Looking for help

[smokee]

Okay I just got back into diablo a few weeks ago, I was a very frequent player of diablo long time ago, the first one, the second, and the expansion but took a break (around the time hacked charms were around).

Now that I'm playing again and I'm older and more aware of strategy I've found the game a lot less difficult. The one thing that has been annoying me lately is what character to play. I got 2 friends to get the game and start playing it, one is going with werewolf druid and other is going bear druid, and I was going for a elemental druid (fire primary for the bonus % each spell gives to each other).

I have noticed there are mainly two paths in this game now, either make a character to be good early on, or make a character that will be not so good early but be good for nightmare and hell (usually resulting in putting all points in higher lvl skills, 1 point in prereq's).

Now my main question is, whats a good class that would compliment my 2 druid friends but also be good for normal, nightmare and hell?

I thought a summoning class would be a good choice, summons to help take some of the hits so they can focus on damage over defense. But.. I had already made a necromancer high level and find summoning druid fairly boring.

Now I'm focused more on dual sword barbarian and war cry spells to buff up my comrades.

Anyways, anyone have helpful advice or comments?

[Poppis]

Since both your friends have melee builds, I would suggest some form of ranged/support char. Since you don't like summoner, maybe trapper assassin or some form of sorc(blizzard or meteorb come to mind) to help against physical immunes. Paladin would also be handy with all the auras.

[sweetalmonds]

hammerdin? conc helps they're damage and hammer for PI(which are mainly the ghosts and undeads)

[Hrus]

Your friends will hate you if you will be hammerdin - you will get all the kills while they will struggle lately with their mediocre weapons (considering you all just started and have week gear).

Fire druid is very good in normal and nightmare, but in hell, he starts to suffer (Fissure damage starts to be insufficient even with all the synergies and there are lot of fire immune monsters). Unfortunatly Wind druid, which is a little bit stronger, uses physical as primary damage and while he would fit the theme, the whole party would struggle against physical immune monsters.

Dual sword barbarian (Frenzy?) is good support character (Battle Orders, War Cry, Shout + one point wonders Howl and Taunt), but also does physical damage.

If your friends are both physical damage focused (Fire bear and Rabies/Fury hybrid are possible options), I really wouldn't add 3rd physical damage focused build.