View Full Forums : Druid healing guide


Kesrey
10-17-2005, 02:07 AM
Hello, I am a 60th level Restoration druid. Until recently I mostly just plugged through the levels with my hubby doing quests. Now that I am 60 I'm starting to go into dungeons and raids more and sometimes am the main healer. I am having really bad problems with aggro control when I heal and was curious if any of you have any tips or links to how to guides that might be able to suggest something to help me be a better healer or just a better druid in general. Thank you in advance for whatever tips you can give to help me improve my skills.

Kesrey
60 Night Elf Druidess
Silver Hand

Yrys
10-17-2005, 02:57 AM
It can be tough. If you have restoration, I assume you have Subtlety? It helps quite a bit.

The way I do it is to heal as little as possible (without anyone dying, of course ;)). Put Rejuv on people that take damage, it's pretty low threat. Use a lower rank of HT if people aren't badly hurt (I have two ranks of HT on my bar).

If you get aggro, there are a few things you can do. Barkskin + rejuv until the tank pulls it off you; go bearform if you have another healer or no one else is getting hurt; or use NS + Regrowth if you're really getting pounded -- but beware, it will get you more threat and might not help much! (Using bearform after that might help too.)

If you have a backup healer (like a pally or shaman), it can help if they do some of the healing too.

Ellyen
10-17-2005, 09:19 AM
Agro contro is not an individual thing, it is something the entire group must work together on. If you have a bad tank, you will find you getting agro all the time.

One other thing I would consider is trying to delay your first heal as long as possible. This gives the tanks time to establish agro as often they will need to use multiple strategies (and generate rage first if they are a warrior). Of course, this takes practice as if you leave it too long they will be dead.

If you are fighting more than one mob at a time, you also need to be sure that someone is gaining agro on them all, not just on the first target. This can either be the main tank or off-tanks. If this is not done, all mobs without agro will run at you on your first heal.

If you are resto specced, Subtelty can help; if you have a Pally around, blessing of salvation can also reduce the threat you generate by healing.

Kesrey
10-17-2005, 11:59 PM
Appreciate the info...what are the two HT that you keep up...the highest one I assume and what other?

Next time I group I'll be sure to keep everything in mind and see how it works! Thank you.

Kesrey
60 Night Elf Druidess
Silver Hand

Ndainye
10-18-2005, 12:49 AM
I generally keep HT10 and HT8 up for general raid healing. HT8 I use most of the time. HT10 I use in combination with NS for OMG tanks about to die emergency's or if something bad happens and we lose 1/2 of the healers and I need to step up my healing.

Yrys
10-18-2005, 12:57 AM
Same as Ndainye, I keep rank 8 and rank 10 on my bar.

Bovus
10-18-2005, 02:35 AM
Same here. With gimp shaman/priest healers spamming their 900 HP LHW/FH, it's rare I use HT10. I use HT10 more in single groups on bosses than any other place.

Bovus
10-18-2005, 02:39 AM
If you have a bad tank, you will find you getting agro all the time.


Quoted For Truth. No healer can compensate for a bad tank / group. Any warrior should easily be able to control 2 mobs at once. 3 is more of a challenge. 4 - near impossible for you to land a big heal and not get agro from 1-2 of them.

My opinion on Subtlety: I used to have it, and I think it helps. If you never PvP and never Tank, it's probably worth giving up Feral Charge for it. I have little trouble getting by in PvE without it, however.

Gouyu
10-18-2005, 06:07 PM
I had subtlety at lower lvls, and when I respecced to get rid of it I really didn't notice much difference. Like the above posters suggested, try to use smaller heals and you'll pull less aggro as well. Improved rejuv is a nice talent I've found, because it heals quite a bit and will attract very little hate. I've been surprised how little I ever need to use regrowth or big HTs in high lvl instances with it.

Rockwell
10-19-2005, 08:23 PM
My only bit of avoiding agro' advise is know when not to heal someone. Sometimes healing that mage is more trouble for you then it's worth... particularly if they're getting agro when they shouldn't. You can't blame a mage for getting agro if they're having trouble sheep'n or their job is AoE... but if they're pyroblasting on pulls... they need to learn a lil'somthing.

Knowing when your going to get agro also helps. You can't be too suprised if you heal the rogue who got busted' sap'n before the tank has a chance to attack... or another similiar situation in which healing is needed before agro is established.

I almost always bear up early with agro... I'll auto-attack, but not spend rage on anything besides bash or feral regen. If you can squeeze off a barkskin first you get some serious damage mitigation.

Situationally, you can also barkskin+Tranquility. I don't know exactly how agro is judged on AoE heals, but Tranq doesn't seem like a massive agro magnet. If your party is banged up... barkskin will cut down on the damage you take and Tranq is pumping you with 300hp's a tick.

Beyond that, don't be afraid to swap some int/spir gear with 'survival gear'. I'll wear some heavy AC/+Def/hp gear if I'm getting too much agro... a dead druid casts no heals. Warden Staff or Unyielding Maul are highly recomended pieces of gear since they can be swapped in combat when you need the extra protection. Lower levels can look for a Staff of Protection (think it's level 33) from the superior weapon vendor in Booty Bay.

Kesrey
10-24-2005, 01:31 PM
Thank you all for your help, I've implimented your suggestions and they are working very well..about the only thing that hasn't is the cat cowering...but I only tried it once so maybe next time.

Okay..on to the question. I've never played a full tank so I really don't know how it works but I was in a group in dire maul with a paladin, warrior and a mage. Now we were in the instance so no root..and up against plants so no polymorph, so our ability to control agro is extremely limited. I was trying to stick to lower heals and only used heal over time spells...rejuv and regrowth and throwing my debuffs and damage over time spells on at least the first mob they hit, however we were still having a little trouble with aggro from time to time, but we survived. Now at one point I heard the paladin complain that he hated it when the warrior would change targets because he couldn't handle a mob all by himself. The paladin isn't a damage speced he's more a survival speced, but the more I thought about it the more I thought isn't a tank SUPPOSED to switch targets to build up aggro with multiple targets instead of just focusing on one? But since I don't play tanks and am not sure how that works I didn't want to say anything so I thought I would ask here. Again thank you in advance for any assistance you can give.

Kesrey

Nytewalker
10-24-2005, 01:40 PM
That's exactly right. That's why the main tank is almost never the main assist. The tank bounces back between multiple mobs trying to keep all of their attention. The MA usually picks the target that everyone should concentrate on. Sounds to me like that pally was just inexperienced. No problem, we all have been there, some of us (me) still are. In a small group of four or so, most likely the pally would have been a good MA. It shouldn't be the Main Tank. It should never be the person/people with CC duty. They bounce around alot , and you have a good chance of targeting someone he just sheeped and breaking it. Anyone on CC is a bad person to have as MA. That leaves you or the Pally. I am assuming in this case you were the main healer so then MA would fall to him. If you were splitting healing duties evenly, it should probably still have been him because while you can both effectivly tank, for you it would take longer for you to shift/gain rage/ taunting growl than it would for him to just step up and judge him. Those precious seconds are all it takes for the mage to die if aggro breaks. Once again, I am new to the game (not to RPGs), and my highest level toon is a 22, so I might have the dynamics wrong. Other advice should be taken before my own :)

Nyte