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The text is really unclear, so I did make a quick test: Basically, it now does 10 raw damages per tick, modified by both Might and % of endurance lost. So with 20 Might and 50% endurance lost, it is 18 raw damages per tick. % of endurance lost is calculated at the moment of the tick, not on initial cast. it ticks on initial hit and every 3s for 20s (modified by Int). Raw damages are actually higher than other insect spells (Swarm does 10 base per tick, and Plague does 8 base per tick... with long duration and crazy AoE). It seems to be a very solid spell now, especially considering insect spell are not of poison type ! It's quite great for Bittercut too PS: Pwgra hurts a lot now...

I have played the Druid in so many other RPG´s that it was quite obvious for me that i will give it a try in Pillars of Eternity too. And i must admit: It´s a lot of fun! My aim for the solo druid was to push the power of his spellcasting while still being tanky enough to survive the difficulty settings of PotD. Lets take a closer look! Which Race should i pick? Moon Godlike is one of the best choices. Thanks to the healing waves you can tank and outlast your opponents much better. Wood Elf is a good choice for the better ranged accuracy. Also gives you a little defence against ranged enemies. Boreal Dwarf +15 Bonus vs. Beasts and Primordals can be very helpful Pale Elf +10 resistance to fire and cold is not to be taken lightly. Adjusting your Stats There is no „best build“ in my opinion so you have a little bit of freedom to choose one build that fits your playstyle most. Some examples: Precision Druid----------Swift Druid----------Defender Druid Might 15--------------------Might 15--------------Might 15 Con 10----------------------Con 10----------------Con 10 Dex 10----------------------Dex 15-----------------Dex 10 Per 15-----------------------Per 10-----------------Per 10 Int 18------------------------Int 18------------------Int 18 Res 10----------------------Res 10-----------------Res 15 High Might and Int are nearly essential. You will not only hit harder but your spell area will increase significantly. If you remember how many AoE-spells the druid has this one is a real nobrainer. Dex, Per and Res are more about taste. Do you want to cast faster, hit more often or get tankier? Your choice! Con at 10 is all it needs especially if you are playing Moon Godlike. Personally i prefer the Precision Druid. The reason is quite simple: Unlike Wizards the druid has no spell to boost his accuracy. Missing spells too often can hurt you a lot. The Beast within: Spirit Form Choice I think anything will work. Personally i prefer the Catform for its high attack speed so i can clean up badly wounded enemies really quickly. If you want more tankiness choose the Bear. Fun note: The Spirit Form works great against some tougher opponents. Do you remember the infamous Shadows in the beginning? The Catform will kill them easily with a few swift strikes. Choose your Talents Weapon + Shield Style / Cautious Attack / Superior Deflection: If you are building tanky like this your deflection will jump over 100 around level 11. Thats not too bad and will save your day more than one time. Bull's Will /Snake's Reflexes / Bear's Fortitude: These too can be lifesavers. Just take a look which defenses are in need of an upgrade most. The numbers will also jump over 100 around level 11. Sounds good. Heart of the Storm /Scion of Flames /Secrets of Rime: Giving your elemental spells a better punch (+20%) always looks good. But after the nerfs to some of the druid spells its a good question wether they are worth the point. Personally i still like the talents a lot. Oh, and dont forget the +5 elemental damage reduction bonus. Bonus Spells: Bonus spells can be quite useful in longer fights where you will need any extra portion of power. Just remember that high Dex Druids will get a little bit more benefit as they can cast their extra spells faster. Wildstrike / Weapon Focus Peasant / Two Weapon Style: You want to play a bit more like a Shapeshifter? In this case you should take a closer look at these talents as they give nice bonuses to your wild form. Thinking about Skills Mechanics should be your primary focus. Opening chests and disarming traps is just too good to pass on. Everything else is quite optional – your choice. Its all about Equpiment As a primary weapon i mainly use Hatchet (+5 deflection) + Small Shield (no accuracy penalty). A Hunting Bow like Lenas Er can be quite handy too. If you have to tank a lot you should definetly use any kind of Plate Armour. If your summons are able to tank all night long than Clothes are the better choice: Faster casts = More Damage. Just be careful. With regards to all your Accessories. Do not think about them too much. Just make sure to find any stuff that buffs your primary attributes Might and Int. And always take a closer look at items like Ring of Deflection or Ring of Protection to boost your defensive power. Shod-in-Faith-Boots can later on be a lifesaver in tougher battles. Boots of Speed are quite funny if you want to play hit and run (works great against Thaos too). The power of summons Thanks to the new immunities your summons are now quite powerful. If you use them smartly they will tank like gods giving you an easy time casting your damage spells. Lets take a look: Earth Blight: Slashing + Corrode Flame Blight: Piercing + Fire Rain Blight: Piercing + Shock Wind Blight: Crushing + Frost As you can cast them only in combat its best to start the battle with a heavy CC like Overwhelming Wave. This gives you time to reposition and summon your Blight. Fun note: Have you ever watched big bad Thaos trying to burn down a Flame Blight? Try it on your own - and laugh! Nerf incoming? Fun Note II: Looking for some easy xp? Just kill your own blights! You will get experience as if killing hostile ones. Which Spells are useful? LEVEL 1 Tanglefoot: Nice engagement tool that can give you time for better positioning and summoning. Worth to remember: If you run away far enough some of the hobbled enemies will cancel their engagement so you can minmize their numbers. Natures Mark: Fine debuff with -1 Deflection, -10 Reflexes in a large area. Cast it first and watch them suffering! Sunbeam: Great debuff and burn damage. Blinded enemies will not only miss you more often but they are even easier targets for your own spells. Charm Beast: A gamechanger. Cast it on beasts and watch them fighting each other! Remember the infamous bear cave at the beginning? Thanks to this spell you can clear it at level 2. Talons Reach: Deals quite okay AoE Slash Damage and - the best - its fast cast. Winterwind: A large cone that will deal frost damage (damn nerf). Works great in corridors with lots of enemies. Fun note: The knockback effect will completly immobilize Blights and Will o Wisps so you can easily kill them. Natures Vigor: Okay healing over time. This spell will also increase your maximum endurance by 15 %. Can work nicely in longer fights as long as your enemies do not have burst damage. LEVEL 2 Autumn´s Decay: Great cone spell that will deal corrode damage over time. As corrode damage isnt resisted that often it will hurt most enemies quite a bit. Blizzard: Large AoE that will deal frost damage and reduce attack speed by 20 %. Works best against large and fast attacking enemy groups. Burst of Summer Flame: This spell will deal AoE burn damage. Works nice for finishing enemy groups thanks to its fast casting speed. Conjure Lesser Blight: Great spell – for more info take a look at the „Summons“ section. Hold Beasts: You are surrounded by a pack of beasts and thinking its over? Dont worry! Cast this spell and watch them freezing. Now you have time to turn the fight around and hurt them badly. Works against dragons too – great! Insect Swarm: Fine AoE spell that will deal piercing damage over time. Works nicely in combination with Autumn´s Decay. The -10 concentration will make it