Summon woodland being is such an amazing spell
Fubby
Member Posts: 189
Man Druids are way better than I thought.
I summon it it and just starts casting all these awesome spells, hold animal, hold person, domination, mass heal, confusion, and even dimension door.
And you can have multiple at once
Oh its so great
I summon it it and just starts casting all these awesome spells, hold animal, hold person, domination, mass heal, confusion, and even dimension door.
And you can have multiple at once
Oh its so great
10
Comments
Seriously that does not make sense. Not that I'm complaining, mind.
Aside from that they didnt really get much though
Insect swarm is ok-ish..not great...but better then some of their other options.....and dispel magic is given to all casters (Dispel is about the only thing I memorize for 3rd level, since other classes get much better 3rd level spells...so..it's not because the spell is good to have, but because other people simply have better).
Find Traps and Slow Poison can also be nice, although both have perfectly functional, if less convenient, substitutes. Druids can also heal, which is really good if you don't like resting after every encounter.
Again.....Druids definitely have a place in group, but they're like a Bard.....they don't really excell at anything, but are able to support other classes and casters very well, since they can take the spells that the other classes REALLY don't want to have to take due to having better options vs most situations.
Insect Plague is hands down the best spell available in BG1 and its exclusive to Druids who can cast up to 3 per day. Seriously, its a huge area of effect, damage over time spell that prevents spell casting and causes morale failure. It's basically an "I win" button.
If you want a caster Druid then you go for the Avenger kit. Between Lightning Bolt and Call Lightning you have the 2 best single target damage spells in the game. You have some of the best crowd control with web and call woodland being. The best healing. CL 10 dispel magic. 15% Dr with shield of faith (5% more than what cleric gets).
Berserker/Druid dual build is the melee option with dual scimitars - frostbrand of course - creating a melee god. In a recent SCS run the berserker 6/Druid build got 21% of experience compared to only 15% for the berserker 6/cleric. No favouritism for either build.
In Bg1 I'd say that either of the above builds is right up there in power alongside the most cookie cutter builds that can be imagined.
I doubt I'd play a Druid in BG2 though.
2. Druids gets access to two interesting spells that no other class can obtain. Insect Plague destroys mages and Iron Skins makes you an awesome tank. Both of these skills are extremely useful when during the later parts of BG2
3. Not to mention conjure Fire Elemental and Summon Woodland Beings You get access to these summons before Clerics and Wizards can get that powerhouse summons.
Nevertheless, I agree with you on one thing, Clerics are better overall (and mages are on a whole nother level). Especially since they get better higher level spells. Perhaps druids would be more useful if Clerics didn't exist.
The true I win button is either Berserk (Berserker or Barbarian) or Cavalier's immunities to fear or to hold for inquisitors.
Fear, confusion and hold are the most dangerous spells in BG1 and many characters have not immunities to these spells.
I would either reduce the Nymph creature's spells OR impose no spell casting while the summon is active. The druid momentarily cuts off her personal magical connection with nature so that nature's ally can castmore spells instead of the druid. That would balance the spell IMHO and you might not want to cast it at higher lvls, when your own spells are far more potent. At low lvls, the creature is a much better caster than the druid: nature cares for the weak druid and casts spells instead of the druid. Like he is s vulnerable hatchling, puppy, kitten etc. When he is risen to sufficient lvls, the druid can and will handle his spells better.
No need to be immune to fear, hold and confusion if the enemies are incapable of casting it due to insect plague.
Insect summons (which is what I assume you all are referring to when you say insect swarm and not "insect plague" which is a 5th level spell) is an alright spell, but only alright. Its biggest problem is that like call lightning it has a very long casting time (9). Instead you can pretty well just get a mage to use blind/glitterdust on enemy mages and it'll take less time. Alternatively you can try miscast magic, though it will be easier for casters to save against because its a save vs. spells at -2, compared to summon insects save vs. breath at -4. Few things to point out here.
Like Jarrakul pointed out ZanathKariashi was referring to druids before they get level 4 spells. So more of a BG1 issue. They don't even get fire elementals until BG2 for instance.
Also Druids only gain levels fast up until level 12 when they levelling wise they slow down (which for druids isn't that far into BG2). Also "Iron Skins" is just stoneskin with a longer casting time, so its not as if they are the only class that can get it. The only benefit iron skins ever had over stoneskin was in BG2 vanilla where breach couldn't take it down.
The Nymph is stronger in melee then you give credit...yes her physical attacks are garbage damage-wise but every hit is a save or DIE (At +3 vs breath).
I'm not at all a fan of Ironskins, since as a above, it's a grossly inferior version of stoneskin, since it takes too long to cast to reapply during combat, and the time you take to do it, is sacrificing upwards of 8-10 possible attacks that could've ended the battle anyway. I usually don't find it at all worth it, and memorize other stuff.
My house rule is that I don't let any druid memorize no more than one. And I do not manually control the spells cast by the nymph. Seems fair.
http://lomion.de/cmm/nymph.php
Do in game nymphs have the %50 mr? Also, they should be able to cast as lvl 7 druids, with a single 4th lvl spell and no more. With 9 ac, lousy THAC0 and no damaging melee attack to speak of, Nymphs are not meant for direct battle, anyway. They can cast some spells (certainly not that many as in Bg version) can resist some spells, and can blind some enemies, but that's all. An ogre or golem would just tear a Nymph in half. And most bandits and elite hobgobs can turn one into punchison in no time.
Personally, I like when the game works the way it says it works. I'm just not sure how you decide which is right between the in-game effect and the description (since you can change either one). Certainly there weren't a lot of folks saying druids were overpowered, so this does seem like a somewhat odd choice.
Just seeing AHHHHHHHHHHHHhH! could mean anything..
Better?