A couple of primers, first. I have already seen the very good Druid character build on Skyrim
blog, but this build is an attempt to cover different aspects. One, I was motivated by more "traditional" takes on the archetype, including – but not limited to – their presentation in the 2nd Edition D&D ruleset. Also, this has less to do with statistics and spreadsheets and more with a general tone or intent to playing the game, as I'll explain further on, but I don't skimp on calculations.
So!
The Avenger Druid
---------------------
Illustration purposes - that's pretty similar to a Forsworn, so it's here.
Description: The Avenger aims to right any wrongs made against nature by man and mer. The concept entails combat, but from a righteous revenge perspective. While dungeon dwelling and assorted quests are fine, anything that may be seen as an afront to Nature – abominations such as lycanthropy or vampirism, for instance – are what an Avenger should focus on. Their dedication to Nature means Avengers reject several man-made conveniences and live off the land instead, always using tools that are directly linked to Nature in some way.
Favored race: Wood Elf
Racial bonuses: Resist Poison and Disease +50%, Command Animal (strong RP ability), +10 Archery (if you're interested in ranged combat), +5 Alchemy (taking advantage from the natural properties of plants rather than magic), +5 Light Armor (if you're inclined to use it), +5 Sneak (always useful).
Secondary race: Argonian
Racial bonuses: Resist Disease 50%, Water Breathing (not terribly useful but does away with Philters and the magic spell), Histskin (health recover). The +10 Lockpicking doesn't
entirely fit in with the concept, but the +5 in Alteration, Light Armor, Restoration and
Sneak are alright bonuses.
Equipment: If you take a look at how D&D, or even the Baldur's Gate series handled Druids
(there's actually an Avenger kit in Shadows of Amn), you'll notice some heavy restrictions on armor and weapons. This is relevant if you want to explore certain RP aspects, like I do, such as a Druid that only lives through what Nature gives him or her. One outcome of this is to avoid metal-made weapons or armor.
As such Hide, Leather and Studded would be your main line of defense, but in terms of weapons this can be trickier. In the absence of a larger weapon selection that could help this build (thinking of Spears, in the context of wood as a "natural" material), there's not much to go on in Skyrim. Unless you use mods that add weapons like Clubs, you'd probably have to come up with some other restrictions that serve the concept. One is to use only Staves, which is a solid but tremendous choice as there are many of them. Since the Avenger is against anything that defiles Nature or is abhorrent to it, this means no use of Staff of Zombies and/or Revenants, for instance. Another choice are wooden Bows but not Steel and certainly not Daedric, either.
An interesting compromise is to use weapons with both wood and metal but that are either made of seemingly equal portions of both (Pickaxes, Battle Axes), or that use more wood (such as Woodcutter Axes). On the other hand, there's also Forsworn and Falmer equipment. Take note that Forsworn lack two-handed weapons and shields, and the Falmer chitins are the basis of their weapons and (heavy) armor. Either way, both of these last two options don't get in the way of the Avenger's ethos and provide good results. The only downside I can think of at this point is that Dragon armor may be off-limits, as it requires characters to invest in a skill and Perks that contradict some of their beliefs – if you're not going to have him or her use metal armor and weapons, why the need to invest in crafting them? RP reasons, however, are as varied as players and play styles so it's up to you.
An example of the kind of equipment I'm thinking - a mix of leather, wood and scales. Image: Wizards of the Coast.
Magic: As an agent of retribution, this Druid should be ready for combat; it follows that his or her magics would reflect this. However, this ties into the previous comments. Leather armor would require a greater focus in buffs and summons to balance out the lesser defense, but with Falmer armor this isn't much of a problem. What matters is how you prefer to deal with enemies. For the Avenger, I'm not favoring the usual elemental choices and summons; they're certainly viable but the Avenger is built on the idea of nature's wrath. While nature has more than plants at her disposal, it seems disingenuous to just sit back and let Atronachs do all the work (and for those there are a good amount of scrolls should you need extra help).
To this end, my picks would be:
Alteration: Detect Life, Oakflesh >> Stoneflesh >> Ironflesh >> Ebonyflesh.