easier to interrupt your enemies. Woodskin: Gives you +6 DR against Piercing, Shock and Burn for 15 seconds. Rarely used but quite okay self buff. LEVEL 3 Beetle Shell: If your summons are desperately in need of a shield this might save them. Absorbs 100 points of damage and gives you time for other healing spells. Infestation of Maggots: A tricky spell. Will deal 10 Damage by percentage of health lost over time. This means the more wounded your enemies are the more damage they take. Works great against groups that are already suffering from spells like Autum´s Decay and Insect Swarm. Natures Balm: The healing over time isnt that great but may help you through longer fights. Rarely used. Returning Storm: Great spell that will deal shock damage and stun. As the lightning will continously strike you may be able to stunlock your opponent. Spreading Plague: This spell leaves the primary target Hobbled and Weakened before jumping to 5 other enemies max. Nice debuff that will make it easier to hit your following spells. Twin Stones: The two boulders will deal Crush Damage to any enemy within their path and explode to deal Pierce Damage to all nearby enemies. Quite okay spell against large enemy groups. LEVEL 4 Boiling Spray: Large Cone that will deal burn damage. Works best against large enemy groups. The knockback will immobilze Blights and Will o Wisps. Calling the World’s Maw: Great CC spell that will deal Pierce Damage to enemies and will knock them down. Just remember that there are several opponents that cannot be knocked down. Conjure Blight: For more info take a look at the „Summons“ section. Hail Storm: This icy storm will deal Crush Damage and 25 % Freeze Damage. The huge (!) radius of this spell can hurt dozens of enemies. Moonwell: Nice healing over time and +10 to all defenses. Will help greatly in tougher battles – if you get the time casting it. Overwhelming Wave: Very powerful engagement tool that will not only deal Crush Damage but will stun enemies in its path. Use this time to start your pain train! LEVEL 5 Embrace the Earth-Talon: Powerful spell that will not only deal Pierce Damage but also petrify enemies. Only downside: The duration isnt that long so you will barely be able to hit your enemies more than one time while being petrified. Relentless Storm: Hands down this is one of the best spells in the game. An AoE stun that will continuously strike your enemies? Cast this at the start of an engagement and use the stuns to follow up with damage spells. Works best against dangerous groups of spellcasters like Adragans so they will never get the chance to petrify you. Plague of Insects: This spell is also great as the insects will deal Raw Damage, reduce Concentration and Sicken enemies. Nice followup after Relentless Storm. Firebug: Deals good amount of burn damage and jumps up to 8 times. Feels weaker than the other spells on this level but is quite okay as a finishing move. LEVEL 6: Conjure Greater Blight: For more info take a look at the „Summons“ section. Garden of Life: The healing is only useful when there are plenty of corpses around. Rarely used. Rot Skull: Will change your weapon and let you throw skulls that will deal crushing and AoE corrode damage. Sounds cool but i rarely used it. Sunlance: Good single target piercing + burn damage that works best against tougher opponents in 1vs1 situations. Venom Bloom: The Weakened and Frightened Debuff is great. Only downside: Its duration is very short. Remember, Remember Do not try to burn down a Flame Blight like Thaos! Always take a look at the resistances of your enemies. Positioning is key. Using bottlenecks like doors can save you from many harm! Debuff your enemies to make sure you will land your spells more often! Use your summons for distraction so you get time for your damage spells! Inns will become your best friends as you will run out of spells quite often! The more you eat, the more you get. Or: The power of food buffs. Why i am not using all those traps i have collected?

