Druid am I doing it wrong?

[Kron]

I played at launch and just came back to play again. Originally I had played a Druid and thought it be awesome to try again and see what I can do.

Just hit 14 last night and been mostly solo since I honestly don't know what the heck I should be doing when grouped.

My heal sucks so I sure as heck ain't keeping anyone alive and my DoTs don't seem to last because mobs die too fast.

So what am I expected to do when I get into a group? Right now I just buff and melee mobs down with the tank.

Maybe I'm just missing key spells to help me with my role in a group... :confused:

[Legidias]

Up to like lvl 15-20, everyone can melee to pretty good results. You have bonus heals, harmony, root, snare, some dmg spells.

If anything, you should be pulling

[cd288]

I played at launch and just came back to play again. Originally I had played a Druid and thought it be awesome to try again and see what I can do.

Just hit 14 last night and been mostly solo since I honestly don't know what the heck I should be doing when grouped.

My heal sucks so I sure as heck ain't keeping anyone alive and my DoTs don't seem to last because mobs die too fast.

So what am I expected to do when I get into a group? Right now I just buff and melee mobs down with the tank.

Maybe I'm just missing key spells to help me with my role in a group... :confused:

Druids are a bit of a roller coaster through the levels in groups since the content periodically outpaces the healing spell they have. They can be tough in the mid to late teens because the content outpaces their heal until they get a more powerful one at 19.

A Druid from 14-18 is a mix of buffs, CC (via root and harmony - don't underestimate the value of someone with harmony in the group to keep from pulling adds (way better than the Enchanter having to worry about people breaking their mez!) and roots can be just as valuable for helping a tank keep aggro or crowd controlling a multiple aggro situation), and healer. For damage, use your DD spells, not DoTs; it's not a lot of DPS, but at least it's something. You can also cast your DS on the tank, which will add a decent amount of indirect DPS from you.

In a group at level 14 where you're likely killing mobs below that level, your heal should still be technically okay although not ideal. As you level up a bit more toward 19, it will become more difficult. It will still be possible to be a healer in the group if it's a well organized group where there aren't multiple mobs beating on the tank, but there is going to be more downtime because you're going to need to med a lot more (and pre-Kunark when Enchanters get Breeze at 16, this medding can take awhile). You're really more of an off healer that provides other helpful benefits to a group.

If you are killing animal mobs, such as the crocs group in Oasis for example, you can Charm a pet to help with DPS as well. Druids can do a lot in groups to supplement their off healing abilities (the exception to this is the 40-50 range where a level 29 healing spell really won't help much as an off heal, so you're a lot less valuable to a group despite your other utility).

[bum3]

If you are healer.. you buff and heal. If you aren't healer.. DS the tank, nuke, and if required CC mobs with root off to side. Dots are too slow for most mobs in groups as you said. Snare mobs so they don't run into other mobs when fleeing. You can also backup heal and/or heal random damage to other players and let main healer take the tank. Your class is a jack of all trades that can do a lot for a group!

At 14 I am one of the rare people who say don't melee. Meditate and use nukes if extra mana and keep spare. It's better to have some mana stored in case things go bad and you have to heal to keep group up. I like to play safer so my group doesn't train anyone or have a wipe. I group with clerics that melee and when things go wrong say OOM immediately... please don't be that type.

[azeth]

The most valuable thing you can be doing as a druid is keeping damage shield on anyone taking damage 100% of the time. There's nothing more important to be doing with your Mana, unless you're the healer, then keeping the damage shield up. strength buffs are hugely important as well especially early on when everybody has super shity weapons and terrible damage

[bum3]

The most valuable thing you can be doing as a druid is keeping damage shield on anyone taking damage 100% of the time. There's nothing more important to be doing with your Mana, unless you're the healer, then keeping the damage shield up. strength buffs are hugely important as well especially early on when everybody has super shity weapons and terrible damage

Right-on man... DS early lvls is your highest dmg nuke by far!

