Druid: AA Ability Guide

Druids are heavily dependent on AA Abilities to perform well in both healing and DPS. You’ll start to notice considerable gains around 35K AAs spent wisely in both these areas.

There are SO many AAs that help, but to get you into any advanced action quickly for both group missions and raiding, you’ll want to try and work on acquiring these AAs first:

1. aDPS and Mana Reduction

• Gift of Mana (Archetype)
• Group Spirit of the Great Wolf (Class)
• Spirit of the Great Wolf (Class)

2. Healing

• Healing Adept (Archetype)
• Focus: Adrenaline Torrent (Focus)
• Focus: Resurgence (Focus)
• Improved Lunar Healing (Focus)

3. General Raid Benefit

• Blessing of Ro (Class)
• Season’s Wrath (Class)
• Spirit of the Wood (Class)

4. Personal DPS

• Destructive Vortex (Class)
• Enhanced Ruin (Archetype)
• Focus: Nature’s Fiery Wrath (Focus)
• Focus: Horde of Aculeids (Focus)
• Focus: Sunflash (Focus)
• Focus: Summer Sunpyre (Focus)
• Improved Remote Fire (Focus)
• Chill of the Copsetender (Focus)

You can then use your judgement on the rest. I personally think that finishing up things like Improved Twincast and other DPS-related AAs (found under the Archetype tab) make sense, if you are working on being more viable DPS for raiding.

All abilities here will reduce mana costs. In addition, Group Wolf is required for aDPS on raids.

Passive Mana Reduction

Gift of Mana – grants your healing and damaging spells a 10% chance to trigger GoM and reduce the mana cost of the next spell cast to 1 mana.

• Even Druid skin buff can proc it

Activated aDPS + Mana Reduction

Group Spirit of the Great Wolf – a druid’s most desired ability for group. This is probably the first thing you instantly activate in combat, no matter what you are doing.

• Lasts 4 min and has a 7:30 min reuse time.
• Reduces mana cost of spells by 12 to 15%
• Increases the crit rate chance of DD and instant duration heal spells by 14%
• Increases damage dealt by critical DD spells by 120%
• Increases mana regeneration by 80 points
• Increases cold and fire resistance by 145 points

Spirit of the Great Wolf – this is the self version of Group Wolf, but with slighter higher boosts in some areas, names in mana. Note: this can’t be overwritten by Group Wolf.

• Lasts 4 min and has a 7:30 min reuse time.
• Reduces mana cost of spells by 12 to 15%
• Increases the crit rate chance of DD and instant duration heal spells by 20%
• Increases damage dealt by critical DD spells by 120%
• Increases mana regeneration by 140 points
• Increases cold and fire resistance by 235 points

These are nice-haves for group content. On raids, they might in fact be required

Activated Debuffs

Blessing of Ro – casts the highest rank of Cinch of Ro you know. Oftentimes even used as a “cheat” target’s target heal since it has a 6 sec refresh and barely costs any mana.

• Cinch of Ro – lowers attack value by 121, fire resistance by 86, and AC by 185.
• Also heals target’s target by at least 16K HP

Season’s Wrath – increases the damage your targeted mob takes from cold and fire spells by 17 to 25% for 1:00 min. Also has a 1:00 min reuse time.

• Considering most spells you will be using are fire-based, you want to make sure this debuff is applied before casting damage spells.
• It will also help raid aDPS as there are other fire-casting classes damaging the mob.

Note that previously-discussed wolf abilities also increase your healing spells.

Passive Healing

Abundant Healing – On raids, most clerics and shaman will be splash healing and triggering this passive effect anyhow. It’s helpful if you’re the only healer in an exp group. It grants your level 95 through 120 instant-duration heal spells, that cost at least 10 mana, a 40% chance to trigger the following:

• Abundant Healing LXI – a heal over time healing 28,000 HP every 6 sec for 30 sec. Has a 25% chance to trigger Cascade of Life XVII
• Cascade of Life XXI – instantly heals 17,000 HP

Healing Adept – increases the power of your instant-duration heal spells by 91%

Focus: Adrenaline Torrent – increases the base healing of Adrenaline Spate by 33%

Focus: Panavida – increases the base healing of Clotavida by 33%

Focus: Resurgence – increases the base healing of Soothesceance by 33%

Improved Lunar Healing – increases the base healing of Lunarush by 33%

Improved Survival of the Fittest – does several things for Survival of the Unrelenting

• Increases the base healing of Survival of the Unrelenting by 33%
• Reduces the base cast time of it by 50%
• Reduces the reuse time of it by 90 seconds

Preserver’s Synergy – grants Lunarush a 100% chance to trigger this synergy on your group

• Increases healing for next 3, level 105 or higher, instant-duration heals by 14,250 points
• Also affects target’s target heals/abilities such as Blessing of Ro and Remote nukes.
• Costs a ton of AAs to get the synergy, but can be most helpful to you on raids where Lunarush healing is used most often.

Activated Healing

Blessing of Tunare – the only splash heal ability druids have.

• Has a 5 min reuse time

Convergence of Spirits – instant, single-target , instant-duration heal, best for emergencies.

