I was XPing last night in Tactics when I suddenly realized that for the first time since level 10 I was actually doing everything a druid can potentially do well. I thought it'd be interesting to compile a list of everything that would make a complete druid--not one in healing/ raiding mode, but the kind that will do a little it of everything well while being a master at none (xp mode).

Example... I was main healer, but I felt like a bard with all the things I was keeping track of. An average pull... hit assist key on incoming to acquire target and send DC pet in, land debuffs, maintain ds and regen, keep pet hasted, land DoT, patch heal, start melee, CH, snare, nuke, repeat. What items would make all categories efficient if not maxmizied for usefulness?

I'll take a stab at this since I sort of gear my self that way anyway. I'm not 65, so I dont know all the pieces. I am only level 51. This is for a group setting. I would not dot, but I am young so maybe fights last more than a minute at high levels, I dont know. 30 second dots would be good, but you need to get them off right at the start of a fight. Always get as much plus ac/hp/mana gear as is practical.

Equipment - You have 20 slots/pieces to work with, unless you like to swap gear around during the action.

* Best ratio weapon - Witch Dr's Cudgel or Boneshod Great Staff
* haste - 21% is easy. 34% or more costs a ton.
* Improved Damage - range slot
* Improved Healing - I dont have one
* Extended Buffs - I dont have one
* Burning Affliction - This is for dots
* Mana preservation -
KEI - always


8 spells that help a group. This is my general group line up.
1.) Damage shield swap with group regen
2.) Root
3.) snare
4.) a Ro line debuff
5.) ae damage
6.) big nuke
7.) biggger nuke
8.) escape

That is the line up I use. Its enough work just to do all that. I usually ML in LDoN too, though. I dont heal because I am low and its not worth it. I dont charm too much either, I did it in the teens, but not lately.

Its really a good puzzle trying to combine all the abiliites, great food for thought.

Here is my magelo:

http://www.magelo.com/eq_view_profile.html?num=952722

Most high end raiding druids pretty much get there by default as they pick up gear. Stuff tends to come with nice focus effects etc. I havent kept up with all the non raid drops so can't really comment on items ... but you need mana preservation, heal focus, nuke focus, affliction, buff duration, spell haste, detrimental duration etc :)

Only useful foci I miss for instance is burning affliction... and I can just fire that up with tribute.

y usual group line up is:
1) Ensnare / Annul
2) Nuke
3) Dot or ocasional Big Heal
4) Fast Heal
5) Natures Recovery
6) Root
7) assorted buff slot
8) Hand of ro

well I break down focus like this

1. Increase Spell Value - Heals and Nukes
Cant get these combined so you need two or three

Can get these combined or seperate:

2. Mana Pres Heals and Nukes better values seperate so 2
3. Cast Speed Heals and Nukes

Other:

4. Spell Range
5. Buff Duration

Dots (which I rarely use)

6. Mana Pres
7. Increased Damage

agic Nuke only modifiers I dont waste time on, since they dont work on AE and so are useless

I really wish Focus was an augmented item instead of hard coded on loot, focus balancing by slot is a real pain in the ass

That is the line up I use. Its enough work just to do all that. I usually ML in LDoN too, though. I dont heal because I am low and its not worth it

You should rethink this statement. At 51 you get Superior Heal which is definatly good enough to be main healer in the average experience group.

Druids are the second best healer in the game. If you are not backup/patch healing then you are gimping your group IMHO.

i dont group a whole lot myself, But i find myself doing it more cuase of the insane REQ's to get GoD spells

1.Vengence of Tunare
2. Heal
3. Debuff
4. Nuke
5. ensnare
6. DoT
7. Root
8. DoT

Keep a shield of coral in bag for escape when Exodus is out

when soloin dragons normally

1. Immolation of Ro
2. Fast Heal
3. Hand of ro
4. Summer's Flame
5. Ensnare
6. Shield of Braken
7. Savage roots
8. Annul Magic.

I disagree, JToast, about a 51 level druid main healing in most groups.

It's simply VERY hard to heal a 5K tank with a superior heal and regen. It's so much more mana intensive than a cleric using a 400 mana CH to hit for 3K hp. Equipment these days puts tank HP way out in front of druid mana and mana regen for most druids.

