Druid MoP Discussion Thread

[Myrrar]

Druid MoP Discussion Thread

This is where any general discussion about druid MoP changes will go. If you want to talk about spec specifics please use the link to their appropriate threads. If there are any updates or changes I missed PM them to me. This is the only one I'm sticking. If you want the others follow the links.

Balance: http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...cussion-Thread
Feral: http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...cussion-Thread
Guardian: http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...cussion-Thread
Resto: http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...cussion-Thread

General Changes:

• The relic slot is gone. Our relics are now useless, but it's no reason to fret-- all other classes are losing their relic and ranged weapon slots.
• The Feral Specialization has been split into two different specs, Guardian (for bear tanking) and Feral (for cat dps).
• New travel form! We now have a stag form. If you like, you can go back to cheetah with a glyph.

New Abilities:

General:

• Might of Ursoc, a survival cooldown that forces you into bear form. Shifting out of bear form will cancel the buff.
  

Restoration:

• Ironbark for Restoration-- our first external damage reduction cooldown!
  
• Wild Mushroom: Bloom can be used for some fun AoE burst healing.

Balance:

• Astral Communion, a great quality of life change that will allow you to set up your eclipse state before battle.
• Celestial Alignment, a new, powerful DPS cooldown.

Feral:

• Nothing brand-new for Ferals, just some changes to existing abilities.

Guardian:

• Savage Defense is completley new. No longer our Mastery, it is an active avoidance cooldown.
• Our new Mastery is Mastery: Nature's Guardian, and increases our armor.

Other Important Ability Changes:

Removed abilities:

• Pulverize has been removed.
• Demoralizing Roar has been removed.
• Challenging Roar has been removed.
• Insect Swarm has been removed.

Restoration:

• Swiftmend now has Efflorescence baked in.
• Mastery: Harmony now lasts 20 seconds, up from 10.

Feral:

• Tiger's Fury will not increase your maximum energy.
• Mangle no longer applies a bleed damage taken increase-- that buff is no longer necessary. It does apply the Infected Wounds slow.
• Thrash can now be used in Cat form.

Guardian:

• Frenzied Regeneration have been reworked. It is now a very short cooldown heal that costs rage.
• Mangle no longer costs rage, instead, it generates 5 rage.
• Thrash, Lacerate, and Swipe no longer cost rage. Rage is for active mitigation and avoidance, rather than threat.
• Thrash, Lacerate, and Faerie Fire now all have a 25% chance to reset Mangle's cooldown.
• Thanks to Thick Hide, bears now have a 25% passive magic damage reduction.

Balance:

• Moonfire and Sunfire are both available in all Eclipse states, and will be kept on the target at all times.
• Eclipse now grants 15% spell haste immediately on trigger, and restores 35% mana.

Talents

Calculator

Talent Changes and New Talents:

• The talent system is changing dramatically in 5.0.4. You will still select a specialization, but all specializations have the same small talent tree (6 tiers, one talent per tier-- we'll only be able to access the first 5 tiers in 5.0.4).
• Druids have four total specializations, since Feral has been split into Feral and Guardian.
• Most of the old talents you're familiar with have been rolled into spec-specific abilities and passives that you will learn naturally as you level up, or when you swap to the associated spec. For example, Feral druids no longer need to talent for Survival Instincts, Omen of Clarity, or Predatory Swiftness. These abilities and passives from pre-5.0.4 talents have not been lost.
• We can only select one talent per tier.

