[silverdragon72]

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5th PC:


role: diplomat - party-support


race: human female (gender doesn't matter)


alignement: neutral good (neutral is a must)


stats: STR 8 - DEX 12 - CON 10 - INT 14 - WIS 18 - CHA 14


comment on stats: increase DEX to 13 or 14, rest goes to WIS - 8 STR aren't needed but it's a pain in the a** if she can't carry anything!
as she only gets 9 Bard levels (means only L3 spells) CHA 14 is enough!

As long as you go for a shape-shifting build (what is recommended - you don't need high STR, DEX & CON stats as these get overwritten by the shapeshift! You could even decrease these stats, if you want more INT for extra SP, but be carefull that the build don't gets to fragile that way!


major class: druid 21 (using weimar mod - needed for shapeshifting elemental half-dragon)
mix-ins: bard 9


order of levels:

1st to 5th: bard
6th to 8th: druid (then stop levelling until you can jump directly to level 21!)
27th to 30: 4 more bard levels
final: bard 9 - druid 21


most important spells:

bard: focus on defense buffs (all offensive spells allowing a save are useless)

druid: barkskin for the ultimate AC PCs! - summons - heal


spell selection bard:

L1: not that it will help much, but best choice is chromatic orb
L2: as much MI as possible - 1-3x blur
L3: 2-4x blink - 1-2x magic circle vs. evil
L4: this build will only have access to L3 spells!


spell selection druid: basic | additional with weimar mod (under construction)

L1: 3-4x Faerie Fire (great spell - no save allowed!) - 2-3x sunscorch (to elimate trolls!)
L2: that's why we have a druid -> only barkskin!
L3: nx Prot. Fire - 1-2X Storm shell - 1-2x neutralize Poison - 1-2x remove disease
L4: nx Prot. Lightning - nx FoM - 1-2x Dispel - optional: spike stones
L5: nx death ward - 1-2 insect plague
L6: just forget this level :-((
L7: heal - optional: elemental barrier
L8: another crappy level: FoD (but not that effective due to medium WIS-bonus) - summon
L9: 2+ mass heal - optional: 1 of the several summon spell


most important feats:
- expertise (always maxed - but set to 0 when shapeshifted!)
- lingering song
- combat casting
- extra wild shapes as needed

I'm not 100% if all combat feats work while shapeshifted:
- Improved critical should work
- also weapon specilization works (but AFAIK you need Great Sword, even though the half-dragon uses normal swords - so better test this!)
- not sure about 2-weapons fighting & Ambidex

but be aware that the melee-combat feats are only usefull if you use the half-dragon shapeshifts!!!

...otherwise go for casting feats (but only GSF necro!), ranged combat feats or whatever other feats you prefer!


skills: all diplomat skills maxed + concentration (as CON is quite low), wilderness lore if needed


general comments: diplomat & support PC most of the game - didn't kill one enemy in normal game - keeps out of the action & plays tymoras song most of the time - but her low level (8) decreases the average party level! - levelling up to druid 21 she can shapeshift to the incredible powerfull elemental half-dragon (didn't level up and didn't use shapeshifting in normal mode to avoid imbalancing the game to much!)

after druid 21: cast MI, blink, blur then shapeshift to half-dragon - let your sorc cast stoneskin - then go for melee - but keep close to a cleric if you need a heal or another stone-/ironskin spell (due to the very low AC you will get hit quite often, so you have to rely on as much DR as possible and MI, blink, blur) - return to your normal shape if the protection buffs run out or another party member needs support!


weimar mod - shapeshift to (elemental) half-dragon: as stated above - incredible powerfull:

- extrem high BAB
- extrem melee damage plus extra elemental damage - depending on element(s)
- SR
- DR
- resitance to (all) elemental damage - depending on element(s)
- but very low AC

all spells/buffs increasing stats or AC won't affect the shape-shift!
but spells like MI, blink & blur (casted before shapeshifting), stoneskin and so on - will work!


alternate builds: if you don't want to use the weimar mod, taking druid levels beyond 12 only for shapeshifting isn't that effective!

But there aren't many good high level druid spells beside heal & mass heal - so for a caster build more druid levels could make sense! But add at least 2 more bard levels to get access to all songs! This way you would have a bard 11 - druid 19 (druid with at least 3 L9 spells)

adding another mix-in class isn't recommended for this build.

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