The speed at which groups can keep fighting with clerics using CH and a HoT is just way more than the speed at which basically the same group would fight with a druid healing. (And the cleric is going to have KEI if the druid would, too.) Most groups simply don't see druids as really viable primary healers from about level 39 to 58, and there's a reason for that, especially if the group is fighting against the clock, as in LDoN.

It's sad to say, but I think it's realistic to recognize that those levels are really difficult for druids to act as main healers.

(Edit: That said, of course it's POSSIBLE, and in any case, I can't imagine not having at least one heal loaded in any situation as a druid.)

It's simply VERY hard to heal a 5K tank with a superior heal and regen. It's so much more mana intensive than a cleric using a 400 mana CH to hit for 3K hp. Equipment these days puts tank HP way out in front of druid mana and mana regen for most druids.

*shrug* I have a 55 druid and I do it all the time in LDON. Granted, sometimes we cut it close on a hard adventure but I have yet to fail one because I ran out of time. My druid has been doing it since 51. Yes, the higher I get the harder it gets, but even without being mainhealer, no patcheal memmed=dead tank=wipeout usually if the cleric fizzles or mistimes his Cheal.

Yes, It means that you probably don't want to be ML because you need all the medtime you can get and the ranger gets snare duty if possible so you can avoid agro but I don't see a problem with it.


But then again, I grew up in the "KEI?....Whats KEI?" era and learned mana management from day one.

With KEI, Beastie Crack and decent gear its really not that big of a deal.

(8 spells that help a group. This is my general group line up.
1.) Damage shield swap with group regen
2.) Root
3.) snare
4.) a Ro line debuff
5.) ae damage
6.) big nuke
7.) biggger nuke
8.) escape)

I would never think of playing my Druid in a group without a heal loaded.

Also always have a snare item and root and evac loaded (or the aa evac if it has not been used

Sorry, I just dont load a heal. I also turn down groups that want me to heal. I'd rather solo. Thats just the way it is. I will play healer when I get to 58 and get the big one. I fully realise that Druids are damage AND heal at the high end these days. Until then, in LDoN, I dont see it as necessary. LDoN is the only place I am grouping right now. There is usually a cleric or a shaman that is willing to heal anyway. And lets face it, its not like the old days. In LDoN, you get one, maybe 2 mobs per pull. Who cant tank through that and live anyway? If you build your groups for DPS, then you dont need much healing. I know it makes me look bad, but I just dont like to sit and watch someone's HP bar. If I did I would have been a cleric.

I don't belive that a druid at any level is a healer or a nuker only. A well played druid is one that has the ability to work with our versatility at a drop of a dime. Landing a nuke and then turning around and landing the heal. By not memming heals you are selling yourself and your class short.

Unfortunatly you are not only making yourself look bad but all other druids. /shrug

I agree that druid's are one of the most versatile classes in EQ. We can play so many roles that other player (those that haven't played or grouped with druids for very long) are often confused over our strengths and our weaknesses.

We CAN be main healer, although it's not typically mana efficient. We CAN be nukers, but IMO Wizard does not start with "D" therefore, even with AA's we'll never out-blast one. We CAN add dps, but we won't out damage a melee class or a good shaman or necro at the same level. We CAN be crowd control with snare and root-parking, but enchanter mez is usually more reliable.

We ARE great assists - our debuffs assist the nukers and tanks; our heals assist the clerics; our nukes assist in bringing down the mob; and our evacs and ports assist in either getting us there or getting us the hell out.

y Normal load set consists of:

1 - Snare
2 - Root
3 - Dot/Debuff (fire, cold or magic)
4 - DD (fire or cold)
5 - switch out spot for whatever is called for (buffs, ae nukes, stun nuke or an extra heal)
6 - Nature's Infusion (love this spell, fast and great for keeping clerics and nukers alive)
7 - Travelling spells (Evac, ports, SOE/FOE)
8 - Karana's Renewal

For Raids:
1 - Snare
2 - Root
3 - Dot/Debuff
4 - Chloroblast or Nature's Touch, depending on target and/or group members I'm responsible for
5 - Switch out spot again for whatever is called for (usually where I can put a nuke)
6 - again, Nature's Infusion
7 - another switch out spot depending on what might be needed (buffs, etc)
8 - again, Karana's Renewal
(my guild does not use evac but prefers to camp or /q out when things start going to hell)

I think any player, not just druids, who doesn't prepare for any and all situations to arise, whether it's in low-end LDON's (Note to nuther: Honey, wait until you reach 58 and those LDON's with only 1 or 2 per pull are the exception and not the norm, you will wish you had practiced being healer, backup or otherwise earlier.) or in the Plane of Time is doing themselves and the group they are with a disservice.

