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ELANEE, F NG WOOD ELF DRUID 4
Elanee as a Druid provides a useful mix of healing and offensive spells. She's a good damage spellcaster, but not on the same level as Qara. She's a good healer and buffer, but not to the same degree as Zhjaeve. But getting both in one package makes her a very versatile companion.
I will also describe how to use Elanee in a way that takes full advantage of her range of abilities, Wild Shape in particular. A lot of players dismiss Wild Shape as useless, even when the Natural Spell feat allows spellcasting after changing shape. One of the objections is that Elanee, properly equipped, can herself handle the rough stuff. That is indeed true. Elanee, with her Dexterity of 16, can take full advantage of a Mithral Full Plate, which is classified as a Medium Armor so Elanee won't have to take any additional feats to take advantage of it. She can also pack a shield and a scimitar with high chances of inflicting critical hits. She can also augment her fighting abilities with spells like Flame Weapon, Barkskin or Tortoise Shell, Premonition, and Storm Avatar.
However, consider also the potential benefits of using Wild Shape. The Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity scores of whatever creature she turns into will overwrite whatever her own ability scores are for as long as she remains in that creature's form. For a list of the possibilities, refer to this page from the NWN2wiki.
It gets even better when you obtain the Elemental Wild Shape ability. For the possibilities of the Elemental Wild Shapes, refer to this page.
A quick perusal of the pages reveals that Wild Shape can allow Elanee to obtain Strength, Dexterity, and/or Constitution scores well beyond what is normally attainable for her, even with items that provide ability bonuses. Her Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores will remain unchanged however.
Another benefit is that the attacks of her Wild Shape forms can offer damage ranges that go well beyond the 1d6 base damage range available from weapons that Druids can use. A Dire Bear gets two attacks that inflict 2d4 base damage each, and then a third attack that inflicts 2d8 base damage. An Elder Earth Elemental or Elder Water Elemental form gets two attacks that inflict 2d10 base damage each.
There is a drawback though. Her Wild Shape forms incorporate the benefits of any helm, armor and shield that she wears. Any benefits she derives from her amulet, cloak, gloves, rings, belt, or boot will only benefit Elanee while she is in her natural humanoid form, but not while she is using Wild Shape. More specifically ...
Her Wild Shape form can add the enhancement bonus from an armor or shield that she is wearing, but not the full armor class bonus of the armor she is wearing. For example, if Elanee were wearing only a non-magical chainmail, her humanoid form would get an armor class bonus of +5. Her Wild Shape form would not derive any benefit from wearing the chainmail since it doesn't have any enhancement bonus. If Elanee were to wear a Chainmail +3, the +3 enhancement bonus of the armor would get added as a +3 bonus to armor class for her Wild Shape form. To elaborate further on this example, let's suppose Elanee is wearing that Chainmail +3 and transforms into an Elder Air Elemental. The Elder Air Elemental form has an armor class of 29 to begin with. If Elanee were wearing the Chainmail +3, that would mean that Elder Air Elemental's form gets its armor class raised to 32.
The Wild Shape form cannot benefit from the enhancement bonus from both the armor and the shield. It can only benefit from the highest enhancement bonus from either. For example, let's suppose Elanee has equipped a Chainmail +3 and a Heavy Shield +5. Her Wild Shape would get +5 added to its armor class on account of the shield, but not the +3 bonus from the Chainmail.
Any other benefits besides armor class offered by an armor or shield (e.g. elemental resistances, ability bonuses) will also benefit the Wild Shape forms as well.
The name of the game therefore is to pack as much as I can, as much as I want, into Elanee's helm, armor, and shield in order to maximize the power of her Wild Shape forms. By the end of the game, her Wild Shape form gains +20 cold resistance, immunity to death magic, and immunity to fear from the Helm of Darkness. She gains a +5 armor class enhancement bonus, immunity to ability / level draining, and +4 Strength from the Lesser Golem Armor. She gains elemental resistances, 14 spell resistance, and +4 Wisdom from the Shield of Prator. The Shield is especially beneficial since the +4 Wisdom bonus in conjunction with the Natural Spell feat means she keeps her bonus spells, whether she's in humanoid form or in Wild Shape form.
Conversely, Elanee won't be especially concerned when it comes to her amulet, rings, cloak, belt, or boots. Other party members will be ahead of her in the line to get more powerful / useful items like cloaks and rings.
Her Wild Shape forms will get even better with spell buffs. For example, she can cast Barkskin, Premonition, Cat's Grace (Extended), and Bear's Endurance (Extended) on herself at the start of each new day. Their bonuses will be added to the Wild Shape form (e.g. Barkskin will raise the armor class even more) once she changes shape. She'll have to wait until after she uses Wild Shape before casting Flame Weapon (Extended) on herself, since using Wild Shape changes her weapon from whatever weapon she had in hand to a creature weapon. But once all of that is in place, she's ready to rock and roll. And it gets even better if she casts Storm Avatar on herself at the start of a fight. Used properly, Elanee can become an immensely powerful character who can gain enormous fighting prowess in Wild Shape form, and still peel off spells to boot.
