Druid

Printer-friendly version

For related articles, see Druids category.

Not to be confused with elven druid.

“

Druids harness the vast powers of nature to preserve balance and protect life. With experience, druids can unleash nature’s raw energy against their enemies, raining celestial fury on them from a great distance, binding them with enchanted vines, or ensnaring them in unrelenting cyclones. - Official site

”

The druid is a shapeshifting, hybrid class and also one of the most versatile classes in the game. As with other hybrids, druids need to specialize in a single role for the best results. Due to their need to shape-shift to fulfill roles, they can only perform one role at a time; they must switch between the different shapes to adapt to changing situations.

A properly specced and geared druid is capable of fulfilling any role. Druid players need to be aware that this versatility also bears a danger — it may be difficult to keep focused when gathering gear. In order to truly fulfill a hybrid role, druids require several complete sets. This is expensive in time, bag space, and gold; however, the ability to spec to completely different roles makes druids a smart and flexible class choice.

Another nice feature of druids is their ability to travel faster. See the skills section below for more information.

Background

Cenarius instructs Malfurion, Tyrande, and Illidan.

"We are the preservers of the balance, now and forever, as Malfurion lies in the Dreaming. Never forget this."

- Kal of Dolanaar

Druids are keepers of the world who walk the path of nature, following the wisdom of the Ancients and Cenarius, healing and nurturing the world. To druids, nature is a delicate balance of actions in which even the smallest imbalance can create storming turmoil from peaceful skies. Druids draw their power from this natural energy, using it to change their shapes and command the forces of nature. Traditionally, druids chose the path of a specific animal totem. Since the invasion of the Burning Legion, however, most druids have undergone a number of reforms, including encouraging the study of magic from all totems. Druids who do this are known as druids of the wild.

Lore

Main article: Druid (lore)

Cenarius is the patron entity of all druids. However, each group of druids has its own special patrons and some even have the ability to transform into a being that looks like their patron. Many druids take on an animal companion based on their patron.

According to tauren mythology, Cenarius instructed them first in druidism as recounted in their myth, Forestlord and the First Druids. With the release of Wrath of the Lich King, it is strongly suggested that tauren were most likely the first students of Cenarius, as accounted for by a 10,000+ year old immortal tauren druid by the name of Xarantaur. There is still debate whether this character is considered canon, but Xarantaur suggests in the game that while he and his brethren were taught directly by Cenarius, his fellow druids forgot their lessons over the years; this would imply that current tauren druidism is relatively new, learned from the night elves.

As it stands, the night elves lay claim to the first druid with Malfurion Stormrage. He is not only considered the most powerful known druid in Warcraft lore, but is also considered one of the most powerful characters on Azeroth. Malfurion led the night elves through the War of the Ancients and the long years that followed.

With the creation of the World Tree Nordrassil, the kaldorei druids were bound to Ysera and her realm, the Emerald Dream, in which they spent centuries of their immortal lives. The Cenarion Circle was formed as the governing society of druids, based in sacred Moonglade. Locked in slumber in their barrow dens for generations, the druids awoke to meet the threat of the Burning Legion during its recent invasion. After Archimonde's defeat, the druids chose to remain in the waking world to help rebuild their shattered lands. The Legion's attack left a terrible scar on the natural order and the druids sought to heal it.

The night elf druids were recently joined in the Cenarion Circle by the tauren druids. Neither participate in the Alliance/Horde conflict, but coexist peacefully within the Circle. Druids belong to many other different organizations or types including the Cenarion Expedition and the Druids of the Claw, Talon, Wild, Fang, Antler, Grove, Scythe and Pack.

Warcraft Encyclopedia

A depiction of a druid.

Druids come and go as they please, and their goals typically have little to do with the "civilized" world. Unaffiliated with any specific government, the primary druidic organization on Azeroth, the Cenarion Circle, answers to no one save itself. The highest rank that a druid can have is that of archdruid, and there are only a few archdruids on Azeroth. At the moment the Cenarion Circle's leader is Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage, also widely considered to be the first mortal druid on Azeroth.

