Eighth Level Druid Spells, Greatest Hits

[Pielorinho]

When we restart our paused campaign, I'll be laying a fifteength-level druid with Augment Summoning. The eighth level spell list looks, well, crappy and uninteresting: how often will Reverse Gravity really be a better battlefield control spell than Wall of Thorns? How often will I want to repel metal in a 60' immobile line? In what way is Whirlwind ever preferable to a summoned air elemental?

I figure maybe I'm missing something in the PHB. Or maybe there are some great spells in other splatbooks. Most of what I have is 3.0, but I've looked through Complete Divine as well and saw a few there that look kinda fun. And Relics & Rituals has Grove of Serenity, sort of a low-rent version of Magnificent Mansion castable by druids (works for 10 people, provides them food, heals all poison, disease, and HP damage after 8 hours, turns them invisible for the duration, but is not extradimensional) that looks good.

What do other folks find themselves casting for their eighth-level druid spells?

Daniel

 

[Plane Sailing]

There was a thread a little while ago (possibly within the lost 5 months) that basically came to the conclusion that 8th level druid spells suck mightily and the best use was to put in metamagiced lower level spells (can you say empowered fire seeds?) and swap for SNA VIII as necessary...

 

[Sejs]

When we restart our paused campaign, I'll be laying a fifteength-level druid with Augment Summoning.

Well, I hope you at least treat her to a nice meal first.


You scoundrel, you.

 

[Pielorinho]

There was a thread a little while ago (possibly within the lost 5 months) that basically came to the conclusion that 8th level druid spells suck mightily and the best use was to put in metamagiced lower level spells (can you say empowered fire seeds?) and swap for SNA VIII as necessary...

I seem to recall something about that (and I'm a little afraid I was the one that started it--I think I played him briefly at 15th level before it went on hiatus). Alas, I lack metamagic feats that adjust levels, and none of the summonables at eighth level look great (noble salamanders are evil, and therefore a little hinky for a NG druid to be summoning; tojanidas and dire sharks aren't much good outside of water; and rocs aren't much good when inside, although they'd be awesome for outdoor attacks). Using it to summon 1d3 greater elementals, however, could be a lot of fun (can you summon different types of elementals this way?)

Mostly, I'm wondering whether splatbooks have 8th-level druid spells that are worth considering.

Daniel

 

[Pielorinho]

Well, I hope you at least treat her to a nice meal first.


You scoundrel, you.

I told you I've got augment summoning. That's an all-you-can-eat buffet, and you don't even feel bloated afterward!

Daniel

 

[Joshua Randall]

No one will ever fault you for casting a mass cure serious wounds. (Although there is probably some twinky broken version of it that's strictly better in Complete Divine.)

Earthquake -- doesn't Piratecat have a great story about how his PCs used this to collapse an entire dungeon, then just pick through the rubble for treasure? Admittedly, it's DM-dependent, but still a nice spell.

Umm, finger of death is not good?

Use SNA VIII to summon multiples off the Level 6 list. (Hate the 1d3 on the N-1 level, because I hate rolling a 1.)

And word of recall is very nice to save your ass when you get in over your head.

 

[Pielorinho]

No one will ever fault you for casting a mass cure serious wounds. (Although there is probably some twinky broken version of it that's strictly better in Complete Divine.)

Hmm...that's not a bad point. I'm not sure how often we're in ideal circumstances for its use, given that we've got a relatively small group, but maybe I'll try it out.

Earthquake -- doesn't Piratecat have a great story about how his PCs used this to collapse an entire dungeon, then just pick through the rubble for treasure? Admittedly, it's DM-dependent, but still a nice spell.

That's one of those spells that's fantastic in the right circumstances, but only then. That's definitely a DM-dependent use for the spell; in 3.5, its effects on underground environments are spelled out, and not significantly better than Transmute Rock to Mud.

Umm, finger of death is not good?

Not really better than Baleful Polymorph, is it? The rare wizard will be able to silent-still-dispel the BP and not the FoD, but in most circumstances, a toadified enemy is just as harmless as a deadified one. But this may be one I play with.

Use SNA VIII to summon multiples off the Level 6 list. (Hate the 1d3 on the N-1 level, because I hate rolling a 1.)

Definitely an option.

And word of recall is very nice to save your ass when you get in over your head.

Yeah, I suppose. But there are other spells that can save my butt as well, and I don't want to pick my single 8th-level spell as an insurance policy that I hope never to use and that will abandon my friends to their fates. It's another special-circumstances spell, not a daily pick.

Daniel

 

[Wolfwood2]

When we restart our paused campaign, I'll be laying a fifteength-level druid with Augment Summoning. The eighth level spell list looks, well, crappy and uninteresting: how often will Reverse Gravity really be a better battlefield control spell than Wall of Thorns? How often will I want to repel metal in a 60' immobile line? In what way is Whirlwind ever preferable to a summoned air elemental?

What do other folks find themselves casting for their eighth-level druid spells?

One thing you may be overlooking about Sunburst is the area of effect. Sure 6d6 damage (for non undead) is pitiful, but it's got an 80 ft radius. And the blinding effect is permanent. And it's long range. Lousy for a dungeon crawl, but a nice first strike spell when scouting ahead in bird form.

As you noted yourself, rocs are awesome outdoors from Summon Monster 8.

Finger of Death is one spell level higher for you than for a Wizard, but it's still an insta-kill spell. As a druid, you have the speed and mobility to get in close to the low fortitude save opponent (who is no doubt trying to keep his distance) and cast it.

And, well....

(sigh)

Okay, admitedly it's still a little pathetic compared to the cleric or wizard 8th level spells.

 

[lukelightning]

Wall of thorns + repel metal.... push people into the wall.

 

[lukelightning]

As you noted yourself, rocs are awesome outdoors from Summon Monster 8.

Yeah, but the Druid can just spontaneously cast SNA, so should use the slot for something else.