Becoming Great Druid

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A quickie...

I have attained to level with 14 with my Avenger and visited the Grove where I was made Great Druid. Now as far as I can tell, the only thing that this effects is your kit title (I changed from Avenger to Great Druid) do you know if this effects anything aswell?

Also, I was given an Idol which allows me to summon 'Voolon' a lion creature, but it doesn't show it's stats and I couldn't find it on SK. It doesn't 'appear' to be just a normal Lion (mainly cos it can cast spells and constantly glows yellow as if it has an enchantment on it) does anybody know the stats and effects of this creature?.

Thanks in advance peeps ^^

 

No idea on your first question.

Idol stats from Dan Simpson's walktrough:

STR 18, DEX 9, CON 9, INT 9, WIS 9, CHA 9
THAC0 15, HP 45, AC 6
Attacks: 3
Weapon: 1d12 (strikes as +1)
Saves: Death - 13, Wand - 15, Polymorph - 14,
Breath - 16, Spells - 16
Immunities: Charm, Fear, Poison, Normal Weapons
Special Abilities:
Cloak of Fear - 1
Blur - 1

 

Hardly seems worth it by the time you get him. Funny, since you can get the Ranger idol (Cerebus, the Moon Dog) fairly quickly and easily, and it's a hell of a lot better.

Yet another jip in the game, sadly. But the good certainly do outweigh the bad, anyway.

 

Thanks alot Splunge

It does seem abit pointless as getting that item was the last thing I did before going Brynnlaw, and my party is at the point where it is getting rather powerful.

Korgan - Dualing Axe's
Minsc - Lilacor (lol)
Me - Avenger / Great Druid - Quite a powerful character guys, Crawling Doom is a terrific spell.
Yoshi/ Imoen - Tansherons Bow
Kelsey - Sling (congratulations Jcompton, wonderful mod)
Viconia - Sling/Shield - Woo hoo! Just got level 15 .

Thx again Splunge, nice one

 

To the best of my knowledge there is no improvement of your PC when becoming a Great Druid.
Stats, saving throws, spell slots, shapeshifting - all this remains the same. I must say I was *quite* disappointed the first time around. Of course you get that ring of protection +2, but I had hoped for something which would increase spellcasting - a la ring of holyness that clerics get.

But then I never play a druid for his stronghold. Its pretty lame, but the class itself rocks.

 

So far, best strat i've got is: Crawling Doom (anything that doesnt save - at a -3 penalty - runs in fear and recieves 2 damage a second) Iron Skins, Summon a few elementals and mountain bears, whip out belm and charge in - with belm my Avenger gets 2 attacks a round with a Thac0 of 3, not to shabby for someone who wont be hit for quite a few rounds (Iron Skins rox).

When Crawling Doom wears off, sling Insect Plague in, which is nearly as good. I love this kit. Great summons, Iron Skins is the best defensive spell IMHO, and the Insect spells rock, plus with Belm and Black Dragon armour my Avenger holds his own in combat no problem, even without buffs.

Plus Avengers get a few good Mage spells aswell. I love Druids

 

Are you sure its Crawling Doom?
I admit i havent played in a while, but i dont think that's the name of it. 7th level spell, upgrade of insect plague, right?


Also you're not kind. You're a druid and yet you summon mountain bears. Nice solitary animals. And then you make them fight... and quite possibly die. So you're a druid who summons animals and then butchers them

Thanks to Deepara, i now know that the case is not the same with elementals.
(They send some kind of avatar to material plane iirc)


.. why do you love Avenger kit if mainly you use normal druidic spells?

My favourite class is druid as well (played it in every game i've got), and i tend to roleplay them


Ah.. to stick to the topic a bit... Sadly enough this "stronghold" sucks. Even once you become the Great druid (the only one in the material plane) the guardian druid (forgot the name by now), keeps saying, if there's a challenger for the position.

 

The spell is "Creeping Doom". But, the mage spell Spook is better. Although it only effects one person, at level 12 the saving throw is -6!

Insect Plauge is the spell for me.

 

Wrong.

'Creeping' Doom (sorry guys, lol) is twice as good as Insect Plague in every aspect. Read the spell description.

