Druid Armor question

[uwfsam2000]

Currently, I’m playing as a Druid and I understand the restriction of no metal armor. But, all the armor ac is terrible.

If I take a level of fighter or something can I then equip metal armor?

If nothing else, as the game Goes along, are there better druid armor?

Ty

[Stink Bug]

Druids cannot wear metal armor even if multiclassed. Most on here will probably tell you to just dip monk for the WIS to AC bonus and ignore armor. However, there are at least a few breastplates and scalemail that are not made of metal and wearable by druids, and perhaps heavy armors as well. I think I got the latter one in Chapter 2, and a dragonscale breastplate in Chapter 3. Haven't finished the game yet but presumably there are better ones in Chapter 5 too.

[uwfsam2000]

Originally posted by Stink Bug:

Druids cannot wear metal armor even if multiclassed. Most on here will probably tell you to just dip monk for the WIS to AC bonus and ignore armor. However, there are at least a few breastplates and scalemail that are not made of metal and wearable by druids, and perhaps heavy armors as well. I think I got the latter one in Chapter 2, and a dragonscale breastplate in Chapter 3. Haven't finished the game yet but presumably there are better ones in Chapter 5 too.

If you wear armor, then there is no point in taking a monk level right?

[uwfsam2000]

Wanted your thoughts on another idea, to take 2 levels of Shaman for the Spirit and Hex. I can take the Ice one plus ring that way I can get extra AC .

I just wonder if the spells will merge

[GrandMajora]

Originally posted by uwfsam2000:

Currently, I’m playing as a Druid and I understand the restriction of no metal armor. But, all the armor ac is terrible.

If I take a level of fighter or something can I then equip metal armor?

If nothing else, as the game Goes along, are there better druid armor?

Ty

Metal armor is unnatural, and thus is a sin against the Druidic oath.

[Geeves]

Originally posted by uwfsam2000:

Originally posted by Stink Bug:

Druids cannot wear metal armor even if multiclassed. Most on here will probably tell you to just dip monk for the WIS to AC bonus and ignore armor. However, there are at least a few breastplates and scalemail that are not made of metal and wearable by druids, and perhaps heavy armors as well. I think I got the latter one in Chapter 2, and a dragonscale breastplate in Chapter 3. Haven't finished the game yet but presumably there are better ones in Chapter 5 too.

If you wear armor, then there is no point in taking a monk level right?

The main point of dipping a monk level is to have a higher AC while unarmored than you ever could while armored. Between Dex and Wis stacking for AC, and add in Mythic shapeshifting and +DEX items and +WIS items any armor you wear will decrease your AC.

You could even throw in mage armor potions plus mythic archmage armor for another +14 AC unarmored.

Honestly you don't really even need a monk splash to already have insane AC on even a Wis based Druid.

Basically you kind of have it backwards. If you are building for the highest AC, there is no point in wearing armor.

[uwfsam2000]

Originally posted by Geeves:

Originally posted by uwfsam2000:

If you wear armor, then there is no point in taking a monk level right?

The main point of dipping a monk level is to have a higher AC while unarmored than you ever could while armored. Between Dex and Wis stacking for AC, and add in Mythic shapeshifting and +DEX items and +WIS items any armor you wear will decrease your AC.

You could even throw in mage armor potions plus mythic archmage armor for another +14 AC unarmored.

Honestly you don't really even need a monk splash to already have insane AC on even a Wis based Druid.

Basically you kind of have it backwards. If you are building for the highest AC, there is no point in wearing armor.

Some awesome information here. Thank you. Question does it make a difference if I’m an Elemental Rampager and so I’d be in the front lines more.

[Gorwe]

Originally posted by GrandMajora:

Originally posted by uwfsam2000:

Currently, I’m playing as a Druid and I understand the restriction of no metal armor. But, all the armor ac is terrible.

If I take a level of fighter or something can I then equip metal armor?

If nothing else, as the game Goes along, are there better druid armor?

Ty

Metal armor is unnatural, and thus is a sin against the Druidic oath.

How's that unnatural and you literally becoming something else isn't? Logic?

[Conquista]

i think it goes by the logic, nothing in nature wears metal as protection, while changing into an animal is still considered natural because animals are part of nature

[GrandMajora]

Originally posted by Gorwe:

How's that unnatural and you literally becoming something else isn't? Logic?