This is my first time obtaining this - which should I give it to? They're each story companions (Aloth, Hiravias). I'm leaning towards Aloth for the potential AoE dominate procs from Blast and 1/encounter stun, but it seems like Golden Gaze would be much better for the AoE DR reduction. Alternatively, I'm thinking to put it on Hiravias since refreshing his Spiritshift isn't a bad option as it hits pretty hard and that would free up Aloth for Golden Gaze. I have Durance in my party too and the displaced image on being crit isn't a bad option either, but the other two seem better. Any input would be appreciated

Hey so am planning on playing a Druid as my main char Anyway was wondering whats the best spiritshift to choose I found this site which lists all the Spiritshifts There is: Bear - has a frighten effect Boar - Stamina regen Cat - fast attacks Stag - Defense Wolf - knockdown which form do you think is the most powerful?

I got this game right after it came out. Despite being the two classes I was looking forward to most, the ranger and druid classes were a huge let-down. Ranger: Despite being marketed as one of the main damaging classes, the ranger's DPS was nothing to write home about. Neither was the animal companion. (But I kept playing anyway, because I love animals.) The Druid was an even bigger let-down. Despite all the pre-release updates gushing about the spiritshifting abilities, it turned out to be very weak. It was only mildly effective during the first few levels of the game, but then it failed to scale up with the character. That, combined with the complete lack of special abilities to boost it the way you got tons of abilities to boost your spellcasting, meant you quickly had to abandon it and stick to spellcasting exclusively. (I know I sound greedy and ungrateful since the druid was one of the best spellcasters at the time, but it was the spiritshifting ability I really wanted. I would have gladly taken the option to focus on spiritshifting over spellcrafting, and sacrificed being able to become a first-rate spellcaster to become a second-rate warrior if only it meant spiritshifting didn't get me killed every battle.) There was some talk about the devs eventually balancing them better, but I quickly finished my first playthrough then moved onto other games and projects while I waited. Now I'm back, and I'd like to know if anything has changed since I've been away? Or should I aim to finish my cipher or chanter instead?

It seems Garden of Life spell (level six druid spell) is not working. Is it only me or is it a general bug? This is one of the most important spells (according to description because I can't use it) so please tell me what is happening. Thanks!

The new Druid spell Natures Bounty increases might and perception permanent by incredible high amounts.

The game recommends Resolve over other stats, however, for a Ranged Wood elf druid (Hunting Bow/Spellcaster), it seems Dex would be better (for action speed). Two things that keep me up at night (ha!): Originally I was going for War Bow, because I thought it would benefit more from +% action speed than Hunting Bow (diminishing returns and all that). If I'll grab Marksman, Penetrating Shot, and Hunting Bow, should I invest less on Dex? (Or keep it high anyway for spellcasting). At char creation, I've maxed Might, followed by 15-16 Int--I've seen lots of conflicting recommendations (some max Int, I'm guessing to affect more targets from the get-go). How many stat points will I get as I level up, and would it be so bad to not max Int? (Will be playing in Hard) Thanks!

I'm not sure if the description (-attack speed) applies to spellcasting as well, and I vaguely recall reading something about shields affecting spellcasting (for some reason, I recall it had to do with Speed, though I'm thinking it's more likely the Accuracy penalty of big shields)? Thanks!

So, I would like to change my Druid's spiritshift without restarting the game for the 10th time (I haven't made it past Black Meadows/Angslog Compass because I found a mistake in my character choices--and every time, I restart). I'm hoping to avoid another restart, as I've just finished the Temple of Eothas for the first time, and was hoping to continue on with the main quests. Console commands/tools welcome--thanks!

Straightforward question--in Hard/PoTD, which Spiritshift provides more early-game survibability (I know they're no good mid-late game)?

Hi, I'm torn about how to build my druid, and have started the game about 5 times, based on different things I read/discover about the engine (I was trying to do the "full immersion" by going into the game completely blind, but no respec option means I don't want to risk gimping my PC for the late game). I'm playing in Normal, maybe Hard. I want to build a ranged/spellcasting druid (Wood elf), and I'm debating 2 things: Should I use War Bows/Wands or Rods/Scepters (with their corresponding Weapon Focus talents, skipping Bonus L1 spell)? Whether I should grab all 3 elemental damage talents, together with Bonus L3-4 spells (skipping Bonus L2 spell; or is there something better than either Bonus L2/a third elemental damage talent)? Re: 1, while War Bows have more damage than Rods, I really like the idea of having 3 damage types from Rods/Scepters (pierce/crush/slash), as opposed to 2 from War Bow/Wand (pierce/crush). Also, flavour-wise, implements go better with the intended build, and I can grab the unique implements later in the game. However, not sure if that extra damage type will be THAT useful, as opposed to just more damage. Re: 2, since I'm not soloing, having 10 instead of 8 spells per encounter might not be that useful, because I'll have 2-3 other casters throwing out 8-10 spells per encounter--chances are that, for most fights, I won't run out of encounter spells. And pre L-9, I think +6 Accuracy with a warbow will be more useful than just 1 extra spell per rest (while I'm playing on normal, I really don't like abusing Rest... which is why I'm thinking of playing Hard, just so the Rest "limit" is actually hard-coded). Any help much appreciated (I don't mind item/stats spoilers, just no story/lore spoilers please).