	Talent	Level	Description
	Feline Swiftness	15	Increases your movement speed by 15%
	Displacer Beast		Teleports the Druid up to 20 yards forward and activates Cat Form and Prowl. Instant cast, 3min CD.
	Wild Charge		Grants a movement ability that varies by shapeshift form (15 sec cooldown) Non-shapeshifted: Fly to an ally's position. Bear Form: Charge to an enemy, immobilizing them for 4 sec. Cat Form: Leap behind an enemy, dazing them for 3 sec. Moonkin Form: Bound backward from your enemies. Can only be used in combat. Travel Form: Leap forward 20 yards. Aquatic Form: Increases swim speed by an additional 150% 5 sec.
	Nature's Swiftness	30	When activated, your next Cyclone, Entangling Roots, Healing Touch, Hibernate, Nourish, Rebirth, or Regrowth becomes instant, free, and castable in all forms. The healing and duration of the spell is increased by 50%. Instant, 1 min cooldown
	Renewal		Instantly heals the Druid for 30% of max health. Usable in all forms. Instant, 2 min cooldown
	Cenarion Ward		Protects a friendly target, causing any damage taken to heal the target for 6174 (+ 57% of SpellPower) every 2 sec for 6 sec. Gaining the healing effect consumes the Cenarion Ward. Useable in all shapeshift forms. Lasts 30 sec. 24.8% base Mana, 40 yd range, Instant cast, 30 sec cooldown
	Faerie Swarm	45	Grants an improved version of Faerie Fire that also reduces the target's movement speed by 50% for 15 sec. This talent replaces Faerie Fire. Instant, 2 min cooldown
	Mass Entanglement		Roots your target in place for 20 sec and spreads to additional nearby enemies. Affects 5 total targets. Damage caused may interrupt the effect. Useable in all shapeshift forms. 30 yd range, Instant cast, 2 min cooldown
	Typhoon		Summons a violent Typhoon that strikes targets in front of the caster within 30 yards, knocking them back and dazing them for 6 sec. Useable in all shapeshift forms. 30 yd Range, Instant cast, 20 sec cooldown
	Soul of the Forest	60	Aessina's blessing grants a benefit which varies by your combat specialization. Balance: When a Lunar Eclipse ends you gain 20 Solar Energy and when a Solar Eclipse ends you gain 20 Lunar Energy. Feral: Your finishing moves grant 4 Energy per combo point. Guardian: Mangle now generates an additional 2 Rage. Restoration: You gain 50% haste for your next spell when you cast Swiftmend.
	Incarnation		Grants a superior shapeshifting form appropriate to your specialization for 30 sec. You may freely shapeshift in and out of this form for the duration of Incarnation. Instant, 3 min cooldown Balance: Chosen of Elune: Improved Moonkin Form that gains 25% increased Arcane and Nature damage while Eclipse is active. Feral: King of the Jungle: Improved Cat Form that allows the use of all abilities which normally require stealth, allows the use of Prowl while in combat, and removes the positional requirement of Ravage. Guardian: Son of Ursoc: Improved Bear Form that reduces the cooldown on melee damage abilities and Growl to 1.5 sec. Restoration: Tree of Life: Tree of Life Form that increases healing done by 15%, increases armor by 120%, and enhances Lifebloom, Wild Growth, Regrowth, and Entangling Roots spellcasts.
	Force of Nature		Summons 3 treants to assist in the Druid's current combat role for 15 sec. Treant capabilities vary by specialization. Useable in all shapeshift forms. 40 yd range, Instant, 1 min cooldown
	Disorienting Roar	75	Invokes the spirit of Ursol to roar, disorienting all enemies within 10 yards for 3 sec. Any damage caused will remove the effect. Useable in all shapeshift forms. Instant, 30 sec cooldown
	Ursol's Vortex		Conjures a vortex of wind at the destination location that reduces the movement speed of all enemies within 8 yards by 50%. The first time an enemy attempts to leave the vortex, winds will pull that enemy back to its center. Lasts 10 sec. Useable in all shapeshift forms. 30 yd range, Instant, 1 min cooldown
	Mighty Bash		Invokes the spirit of Ursoc to stun the target for 5 sec. Useable in all shapeshift forms. Melee Range, Instant cast, 50 sec cooldown
	Heart of the Wild	90	Increases Stamina, Agility, and Intellect by 6% at all times. When activated, dramatically improves the Druid's ability to perform roles outside of their normal specialization for 45 sec. Grants the following benefits based on current specialization: Non-Guardian:While in Bear Form, Agility, Expertise, Hit Chance, and armor bonuses increased, Vengeance granted, chance to be hit by melee critical strikes reduced. Non-Feral: While in Cat Form, Agility, Hit Chance, and Expertise increased. Non-Restoration: Healing increased and mana cost of all healing spells reduced by 100%. Guardian Druids may also cast Rejuvenation while shapeshifted. Non-Balance: Spell Damage and Hit Chance increased. Mana cost of all damage spells reduced by 100%. Instant, 6 min CD
	Dream of Cenarius		Wrath, Starfire, Starsurge, and melee abilities increase healing done by your next healing spell by 30%. Tranquility is not affected. Nourish, Healing Touch, and Regrowth increase the damage done by your next 2 Moonfire or Sunfire casts by 65% or by your next 2 melee abilities by 25%. Each of these bonuses lasts 30 sec.
	Nature's Vigil		Increases all damage and healing done by 20% for 30 sec. While active, all single-target healing spells also damage a nearby enemy target for 25% of the healing done, and all single-target damage spells and abilities also heal a nearby friendly target for 25% of the damage done. Instant, 3 min CD