Notes: Candlelight/Magelight can be easily replaced with Torches; most dungeons aren't that dark anyway, unless you're playing mods – though in that case, hey, Torches again. I didn't mention Dragonhide as it requires enough allegiance with Winterhold and a high Alteration level in order to get the Alteration Spell Ritual quest, and this may not go well with an Avenger's solitude and general distrust; this actually happens with other high levels spells too. The Flesh spells also provide another RP conundrum if you want to be literal about their names, meaning you'd probably only take Oak and Stoneflesh. Finally, Water Breathing just isn't that useful (though it's free for Argonians).
Conjuration: Conjure Familiar >> Conjure Flaming Familiar – or – Bound Sword + Oblivion Binding
Notes: Other than a good source of RP, Familiars are a quick distraction (and later a homing, explosive distraction) to use while fighting enemies. The weaker version is a good barrier between the Avenger and enemies, specially if you want to snipe them or use other spells. The Flaming version's AoE is effective in temporarily causing burning damage; those that survive are easier to pick off, specially with a Shout. The lower tier Familiar itself soaks up nice damage at lower levels. While I have yet to fully test Courage/Rally/Call to Arms, I suspect either of these Illusion spells might boost the Familiar's morale, health and stamina.
But there is a noteworthy alternative to an Avenger in regards to Conjuration that is also a fairly good source of RP. One recalls D&D again, specifically a Ranger's Favored Enemy. This Feat lets players choose which enemy their character gains bonuses against. Skyrim has nothing of the sort but does carry a significant advantage against undead and Dremora for those who learn Bound Sword and perk it up with Oblivion Binding. This strengthens the character's theme (a Druid fighting against anything that is unnatural), and does away with the need to learn and cast spells like Banish/Expel Daedra and several Undead Turning variants (spells which I think are mostly a waste). These spectral blades have some nice bonuses as well: they count towards One-Handed and Conjuration skills, can be dual-wielded and poisoned, have no inventory weight and can't be disarmed. Still, even when factoring Mystic Binding, their damage output is smaller than traditional weapons improved through Smithing or Enchantment bonuses. If you go this route, consider also using the Bound Bow. Be advised that spellcasters versed in Shock spells may hinder your Magicka enough to fizzle out both of these weapons.
The only issue here is that Soul Stealer is a prerequisite for Oblivion Binding, which may conflict a bit with the Avenger or at least result in extra inventory management... Unless you adopt a slightly different ideal: harnessing Nature's power by absorbing wildlife souls to fuel your weapons and armor.
A Druid (author: Scott Purdy, source). The clothing suggests a small amount of defense, but also practicality.
Destruction: All Elemental Cloaks.
Notes: The Novice Destruction spells are nice for lower level enemies; it's not uncommon for me to engage Draugrs with a 1H weapon and Flames, for instance, and more Magicka and Perks in the long run extends their usefulness. Runes are nice as well, if only because enemy AI is too predictable in their “zerg rushiness”. Sleeping Draugrs, mobs that run through cramped spaces or enemies that can chase you through areas are obvious targets; however, they require time (short as it may be, you'll be ineffective in combat for the duration of the casting) and splash damage may harm you if you're near the AoE. An oversight in Skyrim also makes it so Runes have an accidental bonus: enemies behind locked or blocked doors may still trigger a Rune and take damage (or outright die).
There are two simple reasons why I favor cloaks. They're a great complement for close combat since they become an additional source of damage, and each cloak is useful against certain types of enemies. Three basic examples are: Lightning Cloak is best used against spellcasters within melee range (Wolfskull Cave, many other caves), Flame Cloak when surrounded by Frost Trolls (and even against a group of generic but hardy enemies since it deals damage over time) and Frost Cloak against warriors and fighters (such as Bandit Leaders, since it reduces Stamina, thus less chances of suffering Power Attacks from them). Of course, Frost and Flame Cloaks are good against Dragons of their opposing elemental types.
I'm lying, actually. There's a third reason for this. It's often said a cloak's effectiveness goes down as levels go up, and that it's better to use single target spells instead. This is true, somewhat, but seems to miss some things. One, it doesn't hurt companions. Second, single target spells require players to focus, unsurprisingly, on a single target. Unless the Avenger is using a 2H weapon with the Sweep Perk, which hit all targets ahead (but not behind or to the sides), the Cloak is still relevant against enemies that gang on you (such as bandits) or spellcasters who insist on running around (a typical example is the two mages in front of me, where as I deal with one spellcaster, the other runs away but is almost always hit by the cloak).
Illusion: Fury >> Frenzy >> Rout >> Mayhem.
