wolf/healer build advice

[Shinjiteru]

Going to TR one of my first life toons into druid. Was trying to make a druid which can be used to heal in endgame and still be good enough melee to solo or help out as melee if there are enough clerics/FvS around.
Not sure if this got changed but I think druids still get all mass cure spells and with empower healing I guess a druid should be able to be good enough at solo healing non raids and also be a good enough second/third healer for raids.
It's also a bit of test build that's why I try to squeeze in maximize to test spell dps.

Going human true neutral and 20 lvls of druid

starting stats:
str: 15
dex: 8
con: 16
int: 8
wis: 18 (lvlups go here)
cha: 8

feats:
1:augment summoning (probably switching to quicken for endgame)
H:toughness
3:empower healing
6:heighten
9:maximize
12:natural fighting
15:natural fighting
18:natural fighting
-
21: shield mastery
24: impr. shield mastery

Do you think I miss something important for healing or melee?
Still have the options to switch heighten and maximize later to something needed for melee or healing if the melee spell DCs are still not good enough or maximize too much additional sp costs compared to the increase in damage of the spells.

[wax_on_wax_off]

I'd min/max your stats less, no reason not to go with 14 starting dex for the boost to AC and reflex saves (14 str/con is fine I think).

I'd take the shield mastery feats before the natural fighting feats I think?

I'd include Improved Critical: Bludgeoning to change wolf form crit range from 18-20*3 to 15-20*3, that's a pretty massive boost.

[Shinjiteru]

Was just maxing wis for max sp and to have a look at the DCs. Do druids get a good reflex save to worry about dex? And wouldn't 14 dex only be +3 AC? That doesn't seem to be much.

You would take shield mastery first because that has a use while beeing in wolf form and while healing (if I use a shield while healing as well)?
Just asking because natural fighting should give 6% double strike and I thought shield mastery would give less per feat.
Didn't think much about the boost to my defense when planning this. ^^

Think I'll drop maximize then and take the improved crit instead.

[gurgar78]

Just to correct something from your original post, druids do not get mass cures. They get mass vigors. Just an FYI.

[idle1]

I'm building one similar, through your missing improved crit blunt, which really is needed for wolf form dps, since should crit 20-25% of time which is nice with the fast attack and stuff like holy burst.

[wax_on_wax_off]

Was just maxing wis for max sp and to have a look at the DCs. Do druids get a good reflex save to worry about dex? And wouldn't 14 dex only be +3 AC? That doesn't seem to be much.

You would take shield mastery first because that has a use while beeing in wolf form and while healing (if I use a shield while healing as well)?
Just asking because natural fighting should give 6% double strike and I thought shield mastery would give less per feat.
Didn't think much about the boost to my defense when planning this. ^^

Think I'll drop maximize then and take the improved crit instead.

Should always worry about saves and +3 reflex save will always make a big difference to how many saves you make as long as you have the basic gear to go along with it (+4-5 resistance item, GH, +6 dex item, basic party buffs etc). With AC you'll never have a stellar high AC as a druid but that is good because +3 dex will be at the point in the AC curve where you're getting a good return on your investment, with basic AC stuff (armour, shield, barkskin spell, protection item etc) you should be able to hit the 50% miss chance from most mobs which really helps survivability.

Maximise is good, I'd probably go with:
1: Shield Mastery
H: Toughness
3: Maximise
6: Heighten
9: Natural Fighting
12: Improved Critical: Bludgeoning
15: Improved Shield Mastery
18: Natural Fighting
-
21: Natural Fighting
24: Quicken

Have to think that maximise is better than empower healing to be able to boost up offensive spells when needed. Not sure if Quicken should be taken earlier, possibly at level 15 for heal or 18 for some of the harder content.

Another option would be to splash 2 fighter at level 11 for IC:B and 12 for ISM. Then you could fit in empower healing take quicken at 15. Missing the capstone would be a pain though. Half-elf is worth considering over human for the +3d6 SA you can get from rogue dilettante (though you then miss another feat - probably maximise).