Guild Wars 2

One of the key elements that I’ve always found key with a “druid” is the ability to take on the form of animals. I do not see a net taking this route for the druid in guild wars 2.

Guild wars 2 already has the ability to transform into animals through the Racial utility skills of the norns. Giving the druids the ability to shapshift would negate the norns unique racial mechanics. I don’t see Arena net doing that, and the only solution I can see to it would be to get rid of racial skills , which I’ve seen some speculation from other players saying that is possible as well

I dont think arena net will get rid of racial skills, nor do I think they will give druids the ability to shape shift.

So the question is, what do you think will be the theme from druids? Will it be just nature magic? Something they already have slight ability to do(spirits, entangle) things like that. Or will they find a way to work in shape shifting

Taking the form of animals is not a Druid. That’s just a quality some people give to it.

A Druid simply manipulates nature.

Druids are generally seen as protectors as of the world as a whole. Caring more about the total and understanding the way life works. There often seen as having similar temperaments to rangers. They often have little time to waste on the petty worries of the individual.

As far as there capability goes. Ive read hundreds of fantasy novels. And as far as I can tell the only thing every single one of the share is the ability to understand the natural world around them to a level that no non druid can. Though most seem to have a general desire to protect the natural world.

Ive read stories where they can do everything from shapeshift to controlling fungus to drain the nutrients directly out of an opponents body and use it to heal there own wounds in a VERY necromantic use of natural magic. (An example of this in gameplay is the chloromancer from rift)

As far as gameplay goes. Most druids ive seen fulfill one of 3 playstyles.

Support. Using HOT effects and defensive spells to lower overall damage dealt to a group while using EXTREMELY powerful short duration buffs to turn people into juggernauts.

Bruiser. Using layer after layer of self buffs stacking so many different effects on you than when you do hit something it simply dies… (Imagine someone having every single boon in the game for 20-30 seconds that you cant strip off + a massive damage bonus on there weapon hitting you for 90% of your health while moving faster than you taking less damage than you being resistant to CCs being immune to stuns/dazes and generally ripping you a new one) I think we can safely say if our druid is this one it won’t reach that extreme.

Caster. This druid often focuses on control and debuff skills. Youd see alot of these druids using fae fire to make you easier to hit and lower your armor, Causing the trees around you to become mobile and attack you, Charming insects to swarm at you biting at your eyes, creating fields of grass that are as sharp as blades slicing through your boots and into your feet(good luck if you trip), and summoning vines with poisoned thorns to hamper you…and then smashing you in the face with your staff when you DO reach them weakened, crippled, and dieing. (personally hoping for this one)

In Guild Wars 1 the Druids we met were long-dead. They were human in life and forced into the Maguuma Jungle. There isn’t any note of them having an ability to shapeshift while they were alive, but they shed their human bodies and became part of nature (becoming the giant tree-like spirits we saw in Prophecies and see in certain summon skills in GW2).

Obviously, we don’t know if Anet will follow GW1 lore (as far as transformation goes) or if they’ll bring in something completely new.

I’m hoping it’ll go in a direction of more natural magic rather than more spirit summoning and such.

Wait I dont see why people say no class should get shapeshifting because Norn Racials are shapeshifts…

Well I like to see that same argument for Sylvari Racials and Ranger skills……

RoseofGilead.8907:

In Guild Wars 1 the Druids we met were long-dead. They were human in life and forced into the Maguuma Jungle. There isn’t any note of them having an ability to shapeshift while they were alive, but they shed their human bodies and became part of nature (becoming the giant tree-like spirits we saw in Prophecies and see in certain summon skills in GW2).

Obviously, we don’t know if Anet will follow GW1 lore (as far as transformation goes) or if they’ll bring in something completely new.

I’m hoping it’ll go in a direction of more natural magic rather than more spirit summoning and such.

The clip we got in the announcement trailer supports nature magic I feel. Hopefully that’s the path we take !

I’m just here hoping my Druid can dress in his druidic robes, without having to pay 1000 gems for it.

Humans have shapeshifting too, it is not Norn exclusive. So the Norn argument is baseless.

There are many different kinds of shapeshifting anyways, ruling them all out because one type exists is just a bad idea.

I’d love to see some shapeshifting with the druid profession, even though I am fairly sure it won’t happen.

I kind of hope that the idea of “something cool” to make up for no more mobile spirits comes in the druid specialization. It kind of fits, druids, spirits of nature, especially as the ranger spirit models themselves looks like the models of the druids in Guild Wars 1. Not the whole trait line, but one or two traits to chose to make the spirits worth taking for once.

Im no developer (not even close), but here is the direction I would go with the druids -

Obviously, all staff abilities would all be heavily nature magic themed. I would like to see the current Mordrem abilities serve as inspirations. In addition to the underground root missile we’ve already seen, maybe add the pheromone/bee ability from the mordrem troll, a spinning health leech (ala the Mordrem Leeching Thrasher) and a charging knockback (the Teragriff).

For the new utilities, I would like to see nature magic based Cantrips – magic spells that call up on the ground, the trees and the water to either protect the party or inhibit the enemy.

And, finally, the F5 ability should imbue the druid with the spirit of whichever pet is active at the time (not a transformation, but maybe some minor graphical effects). In addition to gaining boons specific to the pet (protection with bears, swiftness with birds, fury with cats, etc), the F5 would become a powerful attack (with appropriate cooldown) – again differing based on the pet active at the time (howl for wolf, maul for bear, peck/blind for bird, etc).

Not completely fleshed out – but that is the direction I would take ingame mechanics to give the Ranger Elite the “Druid” feel.

However, as fun as it is to speculate, I suspect Anet already has much better ideas than mine.

Druid to me don;t mean Animal forums in fact that is usally just fluff spells for fun in my other mmos i played like EQ/EQ2 Druid there is about nature magic healing planting trees to help heal in Aoe, Thorns – simaler to retaliation- being able to turn into a tree – so animals wont attack you why afk so so

Basically Healers

I’m expecting Druids to be very CC-heavy, building on current abilities such as Entangling Roots, but you can also make a very strong case for a very support-heavy Druid, building thematically on Nature Spirits.

As I main a Ranger (and played a Druid in WoW), I am really excited for the possibilities!