Hi All, I wanted to make a list of spells affected by elemental talents for Wizards, Druids and Priests to plan my next builds. I think it could be a good idea to share it. If you see anything that isn't true or something missing, don't hesitate to correct me. ??? means that I'm not sure. I also assumed summons are not affected by Elemental talents. Wizard Spells : Fire : Fan of Flames (Lvl 1) Combusting Wounds ??? (Lvl 2) Ray of Fire (Lvl 2) Rolling Flame (Lvl 2) Fireball (Lvl 3) Flame Shield (Lvl 4) Wall of Flame (Lvl 4) Torrent of Flame (Lvl 5) Corrode : Concelhaut's Corrosive Siphon (Lvl 2) Necrotic Lance (Lvl 2) Concelhaut's Draining Touch (Lvl 3) Noxious Burst (Lvl 3) Death Ring (Lvl 6) Ice : Chill Fog (Lvl 1) Kakaloth's Sunless Grasp (Lvl 1) Blast of Frost (Lvl 5) Ninagauth Bitter Mooring (Lvl 5) Ninagauth Freezing Pillar (Lvl 6) Lightning : Jolting Touch (Lvl 1) Crackling Blot (Lvl 3) Chain Lightning (Lvl 5) Special : Kakaloth's Minor Blight (Lvl 3) : summon a wand with a random element. Druid Spells : Fire : Sunbeam (Lvl 1) Burst of Summer Flame (Lvl 2) Firebrand (Lvl 2) Boiling Spray (Lvl 4) Firebug (Lvl 5) Sunlance (partial) (Lvl 6) Corrode : Autumn's decay (Lvl 2) Rot Skulls (Lvl 6) Ice : Winter Wind (Lvl 1) Blizzard (Lvl 2) Hail Storm (partial) (Lvl 4) Lightning : Dancing Bolts (Lvl 1) Returning Storm (Lvl 3) Relentless Storm (Lvl 5) Nature's Terror (Lvl 5) Priest Spells Fire : Divine Mark (Lvl 2) Searing Seal (Lvl 4) Shining Beacon (Lvl 4) Pillar of Holy Fire (Lvl 5) Cleansing Flame (Lvl 6) Lightning : Warding Seal (Lvl 3) Spark the soul of the Righteous ??? (Lvl 6) And that's all for the priest ! Apparently, PoE gods like fire. EDITED ON 30/05/15

Using the search function I can not see anyone reporting this, but I have the feeling two spells have been switched around in the druid spell list. Level 3; Returning Storm; base duration 30 secs.; base damage 20-30; stun duration 3 seconds - Speed: Slow Level 5; Relentless Storm; base duration 15 secs; base damage 9-12; stun duration 2 seconds - Speed: Average All other variables the same, though the description says that Relentless Storm strikes frequently and Returning Storm says periodically - if this means that relentless storm strikes two times in the time returning storm strikes - it is still less damage output, less stun and less duration. Even if it is tripple as fast the duration and taking DR into account it is very debatable if the level 5 is worth it at all. Frequently and periodically are too vague a terms to see the advantage of a level 5 spell that casts a little faster but seems in all other methods weaker. Nothing is stated in the 1.0.5 patch about this (except that wind blight can cast returning storm only once per encounter) - which I can not check as I got this wonderful game through GOG and not Steam. The forums also did not came back with this while using the search function. Hope I did not by accident adress something that was already known/clear.

