Druid comparison (IWD and BG)

Arthas

I have heard that druid in IWD are way stronger than their counterparts in Baldur's gate.

Is that true?

Dev6

Yes.

*lets someone else do the whole comparison-with-a-bunch-of-DPS-and-spells-thingie*

Arthas

You mean that even same spells were changed? Because I've read that the difference lies mostly in the number of the spells.

BelgarathMTH

Arthas said:

You mean that even same spells were changed? Because I've read that the difference lies mostly in the number of the spells.

No, the spells work completely differently in IWD, for all casters, but especially for druids, who get a lot of offensive spells and summoning spells at each spell level that don't exist in BG.

ThacoBell

Druids at low levels get a LOT more options in IWD. But I think BG(2) Druids pull ahead when they get insect swarm, as I don't think that spell is as powerful in IWD. Nature's Beauty is also a super powerful spell.

Arthas

Are druid more powerful than their bg2 counterparts?

mmmmmmmmm

OlvynChuru

Here are some awesome things druids have in Icewind Dale that they don't have in the Baldur's Gate games:

* Spike Growth, which is pretty much like Cloudkill (in terms of amount of damage done) except it's level 3.
* Druids have a bunch of anti-undead spells that clerics don't have: Sunscorch, Moonblade, Wall of Moonlight, Sol's Searing Orb, and Sunray. Sunscorch and Wall of Moonlight in particular are really good. If an evil undead creature walks into a Wall of Moonlight, it takes 5d10 damage with no save. That's enough to instantly kill most enemies in the Vale of Shadows, as well as the cold wights in Presio's legions. Simply put the wall in between you and the undead and all of them will walk into it.
* With the spell Giant Insect, druids can summon multiple bombardier beetles, which can release acid that has a 20% chance to stun with no save.
* Once a druid hits level 15, they gain the ability to shapeshift into a water elemental. Although a Baldur's Gate player might be used to druid shapeshifts being sucky, this one is extremely overpowered. In water elemental from, the druid has 75% resistance to all physical damage. If they cast Armor of Faith before shapeshifting, they could reach 100% physical damage resistance.
* In Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition, druids also have the awesome druid spells from Baldur's Gate 2, such as Call Woodland Beings, Iron Skin, and Nature's Beauty.


Avengers are particularly great. An avenger can easily beat mobs of enemies by putting down several Webs and then casting multiple Spike Growths to slowly kill all the paralyzed enemies. And they can do this as soon as they hit level 5.