Strengths, Abilities, and Underlying Motivations

Through their deep connection to life and nature, druids are able to take on an unusually large variety of roles. Probably a druid's best-known role is that of a healer. Druids are justly famed for their ability to restore life, cure poisonous wounds, and remove curses. Indeed, restoring and protecting the planet is one of the top priorities for all druids. Still, to regard a druid as merely a healer is a dangerously simplistic assumption that has led to the defeat of many an unwary foe.

Druids' empathy with the creatures of the wild also allows them to shapeshift into the forms of other animals. For example, a wounded druid whose magical energies are running low might abruptly take on the form of a bear in order to better withstand further injury. Alternatively, the druid might shift into the form of some large cat, sneak up behind an enemy, then pounce and deliver a fierce flurry of melee attacks. Even the deepest oceans can be explored by druids, who can simply shift into an aquatic creature, allowing them to stay underwater as long as needed.

Until the end of the Third War, druids periodically visited the Emerald Dream to monitor the ebb and flow of life on Azeroth. Today such a visit has become more difficult due to Nordrassil's poor health.

Druids possess a deep understanding of the way in which all living things depend upon one another. Whenever this delicate equilibrium is disrupted, the druids work to restore the balance. To that end, druids can use their connection with the Emerald Dream to exert a calming influence over animals, even forcing some into a temporary state of hibernation. Just as the druids can wield peace and somnolence, however, they can tap into the fury of nature itself. Terrible storms respond to their call, thorns sprout from their skin to wound their attackers. Even previously harmless roots grow from the soil at greatly accelerated speeds in order to entangle foes.

Limitations

For obvious reasons, druids thrive in the wild outdoors. Inevitably they lose some of their effectiveness when they are forced to endure separation from the natural environment. What good is a cleansing rain when a druid cannot even see the sky? How are roots to capture a foe who is standing atop a high tower? Such cases clearly require a druid with the imagination to consider new strategies and the flexibility to carry them out.

Equipment

See also: Druid sets

Druids are able to wear cloth and leather armor only.

• Staff
• One-handed Mace
• Two-handed Mace
• Dagger
• Fist weapon
• Polearm

Druids do not use shields (although in bear form their armor is so high it were as if they were), and do not dual wield. Off-hand items may be used by druids. Druids receive a 5% bonus to their primary stat when wearing all leather armor. It is uncommon to find two-handed maces with agility on them, so most feral or guardian druids use either staves or polearms.

Notable druids

Alliance   Broll Bearmantle   Malfurion Stormrage   Celestine of the Harvest

Horde   Hamuul Runetotem

Neutral   Cenarius   Remulos   Zaetar

Combat   Fandral Staghelm

Races

Main article: Druid races

• Playable races
• TCG images

The druid class can be played by the following races:

Race		Strength	Agility	Stamina	Intellect	Spirit	Armor	Health	Mana
	Night elf	17	24*	20	22*	22	24	103	40*
	Worgen	24	22	20	18	21	61*	103	40*
	Tauren	26*	16	21*	18	24*	24	117*	40*
	Troll	22	22	20	18	23	24	103	40*

A female tauren Druid.

Before the demon hunter became available, the druid class was the most limited class concerning races. Only two races per faction can become a druid. The worgen and troll races were added in the expansion. Demon hunters can only be two races (blood or night elves).

Tauren Moonkin

Troll

Night elf

Night elf cat

Worgen

Shapeshifting

Druid forms, TCG art

The Druid's most notable ability is shapeshifting into different forms.

• Cat Form
• Bear Form
• Moonkin Form
• Incarnation: Tree of Life
• Travel Form
• Flight Form
• Treant Form - Form only available with Tome of the Wilds: Treant Form

For all forms, the following applies:

• The druid is immune to polymorph in all forms except the default, humanoid form.
• Druids can be sheeped in humanoid form if caught off guard for the full duration. (Cannot shapeshift out of it)
• Shapeshifting also breaks all movement-impairing effects (like Slow or Hamstring) except the 3-second daze that can proc when one is attacked from behind by a melee attack.
• Depending on the form, the druid is considered either humanoid (Caster and Moonkin), beast (Travel, Aquatic, Bear, Dire Bear, and Cat), or elemental (Tree of Life); and thus is vulnerable (or immune) to different spells. This also applies to being tracked.
• Shapes are not buffs or magical effects, thus they may not be dispelled.

