How viable is a pure shifter druid only doing damage in shifted form?

[darkphoton20@gmail.com]

I really like the wolf and cat forms, and I understand in this game you can shift into both during a fight (or even all forms) so I wanted to make a build where you only fight in druid form, maybe only casting healing or some debuffs before shifting and going into combat.
 

Can this be viable,  and are there abilities or passives that will go with this kind of playstyle? Come to think of it, are there even any passives that change or improve your shifted form either directly or indirectly such as improving your characters innate defenses or whatnot?

 

Any tips and suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

[gkathellar]

Basically all of your passives will apply while spiritshifted. Wildstrike is of course the go-to example.

Edited July 6, 2018 by gkathellar

[colma86]

I recommend multiclassing for shifter.

 

Berserker/Shifter is the best I've found so far, doing PotD with it now. Can't say it competes with Berserker/Skald or something like that, but it's still a good time.

 

All the berserker passives apply (carnage, bloody slaughter, thick skinned, bloodlust). Start fight, buff (usually regen of some kind)>frenzy (30% hit to crit, +5 might, +5 con, +2 pen, +2 armor)>cat form>chunks fly.

 

With gear, party buffs and passives (pally, chanter, priest) and Hot Razor Skewers I swing from 13 to 19.5 penetration in the combat log with a 1.3s recovery time without the special cat form ability (which puts it to 1.2s) at level 10 lol.

 

If you start taking a beating just cycle forms to heal and losing some dps.

[Elendriel]

I recommend multiclassing for shifter.

 

Berserker/Shifter is the best I've found so far, doing PotD with it now. Can't say it competes with Berserker/Skald or something like that, but it's still a good time.

 

If you don't mind me asking, how do you deal with confusion? I'd usually use armor with Int resistance but I don't think that works with Shifter, unless you cast Frenzy before shifting?

[Boeroer]

Svef works. Or multiclassing with a paladin for the ability that gives you a resistance to intellect afflictons. Caroc's Breastplate and Modwyr obviously only work if you cast Frenzy first and then shift like you assumed. I know of no other way (except intellect inspirations of course).

Edited July 9, 2018 by Boeroer