Pathfinder Druid Guide (Flying Caster)

Optibuilds’ Druid “Flying Caster” Guide (1st-13th level)

There are two basic types of Druids: 1) The Flying Caster; and 2) The Melee Caster.  This Guide is for the Flying Caster.

The Flying Caster: Many of the Druid Class Abilities (Nature Sense, Wild Empathy, Woodland Stride, Trackless Step, Resist Natures Lure, or A Thousand Faces) are not particularly needed for this build type. However, Wildshape is part of what makes you a great Flying Caster. The ability to spontaneously cast Nature’s Ally Spells is the second part of what makes you a great Flying Caster. Finally, Nature’s Bond, which allows you to have an animal companion or access to domains spells, will either give you an animal companion to pump spells into or additional spells to cast, respectively.

Archetypes: Since Nature Sense, Wild Empathy, Woodland Stride, Trackless Step, Resist Natures Lure, and A Thousand Faces are not key for the Flying caster, some archetypes that only replace these features can be used for an optimal build. Depending on the build, all of the following can be slight to great upgrades over a Standard Druid Flying Caster Build: Moon Caller, World Walker, Sky Druid (Sylph), Menhir Savant, Blight Druid, and Storm Druid. With that said, this would be too involved of a Guide to meander through how to make each archetype fully optimal.

Typical Ability Scores Before Racial Modifiers (20 point build): Str: 7 (-4), Dex: 14 (5), Con: 14 (5), Int: 10 (0), Cha: 7 (-4), Wis: 17 (13) – Note: I only spent 15 points. You can spend the last five points to 1) increase your Int to 14, 2) increase your Con to 16, 3) increase your Dex to 16, 4) increase Chr to 11, or 5) increase your Wis to 18 and Int to 11. In the first three cases, you would keep raising your Wisdom with level increases. In scenario 4 and 5, you would increase Chr/Int, respectively, by 1 and then Wis from there on.

Race: Things like Darkvision, Low Light Vision, Flight, and other physical abilities are not that important for a Druid because you can Wildshape into creatures with these abilities. What you generally want is a race that allows you to increase Wis by +2. The following races fit that mode:

• Human is great because the Bonus Feat and 1 extra skill points per level are great. Also humans have the option for great alternative racial traits in exchange for the bonus feat – namely, Dual Talent, Eye for Talent, or Heroic. Finally, humans can exchange the extra skill points for the alternative racial trait Fey’s Magic (best for those who made their Chr 11, but great regardless).
• Half Orc is great because alternative racial trait Sacred Tattoo and Faith Trait Fate’s Favored work beautifully together for saving throws. Even if you kept Orc’ Ferocity, instead of picking up Sacred Tattoo, it works well with a class that can heal itself. You also get a great favored class option of +1/3 natural armor per druid level. The Half Orc also has access to the Ferocious Summons feat, which adds nice staying power for summoned creatures.
• Dwarf is great because in addition to getting a +2 to Wis you get a +2 in Con. Racial trait Hardy and Regional Trait Glory of Old work beautifully together for saving throws. If you want, you can pick up the feat Steel Soul to put things really over the top. Dwarves can exchange the racial traits Hatred for the alternative racial trait Fey Thoughts to pick up some useful class skills. Finally, Dwarves can exchange the racial traits Greed and Stonecunning for the alternative racial trait Fey’s Magic (you might want to get your Chr to 11, but you don’t have to).
• Other good to great races to consider are Aasimars (Archon-Blooded or Garuda-Blooded), Sylph because of the Sky Druid Archetype, Duergar (or Duergar Tyrants), Vanara, and Svirfneblin. With that said, you can get away with playing probably any race, given that the Flying Caster Druid has such effortless in-combat strategy and out-of-combat utility.

Feats: Your first three feats should almost always be Spell Focus (Conjuration), Augment Summoning, and Natural Spell. If you are human and kept the bonus feat option, your bonus feat should be Improved Initiative. After 5th level, your feat selection can become more creative. However, always ask yourself, does this make me a significantly better Flying Caster. If the answer is yes, then go with it.

Skills: Max Knowledge Nature because of Nature Sense and because you can only Wildshape into creatures you know. Max Perception because everyone should and because you will be a scout for the party. Invest in Handle Animal because of the secrets revealed in Optibuilds’ Skill PDF Part 1 and because you may need to push the animal you summon. Invest in Survival because of Nature’s Sense and because you will be the party scout. Invest in Linguistics to communicate with summoned creatures. Stealth, Spellcraft, Heal and Fly could also be useful.

Equipment: You could pick up useful Wands (1st level mainly), Rod (Lesser Metamagic mainly), Scrolls (1st & 2nd level mainly), Wooden Shield to use when you are not in Wildshape, since you cannot activate and/or use these items Wildshape form. Eventually you will want Wild Ironwood Full Plate Armor and Wild Ironwood Tower Shield because, unlike other armor and shields, Wild armor and shield bonuses will work in your Wildshape form. Rings and Wondrous Items with continuous effects work during Wildshape, so pick some goodies up.

Nature Bond: So the choice for the Standard Druid build is to pick up a Domain (Air, Earth, Water or Weather) for one extra spell per level and some okay Domain abilities or to have an Animal Companion (in the long run a Tiger or Roc are the best choices in my opinion). Remember that this is a 1st-13th level guide, and Rocs and Tigers remain viable at those levels. Accordingly, for the purposes of this guide, I will have to go against Treantmonk’s advice and stick with the Animal Companion (especially if my group has a Cleric channeling healing). With that said, the above Domain selections are cool. Heck, sometimes optimal is acceptable convenience and some people don’t like accounting for and/or spending money on an animal companion. Further, some of the Archetypes suggested might require you to accept a Domain.

Wildshape: Remember that you are the Flying Caster. Therefore, you are going to Wildshape into flying creatures that give you AC advantages (small size, increased dexterity, damage reduction, natural armor). Your choice will be Eagles, Familiar Hawk, Familiar Bat, and Air Elementals (Elder). You can stay in this form for hours casting spells with natural spell. Other forms may be useful under certain situations (i.e. choosing a swimming creature so you can breathe under water). By the way, to fully understand Wildshape you will need to read up on Polymorph.

Spells: I am going to refer you to Treantmonk’s Druid Spell Guide. Note that he only considered the spells in the Core Book. The general theme for TM is to select area spells and do damage and/or have battlefield control, emphasis on the later. So pick up the newer spells that follow this line of thought. Also, spells that make you animal companion a better attacker or stronger defensively are worth taking a look at if you have an AC. Also take a look at TM’s check sheet for Summon Nature’s Ally (BOSS)!