[Atychiphobia]

Only one has mentioned the snare. I think snare and damaged shield are the best things.

[jacob54311]

Kind of depends on the content your doing.

You can do maintenance heals with your little heal but in a shit's hitting the fan situation you're going to struggle.

I'd DS your mellees and do what damage you can, ideally. Backup/maintenance heals. It's not great, but I've done some groups in the lower levels.

[Benanov]

First off, figure out your role in the group.

There are certain things you can do that few others can do. Spirit of the Wolf is the first.
The puller's going to want it, and if the camp is dangerous, everyone else. If there's a shaman in the group - offer to do it instead of them. They have a pile of buffs they can give that you can't. The other one is STR.

Damage shield on the MT is another big win. If there's a mage, you can let them do it instead, save your mana.

Is there another priest class? You're probably damage and utility then, with the occasional backup heal. If so...load up your DDs and rains and cast at least one per fight until you figure out the pacing. If you're higher on mana than everyone else, nuke more. (Don't rain if the enchanter is mezzing.)

You will most likely be called on to root / snare, so have those up. Druid snare does no damage, but druid root does have a DD component and will break mezmerise. You might be called to do crowd control.

If you're the only priest, you're the healer. Druid heals are 'worse' than cleric's (you get them one spell circle later), but regardless, you get to play the "use my blue to fill their red" game. It's boring at times, but if you keep your group too well-healed they will go pick bigger and bigger fights, and as a result the XP will flow.

DoTs are not super useful in a group, unless the fights are going long (which they shouldn't be at 14). You can drop those for now.

Druid is a 'hard' class to teach / learn because you have a lot of options. You can wear a lot of hats.

You can always ask your group. A good group will suggest where you fit. A bad group will bitch and whine and complain and possibly kick you out, and honestly...you don't need that.

[Kron]

Honestly I feel like I can solo all the way to 60 and really run a one man show.

I mainly look forward to getting ports next and maybe using this toon to help friends lvl their alts.

I watched a Druid quading and it looked fairly straight forward so that should be fun when it opens up.

[bum3]

Honestly I feel like I can solo all the way to 60 and really run a one man show.

If you enjoy that then cudos to you! I hope you enjoy the piss out of it.

[kaluppo]

Your role in a group very much depends on whether there is a cleric or not. Forget your dot. That is a solo spell NOT a group spell because the mobs should be dying too fast for it to be effective. If there is a Cleric in the group then I would focus on your level 9 nuke ignite. It's a good mana efficient direct damage spell that should do 37 damage for 30 mana. Don't over nuke on one mob though. One or two per fight is plenty so that you pace your mana bar.

Besides ignite you should snare mobs that run "if" they are running too far from camp. Sometimes DPS is so good they dont get far. If that's the case then dont waste mana on snares. Keep DS on the tank at ALL times. You can also skin buff and str buff the tank to help the cleric conserve mana for heals. Better you buff and sit and med then the cleric. And sow all who ask for it and definitely keep sow on puller/tank. When you start running low on mana then just melee when mob is in camp and med when puller is out pulling. Once mana gets good again then resume buffing and nuking.

If there is no cleric then use all your mana on heals and DS/sow tank. That's all you can do and don't be shy to call for a med break when you need to. Most groups that don't have a cleric try to get two druids or a druid and shaman in group. Hopefully this is the case so that one main heals till 00m and then meds while the other heals till 00m.

[kaluppo]

Honestly I feel like I can solo all the way to 60 and really run a one man show.

I mainly look forward to getting ports next and maybe using this toon to help friends lvl their alts.

I watched a Druid quading and it looked fairly straight forward so that should be fun when it opens up.

