[3.5] Druid Power Level Compared to Similar-Roled Party Members

[Endarire]

Intro
Greetings, all!

I'm well aware the 3.5 Druid is powerful and versatile (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?439991-Being-Everything-Eggynack-s-Comprehensive-Druid-Handbook). However, I ask - especially from well-experienced 3.5 Druid players and GMs - how the Druid likely is balance-wise compared to hypothetical tier 3 party members with the below stipulations.

Reasoning
I want to play a Druid, perhaps a Druid/Planar Shepherd that is still compatible (not necessarily equal) power-wise with to-be-defined tier 3 party members. (The only confirmed build for a teammate involves Shadowcraft Mage, likely with a Beguiler base.) I want to avoid overshadowing/obviating teammates.

Stipulations
-The GM is a master of all things 3.5 and well aware of the potential power disparities amongst characters, especially of different tiers.

-Campaign is likely an open world scenario starting at level 1. Magic/item availability, wealth by level, and character creation rules are to be determined.

-We are encouraged to play smart, and I intend to.

-All 3.5 and unupdated 3.0 material allowed, including magazines, for all party members. (The 'no' to things below is soft bans.)

-No Fleshrakers.

-No venomfire.

-No Circle Magic.

-No Greenbound Summoning.

-No Leadership.

-Permanent minions besides an animal companion are generally discouraged for the sake of expediting fights and letting others contribute. Summons are OK.

-Planar Shepherd is allowed BUT forms are not meant to obviate the party. (Lamannia is probably OK. Dal Quor, Risia, and Fernia probably aren't due to extra turns or becoming hydras.)

-I am OK with healing, especially via items, but don't want to focus on healing. I'd much rather focus on CASTING, WILD SHAPE, and SUMMONING.

-No other character is seemingly able to heal from low levels. (We have a Bard and a Ranger likely, but healing is not their primary thing, nor likely to happen early.)

-The GM has promised us access to any vital spells via UMD/Use Magic Device.

-GM-run NPCs are available to fill roles, but I would prefer to avoid having any more full-time teammates.

Therefore...
-What other material do you advise I/we avoid for the sake of balance/interparty balance?

-What do you advise this Druid build include to be compatible in this party?

-If using Wild Shape to become Animals (with no feats invested in melee like Power Attack or Multiattack), how do likely AC, accuracy, and damage numbers compare to a full-time melee person? Is there a handy dandy comparison chart somewhere we could access?

-How do animal companion stats (mostly Riding Dogs and Magebred Ghost Tigers, with or without the Warbeast Template) compare to purpose-built melee characters?

-How do Druid summons (with Ashbound, Rashemi Elemental Summoning, and possibly ailso Augment Summoning) compare to purpose-built melee characters?

-What else should we know/discuss at present?

[jdizzlean]

i personally think Greenbound is broken, and if you're already worried about balance, you should chuck that out right now.

you can completely invalidate a melee PC w/ summons, especially once you start tacking on ashbound, extended, Rashemi, etc.

i wouldn't do anything more then ashbound, and then be selective in what you're summoning.

Planar shepard can also be somewhat broken on a power level w/ other classes, so it's good you have some limits on it already, just be cognizant of that as you play.

I would choose whether you want to focus on summoning, or focus on wild shape, but not try to do both

[Hackulator]

Being worried about being too powerful and taking planar shepherd are mutually exclusive. If you do the latter, you're lying to yourself about doing the former.

[StreamOfTheSky]

Being worried about being too powerful and taking planar shepherd are mutually exclusive. If you do the latter, you're lying to yourself about doing the former.

This. A druid can be fine w/ tier 3's and not overshadow them without giving up much besides the blatantly broken stuff that never should have been written (Planar Shepherd and Greenbound Summoning, mainly).

But he can't do that AND be a Planar Shepherd, unless your definition of being a Planar Shepherd is never using any of its class features.

EDIT: For what it's worth, Beguiler is absolutely tier 2 and its inclusion on the tier 3 list is by far the biggest example of why no one should adhere too seriously to tier listings for balance. Adding Shadowcraft Mage to Beguiler shoots him from already tier 2 (but low tier 2) to comfortably within the tier, still weaker than a Sorcerer...but Sorcs with splat support are unbelievably powerful so that's not a knock on Beguiler or ScM.

[eggynack]

Crazy form adding effects should probably be added to your list. That includes planar shepherd, but also stuff like aberration, dragon, and exalted wild shape. That stuff strikes me as significantly more powerful than fleshrakers, venomfire, fleshrakers with venomfire, and maybe circle magic. Rashemi elemental summoning maybe too.

[StreamOfTheSky]

Crazy form adding effects should probably be added to your list. That includes planar shepherd, but also stuff like aberration, dragon, and exalted wild shape. That stuff strikes me as significantly more powerful than fleshrakers, venomfire, fleshrakers with venomfire, and maybe circle magic. Rashemi elemental summoning maybe too.

Aberration Wild Shape, probably.
Exalted is pretty weak, the only good form it gives is Blink Dog, which is useless for combat. Admittedly great for utility with infinite use teleporting, but tier 3's can get shorter ranged versions of that with Shadow Hand teleports or Blink Shirt soulmeld.
Dragon is level 12+ and limits you to medium dragons iirc, you're not going to get much of a breath weapon or natural attack routine, also seems not that bad.

Frozen Wild Shape for Cryohydra should not be used, though.

[eggynack]

Exalted is pretty weak, the only good form it gives is Blink Dog, which is useless for combat. Admittedly great for utility with infinite use teleporting, but tier 3's can get shorter ranged versions of that with Shadow Hand teleports or Blink Shirt soulmeld.
Did you miss the fact that you can cast a spell and teleport in the same round? That's pretty useful for combat. Also, you get to apply the celestial template to animal forms, meaning free enhance wild shape.


Dragon is level 12+ and limits you to medium dragons iirc, you're not going to get much of a breath weapon or natural attack routine, also seems not that bad.
The breath weapon is sometimes decent but not that critical, and the natural attack routine is far distant from the point. Dragons are about the abilities they provide. Immunities, movement modes, and vision modes at the baseline, and a ton of awesome stuff over and above that, including always on freedom of movement or true seeing, invisibility, the ability to create earthquakes, hide in plain sight, and a bunch of others.



Frozen Wild Shape for Cryohydra should not be used, though.
Eh, it's a good form, but you get dire tortoise at the same time without the feat, and this is where casting is near its best compared to face stabbing.

[AnimeTheCat]

I would suggest not going with Planar Shepard, but that's just my opinion since your party is apparently T3 (around about at least). You've picked three things that you want to focus on, Casting, Summoning, Wild Shape. Be a BFC/Buff Druid. Focus your spells on buffing, use your SNA for a spell ability with augment summoning to do some BFC, and use wild shape to do BFC with your Animal Companion. This also leaves you pretty open ended for other feats if you want too. well.. level 6 feat is kind of a given with Natural Spell.