I've been thinking of starting a solo triple crown run with a druid, and I'm looking for suggestions. I haven't used druids much since the beta, and I've only used tank characters in a solo environment, so any input would be useful. In terms of race, I'm thinking probably Wood Elf, Aumauauauaua, Moonlike ... I dunno. Like I said, any input. For the attribute spread, max Int/Might and minimum Perception are obvious, but I'm not sure whether to bother with Con and Dex. I hear Fast Runner or whatever it's called is good for lighter characters in solo play, as well as Deep Pockets. Is that accurate? Aside from that, should I just stick to the elemental damage bonus talents? And obviously spiritshift trails off pretty quickly, but since it's supposedly good at early levels: what's a reliable shift to start with?

First of all, this is fairly untested idea for potd alternative Druid/Mag build that deppends on perceived dump stat of Perception by dumping Might. Yes, I'm indeed dumping Might... I ran a test with custom companion Wizard against potd Arda Dragon with same stats, and it worked remarkably, nevertheless low Might may pose problems early on when dispatching enemies quickly may be a better option. The idea is that you forget damage done for a high interrupt values. Focus is on interrupting enemies to such effect that they can't even retaliate. That's achieved by big aoe and lingering spells, and by just overloading enemies with cointinuous spellcasting when on higher levels. For that effect high Dex and light armours are needed. With low Might there is also not much need for weapon specializations and effort put into druids forms, so it's better to just equip the caster with as heavy shield as possible and be done with it. Druid is better overall choice, since Wizard should have a really hard time early on, nevertheless his endgame is arguably even better than Druids. His two walls and Thrust made me look into it in the first place. Race: Orlan for +2 on Perception Subrace: Hearth Orlan, for hits to crits, although I'm not quite sure that ability works for spells as well. Alternatives: Elf with 20 Dex, Godlike with three 19s, and nothing is preventing other races to join as well. Attributes: 2 Might 9 Constitution 18 Dexterity 21 Perception 18 Intelligence 10 Resolve Dex, Per, Int as high as possible, the rest can vary. In this example I went for higher protection offered by Constitution and Resolve. The idea is that character can take some damage while using shield, and wearing light armour. Around the field protections are high, except offcourse for fortitude, making this build truly glassy. Talents: Interrupting blows, weapon and shield, veil for Wizard, everything else into bonus spells. Spells: The higher the interrupt value the better, just as important are lingering area effects, and big aoe. More potential victims, higher the chance to interrupt someone. Walls and Druids storms work wonders. Notable Spells: Mage: 1st level: Thrust!! 3rd: Fireball 4th: Dimansional Shift, Wall of Flame!!! 5th: Wall of Force!!! Druid: 1st level: Talon's Reach!!, Tanglefoot 2nd: Blizzard, Insect Swarm 3rd: Returning Storm!!! 4th: Hail Storm 5th: Malignant Cloud, Wall of Thorns!!!

First, congratulations for the great game you have delivered. I am enjoying it a lot and can't stop playing. Second, I am playing a druid with cat affinity and I have found 2 bugs that are annoying. 1. The charm Beast spell is not working properly. Its durations says 9.6sec (8sec base). It is charming for about 2 seconds, maybe less. That make it useless and It should be a signature spell of a druid. How to replicate the bug: Just use the spell in any animal. 2. This is a graphic bug. When I shapechange, sometimes (like 1 in 3) it shows the human form AND animal form, making it a mess. It happens randomly, often when I use Flurry attack. How to replicate the bug: This one is tricky. I have tried myself to replicate it and dont get it. Even loading again the file and doing the same things it does not happen. This is the print screen: http://cloud-4.steamusercontent.com/ugc/34115347319209648/31AA92461F67BBBCD502AD92BCCBBC85DAFCFD79/ Thank you for everything and good luck fixing these issues. I really like the druid and this can discourage people who wants to play it (not me for sure). oh, the dxdiag upload have failed twice, so I will paste the first block: ------------------ System Information ------------------ Time of this report: 3/28/2015, 07:50:10 Machine name: GERARDO-PC Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_rtm.101119-1850) Language: Spanish (Regional Setting: Spanish) System Manufacturer: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. System Model: GA-A75-UD4H BIOS: Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG Processor: AMD A8-3870 APU with Radeon HD Graphics (4 CPUs), ~3.0GHz Memory: 16384MB RAM Available OS Memory: 16382MB RAM Page File: 5893MB used, 26867MB available Windows Dir: C:\Windows DirectX Version: DirectX 11 DX Setup Parameters: Not found User DPI Setting: Using System DPI System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent) DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

it's a simple question for my build for druid: i choose ranged attack with bow, crossbow or fire arms, or i go to melee attacks? and if i go to ranged attack, i up dex for my third choice (after int e might)? ty for answers ^^

