Anyone who tells you to only make "optimal" builds is missing the point of role playing games in general. I think this picture looks pretty cool (go rage drake spirit!), and I really like how you managed the transparency of the spirit. If you think it'd be fun to play, that's the whole point of playing after all. There's a lot of interesting stories that can be told if you disregard the numbers and statistics (at least some of them). There is absolutely nothing wrong with a Dragonborn Shaman. Personally, I'd be a little nervous around that spirit companion. And yeah, it seems no one ever plays the healer, even though they're much more versitile in 4E. With the cleric, warlord, shaman, ardent, bard, runepriest and artificer, how does no one want to play any of those classes?

I have a gnoll rogue I've been wanting to play for some time now, whose history I even have posted on this site. Sure Gnolls got Dex, but Kriv is an Artful Dodger, with charisma is second highest score, and a master as bluffing and disguise. "Ideal"? Not precisely. I've been told to go with a halfling for the charisma bonus or a changeling for thier shapeshifting making disguise "easy". Fun story? Absolutely. The silver tongued demon, the only thing sharper than his tongue is his blade, raised on the honor of a dragonborn, and no one even knows he's a gnoll (perhaps not even his companions), thanks largely to his talent of disguise (or a Hat of Disguise) and the Butcher's Lure, giving him any voice he so desires. How many groups can say their most charasmatic party memeber is the gnoll?

My main method of character building for D&D is usually what is the most fun for me to draw, to be completely honest. Case in point: the spirit was originally going to be an owlbear because they are neat, but the rage drake was easier to draw :P I've just got to come up with a backstory for her, although theoretically she's somehow friends with a friend's Tiefling avenger. And, luckily for my not-really-lending-themselves-to-shamaning stats, we have a lenient DM who plays by the 'if it is hilarious and/or epic, it is a go' rules. We played and LOTR-themed campaign once, and the DM allowed Merry to roll and athletics check to kick a cave troll in the nadgers.

And no one does play the healer! Or even a class that can heal sometimes! I am apparently the only leader in a whole party of strikers, WTF party, what is this.

Also, that character sounds so supremely awesome, oh my gosh. Dragonborn-raised-charismatic-gnoll-rogue? Epic. Also, it's nice to see a non-halfling rogue.

Ah yes, the ever popular stiker role. I was in a party once that was 4 Fighters and something else. I kid you not, four Fighters. One two hander, one one hander, and two brawlers. I was one of the brawlers. I don't even remember what the 5th party member was, I think it was a cleric actually. Not sure.

Sounds like you have a cool DM though, whcih is always a plus. I'm actually interested in seeing how the primal dragonborn got to know the divine tiefling (even if there isn't supposed to be lingering animosity between the two races). That sounds like it could be interesting.