As of 11/9/2005, this FAQ will no longer be updated. Please see the new druid guide (http://wow.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/showthread.php?t=9578) instead! It includes all the information in this FAQ, and more.
- Yrys

This FAQ is intended to answer some of the more commonly asked questions about druids, and to help beginning players learn more about the class. If you have any suggestions or comments, please post them below.

Why do I want to play a druid?
Druids are an extremely versatile class, and can fill many roles in a group. In caster form, druids are excellent healers and buffers, second only to priests, and can do moderate damage with nukes and DoTs, as well as other utilities. In bear form, druids can tank sufficiently for most groups. In cat form, druids can do good damage, and sneak around with Prowl. Druids are great when adaptability is needed.

Why wouldn't I want to play a druid?
If you like specialty classes, or being crucial to groups, a druid might not be for you. Druids are not the best at any one role, but instead are designed to be able to fill several roles. You might also check out the paladin or shaman, which are similar in function to a druid, though with different focuses and abilities.

Where are the druid trainers?
For Alliance, there are druid trainers in Teldrassil (Aldrassil and Dolanaar), Darnassus, Stormwind, Felwood, and Moonglade. For Horde, there druid trainers in Mulgore (Red Cloud Mesa and Bloodhoof Village), Thunder Bluff, and Feralas. Asking a city guard will show a flag on your map with the location of the trainer.

What weapons can druids use?
Druids can use staves, daggers, one-handed and two-handed maces, and fist weapons. While druids could use spears in beta, druids cannot train polearms anymore.

Where can I train weapon skills?
For Alliance, you can train one-handed and two-handed maces, and fist weapons in Ironforge, and also fist weapons in Darnassus. For Horde, you can train daggers and two-handed maces in Thunder Bluff, and fist weapons in Orgrimmar. As before, ask a guard and it will show a flag on your map.

How do I get to Moonglade?
Your trainer will direct you to the appropriate quest NPC for this at level 10. The quest NPC will give you the Teleport: Moonglade spell, after which you'll be able to port to Moonglade whenever you wish.

How do I get the shapeshift forms?
Bear form: Alliance (http://wow.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/showthread.php?t=8297) / Horde (http://wow.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/showthread.php?t=8291) walkthroughs
Aquatic form: Alliance (http://wow.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/showthread.php?t=8149) / Horde (http://wow.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/showthread.php?t=8292) walkthroughs
Cat form, travel form, and dire bear form are purchased from a druid trainer currently, though this may change in the future. Moonkin form is available as a Balance talent.

How do I get the Cure Poison spell?
Alliance (http://wow.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/showthread.php?t=8148) and Horde (http://wow.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/showthread.php?t=9492) walkthroughs for this quest are available in the Quests forum.

What good is our rez (Rebirth)?
Rebirth is situationally extremely useful -- it is the only in-combat rez, and brings a player back to life with a significant portion of their hit points and mana. However, it takes a reagent, and has a 30 minute cooldown, so it cannot be used very often.

What talents should I get?
This is mostly a matter of personal preference and playstyle. If you find yourself being primary healer frequently, a Restoration talent build may be useful. If you like shapeshifting, tanking, or playing rogue, a Feral build might be more your style. Or, if you like being a backup healer and doing damage unshifted, you might enjoy the Balance tree. Keep in mind, you can do all these things with any talent build -- but the talents definitely make you more efficient at these things.

Some talents that have been recommended for druids, depending on build, are Omen of Clarity and Improved Wrath from the Balance tree, Furor, Intensity, Improved Mark of the Wild, Nature's Focus, Nature's Swiftness, and Innervate from the Restoration tree, and Feral Charge from the Feral tree. Of course, your mileage may vary.

You can find a great talent builder (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/druids/talents.html) on the World of Warcraft community site.

Where can I learn about the different professions?
What professions are good for a druid?
There are great general descriptions of the various professions (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/professions/) on the official World of Warcraft site. In addition, you can check our Trade Skills forum for further discussion and tips on professions.

Generally, leatherworking and skinning, alchemy and herbalism, or engineering and mining will probably be most useful for a druid.

We have excellent alchemy (http://wow.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/showthread.php?t=8175) and fishing (http://wow.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/showthread.php?t=8583) guides available here as well.