Druid: Symbiosis

• The Druid will select a raid or party member and cast Symbiosis on them.
• The target cannot be another Druid.
• The target gains a buff that tells them what spell they have temporarily learned, and that spell temporarily appears in their spellbook, and they can drag it to an action bar.
• The Druid’s Symbiosis button will become the ability they gained from the target class.
• The Symbiosis link is cancelled if: the Druid clicks off the Symbiosis buff, or the Druid or the target changes continents or enters or exits an instance, or the Druid or the target changes talent specializations.
• Symbiosis fails to cast if Symbiosis is already active on that target.
• Symbiosis cannot be cast in combat.
• For the non-Druid target, the icon will revert to a placeholder (uncastable) Symbiosis icon when Symbiosis ends, but will become the Symbiosis-granted ability again the next time Symbiosis is cast on that target.
• The ability gained from Symbiosis is always something chosen to match the Druid’s specialization and the target’s combat role.
• The target always gets the same spell unless they change combat roles. A Druid of a given specialization always gets the same spell from each different class. If there is a change of specs, there is a change of spell.

Glyphs

General Majors

• Glyph of Rebirth: Players resurrected by Rebirth are returned to life with 100% health.
• Glyph of Innervate: When Innervate is cast on a friendly target other than the caster, the caster will gain 10% of maximum mana over 10 sec.
• Glyph of Stampeding Roar: Increases the radius of Stampeding Roar by 30 yards.
• Glyph of Stampede: You can now cast Stampeding Roar without being in Bear Form or Cat Form.
• Glyph of Cat Form: Increases healing done to you by 20% while in Cat Form.
• Glyph of Faerie Fire: Increases the range of your Faerie Fire by 10 yds.
• Glyph of Barkskin: Reduces the chance you'll be critically hit by 25% while Barkskin is active.
• Glyph of Cyclone: Increases the range of your Cyclone spell by 4 yards.
• Glyph of Master Shapeshifter: Reduces the mana cost of all shapeshifts by 90%.
• Glyph of Dash: Reduces the cooldown of your Dash ability by 60 sec.
• Glyph of Entangling Roots: Reduces the cast time of your Entangling Roots by 0.2 sec.
• Glyph of Nature's Grasp: Reduces the cooldown of Nature's Grasp by 30 sec.
• Glyph of Skull Bash: Increases the duration of your Skull Bash interrupt by 4 sec, but increases the cooldown by 10 sec.
• Glyph of Hurricane: Your Hurricane and Astral Storm abilities now also slow the movement speed of their victims by 50%.
• Glyph of Prowl: Reduces the movement penalty of Prowl by 30%.
  

Resto:

• Glyph of Healing Touch: When you cast Healing Touch, the cooldown on your Swiftmend is reduced by 1 sec.
• Glyph of Lifebloom: Casting Lifebloom on a new target grants that target as many applications as the old target had. This effect will not occur while in Tree of Life Form, or when Lifebloom has less than 2 sec remaining.
• Glyph of Rejuvenation: When you have Rejuvenation active on three or more targets, the cast time of your Nourish spell is reduced by 30%.
• Glyph of Wild Growth: Wild Growth can affect 1 additional target, but its cooldown is increased by 2 sec.
• Glyph of Blooming:Increases the bloom heal of your Lifebloom when it expires by 50%, but its duration is reduced by 5 sec and your Healing Touch, Nourish, and Regrowth abilities no longer refresh the duration.
• Glyph of Regrowth: Increases the critical strike chance of your Regrowth by 40%, but removes the periodic component of the spell.

Balance:

• Glyph of the Moonbeast: You can now cast Healing Touch, Rejuvenation, Rebirth, and Tranquility without cancelling Moonkin Form.
• Glyph of Solar Beam: Increases the duration of your Solar Beam silence effect by 5 sec.

Feral:

• Glyph of Savagery: Savage Roar can now be used with 0 combo points, resulting in a 12 sec duration.
• Glyph of Shred: While Berserk or Tiger's Fury is active, Shred has no positional requirement.
• Glyph of Ferocious Bite: Your Ferocious Bite ability heals you for 1% of your maximum health for each 10 Energy used.
• Glyph of Pounce: Increases the range of your Pounce by 3 yards.
• Glyph of Maul: Your Maul ability now hits 1 additional target for 50% damage.

