DRUID BUILD, ToEE Temple+: Spellcasting: Evocation & Transmutation

Druid Spellcasting Build ToEE

The Evocation or Transmutation Focus Druid Spellcasting Build is a ToEE Build for the Temple+ mod for Troika's cRPG of 2003, Temple of Elemental Evil.

Version: Temple+ 1.0.75 base (no extra content/no Houserules).

The "problem" with spellcasting Druids is that they are quite feat-starved; they don't receive Class Bonus feats like Wizards because they receive survival, summoning and wildshape powers instead. Still, we can build our Druids into focused offensive spellcasters.

In ToEE, Druids are the best offensive spellcasters after Sorcerers & Wizards. In terms of direct damage AoEs, Clerics are limited to Flame Strike and Searing Light whereas Druids receive Call Lightning, Flame Strike, Ice Storm and Call Lightning Storm. Even Clerics of Obad-Hai can't match Druids: assuming they take Air and Water domains, they only receive one casting of Call Lightning OR Ice Storm per eight hours of adventuring [1] whereas Druids max out at 5x Call Lightning, 5x Ice Storm and 3x Call Lightning Storm (both Clerics and Druids max out at 5x Flame Strike). Moreover, meta-magic cannot be applied to Domain spells (e.g, Empower).

[1] True of all Domain spells. However, the help.tab wrongly lists the Water domain as including Cone of Cold in the 5th circle, and the spell isn't granted, anyway. Cone of Cold is a 6th circle Water domain spell.

In terms of offensive, direct-damage spellcasting, the reason Druids lag behind Sorcerers & Wizards is threefold:

• Fireball, Lightning Bolt and Cone of Cold are not in their repertoire. These are better than Call Lightning and Call Lightning Storm in terms of damage and AoE [proof, proof & proof]. Druids also lack the best direct damage spell in the game after Fireball, namely Magic Missile.
• Call Lightning and Call Lightning Storm have a pathetic 5' radius/AoE. If Widened actually worked in Temple+, its radius would not be on par with Fireball or Cone of Cold, anyway. For Druid lightning spells to be of great use, enemies would have to be standing on each others' shoulders, like acrobats in a circus.
• Most of the combat takes place in dungeons when lightning spells are more damaging when cast outdoors.

Call Lightning/Call Lightning Storm, Flame Strike and Ice Storm AoEs:

Temple+ Druid Build Foundation

• Female Human Druid: Ehlenestra.
• Alignment: Lawful Neutral
• Strength: can dump
• Dexterity: 18 for +Initiative
• Constitution: as high as possible, though 14 is nice
• Intelligence: can dump to 8 and still get 4 skillup per lvl
• Wisdom: max to 18, pump every 4 lvls for +2
• Charisma: dump

Temple+ Druid Build Progression

◦ Druid 1: Animal Companion (Druid), Nature Sense (Druid), Improved Initiative, Spell Focus: Evocation/Transmutation
Druid Level 0 Spells ToEE & Druid Level 1 Spells ToEE

◦ Druid 2: --

◦ Druid 3: Druid Level 2 Spells ToEE, Barkskin, GSF: Evo / Transmute, Trackless Step (Druid)

◦ Druid 4: Wis +1, Resist Nature's Lure (Druid)

◦ Druid 5: Druid Level 3 Spells ToEE: Call Lightning, Spike Growth
Wildshape: Wolf [13/15/15] (Druid)

◦ Druid 6: Empower Spell
Wildshape: Brown Bear [27/13/19] (Druid)

◦ Druid 7: Druid Level 4 Spells ToEE: Flame Strike, Ice Storm, Spike Stones
Wildshape: Legendary Rat [15/25/17] 

◦ Druid 8: Wildshape: Polar Bear [27/13/19] (Druid), Wis +1

◦ Druid 9: Druid Level 5 Spells ToEE, Call Lightning Storm, Stoneskin, Heighten Spell, Venom Immunity (Druid)
Wildshape: Dire Lizard [22/17/19] (Druid)

◦ Druid 10: Wildshape: Giant Snake [22/17/19] (Druid)

Skills: Concentration, Spellcraft, Survival.

cf. Craft Magic Arms and Armor ToEE and Craft Wondrous Items ToEE.

Transmutation is a powerful school in Druidic spellcasting. Spike Growth is capable of inflicting upwards of 15d4 damage and Spike Stones upwards of 15d8. As can be seen, any idiot that runs through the hazard is going to rip itself a new asshole:

Super-tough bugbear takes 135 damage in deathtrap passageway. He can either keep charging or flee backwards; either way, he's dead. Note the pile-up of ogre and bugbear bodies.

If we set and stack these AoEs such as the enraged mob moves over their entire diameter, they're devastating. These are not damage-over-time AoEs like in IWD2: for every 5ft. the enemy moves over the spikes and stones, they take 1d4 and 1d8 respectively. That adds up to some solid damage numbers. These two spells will bring down the toughest hordes in ToEE without putting party members in harm's way.

Another powerful Transmutation spell is Entangle:

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