Stats
Skills
She starts off emphasizing Concentration, Listen, Lore, Spot, and Survival. I am fine with that, but I start off putting all my points into Spellcraft during her first level up. Higher Spellcraft means higher saving throw bonuses for Elanee. She will soon increase her Intelligence bonus so that he can then develop all of these skills.
Feats
Starting Feats at 4th level: Combat Casting, Dodge
6th level: Extend Spell - Much like Valeria, Elanee can make effective use of this by doubling the duration of some her buffs, like Flame Weapon or Bear's Endurance or Storm Avatar.
9th level: Craft Magic Arms and Armor - Elanee can provide armor and weapon enchantments that Qara may not be able to, and vice versa. In particular, I value Elanee being able to enchant weapons with the Holy Weapon property that empowers weapons to inflict an extra +2d6 damage on evil targets.
12th level: Empower Spell - Elanee casts damaging spells with a definite frequency, so taking this feat will make her decidedly more powerful, i.e. Empowered Lightning Storms at 7th spell level, Empowered Fire Storms at 9th spell level. The latter is one of the advantages that a Druid has over a Cleric.
15th level: Natural Spell - Now is the appropriate time for Elanee to begin using her Wild Shape abilities, as she will now have access to the Dire Bear form. It then progresses to Elemental forms during subsequent level-ups.
18th level: Spell Focus (Evocation) - To improve the saving throw DC of spells like Call Lightning Storm and Fire Storm.
Spells Frequently Used
Barkskin - Cast be cast on any player character. It adds a natural bonus to armor class (maximum 5 at 13th level) that stacks with other sources of armor class (e.g. armor, shield, dodge). It also lasts several hours. Elanee prepares several instances of this spell. Whenever she's in the party, she'll buff multiple party members with this spell after each rest.
Flame Weapon - Will add +1d8 fire damage to any hand-held weapon, even if that weapon already has three or more enchantments on it. It is for this reason that I do not add fire damage to any character's weapon through crafting. It's better to add other damage bonuses to weapons, so that the +1d8 fire damage from the spell will stack with those other bonuses.
Remove Disease - There are plenty of undead during the early stages of the OC (e.g. undead) that can afflict party members with diseases. It is helpful to include at least one of these just in case.
Call Lightning - Hits all monsters with a maximum of 10d6 electrical damage within a large radius of the caster. It also won't hurt party members.
Ice Storm - Hits enemies in its area of effect with both blunt and cold damage. One of its benefits is that it cannot be Evaded.
Stoneskin - A staple buff for Elanee. She can use multiple instances of the spell to provide damage reducation not only to herself, but to her comrades as well.
Call Lightning Storm - Like Call Lightning, except that it does more damage and it also comes with a +4 bonus to saving throw DC.
Cure Critical Wounds - This is the spell that Elanee uses when she wants to add the +2d6 damage vs. evil enchantment to a weapon.
Crumble - Useful in that it's a single target spell that can inflict considerable sonic damage against a Golem, powerful Iron Golems included.
Fire Storm - Inflicts a hefty amount of both fire damage and divine damage over all enemies in a very wide radius, but without harming party members. One of the advantages that a Druid has over a Cleric is that Druids can cast an Empowered version of this spell.
Heal - Cures a party member of 150 hit points. Can really come in hardy during tough / intense fights.
Premonition - Gives her damage reduction 30/adamantine until she sustains enough damage to cause it to dissipate. Can be used either on her humanoid form or her elemental or animal form.
Storm Avatar - Provides her weapon with +3d6 electrical damage, even if her weapon already had three or more enchantments. Also gives her a Haste effect. Can also be used for her Wild Shapes.
Elemental Swarm - Probably the ultimate meat shield spell in the OC. Summons one of the four elementals, one of the other after each one is killed.
Storm of Vengeance - At the very least it will inflict 3d6 acid damage on all enemies caught within its very large effect. Those who fail a Reflex saving throw take an extra +6d6 electrical damage and get stunned for 2 rounds. Multiple castings of this spell can lead to multiple saving throw checks that can stun enemies.
Inventory
One thing to keep in mind with Elanee is that there will be some fights where she can't fully take advantage of Wild Shape. A dialogue will force Elanee out of Wild Shape. For fights that immediately follow a dialogue, Elanee will have to wait until after the dialogue ends before she can use Wild Shape. But in those fights it will usually take her too long to optimize her Wild Shape form. My point being, don't depend absolutely on her Wild Shape form. Have her ready to fight in her natural Elven form when the occasion insists on it.