You can definitely solo to 60. I did it on Blue. I soloed freeport/EC/Nro from 1-14. Then I soloed oasis crocs and orcs till 20 using tank and spank with DS on and chain nuking. I went to LoiO and root/rotted mobs there to go from 20-30. I then root/rotted giants at the FM giant fort till 34. Once 34 I began quad kiting the giants till 39. I then moved to Dreadlands and quad kited yetis till 42 or 43 when they were greening out too much. Then I quad kited any non-spider mob outside KC till 52 or so. Then I root/rotted mostly in BW with some hornet quads till 55. Then I hit the permafrost polar bear pits and charm killed polar bears from 55-60 and did it in less then two weeks!

Of course most of the zones don't become available until kunark gets released.

[Vizax_Xaziv]

Permafrost Bear pits are gonna be a shitshow due to the massive number of Druids on Green so I wouldn't count on that sadly

[kaluppo]

Permafrost Bear pits are gonna be a shitshow due to the massive number of Druids on Green so I wouldn't count on that sadly

I agree. It will likely be badly contested by scores of druids. Just like epics will be hard to get on Green/Teal because of the masses all trying to get them in a short window of time.

But I will go the extra mile for one of the two bear camps when that time comes. I will show up at 2 am and wait till a druid leaves to get some sleep if there isn't a camp already open. Once I have a camp then I will hold it for 10+ hours once I get it. I work nights and get three day weekends so I will take full advantage whenever possible of being wide awake when most have gone off to bed and server population is at the lowest.

But if you cant seem to get a bear pit camp then remember that Burning Woods has blue mobs all the way to 60. Scoriae hornets, wurms, some sarnak avengers and some skeletons con blue even at lvl 60. You can track the blues down and root/rot your way to 60 solo if need be. Just avoid gullerback (cant be rooted) and avoid sarnak zealots since they are shaman casters and can root you.

[Kirrund]

Snare is one of the best spells in the game and druids get it at level 1.

Druid healing is okay but it sort of depends on how well your group is at mitigating needless damage. Bards can help alleviate it with hymn of restoration. But as a druid you have a lot of options and so general game knowledge of how things interact with each other sort of lets you know how you can be most effective; as others have said, that makes a bit more difficult to just tell you what you should be doing, unlike a more straightforward role like a cleric.

[Videri]

People have dropped some good knowledge in this thread so far. One can see how many options there are for druids to contribute in groups. I actually think the hard part is figuring out what NOT to cast.

• Mobs die quickly? Don’t DOT. If you have extra mana, nuke.
• There are no adds nearby? You don’t have to snare.
• Lots of melees buffed by a shaman or enc? Skip damage spells if the melees will do the same damage for free.
• The group has a healer with a better heal than yours? Skip your inefficient heal spell except for emergencies or if the cleric is oom; focus your mana on other things like damage shield, buffs, or even nukes.
• Damage and healing are both covered, and a melee is pulling? My favorite. Take over pulls. Chain-pull. Time your pulls so that the next mob comes into camp just as the previous mob dies. Pull it in with snare, position it right on top of the previous mob (or its corpse), and root it there. The melees just hit their Target Nearest NPC button and Autoattack. Then you run off to pull again. Don’t waste man on your inefficient damage or healing spells. Try to make the melees never stop attacking. Continue until the healer is oom or you are.

[douglas1999]

Soloing to 60 is super doable as a druid but god help you if you choose to do that. I used to quad raptors in timorous deep and holy shit did that ever get lonely in the mid-late 50's, even though the xp was constant and dependable.

[KungFusion]

In groups i have often found myself being primary healer, currently lvl 19 druid.
I noticed that Druid heals are the same as Cleric heals between lvl 19 to 24 with Healing and also from lvl 29 to 34 with Greater Healing.
So up until 34, for these levels, I am expecting to do a good bit more primary healing.

[Danth]

Druid heals are never the same as Cleric heals because Clerics are 10% better casting the same spell as a class bonus. What Druids and Shamans are is competitive until the upper levels, which is good enough.

Danth

[Pyrion]

If you are grouped in oasis killing crocs... panic animal is even better than a mez, its the ultimate CC. Crocs are *not* social, so panic animal just takes one mob completely out of the equation for very low mana.