Notes: The 30 second duration of the other spells of this magic branch, the calming and terrifying varieties, have two main issues. Calming enemies for thirty seconds is nice... If you're planing on running away or don't mind having foes resuming their aggressive stances towards you a short while later. As for panicking them, the effect is similar but wastes your time as you'll have to keep tabs on of all of them. Making them fight amongst each other lets you converge on specific targets during the confusion, prepare another spell or let them sort each other out – this last one pretty delicious from an RP perspective of a Druid with little love for bandits and knaves who might be defiling the woods.
Restoration: None?
Notes: There's really nothing wrong with relying on the various Healing tiers (and the Novice spell is certainly useful), but the amazing amount of potions almost make it pointless; if weight for all those vials is a concern, consider ingredients instead.
Still... If you take Restoration up to 40, and take the Perks Novice Restoration (half Magicka for Novice spells), Regeneration (healing cures 50% more), Apprentice Restoration (half Magicka for Apprentice spells, requirement for Respite), Recovery (Magicka recovers 25% quicker; 50% at second Perk stage, requires Restoration at 60) and Respite (healing also recovers Stamina), you can use the starting Healing spell to greater effect well into the higher levels without really needing better versions of it. That's... A lot of Perks, but undeniably useful. Whether you do this or not, completing the quest Frostflow Lighthouse nets you a 10% bonus to healing spells.
Wards are... Let's call them special. An Avenger – or just about any other character, really – has in a Ward and a 1H Weapon a nice little combo against spellcasters. A quick example would be an Avenger who wants to bridge a gap between him or herself and a mage. The mage readies a spell. The player activates a Ward, runs up to the mage while readying a Power Attack, and chances are the magical shield will absorb the damage and the mage's last sight will be his own headless body. There's a problem, though, at least in comparison with the Flesh family of spells.
At last look, a simple Lesser Ward costs 28 Mg per second, while Oakflesh costs straight 90 Mg points. Both provide the same armor defense, true, but Oakflesh is cast only once while LW needs to be kept up. For a level 1 character, with 100 Magicka, a Lesser Ward only lasts for about three seconds (28^3 = 84 Mg points) while Oakflesh may burn through almost all of his or her Magicka but lasts longer. And this is assuming you can bridge that gap in three seconds or less, and that the mage's spell doesn't burn down the Ward's 40 point spell damage (all it takes is two mages to bring down the shield). In my – admittedly little – experience, the math, much as I loathe to do it, seems to favor the Flesh spells. Wards are very situational; they seem useful during the quest in Labyrinthian or if your Magicka regen is somewhat high. But there's also Whirlwind Sprint, should you want to quickly get into melee range.
Enchanting: Probably no enchantment other than recharging.
Notes: Once again, a point of role-playing perspective. An Avenger ferrets out unnatural forces, and filling gems with the souls of critters, humans or Daedra ranks pretty high in the “definitely not natural, man, pull out” territory. Recharging magical weapons with blank soul gems seems entirely acceptable.
Other Skills:
Light Armor – This should be a given for the “living off nature” idea, and there's no shortage of pelts and hides to make and improve leather-based armor. Now, astute readers might have noticed a catch in my previous Falmer suggestion: investing in Heavy Armor for the snow elves' equipment is only useful if you go out and scavenge these early on (there's a full set in Mzinchaleft). No easy task if you're playing on harder difficulties, and it still requires Conditioning (or activating the Steed Stone for a similar effect) to prevent wasting carrying capability. IIRC, there was also a bug with Falmer helmets not being counted as Heavy Armor, meaning bonuses for the full set would not apply. I'm unsure if this has been fixed.
Alchemy – Other than maintaining the RP aspect in check, Alchemy uses should be pretty obvious for players. One use, considering the suggestions above, is to coat your melee weapons with a Weakness to <Element> Poison before activating the appropriate elemental Cloak (ie., Weakness to Fire before jumping into a crowd with Flame Cloak).
Archery – Pretty useful, but for role-playing purposes, I suggest skipping on the “power” Perks (Power Shot, Quick Shot, etc.) and focus on the “utility” ones instead (Hunter's Discipline as it fits the role and Ranger). Eagle Eye is optional.
Sneak – I'm ambivalent towards Sneak for the Avenger. Like Lockpicking and Speech, it's the kind of skill that always seems to get some mileage wherever your adventures take you. Considering Alchemy is important, there shouldn't be a huge problem getting ingredients to make you temporarily hard to see. Enchanted gear like Rings and Boots with Sneaking boosts are also available. While I didn't mention them before, Muffle and Invisibility Illusion spells can be an alternative (but again, ingredients).
