I can't see how they are good!
They can't wear good armour and dosen't have at all as good spells as a cleric.
Sure they can shapeshift but that is not until the later stages where it is almost useless.

Can anyone tell me what they are good for?

Backup healers/Buffers. They have bless. Oh and Call lighning help occasionally, but ONLY outside. Skip them in BG1.

But in BG2, they get some KICKASS spells. Powergaming-wise, Fighter/Druids are better, but you have to wait for a LONG time to hit Level 15, when Druids get to memorize a massive number of new spells per day.

Entangle and Call Lightning are great! They're like a more spell-oriented ranger. And, if you either dual from a level 2 fighter, or multi-class, you can use any type of armor with your spells. ;)

As far as I know, a druid levels faster than other priests - at least from (as far as I remember) level 3 and up.

But then again - it is something I remember from the AD&D rules. BG might be different here too.

Insane

They are much better to use in dual or multi classes so I wouldn't sell them completly short because in that respect thay are much more useful than a bard.

Fighter/Druids are much better then regular druids.Use them.Just think of how good Jeheirha(sp) is.

And She's better in BG2! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Perversely, you don't get Spike Growth or Stone Spike in this game, which is a shame 'cause along with Entangle (and Web thrown in) it makes one of THE best beginning static defenses that you can lure the enemy on to. Add Cloudkill, Stinking Cloud etc to the mix and the enemy can die without having ever seen you!

I just wanna jump in amnd say that they can wear Angkhead, which is like full plate. My fully leveled was druid was the main healer leaving the rest of the party to fight. Also their summoning powers cam in very handy as can good berry.

ankheg is equal to plate not full plate but acts like a + armour which means its worse than plate because you cant wear rings or cloaks of protection with it, ankheg is great starting armour but i never have it in the later stages of the game and druids wearing it is a bug rather than something thats meant to happen, but take advantage of it [img]smile.gif[/img]

Call lightning is excellent in BG1 when you are fighting a tough enemy.

Entangle is indeed a good spell, but Clerics gat it too. Call Lightning can only be cast outdoors, and how many really tough fights take place in areas open to the sky? Not many.

Druid's level progression is freakish--they zip through levels 1-10 quick as anything, then they plod through levels 11-15 (there's a full 1.5 million EXP points between levels 14 and 15), and then they start zippin' along again. Bizarre.

Yes, Fighter/Druids, of pretty much any variety, are better than pure Druids. They're about on a par with the Bard in BG1, but come into their own in BG2.

Lord Brass: You don't get Stone Spike or whatever in BG2 either, but Druids do get Ironskins: It's a multi-layered coat of iron--each skin [/i]absorbs and nullifies[/i] one physical attack. Meaning that even if your AC is crap, the enemy can't hit you until they knock all the skins off.

Tyrion: I agree with the shapeshifting: By the time you can turn into any particular creature, your natural form can kick that creature's little behind any day. As to what they're good for, consider the BG2 Level 5 spell, Insect Plague: Cast it on an enemy. A cloud of biting insects flies toward that enemy, swarming all over them and any nearby enemies of the caster. (This spell will only harm hostile creatures.) Any creature caught by the insects (being Invisible is no protection from the bugs) will take 1 point of damage per second from their stings, and suffer 100% Spell Failure.

Druids can be good in BG2, but frankly, I think Clerics are still better. I'd like to see a Druid summon 5 Skeleton Warriors (who are immune to Cold and Normal Weapons, and have 90% Magic Resistance) to aid my party.

Personally, I don't think the Druid's ability to wear Ankheg Plate in BG1 is a bug, as neither the ToSC nor the patches fix it. I believe Druids should be allowed to wear anything that is "natural" in origin, which the Ankheg certainly is. Still, they can't wear it in BG2. :(

AFAIK Druids have pretty much the same restrictions par rapport to armor as archers do, in BG2. Since Ankheg plate is not only natural, it's non-metal, they can wear.