The pion deuteron forward elastic amplitude has been calculated in the nonoverlapping potentials model which enables a description of off-shell propagation effects in terms of on-shell amplitudes. Calculations include spin, isospin and deuteron D-state probability effects. Two energy regions are considered. First the pion-nucleon P₃₃ resonance region, where, using a formalism developed by Agassi and Gal, the full multiple-scattering series is summed in an approximation of P₃₃ wave dominance of the higher-order scatterings. Second, for the subsequent higher-energy region, the double-scattering term only is calculated. Fermi smearing effects are included in both cases. Predictions for the total cross section, its dependence on the deuteron alignment and the real part of the forward elastic amplitude are compared with those of Glauber theory, and data where available. Convergence of the multiple-scattering series is also discussed.