Do weapons affect damage and attack speed in forms?
Weapons damage and delay have no effect while in bear or cat form. Also, your weapon skill has no effect while in bear or cat form -- contrary to prior belief, testing (http://wow.forums.thedruidsgrove.org/showpost.php?p=125012&postcount=5) has indicated that your weapon skill is maxed in these forms.

Aquatic, travel, and moonkin forms are different, however. They do use the damage, delay, and skill of your current weapon.

Do weapon stat bonuses have an effect in forms?
Stat bonuses will still have an effect in all shapeshifted forms. Weapon combat effects (procs) will only work in aquatic, travel, and moonkin forms.

Will weapon skill go up in forms?
Weapon skills will not go up in bear or cat form. Weapon skills will go up in aquatic, travel, and moonkin forms.

Where can I learn more about druids?
There's a good overview of druids (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/druid.html) on the World of Warcraft site. If you're seeking more detailed information, you can look around on these forums and use the search function to see if your question has been answered already, and if not, ask it!

2005-03-17 Edit: Added Innervate, thanks for the suggestion.
2005-07-28 Edit: Added more recommended talents, and changed the wording of the recommended talent section.
2005-10-16 Edit: Updated the FAQ for the 1.8 patch and changed some wording around a bit.
2005-10-19 Edit: Added link to Ndainye's Horde Cure Poison quest guide.

What talents should I get?

heh, you missed the best one, Innervate

Suggested Additions/Ammendments:

Primary weapon skills - staves, 2h mace. Daggers/1h mace possibilities at 50+

Talents - Imp MotW is overrated. I'd rate Feral Charge, Furor, Intensity and Improved Wrath on the same level as the others you've listed.

I'd also add that most druids above 50 are primary healers as the feral tree, and to a lesser extent the balance tree, just don't cut it.

/agree w/ Create

Weapons - Not so sure on that. I used quite a few daggers and 1h maces (with a +stat offhand) before 50.

Talents - Hmm. I can change the recommended talents part to differentiate between the different trees, and add the part about how most druids are restoration past 50-55 or so.

Fill me in here. I diddn't see anything worthwhile to go 1h/Offhand.

My I got the Staff of Westfall (quest) first, then the dropped rod from Deadmines miniboss, then the Illusionary Rod (SM DOan drop), and recently have been using a Resurgence Rod (quest).

I just recently got two blue drops from Maraudon that may work well. Sorry, I'm fuzzy on the names but it's a 1h mace with a chance to regain 50 mana and a 10int, 10spi, 10 arcane resist offhand. Looks pretty good for a druid with OoC.

The +healing mace from SM is a joke compared to the Illusionary Rod if you do the math. There's an occasional offhand item that drops somewhere in SM as well but the points barely totalled 10.

What items did you use? Did I miss some quests?

A thought just occurred to me. There's an offhand quested item from Auberdine that restores 250 mana (over a few secs), has a 30 minute cooldown, and looks like a bag. I did use that one for a bit. I can't think of any other item/time though.

A good 1h/offhand option sub lvl 50 is the Ardent Custodian coupled with Totem of Infliction. The combo can be aquired as early as lvl 38 (to wield the mace) and especially shines while tanking in dire bear form (690ac combined) from lvl 40 and above until you can acquire the Warden Staff or Unyielding Maul.

I can't think of all of them at the moment... a combo I used for a while was the mace from SM cathedral (it added to heals?) plus the Orb of Lorica from the quest reward.

Sometimes it would just be random green 1h + offhands... whatever I came across. I didn't really have the cash to buy all the gear from the AH as I was leveling (and especially saving for a mount), and didn't always have a good caster stat 2H.

1H might not be the best combo for a given level, but I would say it's a reasonable choice for druids leveling up.

Fill me in here. I diddn't see anything worthwhile to go 1h/Offhand.

....then the Illusionary Rod (SM DOan drop), and recently have been using a Resurgence Rod (quest).


In SM you can get the Hypnotic Blade and Prophetic Cane...

Ill Rod = 15int/10spr/7sta
Hyp+Proph= 20int/3spr/5sta

There's plenty of other examples of good 1h/off-hand... alot of times it's going to be what drops for you that determines what's the 'best option' is

" Do weapons affect damage and attack speed in forms?
Weapons damage and delay has no effect while in bear or cat form. However, the skill of the currently equipped weapon is still used to determine chance to hit. Thus, it's better to equip the weapon you have the highest skill in while shifted"

Is that still true with the recent 1.7 and 1.8 patches?
My first guess, is yes it is still true. Checking my profile in Cat form vs caster form showed that my attack power rating was nearly twice as much in caster form. That must be because of the weapon I had equiped. But in Cat form I killed way faster than in caster doing melee.

