Ideal feat chain for a Druid?

[Kichwas]

Assuming acces to any d20 product in print, what makes for an ideal feat chain for a Druid?

I may play one in an upcoming game... I'm trying to choose between a Druid, Sorcerer, or Bard.

Here's my Druid so far:

Jynko, Dejy Human Druid Level 1
Strength 10, Dexterity 14, Constitution 10, Intelligence 14, Widsom 16 Charisma 10
Align: Neutral, Hit Points:8 AC: 12 (10 Flat)
Fort: +2, Ref: +2, Will: +5
Feats: Martial Prof-longbow, Spellcasting Prodigy
Special Abilities: Druid stuff

Skills: 24 points
Concentration [1], Craft [Bowmaking] +3[1], Diplomacy [1], Handle Animal [4], Heal +4[1], Knowledge [nature] +5[3], Listen +5[2], Profession [Herbalism] +4[1], Ride +3[1], Ritual +3[1], Spellcraft +3[1], Spot +6[3], Survival +6[3], Swim [1]

Spells: (3/2)
Commonly Memorized:
Level 0- Detect Poison, Dawn (MotW), Shockwave (RR)
Level 1- Hawkeye (MotW), Entangle

Animal Companion: Enshy - Wolf, Trained to defend.

Equipment: Longbow, arrows[40],

Languages: Kalamaran, Dejy, Druidic, Sylvan

Background: It's been a long journey for Jynko, walking the world from north to south. Born in the Deshada mountains near Slen, Jynko is a Dejy with traces of Fhokki ancestry in her blood, lightening her hair color. Jynko began her wanderings when the call of the wild took her from her family farm. The first winter was the toughest, but she perservered and made her way south. Jynko stayed to the mountains throughout her journey, only venturing out in rare moments. Her goal has been a mystery, but it has something to do with seeing the ocean -facing south. Something that came in a vision. Along the way Jynko has faced a number of trials -a year as a slave to a Kalamaran merchant taught her a new tongue, and a winter with Dryads another. In the last year she came out of the P'Rorul Mountains to find an imense jungle, something Jynko had never imagined in her northern youth. She wandered as a child with open curiosity, a trait which cost her dearly. Caught by goblins and traded to a small band of hobgoblins in exchange for three swords and an aging cow, Jynko and her wolf Enshy were brought into one of the southern cities -bound for the slave markets and remote lands. When she saw the sea Jynko knew she had to fight, she was not facing south. In the night she and Enshy broke free, killed their captures, and set out once again...

Personality: Jynko is driven by the wilds, and what urges call to her. She has little time or patience for civilized company, and does little to understand it. Her time as a slave in Kalamaran lands has taught her some of the ways of men, and they are not much to her liking -somewhere in the Kalasali woods a shallow grave attests to what she will do to win her freedom. It has recently been matched by the body's of three hobgoblins floating in the waters off Pagalido. Jynko is wild, feral, like the wolf at her side. She is a northern tigress -savage and beautiful, worthy of respect and fear.

Appearance:
See this miniature:
http://www.i-kore.com/site1/images/galleries/celtos/large/12309.jpg
Which is roughly accurate, only imagine a deep golden skin tone. Jynko is 4'8" 85 lbs, 17 years of age. She left home at 13.

The bow proficiency is a wasted feat most likely, but fits conceptually.

I can look at this three ways:

Without that feat what should I have done?
With that feat where can I go next?
Without this character at all, what would make the best path overall?

 

[Zaruthustran]

The bow isn't wasted until you gain wildshape. Then it's wasted.

Speaking of wildshape: you can assume the shape of some big critters, and make yourself bigger with animal growth. Take advantage of your size and strength and pick up Improved Trip (and its pre-req, combat expertise).

Other feat to consider: scribe scroll. Druids have tons of cool spells, including spells that are needed only rarely but come in very handy. Perfect for scrolls. Scribe them on birch bark or brand them into animal hide for flavor.

If you really want to go with bow, then pick it up but don't pursue the bow feats. They're not worth it. By the time you'll be able to get Precise Shot you'll be able to wildshape into a lion.

