Question on Druids and Ironwood

[fett527]

From the SRD:

Ironwood
Transmutation
Level: Drd 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute/lb. created
Range: 0 ft.
Effect: An ironwood object weighing up to 5 lb./level
Duration: One day/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Ironwood is a magical substance created by druids from normal wood. While remaining natural wood in almost every way, ironwood is as strong, heavy, and resistant to fire as steel. Spells that affect metal or iron do not function on ironwood. Spells that affect wood do affect ironwood, although ironwood does not burn. Using this spell with wood shape or a wood-related Craft check, you can fashion wooden items that function as steel items. Thus, wooden plate armor and wooden swords can be created that are as durable as their normal steel counterparts. These items are freely usable by druids.

Further, if you make only half as much ironwood as the spell would normally allow, any weapon, shield, or suit of armor so created is treated as a magic item with a +1 enhancement bonus.

Material Component: Wood shaped into the form of the intended ironwood object.

Emphasis mine.

My question is does this mean that Druids can freely use these items, but then they will need to take feats to be able to use them effectively if they are not proficient already from Druid class rules? The Druid proficiency list isn't great and of course they only get level advancement feats that I know I wouldn't want to waste on weapon or armor profs, so I can't see that this is that great a benefit. Is this how you would interpret the spell?

 

[UltimaGabe]

Yep. Most Druids won't be proficient in Ironwood Plate Mail, but some will be (and I've even heard people saying that Druids wearing plate mail is overpowered, as if there's some sort of mad rush for ironwood plate mail in their campaigns or something). A Druid/Fighter, for example, would be able to wear it, as would a Druid with the appropriate proficiencies.

But yet, I'm pretty sure that's how it's intended.