I can't believe noone mentioned one of the things a druide can do best, especially in outdoor areas like *most* PoP zones: PULL.

Harmony of nature / snare / root / egress make a druide a VERY effective puller. Add to all that Innate Camo and you're only outdone by a ranger, and even there he just has the AC and HP while we have egress to, with spellhase, escape a bad pull to the zoneline in 2.5 sec.

I have been pulling in plane of earth starting with level 55 and never had ANY problems (other than a respawning tree on top of me that insta procced that goddamned snare... then again, even your local bard'd would not survive that :))

I have various setups, depending on the group I am in and the classes in it, but i'll try to narrow it down:

1) Nature's Infusion
2) Karana's Renewal
3) Snare
4) Po9
5) DoT of some kind
6) Nuke, either Summer's Flame or Winterfrost
7) Storm's Fury
8) Debuff of some kind, either Hand of Ro or E'ci

I do swap snare for a different spell, like pure blood, RGC, seasons or something like that if the mobs usually don't run in a zone or a ranger / shadowknight / necro's present. Also, dot is often replaced by a root of some kind if crowd controll's necessary (though that'll change once i get the durn ornate legs, but do you think ANYONE's selling them these days?!)

If pulling some of the dmg spells are replaced by Harmo of Nature or Nature's Recovery (usually even the best tank won't get the mob off ya before you get a kiss or two)

Sorry, I just dont load a heal. I also turn down groups that want me to heal. I'd rather solo. Thats just the way it is. I will play healer when I get to 58 and get the big one. I

The problem with that is your reputation is earned in the lower levels. If I am playing one of my alts and a level 50something druid in my group refuses to heal, I'll be damned if said druid ever gets invited to another one of my groups, much less my guild.

Healing is not something you just start doing at level 58. Not healing is the type of thing that gives the rest of us druids a bad name. If all you want to be is DPS, go play a wizzie.

My Current focus items. All pre-god.

# Conservation of Xegony
# Preservation of Mithaniel
# Marr's Blessing
# Druzzil's Range
# Chrononostrum
# Wrath of E`ci
# Wrath of Ro
# Quickening of Druzzil

y spell lineup:
Sylvan Infusion
Karana's Renewal
Sylvan Fire (Winter's Frost)
Group Regen (Pure Blood) (GRC)
Sylvan Embers
Hand of Ro
Protection of the Nine
Protection of Seasons (SOE)

Swap out (spells) depending on situation or location.
Damage Shields clicky from legs hotkey. DOT is clicky orb. Evac from AA when(very infrequently) need. No need for snare or root on raids really.

Group setup, I do swap out Seasons and 9 for root/snare.

Solo is almost completely different. No buff spells... heavy loaded with DOTs and debuffs tho for higher level solos. Replace the DOTs with PBAEs when I just wanna farm simple things. Ditto with Quad/Charm spells when called for.

Sea!

I think I'm really happy with my set up now... for a awhile I tended to be one of the lower hps/mana druids in my guild but managed to get all my bases covered for focuses now.

Focus line up now is;

Conservation of Xegony (20% mana pres to all)
Summer's Vengence (25% mana pres to summer's flame)
Druzzil's Distance (20% range)
Quickening of Mith (30% spell haste for beneficial spells)
Quickening of Druzzil (23% spell haste for dentrimental)
Affliction haste iv (33% haste for dots - got it running from tribute)
Eterninostrum (20% duration to buffs)
Timeburn (20% duration to dots/debuffs)
arr's gift (25% to heals)
Fury of Solusek (30% to all fire/cold/magic nukes)
Burning magic (40% to magic dots)
Burning fire (40% to fire dots)

Just have to find a good item with conservation of bertox and maybe upgrade or move some of those focuses now.