What would be the best path? Well I'd go with:

1. Combat Expertise, Scribe Scroll
3. Improved Trip
6. Natural Spell
9. Improved Initiative or a Spell Focus or a Craft Magic Item feat
12. Improved Grapple or Extend Spell
15. Oh, whatever--spell penetration, Persistent Spell, quicken spell, take your pick.

-z, not so good at the high level stuff.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Other feat to consider: scribe scroll. Druids have tons of cool spells, including spells that are needed only rarely but come in very handy. Perfect for scrolls. Scribe them on birch bark or brand them into animal hide for flavor.

Or Create Infusion, just 'cos it's very druidish

-Hyp.

 

[jgsugden]

My dwarven druid has the following progression:

1) Power Attack (Useless at low level, very nice when wildshaped at high levels)
2) Cleave (gained via 1 fighter level - very nice feat at all levels - fighter proficiencies come in handy)
3) Combat Reflexes (Useful with the polearms he uses from the back ranks, also useful when wildshaped and animal growthed later on)
6) Natural Spell (A Necessity)
9) Improved Initiative (Always nice, especially at higher levels)
12) Combat Expertise (Defense is a problem for druids)
15) Quicken Spell (An extra spell each round is very nice)
18) Lightning Reflexes (A bad saving throw at high levels is a killer).

 

[Shadowdweller]

I find you get alot of oomph out of the Augment Summoning feat. Requires the useless Spell Focus: Conjuration, but more than makes up for it.

 

[Dthamilaye]

I'm not sure if you are allowable to take the feats that help with your natural attacks.

Dang, I'm not even sure what the name of the feat was. I think they are found in Monster manual 3.5 and probably MM 2 and maybe Savage Species.

Anway, the first feat, Natural Attack lowered all your -5 from multiple attacks to -2 and the second feat lowered it to 0. So your multiple attacks in animal form would have no negatives. This is only good if you plan on fighting a lot in wildform.

Of course, if you know any good flying fighter forms, take Flyby attack, improved flyby attack and greater flyby attack .

Of course, if your DM allows, take the Masters of the Wild splatbook and check the feats there. Blindsight is so overpowered that forget it, but scent and fast wildshape might be nice.

 

[Storminator]

Metamagic feats are also nice for druids. People tend to forget that they really are awesome spellcasters.

Empowered Poison is truly devastating. Empowered Flameblade is also nice. Extended Heat Metal...

I also like Power Attack for wildshaping, as mentioned above.

Where it me, I'd go

1 Scribe Scroll
3 Extend Spell
6 Empower Spell
9 Power Attack
12 Item Creation
.
.
.

PS

 

[Dwarmaj]

I play a mainly combat oriented druid and have the following feats:
-Combat Reflexes
-Power Attack
-Natural Spell
-Blindsight 120' (MotW)
-Expert Tactitian
-Martial Weapon Prof.
-Improved Critical (Scythe)
-Leadership

 

[jgsugden]

On a side note, druids skills are often overlooked.

One thing I have done with druids is take cross-class ranks in tumble. A single level of rogue gives you sneak attacks, a nice improvement to the druid's weak saving throw and it allows you to increase your tumble to high levels.

Why is tumble so nice for a druid? One of the traditional problems a druid faces is his low AC. Taking AoOs when moving is a quick way to lower the druid's HPs before he can really get going in the battle. Some animal forms that a druid might use on a regular basis have high dexterity scores. When the druid picks up the ability to tumble, the increase in their ability to fight can be surprising.

This has a high cost, so it should only be undertaken if your druid has a high intelligence, but it is worth the effort if maximized.

 

[Dwarmaj]

Off topic a bit....

3.5 has addressed the "low AC" of druids. Barkskin now stacks with natural armor bonuses and at mid to high level a druid can wear Wild armor and still get the armor bonus when wildshaped.

If I were to multiclass a druid, I'd take a level of Monk to get the wisdom bonus to AC.

I wouldn't worry about a low reflex save, they are usually for energy attacks and druids have access to many spells that will reduce or negate energy damage.