Also, while we're talking about the percs of the shaman exclusive spells, the cold fog can be pretty nifty too.
It does minor damage but it's not really about the damage. It has a chance to inflict slow on everybody in the area of effect every round.
Now the built in workaround is that if you're completely immune to cold, you're considered immune to the slow too. However, often it's not that important. When it really shines is when you're being overwhelmed by large numbers of enemies.
Even with no cold immunity, the slow will hurt you dramatically less, just because there's fewer of you to slow. I find it makes a big difference in that cave in the Cloakwood Forest with all the spiders. Takes the edge off their onslaught while you work on whittling down their numbers.
And I think it might be stackable? I sometimes cast it multiple times over an area at once. It's hard to tell if it's really making a difference but I think it looks like it's having an impact sometimes.
A couple people have seemed to imply the contrary, so I just think it's worth noting that one of the special Shaman exclusive spells they get is a resurrection spell.
Indeed. It's the level 5 spell "Recall Spirit", which has the same effects as Raise Dead. The Shaman-exclusive spells are automatically added to the spells known list, so you don't even need to spend those slots on it.
I just wasn't paying attention to the exclusive spells when I posted earlier. Oops.
As for the cold fog spell ... just having anything decent to cast with your level 2 slots is a big deal. Druids get really shafted at that level. Unless they're Avengers, because Web is fantastic.
Okay, I've had a day to acclimate myself to the idea that I'll have no restoration spells here. I think I'm excited about this again. Gonna get back to this character. You've all been a big help in sorting through my feelings on this party.
Now that we're talking about the shaman exclusive spells, they've got a solid few AoE damage spells, don't they? There's the ice fog spell. There's the one that's a weaker fireball but it does magic damage which is resisted less often. There's that HLA that lays the smite down on an area but spares your party members, and if they fail a save it drains a buttload of strength.
And the base druid doesn't really have a whole lot of AoE damage spells. I can't even think of one. Maybe they have one in there somewhere but that's never been their role. So that would be another difference in how my shaman would play vs Jaheira.
Concerning alignment, I don’t know if I’d say Shadow Druids are NE. NE to me is someone who values themselves more over others, willing to sacrifice others for the betterment of themselves. I’ve always thought of Shadow Druids as still putting a priority on preserving balance and but simply willing to use more destructive means to achieve those ends.
Jaheira isn’t NG either since she values balance vs the good of society. She has a code she lives by so seems to be closer to LN than NG.
Aren't the shadow druids some kind of doomsday cult trying to end all humanoid civilization? Bring it all back to the trees.
I don't think your flatout diabolical goals become less evil if you pepper them with a bunch of rhetoric about "balance" and "the natural order" and such.
Similarly Jaheira talks about "balance" but what she calls "Balance" is generally just the common good. She walks around all day saving lives and smiting evildoers and then when she's recounting the events she'll use a bunch of words like "blight upon the land" and "perversion of nature's beauty" to describe the baddies she bonked.
Yep, the Shadow Druids can be thought of more as "eco-terrorists". While normal Druids will try to find a balance between civilization and nature (i.e. they will chase off loggers trying to make in-roads into pristine wilderness, but they also won't go torching farmers' fields), Shadow Druids believe that civilization must be ERADICATED. Given the strength and opportunity, they will launch raids against farms, towns and even cities. A high-level Shadow Druid, for example, would not hesitate to call up a tsunami against a port town and wipe it entirely off the map, whereas a regular druid would be content if the city authorities agree to limit fishing to within seasonal quotas and avoid despoiling the reef where the fish stocks breed and regenerate their numbers.
@ilduderino that sounds a lot like Ebeneezer Goode...I see what you did there...
I never understood what those lyrics meant, of course...
I can’t believe I nearly missed this joke, and it was such a good one too!
Top quality 1990s rave jokes, referencing a 2000’s game, written in 2020.
This is the reason we made the internet, this is the reason I read this board. epic level pop-culture achievement unlocked. This pleases more than anything else on the internet for years!
@Shangeroo Not to mention that Jaheira is a Harper, an organization dedicated to fight evil. She will also ALWAYS advocate the good option, even if its unlawful. This is not Lawful Neutral behavior. Jaheira is only that alignment because 2e restrictions required it for druids.
Comments
It does minor damage but it's not really about the damage. It has a chance to inflict slow on everybody in the area of effect every round.
Now the built in workaround is that if you're completely immune to cold, you're considered immune to the slow too. However, often it's not that important. When it really shines is when you're being overwhelmed by large numbers of enemies.
Even with no cold immunity, the slow will hurt you dramatically less, just because there's fewer of you to slow. I find it makes a big difference in that cave in the Cloakwood Forest with all the spiders. Takes the edge off their onslaught while you work on whittling down their numbers.
And I think it might be stackable? I sometimes cast it multiple times over an area at once. It's hard to tell if it's really making a difference but I think it looks like it's having an impact sometimes.
Indeed. It's the level 5 spell "Recall Spirit", which has the same effects as Raise Dead. The Shaman-exclusive spells are automatically added to the spells known list, so you don't even need to spend those slots on it.
I just wasn't paying attention to the exclusive spells when I posted earlier. Oops.
As for the cold fog spell ... just having anything decent to cast with your level 2 slots is a big deal. Druids get really shafted at that level. Unless they're Avengers, because Web is fantastic.
Now that we're talking about the shaman exclusive spells, they've got a solid few AoE damage spells, don't they? There's the ice fog spell. There's the one that's a weaker fireball but it does magic damage which is resisted less often. There's that HLA that lays the smite down on an area but spares your party members, and if they fail a save it drains a buttload of strength.
And the base druid doesn't really have a whole lot of AoE damage spells. I can't even think of one. Maybe they have one in there somewhere but that's never been their role. So that would be another difference in how my shaman would play vs Jaheira.
Jaheira isn’t NG either since she values balance vs the good of society. She has a code she lives by so seems to be closer to LN than NG.
I don't think your flatout diabolical goals become less evil if you pepper them with a bunch of rhetoric about "balance" and "the natural order" and such.
Similarly Jaheira talks about "balance" but what she calls "Balance" is generally just the common good. She walks around all day saving lives and smiting evildoers and then when she's recounting the events she'll use a bunch of words like "blight upon the land" and "perversion of nature's beauty" to describe the baddies she bonked.
I can’t believe I nearly missed this joke, and it was such a good one too!
Top quality 1990s rave jokes, referencing a 2000’s game, written in 2020.
This is the reason we made the internet, this is the reason I read this board. epic level pop-culture achievement unlocked. This pleases more than anything else on the internet for years!