Pickpocket – Not really a focus point. I've seen another build on the Skyrim blog suggesting high Sneak, Pickpocket and Alchemy to plant poisons. It's a very good exploration of the mechanics though it takes the verisimilitude down a notch (for me, anyway; poisoning pockets is like selling poisoning or hexed equipment to shopkeepers in Arcanum, who would then proceed to equip them because it was MAGICAL and die; instaloot, yo).
Speech – Not very useful. Some quests require the Speech skill, and bartering also relies on it. I'm of the mind that the Avenger's connection to Nature would impact on his social skills with city dwellers, who include shopkeepers. Still, it might prove useful to barter with trade caravan masters, and simply selling things increases the skill, so why not? I'd let it develop over time.
Companions: Up to you. When I play this build, I rarely take companions other than Stray Dogs, my temporary summons or recruited wildlife, or the ocasional NPC with ranged abilities.
Goscinny and Uderzo's take on a Druid. Actually, having the Avenger cook instead of taking dozens of healing potions is almost an indelible part of this build.
Shouts:
Animal Allegiance – Unlike Command Animal, it has an AoE and can be used more often; the downside is that it only recruits animals up to level 20. If you take any other race besides Bosmer, it becomes very much essential. Nature's wrath through furry critters.
Aura Whisper – Caveats. All uses of Aura Whisper so far make it clear it operates like a Shout rather than a whisper, meaning one can't really use it quietly (unsure if it's affected by Quiet Casting). When stealth is an issue, it's best to stick with Detect Life though the spell has a lesser range and does not detect machines, daedra or undead.
Kyne's Peace – Not only a pacifier of angry wildlife, but a possible replacement for Aura Whisper because it also detects wildlife within range of the Shout.
Elemental Fury – Now, this a (slight) chance to explore the idea of Druids who control elements, or who are at least helped by them. Elemental Fury allows for faster weapon strikes, though it doesn't work on bows or bound weapons. RP-related, it's a chance to take advantage of wind as an elemental power.
Notes: If you want to further explore the interplay of elements and Druids, Shouts like Aura Whisper and Kyne's Peace could be neglected in favor of Frost and Fire Breath.
Gameplay: Unfortunately, there aren't many events in Skyrim that let this kind of Druid shine. An example would be the The Blessings of Nature quest in Whiterun. The Hargravens that have been sacrificing woodland spirits should be stopped, but is collecting the Eldergleam's sap (and "damaging" it in the process) in the best interest of nature? I chose this example because it provides a good moral conflict for RP purposes, and the ways the Avenger might have a "role" or say in Skyrim (should Danica be spared for the affront?). Another case is how to interact with society at large. Does the Avenger reject setting foot in larger enclaves such as Windhelm in disgust of how it may be an affront to Nature, giving preference instead to more rural towns and Orc enclaves (also remember how Bosmers aren't that well liked in Skyrim, which might be a valid RP angle)? How does he or she deal with poachers in the wild?
Other than considering how to deal with traders (city merchants vs. caravans, what settlements to walk on, etc.), think also of specific quests like Ill Met By Moonlight or the Companions' Quests regarding werewolves. There may be a future build for Shapeshifting Druids but the Avenger isn't it – he or she would actively avoid or fight against such creatures. I think what the build offers is primarily a different play style. Usually, I play this build in a very non-social way, or rather, I spend more time outside cities, scavenging what I can and avoiding anything that may take me into Daedra-related or Guild quests (hard to do sometimes as I get Boethian's quest just by walking near the mountain shrine :( ). It's a different style of play in regards to the more exploratory and “do everything” mindsets. It focuses on exploration with a more clearly defined purpose and may result in skipping a good number of quests.
I would add level progression charts and pictures except I'm constantly tinkering with builds and I've only gotten screenshots to work about... half an hour ago (and given my PC isn't particularly powerful, they might end up looking bad). Just yesterday, I was contemplating a Druid-styled build that forsakes almost all armor (a “Spirit of the Wood” thing, primarily using Staves, magical Necklaces/Rings/Circlets and Bracelets as equipment). This one is like the Redguard I made, who pretty much used only Redguard attire and dual-wielded.
