Druid - Shapeshifter or Avenger

Remove all ads!

Im planning a druid not because he would be powerful but becouse its fun to play with him. And he is only class in the game that completely stands for balance of good and evil
anyway ive been searching throught this forum and most people say shapeshifter and avenger are the best.

Does shapeshifter have all the spells avenger has?

how many good shapeshifts do i miss with shap.(i dont have ToB installed - low disc space).

Weapons - i like dualwielding (two scimitars) but staff of ram is too awsome to miss. so will i get enought skill points to get max out of both?

greater werewolf form could only be taken once per day in SoA is it increased in ToB ?

avenger "disadvantage" doesn make much diffrence right ? con=16 is the same as con=18 for him. And strenght can alweays be sorted out with gloves or belts.

shapshifter canot wear any armor but CAN wear shadow dragon armor. But avenger can wear red dragon armor right? (natural armors could be right?)

how good is GW form it was powerfull in SoA but i dont know if it is still.

Does totemic druids spirit animals improve in power later?

all i gain with avenger are those mage spells (chromatic orb, web, lightning bolt, improvede invinsibility, chaos and chain lightning)
and thats it.
While shapeshifter can do all thing avenger can (exept theese mage spells) and shapeshifts in powerfull forms.

im more fond of shapeshifter but what do you say?

 

I haven't play with avenger yet so I don't know if he is any good but a shapeshifter is definitely better then him. You should try both though so you see for yourself which is better.

 

I personally favor the avenger over the shapeshifter.

Right, con don't matter, and strength isn't really necessary for a class mainly relying on spells. As long as you don't solo him you won't even need a strength enhancing item. (He's not exactly a frontliner)

Skill points shouldn't be a problem, but if I were you I wouldn't focus on dual weilding AND two handed weapons. It's impractical. I'd stick to single weapon style if you really want to use scimitars, because you can't equip two scimitars and a staff at the same time. Every time you'd want to switch you'd have to go to inventory.
You get 4 proficiency points on character creation (in SoA), which is enough for quarterstaff, scimitar, single weapon style and two handed weapon style. You can't max them any further. Two weapon style would give a -6, -2 penalty if you'd really want to fight like that.

Shapeshifter has all the spells the Avenger has except for the bonus mage spells: chrom orb, web, lightning bolt, impr. invisibility, chaos, chain lightning.

Avenger can indeed wear red dragon armor.

Avenger also has a few shapeshifts, including fire salamander, which allows you to shoot 3 fireballs (not as powerfull as the spell but neverless usefull)

 

If you're planning on doing anything with that Staff of the Ram, I'd consider starting as a fighter and dualling over to druid early (lvl 9 or 12).

 

Personally, I prefer the avenger. That's partly because I prefer to use my druid as a spellcaster primarily. After all, you can't cast when shapeshifted.

 

In the closed thread you asked wether to choose single weapon style or sword and shield style.
First of all I'd like to say that to use sword and shield, you might as well not spend any proficiencies on that style. The only bonus you get is +2 vs missile weapons. (which is actually in your disadvantage when using that shield which reflects them)

For a kit who can only spend 1 prof slot in weapon style, sword and shield is probably the better choice.
If you want to use staves AND scimitars, I would go for single weapon style for the reason noted in my post above.

 

I think the Avengers are better, you can transform into more creatures and get a couple of mage spells too, I completed with an Avenger but abandoned my Shapeshifter

 

I thought of a realy good way to chooseone of them>
I created both of them in multiplayer.
One is female Shapeshifter called Radagast
11-i'll be wearing gloves and it doest matter much-shapeshifting for fighting
18
16
16
20 - two books from BG1
19
I rolled 93 (quite good i think) and then added +1 to all stats exept wisdom +2

The other guy is male avanger - Windu
18 i don't even know why i did like that
18
16
12
20
16
So i'll be able to test them both and see which i like more.
problem about shields and druids it that they can only wear bucklers (i think)so is there any good shields out there druid can wear(too bad about shield of harmony)

Which other shapeshifts than basic three and three added ones does avengar gets.

Basic thing why i wont go for dual class is druid kit which i cant choose later. Other is that this time i'm roleplaying mostly. Becouse i think druids are rather weak in SoA due to their low level limitation.

other interesting thing is party. I want to have full 6 member party for dialogues.3 characters are already choosen> 2 druids and 1 sorcerer(mod- kelsey)i never had before.
I would like a cleric becuose of their turn undead ability but that could be a bit hard (playing on insane) having 4 spellcasters.
What do you think?

Im playing TDD right now (just starting)on insane and it seems to me that its WAY harder than the original SoA. is that correct??

[ August 07, 2002, 09:08: Message edited by: Gothmog4230 ]

 

Woops! You're absolutely right, no good shields at all. Don't go for sword and shield style, go for single weapon, or two handed weapon then.

No more shapeshifts are added (Except HLA), but you do get to shift in each form twice.

 

two handed weapons and quarterstaves as proficiencies rocks!!! think of nothing else for you druid!

 

What about belm +2 which gives you extra attack even in werewolf form.
As much as i know staff of ram has something like knockdown. Does that apply when in werewolf form too?? and +10 or so damage (i dont know what kind of).

EDITED:
I just found out how wonderful sword spider shapeshift is.
You get 5 attacks per round poison inflicted upon target and most important of all it seems that it slows victim.
I was fighting Mencar Pebblercrusher (den of seven vales - promenade) with my level 10 avenger shapeshifted in sword spider. He could take that guy completely alone with 14 THAC0 and he didnt hit (or miss) me once!!!

Together with werewolf i dont even need fighters for now. And werewolf is much weaker.

Spider stats arent that much thought- only 16 str, 16 dex , 9 con but what does that matter when you never get hit.
biggest weaknes would be nonmagical weapon cant even hit wraiths.
So with TDD there is a spell calleg Magical Fang (greater) which infuses weapon with magic so it counts as a magical weapon. I tried casting it on spider but i dont know where to look if it works (no wraiths around) - THAC0 didnt decrease

[ August 09, 2002, 13:08: Message edited by: Gothmog4230 ]