While shapeshifted into Bear, Cat, Aquatic, Travel, or Flight Form:

• The Druid is considered a beast.
• Mana regeneration still continues at the same speed as out of the form.
• Weapons and armor with a "Chance on hit" effect as well as "Chance on hit" enchants will proc.
• Weapon DPS and weapon +damage enchants have no effect, however, armor enchants and armor pieces such as that boost weapon damage work. The bonus damage from Weightstones and Sharpening Stones also work. Weapon enchants that boost stats such as Attack Power and Agility rather than weapon damage also work.
• Items with an "Equip: When hit ..." work in forms.

In Moonkin form, the druid is considered humanoid, and while still immune to Polymorph and similar spells, can be affected by other abilities targeted at humanoids such as Sap.

Tree of Life is considered an elemental and thus vulnerable to elemental-dependent spells such as Banish.

If you shapeshift while wearing any disguise, you will notice that your form buff will remove the disguise buff. This is because of problems caused by the two buffs when they were allowed to stack. Blizzard didn't like the bugs that were made through these effects stacking even though they were used to have fun most of the time. Items like the Noggenfogger Elixir were then changed to not stack with Druid forms so that it would not cause any future problems.

As of Patch 5.0.4, some vanity shapeshift items will work while mounting (such as moonkin form) but others will be removed upon shapeshift.

Druids can change their Cat Form and Bear Form design at any time by visiting a barbershop; night elves, worgen, and trolls by changing their character's hair color, and taurens by switching skin tones. Since there are more hair colors and skin tones than unique form designs, some colors and tones will produce the same designs. The hair and skin colors chosen will, in most cases, correspond to the colors seen in the design of each form. Some similar colors that may share a particular cat texture will not necessarily share the same bear texture.

Druid forms depending on race

Tauren Bear Form

Tauren Cat Form

Tauren attributes with corresponding feral colors.

Night Elf Bear Form

Night Elf Cat Form

Night Elf attributes with corresponding feral colors.

Troll Bear Form

Troll Cat Form

Troll attributes with corresponding feral colors.

Worgen Bear Form

Worgen Cat Form

Highmountain Tauren In-game Preview - Heritage Armor, New Druid Forms & Shaman Totems!

Also note that you can pickup a minor glyph that will change the color of your fur each time your shapeshift.

Specializations/stats

“

Can take on the form of a powerful Moonkin, balancing the power of Arcane and Nature magic to destroy enemies at a distance. - Official description

”

Specialize in damage spells and an additional Moonkin Form, turning them into an efficient ranged spellcaster that is somewhere between a mage and a shadow priest in play style, in the equivalent of leather armor. They excel at nuking single targets as well as providing effective off-healing and crowd-control support. With the Wrath of the Lich King expansion providing them effective AoE damage, they are now on par with any of the other casting classes provided they are skilled.

Stat priority

• Haste
• Intellect
• Critical Strike / Versatility
• Mastery

Moonkin Form

Ability	Min Level
Solar Wrath	10
Starsurge	10
Lunar Strike	12
Sunfire	16
Moonkin Form	20
Remove Corruption	22
Barkskin	26
Sunfire (2)	32
Astral Influence	34

Ability	Min Level
Starfall	40
Celestial Alignment	48
Innervate	50
Moonkin Form (2)	54
Starfall (2)	65
Starsurge (2)	70
Mastery: Starlight	78
Solar Beam	80

“

Takes on the form of a great cat to deal damage with bleeds and bites. - Official description

”

Enhances the druid's abilities in Cat Form. Cat Form specializes in bleeding the target. They have stealth abilities similar to a rogue, and bring versatility to the raid group.

