[CO Build] As good as it gets: Building the best Druid build step-by-step!

[Satori]

Is there any way to make druid compatible with prestige paladin?

[Hairygin]

Whirlwind riding, storm calling, Halfling caster Druid 20
(fun to play, though slightly under whelming vs other Druid builds)

Required:
Knowledge (Planes) 1 Rank
Language (Auran)
Elemental Companion (CM p33)
Halfling Druid substitution level 1 (RotW p157)

Suggested:
Strongheart Halfling (FRCS p18) for the bonus feat

Feats:
1 – Mounted Combat/Companion Spellbond (for flavor or something different for power)
1 – Extend Spell (or other metamagic required before 9th)
3 – Knowledge Devotion (Arcana) Requires Knowledge Nature 5 Ranks (Edited from Survival - hehe ooops)
 (not required but saves skill points and isn’t useless)
6 – Natural Spell
9 – Energy Substitution (Electricity) Requires Knowledge Arcana 5 Ranks
12 – Born of the Three Thunders
15 – Companion Spellbond (here maybe as you are more likely to be away from it now)
18 –


Key levels
4th - Air Elemental becomes Medium allowing you to ride it now.
 (Enhanced link from substitution level allows you to ride a companion with no saddle and grants a +4 Ride bonus)
5th – Wild shape (no more fear of falling off mid flight if DM allows actions)
6th – Natural Spell
10th – Large Air Elemental
12th – Electricity damage that can stun and knock down enemies

Fly around on your Whirlwind cc the battlefield, damaging, stunning and knocking down enemies when needed, using your Air Elemental to power storm spells when needed, and should you choose to enter melee, separate form your whirlwind (like Ace from original G-Force) and use Knowledge Planes, Aracana, or Nature to get a bonus to hit and damage vs constructs, dragons, magical beasts, outsiders, elementals, animals, giants, fey, monstrous humanoids, plants, and vermin … oh my

And possibly no side effect from Born of the Three Thunders if Wild Shaped as a plant grants immunity to being Dazed and if not it can still carry you about and keep you from harm.

Again, not optimized but a fun and useful build with out any dips or prestige craziness.

[Satori]

Since when was survival a knowledge skill?

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Niice.
Don't underestimate Air Elemental at level 1.
Retrain whatever dippy feat it has, into Fly-By-Attack at level 2.

[shriekingdrake]

While not exhaustive or situation specific, these are the general set of spells I think druids would be most likely to prepare from each day.

Zero: Cure Minor Wounds, Create Water, Dawn (SC), Detect Magic, Guidance, Groundsmoke (Dragon Mag. 326 @ 73), Light, Know Direction, Read Magic 

First: Aspect of the Wolf (SC), Beastland Ferocity (SC), Entangle, Healthful Rest (SC), Impeding Stones (City), Obscuring Mist, Omen of Peril (SC), Produce Flame, Shillelagh, Vigor--Lesser (SC)

Second: Blinding Spittle (SC), Bone Talisman (WoTC), Gust of Wind, Kelpstrand (SC), Master Air (SC)Snake's Swifness--Mass (SC), Splinterbolt (SC), Venomfire (SK)

Third: Alter Fortune (PHII), Crumble (SC), Energy Vortex (SC), Heart of Water (CM), Magic Fang--Greater, Poison, Primal Instinct (DrM), Sleet Storm, Spiritjaws (SC), Stone Shape, Venomfire (SK), Vigor (SC)

Fourth: Boreal Wind (Frost), Blast of Sand (Sand), Enhance Wild Shape (SC), Friendly Fire (EoE), Giant Vermin, Heart of Earth (CM), Langour (SC), Last Breath (SC), Luminous Armor--Greater (BoED), Moon Bolt (SC), Murderous Mist (SC), Sheltered Vitality (SC), Vortex of Teeth (SC)

Fifth: Animal Growth, Baleful Polymorph, Blizzard (Frost), Call Avalanche (Frost), Control Winds, Owl's Insight (SC), Phantom Stag (SC), Plant Body (SC), Vigor--Greater (SC)

Sixth: Antilife Shell, Bite of the Werebear (SC), Dispel Magic--Greater, Energy Immunity (SC), Mummify (Sand), Resistance--Superior (SC), Spellstaff

Seventh: Control Weather, Heal, Master Earth (SC), Rain of Roses (BoED), Slime Wave (SC), True Seeing, Word of Balance (SC)

Eighth: Bombardment (SC), Frostfell (Frost), Red Tide (SC), Unearthly Beauty (BoED), Word of Recall

Ninth: Nature's Avatar (SC), Shapechange, Summon Elemental Monolith (SC), Undermaster (SC)


I'm sure I'm missing some obvious ones, but the above is a start.

[shriekingdrake]

--edit--sorry for the twice in a row post; I hadn't realized I was at the end.

Assuming flaws are allowed, which do we think are acceptable?
I submit:
Murky eyed (you can usually use spells with no attack rolls and you have access to sensory buffs that will negate many sources of concealment)
Shaky (although ranged combat can be useful at low levels when you need to conserve spells.)
Vulnerable (you either have your AC buffed enough to not care about the penalty or you weren't expecting much protection from your AC anyway given your armour restrictions and DEX as tertiary.)
Weak will (you'll still have a better will save than the BSF.)

If you can use flaws from Dragon Magazine consider:
Divine Gesture (Dragon 326) ... many druids don't wear armor
Individualist (Dragon 329) ... this feat appears to apply to non-natural weapons; so make your staff and move on, you won't be using it much anyway.
Love of Nature  (Dragon 324) ... get your animal companions or summoned creatures to take those on if you need to
Stubby Fingers  (Dragon 328) ... if you qualify, this won't apply to your staff or your natural attacks