Guardian

• Glyph of Might of Ursoc: Increases the health gain from Might of Ursoc by 20%, but increases the cooldown by 2 min.
• Glyph of Frenzied Regeneration: For 6 sec after activating Frenzied Regeneration, healing effects on you are 40% more powerful. However, your Frenzied Regeneration now always costs 60 Rage and no longer converts Rage into health.
• Glyph of Survival Instincts: Reduces the cooldown of Survival Instincts by 60 sec, but reduces its duration by 50%.
• Glyph of Fae Silence: Faerie Fire used in Bear Form also silences the target for 3 sec, but triggers a 15 sec cooldown.
  

Minors

• Glyph of the Cheetah: Your Travel Form appears as a Cheetah. This glyph will prevent Glyph of the Stag from functioning.
• Glyph of the Treant: Teaches you the ability Treant Form.
• Glyph of the Predator: Your Track Humanoids ability now also tracks beasts.
• Glyph of Stars: Your Moonkin Form now appears as Astral Form, conferring all the same benefits, but appearing as an astrally enhanced version of your normal humanoid form.
• Glyph of Charm Woodland Creature: Allows the Druid to befriend an ambient creature, which will follow the Druid for 60 min.
• Glyph of the Chameleon: Each time you shapeshift into Cat Form or Bear Form, your shapeshifted form will have a random hair color.
• Glyph of Grace: Feline Grace reduces falling damage even while not in Cat Form.
• Glyph of Aquatic Form: Increases your swim speed by 50% while in Aquatic Form.
• Glyph of the Orca: Your Aquatic Form now appears as an Orca.
• Glyph of the Stag: Your Travel Form can now be used as a mount by party members. This glyph is disabled while Glyph of the Cheetah is active.

Other Resources for 5.0.4:

• Icy Veins' Restoration 5.0.4 guide.
• Icy Veins' Balance 5.0.4 guide.
• Icy Veins' Feral (Cat) 5.0.4 guide.
• Icy Veins' Guardan (Bear) 5.0.4 guide.

[Raugnaut]

Yay, its been stickied! Anyone notice how Thorns is missing? While it had a specific niche, it was a very useful niche!

Also, in terms of information given, I would suggest removing the Glyphs section for now. Some of the Prime glyphs have been rolled into the baseline abilty (See Rip description, Bloodletting Glyph, and Eclipse Description and Starfire Glyph) while a few other glyphs no longer seem to apply (See thorns, Insect Swarm)

[SmokeyIllidan]

Too scared to read changes until Beta is out. *shuts eyes and runs off*

[Deleted]

Symbiosis sounds really interesting to me. Looking forward to all of the changes anyway.

[Myrrar]

Added the new glyphs........which are amazing.

[Tygroen]

Added the new glyphs........which are amazing.

^ This.

Thanks for taking the initiative to create a MoP thread . <3

Also, there's going to be something very satisfying about Frost Nova'ing a Frost Mage, regardless of his ability to quickly get out of it. Just saying.

[Skyepic]

can't wait for Glyph of Stars and for blizz to release the artwork. Will be awesome to get a "new form" and be able to dps in humanoid form. I love MoP solely because of how awesome druid glyphs are going to be.

Feel like i should level an alt with inscription so these glyphs don't break the bank. Have a feeling scribes are gunna have a field day with glyphs

Edit:
Balance: Healing spells generate Lunar or Solar Energy and benefit from Lunar and Solar Eclipse. We don't have any "arcane" healing spells so does this mean whenever we're in an eclipse we just get increased healing based on our mastery???? Regardless of which eclipse?

[Deleted]

I love the new minor glyphs. I JUST love them :0

[xrayEU]

Do you think ferals will be given the love and get a legendary this expansion?

[Skyepic]

Do you think ferals will be given the love and get a legendary this expansion?

It would be a very difficult task for blizzard to make a feral legendary without indirectly making it strong for bears as well. I'm not quite sure what kind of "legendary" feel they could give a weapon that would benefit a cat greatly but not help a bear. Would probably have to do something with manipulating their energy.

[Tricksterjim]

Give it to Cats, Bears, Hunters and Monks. Sounds like a nice broad range legendary. As opposed to daggers for rogues only.... or a bow.... or the glaives for 2 classes.

[columbusjones]

Edit:
Balance: Healing spells generate Lunar or Solar Energy and benefit from Lunar and Solar Eclipse. We don't have any "arcane" healing spells so does this mean whenever we're in an eclipse we just get increased healing based on our mastery???? Regardless of which eclipse?