Stat priority

• Agility
• Mastery
• Critical Strike
• Versatility
• Haste

Tiger's Fury Feral Instinct

Ability	Min Level
Shred	10
Ferocious Bite	10
Rake	12
Thrash	12
Tiger's Fury	13
Rip	20
Remove Corruption	22
Rake (2)	25
Primal Fury	28
Swipe	32
Feline Swiftness	34
Survival Instincts	36
Berserk	40

Ability	Min Level
Shred (2)	44
Swipe (2)	44
Omen of Clarity	48
Stampeding Roar	50
Tiger's Fury (2)	52
Infected Wounds	54
Shred (3)	56
Maim	63
Ferocious Bite (2)	66
Skull Bash	70
Mastery: Razor Claws	78
Predatory Swiftness	80

“

Takes on the form of a mighty bear to absorb damage and protect allies. - Official description

”

Enhances the druid's abilities in [Bear Form]. They are great for encounters that require swapping of tanks to a damage role as all they need is a change of specialization.

Stat priority

• Versatility / Mastery
• Haste
• Agility
• Critical Strike

Ability	Level
Mangle	10
Maul	10
Thrash	12
Remove Corruption	22
Barkskin	26
Incapacitating Roar	28
Swipe	32
Thick Hide	34
Survival Instincts	36
Frenzied Regeneration	40

Ability	Level
Ironfur	44
Mangle (2)	44
Gore	48
Stampeding Roar	50
Ironfur (2)	54
Lightning Reflexes	65
Skull Bash	70
Mastery: Nature's Guardian	78
Mark of Ursol	80

“

Uses heal-over-time Nature spells to keep allies alive. - Official description

”

Healers. Restoration druids have some of the best heal-over-time spells of all healing classes, effectively allowing them to continue healing while incapacitated. In addition, the mobility offered by their heal-over-time spells makes them especially effective in PvP.

Stat priority

• Intellect
• Haste
• Critical Strike
• Mastery
• Versatility

Regrowth

Ability	Level
Solar Wrath	10
Sunfire	10
Rejuvenation	10
Swiftmend	12
Lifebloom	20
Nature's Cure	22
Barkskin	26
Sunfire (2)	32
Ysera's Gift	34
Wild Growth	40

Ability	Level
Regrowth (2)	44
Omen of Clarity	48
Innervate	50
Ironbark	54
Living Seed	56
Ursol's Vortex	63
Revitalize	66
Efflorescence	70
Mastery: Harmony	78
Tranquility	80

Skills/Glyphs

Note: Players technically start in Feral spec; if a player chooses another specialization at level 10, the following are removed: Feral Instinct.

Moonfire

Ability	Level
Moonfire	3
Regrowth	5
Cat Form	8
Track Humanoids	8
Dash	8
Feral Instinct	9
Bear Form	10

Ability	Min Level
Growl	13
Teleport: Moonglade	14
Revive	14
Prowl	16
Entangling Roots	24
Travel Form	38
Rebirth	42

Level	Abilities (choose one)
15	Force of Nature Predator Brambles Prosperity	Warrior of Elune Blood Scent Bristling Fur Cenarion Ward	Starlord Lunar Inspiration Blood Frenzy Abundance
30	Renewal Guttural Roars	Displacer Beast	Wild Charge
45	Feral Affinity Balance Affinity	Guardian Affinity Feral Affinity	Restoration Affinity Guardian Affinity
60	Mighty Bash	Mass Entanglement	Typhoon
75	Soul of the Forest	Incarnation: Chosen of Elune Incarnation: King of the Jungle Incarnation: Guardian of Ursoc Incarnation: Tree of Life	Stellar Flare Savage Roar Galactic Guardian Cultivation
90	Shooting Stars Sabertooth Earthwarden Spring Blossoms	Astral Communion Jagged Wounds Guardian of Elune Inner Peace	Blessing of the Ancients Elune's Guidance Survival of the Fittest Germination
100	Fury of Elune Brutal Slash Rend and Tear Moment of Clarity	Stellar Drift Bloodtalons Lunar Beam Stonebark	Nature's Balance Moment of Clarity Pulverize Flourish

Name	Specialization
Glyph of Stars	All
Glyph of the Cheetah	All
Glyph of the Doe	All
Glyph of the Feral Chameleon	All
Glyph of the Forest Path	All
Glyph of the Orca	All
Glyph of the Sentinel	All
Glyph of the Ursol Chameleon	All