Hello, Actually knockdown for druid wolf is recharged per rest. Is it supposed to be like this? Just wondering because of other spiritshifts. Per encounter would be better in my opinion, and would make the wolf spiritshift less useless.

Hello, Seems that the damage bonus from Wildstrike talent (at least Fire for Wildstrike Fire), is not working at all. It is supposed to add 30% of the damage with Fire, but according to combat log i only see piercing damage while in my spiritshift wolf form. Is it normal or i am missing something? edit : i am playing with the lastest updte as of 04/04/15 edit2 : disregard this post. When checking in detail for the damage done, it is shown that the burn damage is applied.

My human druid with stag spiritshift always has Stag Defense's attribute boosts active, even when not in stag form out of combat. The character was made on release day and I was hoping 1.03 might fix it, but it did not. I started a new human druid on 1.03, but that did not recreate the problem (the druid lost Stag Defense when he changed back to human form). It's a minor bug, but am I the only one who has it? Is there any way I can fix it, short of starting over? Thanks.

Hey folks! After checking in with the Beta on and off since its release I've been struggling with some of the mechanics of this game and I truly have no idea where to even begin with building my character. I'd like to play a druid as I'm a fan of spellcasters and the themes of the class but I'm confused as to which stats I should be selecting for and which ones can safely be dumped. I'm a veteran of RPG's so I have a pretty strong understanding of how to build good characters in 2ed through 3.5ed dnd and I think what I'm lacking right now is detailed information on how things are running under the hood. I find the current stat descriptions to be pretty vague and many of the talens are just written descriptions without any actual numbers; which I find makes it very confusing to pick and choose and see what works without having to make two douzen characters which I dont have the time or interest at present to do. So my question for those who have taken the time to delve deeper then I have: How do I build a good druid? What stats should be focused on? What skills? Which weapons to use? Which talents to select? Which spells are worth using? My thanks for your time everyone! Excited for the final release!

Hy Folks I got two questions conserning the clasess Druid and Wizard First: Will there be a description, which shapeshifting Form gets which Bonus/Malus (quicker, sturdier, more life), is there gona be something like this and it's simply not implemented jet? Second: Are the Wizards gona get Spells like the BG2 lvl4 Spell Minor Sequencer? Or any other Spells you prepare in advance so you can cast them without delay? Thanks for your answers greez