Other builds by me:
Dungeon Runner- Blight Priest - Ebon Scourge - Moonblade
A couple of primers, first. I have already seen the very good Druid character build on Skyrim
blog, but this build is an attempt to cover different aspects. One, I was motivated by more "traditional" takes on the archetype, including – but not limited to – their presentation in the 2nd Edition D&D ruleset. Also, this has less to do with statistics and spreadsheets and more with a general tone or intent to playing the game, as I'll explain further on, but I don't skimp on calculations.
So!
The Avenger Druid
---------------------
Illustration purposes - that's pretty similar to a Forsworn, so it's here.
Description: The Avenger aims to right any wrongs made against nature by man and mer. The concept entails combat, but from a righteous revenge perspective. While dungeon dwelling and assorted quests are fine, anything that may be seen as an afront to Nature – abominations such as lycanthropy or vampirism, for instance – are what an Avenger should focus on. Their dedication to Nature means Avengers reject several man-made conveniences and live off the land instead, always using tools that are directly linked to Nature in some way.
Favored race: Wood Elf
Racial bonuses: Resist Poison and Disease +50%, Command Animal (strong RP ability), +10 Archery (if you're interested in ranged combat), +5 Alchemy (taking advantage from the natural properties of plants rather than magic), +5 Light Armor (if you're inclined to use it), +5 Sneak (always useful).
Secondary race: Argonian
Racial bonuses: Resist Disease 50%, Water Breathing (not terribly useful but does away with Philters and the magic spell), Histskin (health recover). The +10 Lockpicking doesn't
entirely fit in with the concept, but the +5 in Alteration, Light Armor, Restoration and
Sneak are alright bonuses.
Equipment: If you take a look at how D&D, or even the Baldur's Gate series handled Druids
(there's actually an Avenger kit in Shadows of Amn), you'll notice some heavy restrictions on armor and weapons. This is relevant if you want to explore certain RP aspects, like I do, such as a Druid that only lives through what Nature gives him or her. One outcome of this is to avoid metal-made weapons or armor.
As such Hide, Leather and Studded would be your main line of defense, but in terms of weapons this can be trickier. In the absence of a larger weapon selection that could help this build (thinking of Spears, in the context of wood as a "natural" material), there's not much to go on in Skyrim. Unless you use mods that add weapons like Clubs, you'd probably have to come up with some other restrictions that serve the concept. One is to use only Staves, which is a solid but tremendous choice as there are many of them. Since the Avenger is against anything that defiles Nature or is abhorrent to it, this means no use of Staff of Zombies and/or Revenants, for instance. Another choice are wooden Bows but not Steel and certainly not Daedric, either.
An interesting compromise is to use weapons with both wood and metal but that are either made of seemingly equal portions of both (Pickaxes, Battle Axes), or that use more wood (such as Woodcutter Axes). On the other hand, there's also Forsworn and Falmer equipment. Take note that Forsworn lack two-handed weapons and shields, and the Falmer chitins are the basis of their weapons and (heavy) armor. Either way, both of these last two options don't get in the way of the Avenger's ethos and provide good results. The only downside I can think of at this point is that Dragon armor may be off-limits, as it requires characters to invest in a skill and Perks that contradict some of their beliefs – if you're not going to have him or her use metal armor and weapons, why the need to invest in crafting them? RP reasons, however, are as varied as players and play styles so it's up to you.
An example of the kind of equipment I'm thinking - a mix of leather, wood and scales. Image: Wizards of the Coast.
Magic: As an agent of retribution, this Druid should be ready for combat; it follows that his or her magics would reflect this. However, this ties into the previous comments. Leather armor would require a greater focus in buffs and summons to balance out the lesser defense, but with Falmer armor this isn't much of a problem. What matters is how you prefer to deal with enemies. For the Avenger, I'm not favoring the usual elemental choices and summons; they're certainly viable but the Avenger is built on the idea of nature's wrath. While nature has more than plants at her disposal, it seems disingenuous to just sit back and let Atronachs do all the work (and for those there are a good amount of scrolls should you need extra help).
To this end, my picks would be:
Alteration: Detect Life, Oakflesh >> Stoneflesh >> Ironflesh >> Ebonyflesh.
