Druids: What do they do in combat?

[Dabnabit]

Apart from keeping trees warm, I just can't get excited about Druids.

Assuming the Druid is the Cleric replacement and everyone at the table has come to terms with the fact that he isn't a heal-bot...

What do they do in combat? How do you play your Druid [assuming anyone is playing a Druid!]?

[Kryzbyn]

They can nuke.
They can heal.
They can melee.
They can summon.
They can battlefield control.

They can do any of the above any given round, without specialization.

[Run, Just Run]

They can also track, really one of the more OP classes like taking a summoner and combining it with a cleric who uses storms and nature.

[Seranov]

If you go martially-focused, until you get Wildshape, cast buffs and hit things with your quarterstaff. When you get Wildshape, you claw things to death.

If you go caster, you use your spells as pretty much any divine caster does, except you have better blasting than most other divine casters.

[Thefurmonger]

Generally mine goes like this..

Step 1. Send in Animal companion to smash face.
Step 2. Summon something to fight with AC
Step 3. Choose from...
3a. Buff AC or summons.
3b. Use Battlefield control
3c. Wild shape and wade in next to my self-made party
3d. Pull out a lawn chair and enjoy the fact that you can pull more then your weight while sipping a cocktail.

[hogarth]

Popular druid tricks I've seen (at low levels, anyway):

Summon Nature's Ally (elementals, especially)

Produce Flame

Entangle, sometimes

Flaming Sphere

Sleet Storm, sometimes

wild shape into something innocuous and do some scouting

wave around a scimitar

[calagnar]

In my home game I'm playing a druid. For the most part I send in the bear. Then follow him in to the thick of it. The other druid in the group is focused on casting. She sends in her raptor then cast produce flame, or call lighting. The ranger in the group hase his small cat. With the tandem trip teamwork feet they are very effective. We are playing jade reagent. So far the two druids are the only ones with there original characters.

My Druid is combat focused with a high Str/Con ok Wis. My bear is the best melee damage in the group. So depends on what role your looking at.
Human : Ulfin (20point buy)
Druid (Bear Shaman) Level 1
Str 17
Dex 14
Con 14
Int 10
Wis 14
Cha 8
Feet's : Skill Focus (Handle Animal)
Race Trait : Eye for Talent (The animal companion creature gains +2 to one ability score of the character's choice.)

Bear (Size Small)
Str 17 (15+2 Eye for Talent) (All other bonuses)
Dex 15
Con 13 (+1 at 4HD)
Int 2
Wis 12
Cha 6
Feet's : Light Armor