That is certainly useful information.
I had no idea the buff-spells remained effective after shapechanging, so I've largely wasted them on my pets and henchmen. I've already taken the 'weapon focus: unarmed fighting' feat with my druid, I've also taken 'Heavy Armor' to boost my AC. So far, the Shifter appears to be a solid support class, capable of soaking both normal and magical (Drider) damage. By the looks of it, the higher levels really provide you with forms that can counter anything!