• Has an 8 min reuse time
• Heals your target for 39,000 HP
• Applies an HoT, healing 26,000 HP every 6 sec and applies a 550 damage shield

Spirit of the Wood – instantly applies a heal over time and can be TB’d and MGB’d on raids

• Has a 9 min reuse time
• Apples a HoT, healing all group members for 19,500 HP ever 6 sec
• Also increases AC by 119 and applies a 550 damage shield

Wildtender’s Survival – cast the highest rank you know of Survival of the Unrelenting

• Has a 3 min reuse time
• Does NOT share the same timer as the spell, making it handy to keep up the spell, too
• Unlike the spell, the AA is instant. Makes it preferable to use first.

Not Quite the Hype

These are abilities that are just.. “meh.”

Gift of Sylvan Spirits – passive ability which increases the total healing of instant heal spells and abilities that have a mana cost by 8000 points

• It only adds a flat amount (post-crit) to heal spells
• It’s not remarkable over buying priority abilities, but still gives something extra for heals

Nature’s Blessing – also referred to as a pseudo “heal” disc, but comes with some pitfalls. You’re better off working on getting any other activated healing AAs before using this one.

• Activated ability, lasts 42 seconds, and has a 20 min reuse time
• Grants your instant heals a 100% chance to crit heal
• Increases the mana cost of all spells by 50% (ouch)
• Will overwrite any mana-saving benefit of either wolf ability you have on you

Nature’s Boon – places a stationary healing ward

• Activated ability, lasts 300 sec, and has a 20 min reuse time
• Heals any nearby players every 6 seconds for 8500 HP
• It’s basically a weak, but very long-lasting, AE HoT
• Worthwhile using it, for the sake of just using it, especially if facing heavy AE damage

Considering druids can do top 10 DPS, you will want to work on these sooner than later.

Passive DPS

Critical Affliction – increases critical rate chance to land DoT spells by 55%

Destructive Cascade – increases the critical damage dealt by DoT spells by 405%

Destructive Fury – increases the damage dealt by critical DD spells by 370%

Fury of Magic – increases critical chance to land DDs by 57%

Enhanced Ruin – increases base damage of DoT spells that have a minimum duration of 18 seconds by 32 seconds worth of damage

Focus: Anabatic Roar – increases the base damage of Bloody Roar by 27%

Focus: Chill of the Copsetender – increases the base damage of Chill dot spells by 27%

Focus: Consuming Sunray – increases the base damage of Tenebrous Sunray by 27%

Focus: Nature’s Fiery Wrath – increases the base damage of Nature’s Sweltering Wrath by 27%

Focus: Sunflash – increases the base damage of Sunpyre by 27%

Focus: Summer Sunpyre – increases the base damage of Summer Sunpyre by 27%

Focus: Winter’s Wildflame – increases the base damage of Winter’s Wildblume by 27%

Focus: Improved Remote Fire – increases the base damage of Remote Sunbolt by 27%

Activated DPS

Destructive Vortex – instant ability which is part of your burn routine

• Last 1 min, and has a 13 min reuse time
• Increases critical rate chance to land DoT spells by 10%
• increases damage dealt by critical DoT spell by 140%

Distant Conflagration – 1 sec cast-time ability, which is also part of your burn routine

• Applies 18 counters (lasts up to ten minutes), and has a 20 min reuse time
• Each counter gives you a 100% chance to twincast a Remote nuke spell

Nature’s Fury – instant activated ability, also used as part of your burn routine

• Lasts 2 min and has a 20 min reuse time
• Increases the base damage of DD spells by 52%
• Increases the mana cost of DD spells by 20%
• Will override any mana-reduction from a wolf ability

Improved Twincast – instant ability and part of your burn routine

• Has a 15 min reuse time
• Allows you to twincast up to 21 damage spells for 2:30 min

Various AA Nukes – all of these have a 0.5 sec cast time, do 60,000 DD damage and have a 15 sec reuse time

• Nature’s Fire – fire-based DD
• Nature’s Bolt – magic-based DD
• Nature’s Frost – cold-based DD

Not Quite the Hype

Wrath of the Forest Walker – passive ability that increases damage done by spells and abilities by 8000 points.

• It only adds a flat amount (post-crit) to damage spells
• It’s not remarkable over buying priority abilities, but still gives something extra for dps

Various Focus AA – for the ones not mentioned before, these take a lesser priority as they have not been used much during ToL. if you do find a use for a particular focus-related spell, then by all means invest in it then.

Other DPS Abilities

Twinproc – Passive ability granting you a 22% chance to proc your weapon’s detrimental combat-activated spells. If you melee a lot this is where it’s worthwhile to also have an enchanter’s NPT buff up on yourself just because of this ability.

Dragons of Norrath Progression AA

By completing quests for either Sanctity of the Keepers or Power of the Dark Reign (you have to pick a side to align with) then a passive AA is unlocked granting you a 1% crit chance rate to both DDs and Dots, among other things.

This passive AA will bring you up to a total of 58% passive crit chance rate for DD and 56% passive crit chance rate for DoTs, provided that you completed all Critical Affliction and Fury of Magic AAs previously mentioned.