Notes: Candlelight/Magelight can be easily replaced with Torches; most dungeons aren't that dark anyway, unless you're playing mods – though in that case, hey, Torches again. I didn't mention Dragonhide as it requires enough allegiance with Winterhold and a high Alteration level in order to get the Alteration Spell Ritual quest, and this may not go well with an Avenger's solitude and general distrust; this actually happens with other high levels spells too. The Flesh spells also provide another RP conundrum if you want to be literal about their names, meaning you'd probably only take Oak and Stoneflesh. Finally, Water Breathing just isn't that useful (though it's free for Argonians).
Conjuration: Conjure Familiar >> Conjure Flaming Familiar – or – Bound Sword + Oblivion Binding
Notes: Other than a good source of RP, Familiars are a quick distraction (and later a homing, explosive distraction) to use while fighting enemies. The weaker version is a good barrier between the Avenger and enemies, specially if you want to snipe them or use other spells. The Flaming version's AoE is effective in temporarily causing burning damage; those that survive are easier to pick off, specially with a Shout. The lower tier Familiar itself soaks up nice damage at lower levels. While I have yet to fully test Courage/Rally/Call to Arms, I suspect either of these Illusion spells might boost the Familiar's morale, health and stamina.
But there is a noteworthy alternative to an Avenger in regards to Conjuration that is also a fairly good source of RP. One recalls D&D again, specifically a Ranger's Favored Enemy. This Feat lets players choose which enemy their character gains bonuses against. Skyrim has nothing of the sort but does carry a significant advantage against undead and Dremora for those who learn Bound Sword and perk it up with Oblivion Binding. This strengthens the character's theme (a Druid fighting against anything that is unnatural), and does away with the need to learn and cast spells like Banish/Expel Daedra and several Undead Turning variants (spells which I think are mostly a waste). These spectral blades have some nice bonuses as well: they count towards One-Handed and Conjuration skills, can be dual-wielded and poisoned, have no inventory weight and can't be disarmed. Still, even when factoring Mystic Binding, their damage output is smaller than traditional weapons improved through Smithing or Enchantment bonuses. If you go this route, consider also using the Bound Bow. Be advised that spellcasters versed in Shock spells may hinder your Magicka enough to fizzle out both of these weapons.
The only issue here is that Soul Stealer is a prerequisite for Oblivion Binding, which may conflict a bit with the Avenger or at least result in extra inventory management... Unless you adopt a slightly different ideal: harnessing Nature's power by absorbing wildlife souls to fuel your weapons and armor.
A Druid (author: Scott Purdy, source). The clothing suggests a small amount of defense, but also practicality.
Destruction: All Elemental Cloaks.
Notes: The Novice Destruction spells are nice for lower level enemies; it's not uncommon for me to engage Draugrs with a 1H weapon and Flames, for instance, and more Magicka and Perks in the long run extends their usefulness. Runes are nice as well, if only because enemy AI is too predictable in their “zerg rushiness”. Sleeping Draugrs, mobs that run through cramped spaces or enemies that can chase you through areas are obvious targets; however, they require time (short as it may be, you'll be ineffective in combat for the duration of the casting) and splash damage may harm you if you're near the AoE. An oversight in Skyrim also makes it so Runes have an accidental bonus: enemies behind locked or blocked doors may still trigger a Rune and take damage (or outright die).
There are two simple reasons why I favor cloaks. They're a great complement for close combat since they become an additional source of damage, and each cloak is useful against certain types of enemies. Three basic examples are: Lightning Cloak is best used against spellcasters within melee range (Wolfskull Cave, many other caves), Flame Cloak when surrounded by Frost Trolls (and even against a group of generic but hardy enemies since it deals damage over time) and Frost Cloak against warriors and fighters (such as Bandit Leaders, since it reduces Stamina, thus less chances of suffering Power Attacks from them). Of course, Frost and Flame Cloaks are good against Dragons of their opposing elemental types.
I'm lying, actually. There's a third reason for this. It's often said a cloak's effectiveness goes down as levels go up, and that it's better to use single target spells instead. This is true, somewhat, but seems to miss some things. One, it doesn't hurt companions. Second, single target spells require players to focus, unsurprisingly, on a single target. Unless the Avenger is using a 2H weapon with the Sweep Perk, which hit all targets ahead (but not behind or to the sides), the Cloak is still relevant against enemies that gang on you (such as bandits) or spellcasters who insist on running around (a typical example is the two mages in front of me, where as I deal with one spellcaster, the other runs away but is almost always hit by the cloak).
Illusion: Fury >> Frenzy >> Rout >> Mayhem.