Update by Rose Gomez, Jr. Producer Hello everyone! My name is Rose Gomez - I'm the newest Producer on Pillars of Eternity. I'll be handling a lot of the Kickstarter related duties for the game from here on out. I've been working at Obsidian Entertainment for a little over three years now. My previous titles include South Park: The Stick of Truth and the Fallout: New Vegas DLCs. I'm thrilled to be able to work on Pillars of Eternity and can't wait to interact more with all of you in the coming months. For this update, we've got some awesome new character, area, and concept art that we're excited to show. However, before we get to the art, we wanted to officially update everyone that we are looking good to release Eternity by Winter 2014. So, look forward to getting your hands on Pillars of Eternity later this year. Our next update will be all about Pillars of Eternity lore by Eric Fenstermaker. Stretch Goals After much discussion and consideration of the poll on our forums we have decided not to pursue any additional stretch goals. Rest assured that the team is working hard on completing the game and including our current stretch goals. Surveys Our designers are working hard to implement the designs that our higher tiered backers have come up with. If you have a survey that needs to be filled out, please do so by March 31st. It's important that you get your surveys completed by the deadline because we are closing in on Alpha quickly. The team needs ample time to get your content into the game. We can't guarantee your in-game contribution will make it into the game if you are late. This includes inn/tavern designs, adventurer party designs, portraits, NPCs, and items/weapons, so make sure you get your idea in before the deadline! You can fill out your surveys on our Backer Portal after you've finished managing your pledge. They can be found on your account page under the Surveys tab. Worried that your design won't fit into Pillars of Eternity lore? Not sure if you want that innkeeper to be an Orlan or an Aumaua? Take a peek at the Pillars of Eternity Wiki to get some inspiration or clarification on the world. Characters With all that news out of the way, let's get to the art. To kick things off this week, we'd like to show you all some of the awesome new Godlike variants Dimitri has finished up - the Death Godlike. As we've mentioned before in previous updates, the Godlike are people that were "blessed" before birth by one or more of the deities of the world. Godlike manifest their divine heritage in a variety of ways, and in the case of the Death Godlike that heritage can be seen through their wicked looking horns and the misting darkness that shrouds their visage. Death Godlike. Another type, the Earth Godlike, can be seen below in some new portrait variants that Polina whipped up. These are just a few of the combinations that will be available to use for your character during the game. Earth Godlike portrait variants. Areas The environment artists are flying through their various scenes and churning out awesome looking pieces week by week. Below you can see a cool new interior from a Blacksmith's shop by Holly Prado. Blacksmith interior. Up next we have a really awesome piece by April Giron from an area called Ondra's Gift. This area is still a work in progress but we thought you all would enjoy taking a look at what we've got so far. Ondra's Gift interior. Both of these areas have a lot of cool detail in them so make sure you view them at full resolution. Creatures In Pillars of Eternity, Druid characters will be able to shift into a few different spirit forms. Druids start with specific spirit forms and can find additional spirit forms in the world. One of these forms is the Cat, shown here in a concept drawing by Polina. Druid Cat Form concept. Below you can see what the Cat form looks like when modeled and textured, rendered out of our engine. Druid Cat form in engine. That's all for this week. Don't forget! If you need to fill out a survey for any Pillars of Eternity pledges please do so on our Backer Portal by the March 31st deadline. In the meantime, keep managing those pledges and commenting on our forums.

I have always loved the concept of a shapeshifting. The idea of being able to morph into different creatures as the situation dictates is incredibly appealing to me. While it's been attempted in several games I feel it falls short in most of them mainly because it hasn't been thought through. Common pitfalls (to avoid): Forms don't scale Baldur's gate 2 gives you a bear form at level 7 unless you have TOB you have that same form (same AC/attacks/damage) for the entire game. In general you either need level based bonus (like monks in most games), or forms that improve/get replaced as you go. One useful form You can be a spider, bear or wolf. They are similar except the bear hits harder and has more attacks per round. Why would I ever turn into anything else? If you're going to have different forms ask yourself why/when would the player use this form. Nerfed forms You can turn into a mindflayer but you can't stun, you can't drain intelligence and are pretty much a druid who looks like a mindflayer. I understand sometimes unlocking abilities over time, but if I can turn into a form let me use it's powers. Spiders can poison, basilisks can turn things to stone, nymphs can charm ect... What's important to me: Distinct Defensive Advantages I want defensive resistances/abilities that matter. The ability to turn into a serpent and be immune to poison, or a fire elemental and walk on lava, or a creature that's skin is so tough arrows bounce off. Abilities, Abilities, Abilities I don't expect forms to be as good in melee as a well equipped berserker, but I assume that comes with the tradeoff I can do things a fighter can't. Can a werewolf howl and cause enemies to flee? Can a demon curse opponents? The ability to have unique and meaningful powers is a major part of what makes classes like this fun. Appearance matters I want forms that look cool and are interesting. Wolves are nice and all, but I want forms that are visually impressive. Creatures like: towering minotaurs, fiery elementals and trents.