Looking for Druidy Goodness

[Psion]

Depending on your level, that sounds like a problem with the player, not the class.

I rather think I haven't given you enough information to make such a judgement.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Hmn. Is that enough of a rant?

Naturally, this is no substitute for a Cleric

I guess this is the source of my fustration. My druid is currently the main healer in a 3.0 (which is clearly not the same as 3.5 and I don't mean to imply that there's a comparism to be made) RttToEE game. I picked up a healing wand and that made life a lot easier. Frankly, I'll be making this a standard inventory item even for clerics in the future. But I'm simply not a healer and the party needs one. I'm also in the middle of a whole mess of volcanic rock and typically underground.

In my opinion a strong case could be made for a kind of "Light Mage" or whatnot that had some of the more lightweight wizard spells and the cleric heals/rezes as a core class. Giving all the rezzes to one class is kind of limiting.

 

[Treebore]

Druids are not wizards and they are not clerics. Quit trying to play like they are one. Your a Druid surrounded by rocky terrain and you claim you are helpless. Well, if you are low-level maybe you are. If you are fifth level you are just starting to get the cool spells and the wildshape ability. By 10th level you should be one of the main powers in the party, even against undead. Simply because of how tough a fighter you can be along with your special buff spells.

Make sure you take the natural spell feat that allows you to cast your spells in your wildshape forms, that way you can stay in your wildshape longer and benefit from your spells. Talking to your party members can be a pain, though. My Druid has lucked out since our mage took the improved familiar feat and has a pseudodragon who can telepathically relay anything I need to say while wildshaped.

At 8th or 9th level you should find out how kick butt a dire lion buffed with bull's strength, cat's grace, greater magic fang (+1 version), barkskin, and mage armor can be. Especially since their base strength is 27 and they have a 50 movement (in 3.5), plus my DM agrees that I can use the scent ability, but not track, unless I take the tracking feat. Plus their base dex is a 15.

Anyway, Druids aren't wimps, even against undead, especially if you can cast deathward and go in and melee in Dire Lion form! Freedom of Movement is another good one to keep available. So yeah, Druids don't fight as well as fighters, don't heal or turn undead like Clerics can, or cast fireballs and lightning bolts like wizard/sorcerors can, but you are a Druid. You can do plenty.

 

[Voadam]

In my experience running a high level game the druid is very powerful. Dire bear form rocks hard. Not as much raw damage as the hard core warriors, but that large improved grab shuts most nonhuge corporeal villains down in one round.

My one book limited suggestion would be book of exalted deeds. Vow of poverty works well with a druid. Not all DMs will accept the stuff from there though and depending on your DM exalted status can be more restrictive than paladin strictures.