I realize there are probably like a million people who post like this, but I need some advice on what to get for AAs. I am currently 62 with so-so gear and I am working towards some AAs since I have recieved access to HoH. I do one of the following things currently (wichever fits the occasion).

1. Solo in HoH (Time consuming and takes all my mana for one guard)
2. Group in HoH (Kite groups with Necros and such classes, have a few high necro friends that also help me here if they are on and nobody else is)
3. Quad in PoNightmare (The Werewolves to the souht of the Zone-In/Graveyard, Reasonabl easy, pretty good EXP)
4. Group in PoValor with friends or a pickup group if there is no room in HoH

I have gotten 9 AAs so far :

Run 3
Regen 3
Healing Gift 1
-------------
One Unused (was saving for next Healing Gift (4) or another Archetype Abilite like Spell Casting Fury or the Other healing Ability

I asked a fellow druid on some input and said that the Healing abilites are good to get thru to DC and MGB and Innate Camo Ect.

I was wondering if the choice I made was in the right direction.

Thanks

Now that you have Run 3 and Regen I'd go back to leveling and worry about AA later.

Healing Adept > Healing gift ...

Although levels are much > then aa's the choice is really up to you (your toon!) and if you want to keep doing AA I would focus on the healing line if you group, or the nuking group if you solo/kite. Whatever helps you more in the daily grind will help you gain even more levels/aa. Just ask yourself what you use most, and focus on that.

(Adept > Gift only because Adept is a benefit on every cast, whereas gift is a small chance of...)

Get SCM as soon as you can as well.

I agree that level's are greater than AA's. But if you want to get AA's now, you should get Spell Casting Mastery 3 first before any others. You will save mana on every spell you cast.
Healing Adept is definitely better than Healing Gift. Mental Clarity 1 might help you some with the mana regen (just get the first level for now). At least one level of Spirit of the Wood and Exodus are good ones, too.
I would hold off on getting MGB, unless you raid often.
I love Innate Camo.
I have not gotten DC yet, since you have to do a lot of damage or your pet steals a lot of the experience. I have friends who say it was helpful for them leveling up in PoP. It looks like there are not any DC'able animals in OoW or GoD, so I'm not sure when I'll get this one since there are still many others that I need first.

A lot of people hold at 62 and get AAs. The advantage is that it leaves more locations open for getting decent exp, or getting even better exp for killing mobs very near your level.

You indicated no reason at all to get MGB. It is simply a waste unless you raid. If you raid, you also need to get Radiant Cure.


I would start with SCM3. The 10% savings in mana from SCM beats anything else you might get (well, for 12AA's anyway), for example MC. And it will serve you no matter what your role is: solo, duo, group, kiter, healer, raider, buffer. As long as you are casting spells, it is providing you a nice benefit.

Next, I would get DC. The solo/group locations you list (and others such as Nurga) would all benefit with significantly faster kills if you had Dire Charm. Don't worry about the pet taking exp - just do at least some damage (ie Flame Lick) and you will be getting full exp. At some later time, when you level to 65+ and move on to WoS etc, you may not use it much. But in getting AA's at 62 and probably most of the time while leveling to 65, you can use DC almost every day, and it is more powerful (faster kills) and mana efficient than any dot or nuke you can get. You can kite for your pet or play pet-cleric or have your pet help the tank. Having this AA will accelerate your ability to get more AA's and/or levels, at least for long enough to make it well worth the investment.

My next personal favorite after that is Exodus. Many may disagree, but it's allowed me to dare things that I would not have even tried without it. It has saved the day like no other spell or ability can several times. I wouldn't say it has saved me 6 AA's worth of time (yet). I don't even use it anywhere near every day. But unlike an unpredictable and rare critical nuke, or a 10 second enhanced heal, it is instantly there when you need it.

disclaimer - its usefullness has dropped in GoD and OoW where a druid can die before he even realizes he has agro. And there are certainly situations, especially in PoP+ zones, where a druid should die before he evacs. Just keep that in mind. *I* like Exodus, your milage may vary.

