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Druid
The Druid is a prepared caster much like the Cleric but it is just better. It starts with medium armour (not metallic), it starts with good focus spells, it has a better spells list with buffs, healing, control, and direct damage, plus it has a combat path built into the Wild Order which you can take without compromising your spell casting ability - you just can do both at once. The down side is the free heals that the cleric gets, and absence of simple numerical buffs. But they are boring so we are all good.
Storm Druid
Because you want to zap out a blast of lightning with Tempest Surge every combat. It's always nice to have a good staple. Storm Druids start with two focus points. You don’t have to play a simple blaster - though you can, Sudden Bolt is very good BTW - I prefer to abuse Obscuring Mist as you can see through it. Don’t forget to take some wall spells and at least one moderate level Heal spell.
Str 10 Dex 16 Con 12 Int 10 Wis 18 Cha 12
Basic equipment: Studded Leather
Class Feats: Level 1: Storm Born free with your order, Level 2: Order Explorer for Wave Order Shore Step, Level 4:, Level 6: Advanced Elemental Spell for Pulverizing Cascade which is a little fireball every combat, Level 8:Wind Caller so you can fly and cast, Level 10: , Level 12: Primal Focus,
Skills: Nature, Stealth, Acrobatics, Survival, Medicine ….
Leaf Druid
A leaf druid is more of a healer and works best I think with a good mix including control magic. Goodberry is helpful in combat, but you should always keep a moderate level Heal spell just in case for a big burst. If you want to roleplay a more passive character an animal companion for support is very useful. A Wolf is reasonably good if you are defensively minded, Scorpion is nicer for offence, especially Grab, Shove and Trip, a Boar is useful as a mount and the odd attack.
Str 10 Dex 16 Con 12 Int 10 Wis 18 Cha 12
Basic equipment: Studded Leather
Class Feats: Level 1: Leshy Familiar free with your order, Level 2: Order Explorer for Animal Order => Animal Companion, later take Enhanced Familiar Level 4:Mature Animal Companion, Level 6: , Level 8: Incredible Companion, Level 10: Plant Shape, Level 12: Primal Focus, Level 14: Specialized Companion, Level 16 Effortless Concentration
Skills: Nature, Stealth, Acrobatics, Survival, Medicine …
Wild Druid
This Druid is a substitute Martial character that buffs and turns into an animal form to fight almost every combat. Retrain your old feats as you go as you don’t need them all. Soaring shape is a nice utility but its not combat worthy, but is required for Dragon Shape. You might want to try Insect shape for a while. If you can get extra hit points via feats or voluntary flaws its worthwhile.
Str 16 Dex 14 Con 12 Int 10 Wis 16 Cha 10
Basic equipment: Hide Armor, Handwraps of Mighty Blows
Class Feats: Level 1: Wild Shape free with your order, Level 2: FighterDedication, Level 4: Form Control, later Thousand Faces, Level 6: Opportunist, Level 8: Ferocious Shape/ Soaring Shape retrain as needed Level 10: Plant Shape, Level 12:Dragon Shape, later Primal Focus, Level 14:, Level 16: Monstrosity Shape, Level 18: Perfect Form Control, Level 20 : True Shapeshifter
Skills: Athletics, Nature, Stealth, Acrobatics, Survival, Medicine ….
Balanced Druid
A more balanced approach that still gets the best focus spells but not all the Wild Shape options
Str 10 Dex 16 Con 12 Int 10 Wis 18 Cha 12
Basic equipment: Studded Leather, Handwraps of Mighty Blows
Class Feats: Level 1: Storm Born free with your order, Level 2: Order Explorer for Wild Shape, then Order Explorer for Wave Order Shore Step, Level 4:, Level 6: Advanced Elemental Spell for Pulverizing Cascade, Level 8:Ferocious Shape/ Soaring Shape retrain as needed, Level 10:, Level 12: Dragon Shape or Primal Focus, Level 14:, Level 16 :Monstrosity Shape,
Skills:, Nature, Survival, Medicine ….