These can also be self benefits, too, if you are squishy. All of these are activated abilities.

Bear Spirit – instant activated, single-target ability.

• Lasts 2 minutes and has a 10 min reuse time
• Increases your target’s maximum health by 45,000 points
• Increases their AC by 86 points
• Increases their chance to dodge by 60%

A couple of good uses are if the tank is about to engage multiple mobs, lost their main defense ability, or a squishy tank is about to engage a named mob.

Swarm of Fireflies – autogranted ability, places your target under the the protection of Firefly Guardian Spirit VI and applies Fading Light for 6 minutes

• Firefly Guardian Spirit VI – triggers Firefly Glow VI if their health drops below 40%
• Firefly’s Glow VI – instantly heals for 36,000 HP and increases health regen by 10,500 points for 18 seconds
• Fading Light – prevents another priest’s Guardian Spirit ability to be placed on the same target. This is important to understand since not all tanks should received this buff.

In exp groups, and if you are a main healer, it’s always good practice to apply this ability on a tank. However, on raids, warriors (and even some hybrids) do better with cleric and shaman Guardian Spirits. You don’t want to block those classes from applying their better spirit buffs.

Wrath of the Wild – increases your targets damage shield by 100,000 points and grants them a chance to trigger Diminishing Blows II on attackers when struck in combat for up to 10 hits.

• Diminishing Blows II – Reduces attack power by 200 points

Several activated AAs that can be kept on a Hot Bar for extra utility.

Mana Buff

Wildtender’s Unity – casts the highest rank of Mask of the Dusksage Tender and Shadespine Coat on you. Helpful to clear up a spell slot at least for the Mask line.

Self Survival

Preincarnation – grants you a chance at a second life (aka touch of the divine invulnerability)

Veil of the Underbrush – your fade ability. Allows you to escape combat from mobs up to 5 level highers than you. Also useful if you take rampage damage, to place you back at the bottom of the list. Has a 10 min reuse time.

Cures

Radiant Cure

Purified Spirits

Movement

Group Cheetah – increases the movement speed of your targeted group by 115% and lasts 1:18 min. Has a 15 sec reuse time.

Mistwalk – Teleports you 234 fee forward

Spirit of Eagles – casts highest rank of Flight of Falcons you know

Call and Rez

Call of the Wild – instantly calls a deceased player back to their body with a 0% rez, but with 20% mana/end. Can be used in combat. Has a 2 min reuse time.

Rejuvenation of Spirit – 96% rez, but requires you to be out of combat and in a resting state

Not Quite the Hype

Protection of Direwood – consumes mana to absorb 75% of incoming melee damage, up to 175,000 total damage. Also provides a chance to trigger jolt (hate reduction) on attackers.

• The main problem is the mana consumption of this ability.
• Should be used as a last resort.

Did you know druids can have multiple binds? Here are some neat teleport abilities to go over.

Evacuation

Egress – will instantly teleport you to a relatively “safe” location within a zone

Exodus – will instantly teleport your group to a relatively “safe” location within a zone

• Note: Players that have any form of invulnerability will be left behind
• Has a small chance to generally leave any player behind

Primary Bind and Teleports

Both the following abilities will teleport to where you have your primary bind location set via your Bind Affinity spell.

Gate – self ability which will teleport you to your primary bind location

Teleport to Bind – this will teleport your group to your primary bind location

Secondary Bind and Teleport

Mark of Travel – this ability will set your secondary bind location

Secondary Recall – self ability which will port you to your secondary bind location

Tertiary Bind and Teleport

You will need to acquire a Guidestone (ie: from Ethernere Tainted West Karana) in order to set your tertiary bind location.

Tertiary Recall – self ability which will port you to your tertiary bind location

Teleport to Guild Hall Anchor

This will require you to purchase a Guild Hall Anchor package from the Loyalty vendor in Plane of Knowledge. Once you open the package, you will get a Guild Hall anchor which can only be placed inside a guild hall. You need to be tagged within the respective guild to use it in the GH.

Teleport to Guild Hall Anchor – allows you to cast an AE TL on all nearby players. This ability can only be used out of combat.

There is Also Origin!

This is an auto-granted self-port that all classes get to port back to their hometowns. But it’s fun to point out that you technically can have up to 5 total locations you can use AA abilities to port to with Origin and a Guild Anchor factored into this equation.

Druids have several CC abilities available in AA forms

Entrap – quick-casting, single-target snare

• Has a 2 sec reuse time
• Reduces movement speed of a targeted mob by 85%

Paralytic Spray – quick-casting, AE conal punt and root

• Has a 1 min reuse time
• Affects up to 8 mobs within a frontal, outward cone from you
• Punts mobs backwards and then roots them

Paralytic Spores – quick-casting, single-target punt and root

• Has a 1 min reuse time
• Punts a mob backwards and then roots it
• Does not share the same timer as Paralytic Spray

Wall of Wind – AE contal punt and snare

• Has a 1 min reuse time
• Affects up to 8 mobs within a fontal, outward cone from you
• Punts mobs backwards and then snares them (75% movement reduction)