My understanding is that healing will be increased in either eclipse, regardless of which type of spell damage is being boosted.

[pharix]

Give it to Cats, Bears, Hunters and Monks. Sounds like a nice broad range legendary. As opposed to daggers for rogues only.... or a bow.... or the glaives for 2 classes.

don't think hunters are using melee weapons anymore

[xrayEU]

don't think hunters are using melee weapons anymore

Correct! And we will not use relics and rogues/warriors will not have a range weapon anymore, not sure about wands, but blizz stated this back as blizzcon at the panel.

[Skyepic]

Give it to Cats, Bears, Hunters and Monks. Sounds like a nice broad range legendary. As opposed to daggers for rogues only.... or a bow.... or the glaives for 2 classes.

Giving one tank a legendary without giving the others anything isn't a very good design. It will just lead to guilds stacking bear tanks. Most top end guilds usually gear their tanks out first as well since 90% of the time tank survival is a bigger issue during progression than DPS. Meaning EVERY bear tank is going to expect to be the first to get said legendary. And it would just generate alot of unnecessary controversy.

You also have to take into consideration they stated legendaries will be alot more "legendary" and most guilds will get 1 - 2 at the most, a large amount of guilds may not even get ONE. So that + letting a tank be allowed to use it just will not have good results.

[Deleted]

Monks are tanks too, but I get what you're saying, although I don't agree on the "90% of the time tank survival is a bigger issue during progression than DPS" part.

[Ristaccia]

Giving one tank a legendary without giving the others anything isn't a very good design.

Shadowmourne says hi. Bears were still pretty optimal for H:LK.

[Skyepic]

Shadowmourne says hi. Bears were still pretty optimal for H:LK.

Wait what? are you refering to DK's tanking with shadowmourne? 1) can't say i ever noticed that happening. 2) If anything that just supported my arguement that it's an awful design.

And the best tanks for H:LK were bears and paladins. No one stacked shadowmourne DK tanks in ICC.

Sorry maybe i'm missing something but i dont understand your response....

[Ristaccia]

Wait what? are you refering to DK's tanking with shadowmourne? 1) can't say i ever noticed that happening. 2) If anything that just supported my arguement that it's an awful design.

And the best tanks for H:LK were bears and paladins. No one stacked shadowmourne DK tanks in ICC.

Sorry maybe i'm missing something but i dont understand your response....

Giving one tank a legendary without giving the others anything isn't a very good design. It will just lead to guilds stacking bear tanks.

I was bringing up the fact that this has already happened - when DKs were able to tank with Shadowmourne. While giving a first or second Shadowmourne to your Blood DK was arguably not the best decision for a guild, it did happen. Regardless of that fact, Bears and Paladins were still optimal tanks for H:LK due to class mechanics and cooldowns. Additionally, keep in mind the fact that this was an occasion where damage and threat actually mattered. Provided a legendary was usable by Bears in Mists, it'd like also have a damage-related bonus, which would be much less of a benefit given changes to threat since then.

[Skyepic]

I was bringing up the fact that this has already happened - when DKs were able to tank with Shadowmourne. While giving a first or second Shadowmourne to your Blood DK was arguably not the best decision for a guild, it did happen. Regardless of that fact, Bears and Paladins were still optimal tanks for H:LK due to class mechanics and cooldowns. Additionally, keep in mind the fact that this was an occasion where damage and threat actually mattered. Provided a legendary was usable by Bears in Mists, it'd like also have a damage-related bonus, which would be much less of a benefit given changes to threat since then.

I know it already happened. Just cause it happened doesn't mean it was a good design...So it still doesn't really rebut my arguement. Like i stated earlier it really depends on the proc that makes the weapon "legendary". Look at the rogue daggers, they have the ability to increase your agility. Agility gives bears survivability so it would make it viable for them as well. Which is why i stated that if they wanted to make it "cat only" they would probably have to have the legendary manipulate energy somehow, since bears use Rage.

Also have to take into consideration tanks were not nearly as balanced in ICC as they are now. Cooldowns and large Health pools trumped everything when it came to tanking in Wrath. A DK tank with Shadowmourne could never compare to a bears armor/HP pool, or a Prot paladins Ardent defender, which is why you didn't see a sudden spike in DK tanks with Shadowmourne. Tanking in cata became alot more balanced across the board. A legendary introduced to one of them could be just what that tank needs to become almighty, and then i gaurentee you will see a spike in that tank spec for progression raiding.