Metal is unnatural, because it's processed ore. Druids prefer to make their tools, armor and weapons out of a combination of sacred plants, carved stone, and high quality animal parts. They don't use advanced manufacturing techniques like metallurgy.

As for their ability to turn into animals, that stems from the druid forming a spiritual connection with the animal kingdom. It's a symbol of their commitment to serving the forces of nature.

[Geeves]

Originally posted by uwfsam2000:

Originally posted by Geeves:

The main point of dipping a monk level is to have a higher AC while unarmored than you ever could while armored. Between Dex and Wis stacking for AC, and add in Mythic shapeshifting and +DEX items and +WIS items any armor you wear will decrease your AC.

You could even throw in mage armor potions plus mythic archmage armor for another +14 AC unarmored.

Honestly you don't really even need a monk splash to already have insane AC on even a Wis based Druid.

Basically you kind of have it backwards. If you are building for the highest AC, there is no point in wearing armor.

Some awesome information here. Thank you. Question does it make a difference if I’m an Elemental Rampager and so I’d be in the front lines more.

Nope makes no difference. In fact I would say that it makes even more sense to go pure DEX and run around naked, An Elemental Rampager works best as a combat focused class. Also when shifting I am fairly certain that any AC from armor you are wearing is not counted anyway, so you are effectively naked. Just get whatever has the bonuses you need (any shield you are using still counts I think, unless that got fixed)

Just get your DEX up to 19 at creation, leave WIS at 16. Druid spells are for buffing now. Shift to either Leopard (free trip and 3 attacks) or Smilodon (5 attacks) for combat. There are just too many bonuses gained via shapeshifting to make the natural form worth it in my opinion. Plus you would be spending so many feats on the two weapon fighting line. Maybe throw in some trip feats for leopard with the free trip attack. Once you get the mythic weapon finesse feat you will be doing insane damage on top of your already good AC. Add in the mythic feat brutality incarnate to bypass all DR. Throw in elemental barrage since your natural attacks all do elemental damage.

If you are open to mods consider getting the tabletop tweaks mod. It adds feats from tabletop, notably the feat Feral Combat Training which allows all of your natural attacks to be treated as unarmed for monk abilities, including flurry. Without this all monk gives a druid (while shifted) is bonus AC.

Edit:
Actually Druid leopard does not get trip, I was thinking of animal companion Leopard. Wolf form gets trip but also only has one attack so not at all worth using. My build uses Tabletop Tweaks mod and so does get trip in any form due to pummeling blows working while shapeshifted, so this is absolutely mod specific.

If you are not using mods, I would not include any tripping in the build. Just focus on survivability and combat damage. The shifter druid is still an absolute beast without the tripping. 5x attacks per round all at max base attack bonus is nothing to sneeze at. Late game with dragon form your number of attacks go through the roof, all still at max BAB. If you want to get spicy you can start adding class splashes (no more than 3 levels total) that add bite attacks at first level. Each bite attack stacks for yet more attacks. It gets stupid OP in short order (unless they fixed that. I have not tried that since the game first came out. Seriously everything disappears in one attack and the game stopped being fun).

[KellyR]

Originally posted by GrandMajora:

Originally posted by Gorwe:

How's that unnatural and you literally becoming something else isn't? Logic?

Metal is unnatural, because it's processed ore. Druids prefer to make their tools, armor and weapons out of a combination of sacred plants, carved stone, and high quality animal parts. They don't use advanced manufacturing techniques like metallurgy.

As for their ability to turn into animals, that stems from the druid forming a spiritual connection with the animal kingdom. It's a symbol of their commitment to serving the forces of nature.

I think it's less that it's processed, more that it doesn't come from the living world above ground. Keep in mind we're not dealing with a modern definition of natural (Which would be as opposed to artificial, aka "made by man"), but rather the ancient definition of natural, which was basically all those things that live under the sun. Things from under the ground were "unnatural". That's why basically every culture has stories about dwarves/elves/fae/kobolds/what-have-you living under the ground and making magical weapons and ♥♥♥♥, and usually being sort of untrustworthy at best.

Metal doesn't come from the "natural world", it comes from the underworld.