If I don't make a mistake, Handwraps of Mighty Blow will give you their item bonus to hit and their property runes on damage.
If I don't make a mistake, Handwraps of Mighty Blow will give you their item bonus to hit and their property runes on damage.
Not quite. While Polymorphed, you cannot benefit from item bonuses; only circumstance or status bonuses.
However, the Druid's Wild Shape has the clause that while in a form, you can use your own attack bonus, and if you do, you gain a +2 status bonus to the attack. This does not at all relate to the damage, which is fixed by the spell.
There is discussion that since the item bonus applies to your own attack bonus, which is distinct from the Polymorphed attack bonus, you would benefit from the Hit Bonus (but not the striking nor any other runes) from the handwraps.
This means that if you maximise your Strength as a Druid and get the best handwraps you can, it ends up being a few points higher to hit while transformed, which is not insignificant.
We're waiting on a ruling to explicitly clarify this one way or the other, but the general opinion seems to be as I've described.
I was obviously speaking of using your own attack bonus. If you use the wild shape attack bonus, you're not a real "wild shaped druid".
About the property runes, I'm not sure the reading is that obvious. The constant abilities of your gear are supposed to function, and the propery runes don't modify your damage per se, but add extra effects. For example, you could have a Ghost Touch rune, and there's no reason for it not to function. For damaging runes, the question is open, even if I'd rule that they apply as they don't modify your damage directly, but add effects (damaging ones, I agree, but still effects) on top of your damage.
What would you buy after getting armor & a weapon (and whatever else Wild Shape doesn't stack with)?
Buy that, but more or better than usual.
Skill bonus items, out-of-combat utility, scrolls, wands, etc.
Since you can't/won't always be Wild Shaped, you do need some basic armor and maybe (as suggested) a Staff for extra spell power/utility.
What'll you do if your Wild Shape focus point hasn't recharged yet?
Prepare for that as well as other abnormal situations.
As strangers unfamiliar with your play style, your GM, your party, or your campaign, it's pretty hard to suggest specifics since there are no "must-have" items you wouldn't already know about.
If I may intrude, hello my Paizonians it is I Atalius the Eternal Noob. We are dealing with a new player, he doesn't have any idea really what to get. He wants to increase his damage or attack roll in Animal Form. He also wants to know if that isn't possible, which items should he buy that can assist him in combat. The party has a healer/utility character already in the group so he's covered there.
I wonder if you could get bear sized hand wraps to put on after he has changed? What happens to an animal when you put handwraps of mighty striking on them anyway?
If you get a primeval mistletoe and holly bush feather tokens you always have your caster material components and a pair of usefull items
If you plan on using and form of crafting (and possibly have a on the road useful kind of crafting) the traveler's any tool is always a nice to have
On lategame getting one of the apex items is always a good idea
talk with your gm if you can use horseshoes of speed, might at least give a laugh :P
Hat of Disguise is always useful in campaigns where a disguise might come in handy
hand of the mage gives one of the (imo) most useful cantrips
healers gloves are nice for out of combat support
Ring of Sustenence is also nice even if not usually neccessary
If the gm allows it you could get a druidic version of the ring of wizardry
Slippers of spider climbing can spare you some annoying checks and are good for shenenigans
And wayfinders are always useful for most adventurers