New spells for druids

[FriendlyNecromancer]

From one look at the wiki, it's clear Druids didn't quite get all the love wizards and clerics got when it comes to new spells. So here are some suggestions, along with explanations on why I think they would be useful and balanced. Some spells are also shared by Rangers.
All these spells are already included in Kaedrin's pack.

1. Faerie Fire
Caster Level(s): Druid 1
Innate Level: 1
School: Evocation
Descriptor(s): [Light]
Component(s): Verbal, Somatic
Range: Long (400 ft + 40 ft./level)
Area of Effect / Target: Creatures within a 5-ft.-radius burst
Duration: 1 minute/level
Save: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

A pale glow surrounds and outlines the subjects. Outlined creatures do not benefit from the concealment normally provided by darkness, blur, displacement, invisibility, or similar effects. The light is too dim to have any special effect on undead or dark-dwelling creatures vurnerable to light. The faerie fire does not cause any harm to the creatures thus outlined.

The dreaded Mirror Image +Displacement combo can be quite overpowered, especially considering both do not work as per pnp. The images get the full AC of the caster, while Displacement cannot be completely pierced at all besides of dispel/mords. Add the fact that long lasting potions of both effects are easily available to most characters and well...
Faerie Fire could help deal with Displacement at least. The spell is subject to spell resistance, and the area of effect is so small you'd only be able to hit one enemy at most with a single cast. If you want to extend this ability to arcanes too all you need is to also implement the Glitterdust spell.

2. Halo of Sand
Abjuration (Earth)
Level: Druid 2, Ranger 2
Components: V,S
Range: Personal
Duration: 10 min / level

Halo of sand creates a thin band of sand that swirls and twists around your body, helping to deflect incoming attacks. This halo grants a +1 deflection bonus to AC which increases by 1 for every 4 caster levels above 4th, to a maximum of +4 at caster level 16th.

Druids are rather lacking when it comes to AC, mostly in wildshape. Sure, you have + 9 Natural from Tortoise Shell, but that's about it. Wildshape also is very limited in NWN2 when compared to Pathfinder where you get the constant bonuses from all your equipment besides the ones that come from your armor or shield. In NWN2, you only get one armor bonus from either your helmet, armor or shield. So if Treehugger McDruid is wearing a +4 armor, +4 shield and a helmet with +4 deflection, he'll only get a single +4 AC bonus while in wildshape, despite having 3 bonuses coming from different sources. Also, do note that the only wildshape with really good AC is the Elder Air Elemental, which also has rather low AB and requires 20 pure levels of druid or a few splashes from Nature's Warrior, which requires feats and cuts your spellcasting level. Considering many factions already have +3-4 Deflection, Dodge, Natural, Armor and Shield gear, I don't see why not have this spell for Druids.

3. Nature's Favour
Caster Level(s): Druid 2, Ranger 2
Innate Level: 2
School: Evocation
Component(s): Verbal, Somatic
Range: Touch
Area of Effect / Target: Animal Companion touched
Duration: 1 minute/level
Save: None
Spell Resistance: No

You grant the subject animal companion a +1 luck bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls for every three caster levels you possess (maximum +5).

Basically a slightly boosted Divine Favour that only works on animal companions (will not work on druid wildshaped into animal type). Animal Companions are very lacking in AB/damage when it comes to the higher levels, and poor Rangers don't even get Nature's Avatar to help with that.
The spell Jagged Tooth is also currently bugged in Sundren (but works on Kaedrin), and will not increase the threat range of natural weapons at all so both your wildshaped druid and animal companions will only see criticals at a natural 20.
The original version of this spell only lasts 1 min like Divine Favour, but works on any animal touched so I'm not sure if it's also supposed to work on druids changed into animals. I don't see why it shouldn't be persistable in any case considering Divine Favour already is, if you decide to lower the duration back to pnp.

4. Thorn Skin
Caster Level(s): Druid 3
Innate Level: 3
School: Transmutation
Components: V,S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level

Your skin sprouts thorns when this spell is cast, increasing the damage you and making you difficult to harm. You deal an extra 1d6 points of piercing damage. In addition, any creature that hits you takes 5 points of piercing damage.

Just a small way of boosting the damage from a druid while in wildshape. 1d6 piercing really isn't much, and as for the thorn shield part, anyone can block 5 piercing with easily found DR.

[GodBeastX]

Wizards are dreadful with spells. If someone reaches 255+ spells, they fuck up the server.

[sonuvalich]

You're goddamned right, we're so powerful we can bring the world down just by knowing TOO MUCH!

[Valhalla]

Wizards are dreadful with spells. If someone reaches 255+ spells, they fuck up the server.

Yep, that wouldn't effect the OP's main suggestion though, would it? It would be nice to see Spirit Shamans/Druids with a bit more toolbox!

[Saulus]

I don't see druids as being underpowered. Some of the most OP'ed chars ever to walk the server were druids.

[kuscotopia]

I don't see druids as being underpowered. Some of the most OP'ed chars ever to walk the server were druids.

Druid spells effect more than druids! Think of all two (or three) spirit shamans!

[thaelis]

Giving a greater variety of spells doesn't make a class outright more powerful imo, just more versatile and fun to play. I'd support this!

Of course, I think Wizard's need it even more, since they can't rely on physical attacks at all

As for Rangers, the spells mentioned would certainly not be overpowered to them. The sand one would give me +1 AC, the others would all be useless. Buffing your animal companion's attacks when they usually die in 1-2 rounds? Lol.

[Valhalla]

Of course, I think Wizard's need it even more, since they can't rely on physical attacks at all

I'd disagree here. There's some stuff going for druids as physical attackers that wizards don't have, like Persistent Brambles. But wizards have a handful of spells that are also quite useful, like Mirror's Image (at a higher-than-potion CL), (greater) Heroism, Displacement, and Shades (Self). And while the best wildshapes are better than pretty much all of the Shapechanges, they aren't that much better. Nor is there any way in NWN2 to apply your wisdom bonus to damage, unlike intelligence. Aaand wizards have Arcane Strike, too.

Seriously. Wizards are better at hitting things than Druids. They even have a prestige class for it.

[sonuvalich]

Maybe I'm alone in this, but I abhor polymorph and shapechange, for three simple reasons:
1) A spell of limitless potential in PnP has to be toned done in a video game, which has the same effect as making a movie out of a book.

2) For reasons I do not understand, your mental stats change too, which means you can lose Int and a bunch of prepared spells

3) Any gear with bonus spell slots does not "meld" into your new form properly, so you lose those spells too

Bonus Reason: You can't cast in polymorph (cough cough) even if your new form has fingers and a mouth.

So I don't see wizards using those much in combat, maybe as the last spell they cast so all the ones lost don't matter.

Back on the OP topic though, I don't see those spells being particularly beneficial apart from flavor text for the class, and I don't think any divine caster is underpowered, so it sounds like more work for the staff that won't result in maximized bang for their buck. I am not saying I wouldn't love to see even more spells implemented, but between the spell cap GodBeast mentioned and the time I am sure this custom content takes to make, I suspect it would go low on the priority list.

[Talleyman99]

Kaedrin's pack. <--- isnt that A four letter word around here

[OnyxTigress]

The pack made by He Who Shall Not Be Named.

But I think a bit more diversity would be nice for druids. While they are fairly strong as is, they currently get outshined from the recent changes that have been going around.

[Aniril_Telin]

Right I have been meaning to take a look at this issue and write a widget to handle stopping scribing at 254 spells and opening an interface to remove unwanted ones. need to do that...

[Thief Of Navarre]

I see this as more of a boon for shamans and since they get nothing really besides spells they need a bit of love.