low spell resistance and low will save
Morph into Dragon...ultimately, this is your favorite strategy, especially against those with high spell resistance and immunity to paralysis and all that jazz...use your hide creatively
Potions are your best friend...you can use them in dragon shape...full heal with an already hard to hit dragon who can also hide, that's something.
BTW Could someone explain the mechanics behind harm and heal? They seem too accurate against prismatic dragons and dracoliches and the like to be simply melee touch attacks...
Also, does morphing into a dragon and gaining all those tumble levels add AC due to tumble?
Would still like to know how to buff a cleric up to similar AC values...can't seem to do it myself
Edited By Kail Pendragon on 10/07/09 11:03
You're losing 2 AB by taking 1 monk and 1 shadowdancer level pre-epic. You don't have Epic Prowess. You took Blind Fight at level 39. Those all can be improved.
Could someone explain the mechanics behind harm and heal? They seem too accurate against prismatic dragons and dracoliches and the like to be simply melee touch attacks...
They're simply melee touch attacks. Note that said attack ignores specific types of AC.
Quote: Also, does morphing into a dragon and gaining all those tumble levels add AC due to tumble?
You're losing 2 AB by taking 1 monk and 1 shadowdancer level pre-epic. You don't have Epic Prowess. You took Blind Fight at level 39. Those all can be improved.
So taking monk and shadowdancer after epic character gains 2 AB...
How does this epic business work?
(Epic Prowess could be chosen over Epic Spell Focus I guess, I tried to keep the caster form powerful)
So taking monk and shadowdancer after epic character gains 2 AB...
How does this epic business work?
In a nutshell, what matters is your pre-epic level spread. Everything gains AB/saves equally in the epic levels.
Quote: (Epic Prowess could be chosen over Epic Spell Focus I guess, I tried to keep the caster form powerful)
Or drop Combat Casting, move Greater Spell Focus pre-epic, and now you have room for Epic Prowess.
Nice build! I loved the description too, and your posts are fun to read. I can feel your enthusiasm _________________ Ghaash agh akūl - Nazgūl skoiz Mirdautas vras! Karn ghaamp agh nūt Shaut Manwe quiinubat gukh
Summoning - Mirdautas Vras
Combat Casting without ICC is just a wasted feat, BF comes way too late and Zen Archery is sorely missing. Depending on the environment I'd consider getting magic crafting feats. Monk and SD preepic are hurting AB but at the same time they can enhance early levels playability: to reach this effect one should get SD asap, in order to benefit early from HiPS (and immediately before that, consequentially, from WIS AC from Monk). Otherwise, given that a pure druid is pretty survivable on eshould postpone those levels into epic.
Regarding touch attacks they ignore all armor, shield and natural AC and their enhancements. Prismatic Dragons have their AC made up mostly of natural AC and so I suspect Dracoliches too, hence why you hit them very easily with a touch attack. To be noted that your Dragon too has a big chunk of his AC made up from natural AC (+12/+18 buffed) so beware yourself of youch attacks.
Regarding your SR, it just takes a Mord or a Breach to kill it, so beware of mages and of anyone equipped with a a wand of LSB.
Regarding your posting style, I suggest to be more essential. _________________ They can't stop us Let them try For Heavy Metal We will die
You are in good company with this build. It reminded me of a TOUGH build a good friend of mine did some years ago. The basics of his was 18 druid/ 2 SD and 20 monk, but we were using PRC rules and he had practised spellcaster:druid (+4 to druid caster) which gave him epic spells as well. We loved the idea of a disappearing dragon!
Keep up the good work. _________________
Quote: Posted 06/23/04 21:16 (GMT) -- Anuis
Suolucider, Blitz 04, avado, Quisition, Boourns, ... welcome to the guild! Anuis