Is that still true with the recent 1.7 and 1.8 patches?
My first guess, is yes it is still true. Checking my profile in Cat form vs caster form showed that my attack power rating was nearly twice as much in caster form. That must be because of the weapon I had equiped. But in Cat form I killed way faster than in caster doing melee.

your attack power in cat form was not nearly double your caster form attack power due to weapon skill, but rather because str and agi both add to attack power now. weapon skill has nothing to do with feral dps from what i've observed.

I was wondering about the post earlier that said your chance to hit in bear and cat forms are based on your weapon skill. Does that mean when I lvl, I need to fight in druid form to keep my weapon skill up to do max dmg in feral forms?

*edit* Scratch this post, just read another topic that answered my question

*edit* Scratch this post, just read another topic that answered my questionAnd the answer was?

Can someone please explain the PvP rules on a PvE server. I thought I understood, but I keep seeing Horde characters in what I thought were Alliance areas and I can't attack them.

When can players in opposing factions attack each other on PvE servers?

As I understand it. On a PvE server, you can attack the opposing faction only if they are already flagged as PvP. The ways to become flagged PvP are actually typing /pvp, attacking someone who is already flagged, helping (like healing) someone involved in battle against the oposing faction, and some random quests that flag you as PvP. Being flagged PvP lasts for 5 minutes unless another action is taken to extend the time. I think using the /pvp command flags you until you turn it off. I could be wrong about this because I've never been in the opposite factions territory. Basically, you are always treated on a PvE server as if you were in your home territory on a PvP server except no guard help in other areas.

Nyte

beorn, the skill and damage you do in feral forms has nothing to do with your weapon skill. :)

Again, please excuse my noobishness

Does anyone know if Moonkin Auras can stack? (i.e. can 5 Moonkin in a raid boost crits 15%?) I doubt they do, but would be wicked cool if they could. Also does the leader of the pack aura only exist while in feral forms?

Trying to decide which way to spec, not interested in being a heal bot.

Feral.

Is that an answer to either of my aura questions, or just a suggestion for which way to spec?

Really tempted to spec feral, but it seems everybody that isn't resto goes feral. I like the idea of being more original.

For the aura question, I am almost certain they don't stack. I don't hang with anyone that high level, every time I get to 20 or so, some other excuse to make a new char comes along.

For the spec question. Everyone I know who has gone feral after the most recent patch has been very happy. Everyone who has gone balance that I know has already respeced either to feral or back to restoration. This may not be true of everyone, I'm sure there are some moonkins out there someplace. Don't overlook restoration though. There is a big difference between being a good healer and being a heal bot. Thats a decision you make. A healer is an active participant and a heal-bot is well a bot.

Personally I don't know, but the general concessus(sp?) is to go feral until 55+ for the increased dps and surviveability, and then respec for whatever role you find yourself enjoying most in the end game.

Nyte

Hey guys,
new comer here, lvl12 NE druid doing most of my quests in westfall with buddies.

Wondering how, other than paying out the huge gold, it's possible to respecialize @ high levels?

Thanks for the input.

Thats pretty much the way I am approaching it. I am currently level 28 with a measley 2-13-4 build trying to see what I like best. I mostly have more feral now for charge and feline swiftness, but I don't enjoy the twitchy rogue type play and tanking for a living seems really boring. I believe I have made up my mind to find a balance build that works for me.

Heck, by the time I max out the expansion might be here and shake everything up again. Do you think a level 70 Moonkin will have access to NS?

Hey guys,
new comer here, lvl12 NE druid doing most of my quests in westfall with buddies.

Wondering how, other than paying out the huge gold, it's possible to respecialize @ high levels?


The only time you don't have to pay to respec is when there is a major change to the class as in patch 1.8. When major class changes are put in there is generally a free respec. Major changes do not occur often. The best thing to do is not to respec more than necessary to keep your costs down. At higher levels a few gold is not a big issue. My current respec cost at 60 is 5g as I've only respeced once.