Notes: The 30 second duration of the other spells of this magic branch, the calming and terrifying varieties, have two main issues. Calming enemies for thirty seconds is nice... If you're planing on running away or don't mind having foes resuming their aggressive stances towards you a short while later. As for panicking them, the effect is similar but wastes your time as you'll have to keep tabs on of all of them. Making them fight amongst each other lets you converge on specific targets during the confusion, prepare another spell or let them sort each other out – this last one pretty delicious from an RP perspective of a Druid with little love for bandits and knaves who might be defiling the woods.
Restoration: None?
Notes: There's really nothing wrong with relying on the various Healing tiers (and the Novice spell is certainly useful), but the amazing amount of potions almost make it pointless; if weight for all those vials is a concern, consider ingredients instead.
Still... If you take Restoration up to 40, and take the Perks Novice Restoration (half Magicka for Novice spells), Regeneration (healing cures 50% more), Apprentice Restoration (half Magicka for Apprentice spells, requirement for Respite), Recovery (Magicka recovers 25% quicker; 50% at second Perk stage, requires Restoration at 60) and Respite (healing also recovers Stamina), you can use the starting Healing spell to greater effect well into the higher levels without really needing better versions of it. That's... A lot of Perks, but undeniably useful. Whether you do this or not, completing the quest Frostflow Lighthouse nets you a 10% bonus to healing spells.
Wards are... Let's call them special. An Avenger – or just about any other character, really – has in a Ward and a 1H Weapon a nice little combo against spellcasters. A quick example would be an Avenger who wants to bridge a gap between him or herself and a mage. The mage readies a spell. The player activates a Ward, runs up to the mage while readying a Power Attack, and chances are the magical shield will absorb the damage and the mage's last sight will be his own headless body. There's a problem, though, at least in comparison with the Flesh family of spells.
At last look, a simple Lesser Ward costs 28 Mg per second, while Oakflesh costs straight 90 Mg points. Both provide the same armor defense, true, but Oakflesh is cast only once while LW needs to be kept up. For a level 1 character, with 100 Magicka, a Lesser Ward only lasts for about three seconds (28^3 = 84 Mg points) while Oakflesh may burn through almost all of his or her Magicka but lasts longer. And this is assuming you can bridge that gap in three seconds or less, and that the mage's spell doesn't burn down the Ward's 40 point spell damage (all it takes is two mages to bring down the shield). In my – admittedly little – experience, the math, much as I loathe to do it, seems to favor the Flesh spells. Wards are very situational; they seem useful during the quest in Labyrinthian or if your Magicka regen is somewhat high. But there's also Whirlwind Sprint, should you want to quickly get into melee range.
Enchanting: Probably no enchantment other than recharging.
Notes: Once again, a point of role-playing perspective. An Avenger ferrets out unnatural forces, and filling gems with the souls of critters, humans or Daedra ranks pretty high in the “definitely not natural, man, pull out” territory. Recharging magical weapons with blank soul gems seems entirely acceptable.
Other Skills:
Light Armor – This should be a given for the “living off nature” idea, and there's no shortage of pelts and hides to make and improve leather-based armor. Now, astute readers might have noticed a catch in my previous Falmer suggestion: investing in Heavy Armor for the snow elves' equipment is only useful if you go out and scavenge these early on (there's a full set in Mzinchaleft). No easy task if you're playing on harder difficulties, and it still requires Conditioning (or activating the Steed Stone for a similar effect) to prevent wasting carrying capability. IIRC, there was also a bug with Falmer helmets not being counted as Heavy Armor, meaning bonuses for the full set would not apply. I'm unsure if this has been fixed.
Alchemy – Other than maintaining the RP aspect in check, Alchemy uses should be pretty obvious for players. One use, considering the suggestions above, is to coat your melee weapons with a Weakness to <Element> Poison before activating the appropriate elemental Cloak (ie., Weakness to Fire before jumping into a crowd with Flame Cloak).
Archery – Pretty useful, but for role-playing purposes, I suggest skipping on the “power” Perks (Power Shot, Quick Shot, etc.) and focus on the “utility” ones instead (Hunter's Discipline as it fits the role and Ranger). Eagle Eye is optional.
Sneak – I'm ambivalent towards Sneak for the Avenger. Like Lockpicking and Speech, it's the kind of skill that always seems to get some mileage wherever your adventures take you. Considering Alchemy is important, there shouldn't be a huge problem getting ingredients to make you temporarily hard to see. Enchanted gear like Rings and Boots with Sneaking boosts are also available. While I didn't mention them before, Muffle and Invisibility Illusion spells can be an alternative (but again, ingredients).
