[Brendan]

Man, I can't believe someone up there said Druids are a good idea. Not only that, but they dissed Clerics!! Druids miss out on just about every important Cleric spell, in exchange for what? Goodberries? They can only wear leather armor and up, so their armor class will suck. They can barely use any weapons, and unless you pickpocket or cheat and kill Drizzt, there are no magical scimitars at all until Durlag's Tower. Shapeshifting by be accomplished by the Cloak of the Wolf, and its really not all that great. Clerics are just all around better, better fighter, better armored, better spells.

If you want the absolute best, IMO, go for a Half-Elf multiclass Ranger/Cleric. I'm currently bringing one all the way through TOB. They get all the Druid and Cleric spells, plus the extra proficiencies when I get to TOB, and the stealth, and racial enemies, and higher hit points. One of the best characters.