Questions about Druids

Nope. My druids, my sorcerer, and wizard can all equip them. I've chosen one druid to focus on chests and traps as good as possible.

In fact, if they are not equipped, the rolls message says -2 penalty for not having them, instead of +2.

 

I am now about level 10, entering Verbobonc for the first time, with my party of druidx2, sorcererx2, wizard.

In the past few battles, I am coming to the opinion that the animal companions for the druids are getting in the way more than they help. They have a habit of running right out into my stone spike spell, or making it difficult to cast fireball without hitting them.

In the beginning, they were quite helpful, but as of now I am going to stop creating them after they get killed.

How does this fit with other's experience with druids?

 

Yep, at low levels, the Jackal animal companion is an amazing meat-shield, but most of the time the animal companions are a nuisance because they always suicidally charge the enemy and often get in the player's way. But casting Greater Magic Fang on a Polar Bear animal companion and then watching that Polar Bear maul the enemy with its 3 attacks per round is very satisfying!

P.S. I actually think that druids suck (both in D&D tabletop roleplaying and in this computer game) (but Meleny is so darn cute that she more often than not winds up adventuring with me in this computer game).

 

I liked Meleny as a hireling, but if I ever made a PC druid it would be solely to buff and craft items for a monk. Magic fang works great for a monk and the duration is really long compared to other buffs of low level. The crafting is a late in the game synergy that is so good that having one pretty much requires having the other. Apart from that I don't see the point of a druid beyond experimentation or as a change up to make a new playthrough interesting.

 

I've never played a monk -- but in reading the descriptions, it doesn't seem like he would fit with my game style. which is mostly ranged weapons and magic with summoned creatures to hold the monsters busy.