After those, you have to think about what your role is now and what it is likely going to be in the future: healer, buffer, or DPS. As well as consider what you think would be "fun". From your description, I'd tend to go toward DPS (SCF and Quick damage - but consider the net DPS improvement they give you versus the hours worth of AA exping - 12aa to get 7% more dps with SCF3, 18aa to get 10% more dps with QD *if* you chain nuke. hmmm.). On the other hand, inate camo is certainly handy and often saves a spell slot.

Speaking of saving a spell slot - I got the 9th spell slot GoD AA the instant it came out. Druids have so many good spells, having that 9th spell makes me 15% more effective. It is only 3AA. I would have paid a lot more than that...

If you find yourself in melee alot, combat agility and lighting reflexes help. The biggest problem with this path is that you see little gain until you have LR1. Unfortuanately, the rest of the melee AA don't help as much as LR.

I would get level 65 first (or get 63, for po9, than do 50 / 50 xp til 70.)

For aa's its best to do:

Run3 -> Metab 3 (too late in your case) -> SCM3 -> Innate camo

Since you get your XP from kiting theres no benefit from you working healing aa's so soon. If you get your dps / mana pres AA"s now the healing aa's will come faster in the future...

If you kite ent in HoH, I would get DC after innate camo. I know 9 aa's sounds step, but when you have 60+? dps added the other aa's will come faster (DC doesnt take away any xP.)

If you kite HOH basements, I would get spell casting fury before healing aa's.

After (posibly DC and..) SCF3 is trained I would go with Exodus. If you DoT a lot the critical affiction AA's (which are now repriced) would be worth looking into.

One thing I wish I did different when I leveled up through HoH was focus on DoTs instead of nukes. If you pick up a Ceramic skull of Decay (http://lucy.allakhazam.com/item.html?id=29035) , a Ceramic Gavel of Justice (http://lucy.allakhazam.com/item.html?id=29029) , and posibliy a Exended torment IV aug from LDoN and a Ceramic Shakles of torment (http://lucy.allakhazam.com/item.html?id=29034) (Expensive) -- that XP will fly, you'll be far more efficient. Even though the stats are FAR from impressive the foci will do amazing stuff for ya.

If you have access to CoT(63 charm) I would recommend getting to 63 for that and 9 and doing PoStorm frogs/Giants. You will want to get exodus next and you will need practice to get timing and technique down for giants. Then set a 90/10 split and churn AAs

Get SCM period.

yup.
get all the mana preservation you can handle..
then get more dmg to your nukes/dots....

you've got a lot to choose from!


if you stay lower lever you're AAs will fly by, especially if you end up getting fire access. picnic tables at 62 should make AAing a breeze. ( but you need some mana :P ) I know there are arguements both ways. level/aa, but all up to you.

On eci server a druid ( Dukest ) stayed level 69 and AA'd in HoH until over 1000 AAs, He wasn't a raiding druid but i guess he loved his AAs.
he planned on banking 30 and then dinging 70.

run3
metab3 (or regen3, personal preference)
SCM3
Innate Camo
Exodus
Whatever else.

In that order.

I am one of those druids that has been pursuing AAs over levelling primarily because staying at 59 has given me more choices in hunting spots. However, with 63 AAs, I have most all I really want or think I need which I can get at level 59. I mostly solo, rarely raid, and the times I group my role is 50/50 healer or nuker.

So, yet another 'what aa to pursue next' question. I do NOT have GOD (wish I did, I'd love secondary forte and spell casting subtlety). Given my play style, are there any 'big bank for the buck aa's I am missing in the class, archetype and general categories I dont have or should I finally push on to 61? My list of aa's (and order I got them is):

run3
innate metabolism
spell casting mastery
innate camo
exodus
quick evac 1
Mnemonic Retention
mental clarity 1
spell casting fury 3
enhanced root
dire charm (I agree with nikon on this one -- wish I got it much sooner!!!)

Since I like to stay alive, I am especially wondering if the defensive AAs (combat agility and combat stability) are worth the cost, or alternatively channeling focus or quick evac 2 are worth getting before resuming levelling. I know a lot of people say healing adept is good but it seems fairly pricy for a few hundred extra hps of healing.

thanks

Here's another thread on AA that might be helpful. I wrote a long thing, for what little it's worth, anyways.

http://eq.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/showthread.php?t=10517