Help with my Druid build...

[Coec]

Im sure there are thousands of build sites out there, but Im really looking for some input from you guys here.

Heres the set up: stats are 9, 10, 10, 11, 14, and 15. Core only because 1) we don't have many splat books and 2) too many new people where the DM and I don't want to overwhelm new players with too much info. Its possible we might introduce some splat books as we go, but for now, DMG and PHB1. We are using FR campaign and FR Player Handbook.

To give you a better idea of what we are running; we are actually playing 4e Keep on the Shadowfell module, but we're converting it to 3.5. I play a Tiefling Rogue who is more an information broker then cat burglar, a Half-Elf Wizard (conjuration), a human monk and a human fighter. Because one of the players supposed going to play, never actually did I am also going to be running the druid which is to say our healer. I have played Cleric's in the past but I wanna try something I have never played before.

What Im looking for is help with stat placement, as well as a good race to help me with my druid build. I was thinking human, but I am open to suggestions (please include reasoning behind why; such as being a dwarf druid). I am also looking for feats and skills to go along with the build.

I initially thought that the druid would be of a more farmhand background which would explain why she wasn't with us to begin with as she was tending the fields outside of the town of Winterhaven. It could also explain the poor stats.

If you have any more questions I can add them as needed.

Much appreciation for the help in advanced.

[Mnemnosyne]

15 in wisdom, 14 in constitution, 9 in charisma or strength.

With stats like that you definitely want to be the type of Druid that spends most of the day in wildshape. Being a dwarf would actually help a bit with that con bonus. Your feats can be spell focus conjuration, augment summoning, and natural spell for the first three. Or go human, and fit extend spell in there too.

Try and get the lesser vigor spell allowed, since it helps tremendously with healing. Get a wand of it and use that as your primary healing tool, so you can do more useful stuff most of the time, like summoning. If you don't get it allowed you will have to stick to the cure line, but youll still want to be spontaneously converting at least one spell per battle into a summon, most likely. A summon will absorb hits, kill enemies faster, and generally prevent you from needing to heal as much in the first place.

Since you mentioned the fr book, if you meant players guide to faerun, then you might also go lesser aasimar with your race, for a wis boost instead of a con boost.

[Coec]

Thanks Mnemnosyne, I don't feel nearly as dumb now. That is where I placed my two higher stats, although I placed my lowest in dex but I wasn't so sure about that. I wanted to be able to do some dmg at range if the situation demanded. I never would have thought about those feat selections either. I was referring to the players guide to faerun, but i never saw the lesser aasimar, unless its just the regular aasimar that allows +wis and +cha. I thought about them, just wasn't sure if my DM would allow that race to be a druid. I have a hard enough time trying to convince him that the dwarf druid was not a play on Pickel from the R.A. Salvatore books.

[Randomguy]

Make sure you get Natural Spell at level 6, and other than that you're basically free to do what you want with your feats. You could focus on summoning; druids make good summoners. You could focus on spellcasting and take some metamagic feats, maybe some item creation feats as well. You could also focus on combat while in wildshape and take feats like multiattack.

[Mnemnosyne]

The 9 in dexterity is bad because then you have a -1 to armor class whenever you're not in wildshape. Which will occasionally happen.

Lesser aasimar is just like a normal one, except it's a humanoid, not an outsider. The entry in PGTF is on page 191, under Lesser Planetouched. It just says to switch outsider type for humanoid with the Planetouched subtype.

Another thing I forgot to mention earlier is that assuming you can pick Forgotten Realms deities to worship, make sure to choose Mielikki. The reason for this is that on page 23 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, you will find a specific rule that says druids of Mielikki can use any weapons or armor a ranger could without violating their spiritual oaths. This allows you to wear metal armor. Armor with the Wild property is thus quite valuable. RAW, the armor melds and provides only armor and enhancement bonuses, which means max dex and armor check penalties go away when wildshaped. A Druid of Mielikki can thus wear +1 Wild Mithril Full Plate with no penalty.

[Coec]

I was thinking initially about Silvanus, but I did notice that small excerpt about mielikke, and was going to go with her because of that fact.

[Nightgaun7]

Are you just trying to run this Druid as a healer, or do you want them to kick ass and take names with everyone else? And, how optimized are the rest of you? Do you actually want to focus on summoning?

[Leon]

page 23 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, you will find a specific rule that says druids of Mielikki can use any weapons or armor a ranger could without violating their spiritual oaths. This allows you to wear metal armor. A Druid of Mielikki can thus wear +1 Mithril Full Plate with no penalty.

This i shall keep in mind for my Dwarf Druid.

[Coec]

We are by far, no way optimized. Two of the players have never played before. Sadly they both started out as wizards, but after the last session, one had died. He is going to try a monk. I can't say that I am optimized with my rogue. I've become the defacto group face since my rogue is an info broker. The only other member is the DM who is running the fighter since there are few players in my area. He is the most experienced optimizer in the group. Took a lvl 2 fighter and cleared a whole lair of kobolds from the campaign on his own (mostly cause the wizards were dead or dying, the cleric was knocked out and the rogue was held hostage... good times, good times.)

Back to the point; the druid will be the primary healer, but I don't want to keep her in the background on remote for when we need to heal. I want her to be a useful party member, even though I am playing 2 toons.