Honor Level	Talent
1	Gladiator's Medallion
2	Train of Thought, Hardiness, Relentless Assault, Defender of the Weak
4	Protector of the Grove, Disentanglement
6	Prickling Thorns, Pouncing Strikes, Den Mother, Cyclone
8	Touch the Stars, King of the Jungle, Clan Defender, Nourish
10	Cyclone, Savage Momentum, Charging Bash, Focused Growth
13	Adaptation
16	Mind Quickness, Reinforced Armor, Alpha Challenge, Vim and Vigor
19	Shapemender, Hibernating Growth, Thorns
22	Crescent Burn, Freedom of the Herd, Protector of the Pack, Encroaching Vines
25	Twin Moonfire, Blood Trauma, Enraged Mangle, Revitalize
28	Summer Solstice, Fresh Wound, Entangling Claws, Early Spring
31	Relentless
34	Initiation, Sparring, Softened Blows, Inner Renewal
37	Druid of the Claw, Leader of the Pack, Toughness
40	Celestial Downpour, Primal Vitality, Demoralizing Roar, Deep Roots
43	Moonkin Aura, Fury Swipes, Sharpened Claws, Fortified Bark
46	Faerie Swarm, Rip and Tear, Overrun, Overgrowth

Suggested professions

Note: This is a generic section stub. You can help expand it by clicking  Edit to the right of the section title.

•  [Leatherworking] and  [Skinning] are logical choices for any leather armor wearing class (and mail armor wearing as well). This allows crafting decent armor as one levels and various augments.
•  [Alchemy] can be useful for druids with less-healing specializations who need quick potion heals and various buffs from elixirs and flasks. This profession is also good all around for making money and supplying guild runs.
•  [Herbalism] provides ingredients for  [Alchemy] and  [Inscription]. This profession is also good all around for making money.
•  [Cooking] is good for any less-healing specs for non-combat health regeneration and provides good buff foods.
•  [First Aid] is good for any less-healing specs for in-combat health regeneration and low downtime regeneration. For healing specs it saves precious mana for heal spells.
•  [Fishing] is good for leveling cooking.

End-game expectations

• While before the Burning Crusade expansion most druids were healers in the end game, new itemization and talents have made druids of any specialization viable in end-game and raids.
• Entangling Roots gives druids the ability to provide reliable crowd control on melee targets.
• There is no class better at healing over time than restoration druids. In raid encounters where there is a lot of movement and cast times are often interrupted, a druid is quite effective in healing due to the instant-cast nature of their HoTs, enabling spells to be cast on the run. In arenas, resto druid teams are particularly feared by many due to the druid's ability to quickly cast HoT's on both partner and self, and the ability to keep out of harm's way with Travel Form, effectively kiting most opponents.
• Guardian druids can fill the core role of tanking well. While Warriors have significant advantages on some raid bosses, guardian druids have the unique flexibility to switch from tanking to melee DPS on demand. They often tank bosses or mob groups where more tanks are required, and then change form and gear to DPS on bosses where only 1 or 2 tanks are required. It is also possible during a single fight, if the add they are offtanking dies.
• Feral druids are expected to bring utility while still providing reliable damage over time bleeds. Many cats are able to hit high damage meters while still being able to battle resurrect or tank small adds if needed.

Media

Videos

This section concerns content that is potentially inaccurate.

Balance Druid Basic DPS Guide

Balance

Feral Druid Basic DPS Guide

Feral

Guardian Druid Basic Tanking Guide

Guardian

Restoration Druid Basic Healing Guide

Restoration

Crash Course - Druid

Crash Course

See also

• List of druids
• Druid sects
• Druids as tanks
• Alamo

External links

Wowhead Druid

WoWDB Druid

Official

WoW Official Game Site (US) Druid

WoW Official Game Site (EU) Druid

Guides

Icy Veins Balance, Feral, Guardian, and Restoration Druid Raiding Guides (Mists of Pandaria)

Noxxic Restoration 5.1 Guide

Noxxic Balance 5.1 Guide

Noxxic Feral 5.1 Guide

Noxxic Guardian 5.1 Guide

WoW Insider Shifting Perspectives — weekly Druid feature