Pickpocket – Not really a focus point. I've seen another build on the Skyrim blog suggesting high Sneak, Pickpocket and Alchemy to plant poisons. It's a very good exploration of the mechanics though it takes the verisimilitude down a notch (for me, anyway; poisoning pockets is like selling poisoning or hexed equipment to shopkeepers in Arcanum, who would then proceed to equip them because it was MAGICAL and die; instaloot, yo).
Speech – Not very useful. Some quests require the Speech skill, and bartering also relies on it. I'm of the mind that the Avenger's connection to Nature would impact on his social skills with city dwellers, who include shopkeepers. Still, it might prove useful to barter with trade caravan masters, and simply selling things increases the skill, so why not? I'd let it develop over time.
Companions: Up to you. When I play this build, I rarely take companions other than Stray Dogs, my temporary summons or recruited wildlife, or the ocasional NPC with ranged abilities.
Goscinny and Uderzo's take on a Druid. Actually, having the Avenger cook instead of taking dozens of healing potions is almost an indelible part of this build.
Shouts:
Animal Allegiance – Unlike Command Animal, it has an AoE and can be used more often; the downside is that it only recruits animals up to level 20. If you take any other race besides Bosmer, it becomes very much essential. Nature's wrath through furry critters.
Aura Whisper – Caveats. All uses of Aura Whisper so far make it clear it operates like a Shout rather than a whisper, meaning one can't really use it quietly (unsure if it's affected by Quiet Casting). When stealth is an issue, it's best to stick with Detect Life though the spell has a lesser range and does not detect machines, daedra or undead.
Kyne's Peace – Not only a pacifier of angry wildlife, but a possible replacement for Aura Whisper because it also detects wildlife within range of the Shout.
Elemental Fury – Now, this a (slight) chance to explore the idea of Druids who control elements, or who are at least helped by them. Elemental Fury allows for faster weapon strikes, though it doesn't work on bows or bound weapons. RP-related, it's a chance to take advantage of wind as an elemental power.
Notes: If you want to further explore the interplay of elements and Druids, Shouts like Aura Whisper and Kyne's Peace could be neglected in favor of Frost and Fire Breath.
Gameplay: Unfortunately, there aren't many events in Skyrim that let this kind of Druid shine. An example would be the The Blessings of Nature quest in Whiterun. The Hargravens that have been sacrificing woodland spirits should be stopped, but is collecting the Eldergleam's sap (and "damaging" it in the process) in the best interest of nature? I chose this example because it provides a good moral conflict for RP purposes, and the ways the Avenger might have a "role" or say in Skyrim (should Danica be spared for the affront?). Another case is how to interact with society at large. Does the Avenger reject setting foot in larger enclaves such as Windhelm in disgust of how it may be an affront to Nature, giving preference instead to more rural towns and Orc enclaves (also remember how Bosmers aren't that well liked in Skyrim, which might be a valid RP angle)? How does he or she deal with poachers in the wild?
Other than considering how to deal with traders (city merchants vs. caravans, what settlements to walk on, etc.), think also of specific quests like Ill Met By Moonlight or the Companions' Quests regarding werewolves. There may be a future build for Shapeshifting Druids but the Avenger isn't it – he or she would actively avoid or fight against such creatures. I think what the build offers is primarily a different play style. Usually, I play this build in a very non-social way, or rather, I spend more time outside cities, scavenging what I can and avoiding anything that may take me into Daedra-related or Guild quests (hard to do sometimes as I get Boethian's quest just by walking near the mountain shrine :( ). It's a different style of play in regards to the more exploratory and “do everything” mindsets. It focuses on exploration with a more clearly defined purpose and may result in skipping a good number of quests.
I would add level progression charts and pictures except I'm constantly tinkering with builds and I've only gotten screenshots to work about... half an hour ago (and given my PC isn't particularly powerful, they might end up looking bad). Just yesterday, I was contemplating a Druid-styled build that forsakes almost all armor (a “Spirit of the Wood” thing, primarily using Staves, magical Necklaces/Rings/Circlets and Bracelets as equipment). This one is like the Redguard I made, who pretty much used only Redguard attire and dual-wielded.
Other builds by me:
Dungeon Runner- Blight Priest - Ebon Scourge - Moonblade