Flame Druid
The forest burns and regrows its part of the natural cycle. Removing old forest makes way for fresh growth and improves diversity. A bit of back burning here and there is good for the forest. Just as long as it's not out of control. This philosophy does occur in some real world native cultures like Australian Aboriginal but it’s not going to be shared by all Druids.
To get this to work well you have to take the Goblin feat Burn it for this, even if via Adopted Ancestry. The key is the focus spell Wildfire, a sustainable area effect fire damage in an expanding area. To work well it requires you to invest in control powers to slow their movement. It’s better if you have room to move or have a choke point you can defend. Lose the Path becomes hilarious.
Str 10 Dex 16 Con 12 Int 10 Wis 18 Cha 12
Basic equipment: Studded Leather, Handwraps of Mighty Blows
Class Feats: Level 1: Fire Lung free with your order for Wildfire , Level 2: Order Explorer for Shore Step, then Order Explorer for Wave Order, Level 4:, Level 6: Advanced Elemental Spell for Pulverizing Cascade and Combustion , Level 8:, Level 10:Overwhelming Energy, Level 12: Primal Focus, Level 14:, Level 16: Effortless Concentration
Skills: Nature, Stealth, Acrobatics, Survival, Medicine ….
Rules Problems: Wildshape has lots of rules problems unfortunately. The rules for 1-4 are clear but some people do other things anyway. Check with your GM.
1) Technically a Druid in a WildShape Battle Form can only attack with the listed attack. Which stops Athletics skill checks that are attacks like Shove and Escape. Everyone ignores this limit on Athletics.
2) When you are working out your unarmed attack modifier to substitute into a Battle Form, you add up your Druids unarmed Proficiency bonus, your Strength or Dexterity modifier, plus your Item bonus. Then later when you are using it in the Battle Form you may apply Circumstance or Status bonuses, plus penalties.
3) You get the +2 status bonus if and only if your unarmed attack modifier is higher.
4) You can’t talk or cast spells in a Battle Form.
5) Nobody knows for sure how to do damage for Battle Forms. It is defined using terms that aren’t used anywhere else. A lot of GMs rule that you only get exactly what is in the spell. Many do it differently. You’ll just have to go with what your GM says. My best guess - and please note the levels of certainty here is deliberate - use the Damage Bonus and the Damage dice in the form; you can’t add in extra dice from Striking Runes on hand wraps, probably your Strength doesn’t add to damage as I think it's included in the standard damage equation in the total known as the Damage Bonus, most likely Additional Damage (Rage, Sneak Attack, Weapon Specialization, Flaming Rune, etc) does add as Paizo have said it's not a bonus but a separate lot of damage. For discussion goto the link. If your GM won’t let you add damage then use runes like Ghost Touch and Crushing on your Handwraps of Mighty Blows - they definitely work
I wait for Paizo to actually clarify numbers 1 and 5. So far they have only addressed number 2.
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A few comments
1) druids with a pet are also both viable and fun. Either casters or martially types
2) you don't actually need strength to wild shape. At almost all levels you're going with the base stats anyway, at least if you have enough room to grow. Your balanced druid acknowledges this but your wild druid over emphasizes strength
3) you can mix and match at least 2 and often 3 orders for more fun. Especially useful in PFS where you can fit different roles as determined by the random bunch who shows up today.
4) Dr Doolittle can be fun and even effective in some campaigns. It's weird to emphasize charisma and diplomacy but ....
A few comments
2) you don't actually need strength to wild shape. At almost all levels you're going with the base stats anyway, at least if you have enough room to grow. Your balanced druid acknowledges this but your wild druid over emphasizes strength
Form Control requires 14 Str, Perfect Form Control requires 18 Str. If you want those then you need at least some. Otherwise its a floor attack bonus for lower level forms.
I've seen respected GMs add Strength to damage as well, though I don't agree that is correct.
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I've seen respected GMs add Strength to damage as well, though I don't agree that is correct.
Never actually seen that. I believe you, mind :-). One more thing for the "wild shape is SO undefined" list :-(
As to the Form Control et. al. I undervalue them since I've generally had enough room for the larger forms when I wanted to shape shift. As always, experience affects opinions :-)
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Which is why I go for the Balanced Druid