If the question is cleric vs druid with an SK. Pro Cleric: Rezzes Often it is easier to get ports to somewhere than it is to get someone to bring their cleric out to wherever you died for a rez. You already have snare with the sk. Druids do not get a CH spell until Luclin is released (about 1.5 years from now or so). Better buffs for your tank More options for healing Add more to a raid Pro Druid: Ports Succor/evac Better nukes Once luclin hits they get a 3k heal and a mana buff. I think if you are going to run a druid drop the SK and go paladin instead for a more synergistic trio. If you are set on the SK see above.
Interesting thoughts, Ghakim. I'd not thought about what spells the Dru wouldn't have 50+, so that certainly changes things. It seems pretty clear in your mind that the Dru DS+SoW are not worth taking into account - as neither is even mentioned in your reply. Interesting thought on picking up a Pally instead of SK. I played one to about lvl 15 eons ago and had some friends who leveled them to 70ish in OoW. I may actually give that a go...
No SoW is definitely something you should take into account. Forgot to mention that! If you're going with a cleric you'll definitely want Jboots. Ds is a general DPS boost but not as significant if you're slowing the mob with your enchanter.
If you're looking strictly at 50+, the CLR beats the druids hands down. The druid with an SK and chanter slows will heal just fine. However, nothing beats throwing on a CH and afk'ing on the cleric. Cleric rez at 50+ is hard to beat too. Assuming your friend wants advice on his third, I would go: SK/Enc/Clr Mnk/Shm/Mage This would give your group pretty much everything except ports. You could swap that mage for a druid, or you take the druid and he takes the cleric, if you'd prefer having teleports and additional utility.
I am a big believer of running a cleric over a Druid. Mind you, I started on this server with warrior, enchanter and Druid, but I've come to play the cleric more. I'm glad I have the Druid - for track, some ports, utility, power leveling, and maybe for the Chanter/Cleric/Druid trio some day - but if you are running SK, then to me Cleric makes more sense. Remember, SoW can always be bought via potion. Chanters get a lower level DS, and you can buy DS potions too, but if you are slowing you just won't use them that much. Ultimately what may keep you playing is a good challenge, so you really shouldn't worry yourself too much with an optimal line up. And if you are building around an SK, then nearly any other class you roll alongside to complement it will work well. Druid/Cleric/Shaman will all work fine. But for my money, I'd worry less about Druid utility, and I'd play the rezzer for those times when things go wrong in a hard to reach place, and you just want to summon your corpse, Rez and log to do something else for a bit...not to worry about running 40% faster through a zone that probably connects to a POK book zone...