Spook is a completely different spell to Creeping Doom, the 2 can not even be compared. Its like saying "Symbol: Fear is better than Horrid Wilting!" ones for instilling fear, ones for damage (also, Creeping Doom does immense damage - over time - instills fear and causes 100% spell failure) it is simply better than Insect Plague. Fact

 

BTW, Mystra's chosen... mayhap you forgot the really-not-significant 2 damage per second? And dont forget the 100% spell failure?
Bah, really... youre right

I agree... Creeping Doom's a killer.

Heh, Morsmorde got a few second earlier post

 

And please explain yourself Gothmog

Please point out where in my post I stated that I dont use Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, Chromatic Orb (rox! ).

And that part about the Mountain Bears? Wtf? lol, are you on this planet mate?

"No! Cant cast that spell! I might hurt the poor creatures!" Pfft

Just think that they are sacrificing themselves for the greater good if that satisfies your over eager nature preservation tendencies

[Edit: Sorry was writing my post before Gothmogs reply ]

 

Well, you did describe your coolest/most oftenly used/effective strategy. And it doesnt include any of the additional arcane spells.

As for the bears.... BG2 is a roleplaying game. That means you play someone's role. And role of the druids is to protect nature, animals and that kinda stuff. You dont do that, eventhough you're a druid, hence you're certainly not roleplaying.

Well, whatever, i'm just saying druids wouldnt behave like that.
I hope ants/whatever eat your computer for your sacrilegious use of druids.

 

lol

Touché

 

Morsmordre...
I was confusing Insect Plague with Creeping Doom. Sorry. I am sooo not dissing the spell but Spook isn't a completely different spell and is, IMO one of the best spells in the game. The only difference is that Creeping Doom is a 6th level spell and it does a lot of damage. They both cause Fear and therefore prevent the baddie from casting spells. Also, with a level 12 mage, the saving throw penalty is -6 !!!

It's not a huge deal that Spook doesn't deal out damage because by the time they regain their courage they're the only one(s) left. Then you can just waste 'em.

 

Hehe, thats fair enough Mystra

 

"Well, whatever, i'm just saying druids wouldnt behave like that."

IMHO, you need to do some serious historical research....

Druids (in the game, at least), contrary to the stereotype, do not worship animals or plants -- they worship NATURE and BALANCE. Animals and plants are sacred to them, but not in the sense that "holy cows" are sacred to some Indians in the eastern hemisphere. Shadow Druids -- aka PETA -- worship animals and plants, and believe them not only to be sacred, but superior even to man. Druids (in history, at least) had many beliefs in common with various Indian tribes in the western hemisphere -- including human and animal sacrifice, living off the land (have to kill plants and animals to do that -- these people were NOT vegans), etc.

 

I doubt that a Druid would send two magnificient bears to be slaughtered.

 

First off Insect Plague vs. Creeping Doom. I myself prefer Insect Plague. I tend not to use these as damaging spells but rather disabling ones. Insect Plague is only 5th level, and is just as effective at suppressing spellcasting. Anybody remember 1st Ed. Creeping Doom? That was one brute of a spell: summon 1000 crawling, biting insects, each of which bites for 1HP of damage and dies. 1000 damage total. Sweet!

Second, becoming Great Druid. There isn't just one in the world, there's one in every region and you challenge for the position of Great Druid of Trademeet. There's no reason to assume that Verthan is a more senior druid that you: he's simply a caretaker and ensures that the proper rituals are observed.

Third, summoning animals. An angered druid shows the vengeful side of nature and nature is not kind! There is no reason at all why you cannot summon nature's creatures and send them against nature's foes. It is only a sin to use them without due diligence and reverence. Besides which, fully half of the mountain bears I summon survive until they're unsummoned.

 

If the greater benefit of Balance would be served by the loss of a few animals' lives, the druid would have no trouble -- any more than a fanatic gardener has no trouble pruning his beloved trees.

How metaphysical!

 

Consider Cernd's otherwise corny battle-cry:

"For the greater balance!"

Well...at least they didn't make it, "Neutrality is on our side this day!"

LOL