DDOCast 437 - Spell Selection: Druids & Rangers

[pjstechie]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLgqFCIZjvs

This week we wrap up our series on Spell Selection with Voodu & Asheras talking about Druids & Rangers. We also take a look at the last 2 weeks worth of DDO, Community, and General Gaming news and some lightning post!

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Spell Selection: Druids - 2:05
Spell Selection: Rangers - 1:03:00
Game News - 1:07:20
Community News - 1:19:24
Lightning Post - 1:30:00
Closing - 1:38:00

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Update 31 Patch 4 Release Notes (https://www.ddo.com/en/update-31-patch-4-release-notes-0)
DDO Chronicle 197 (https://www.ddo.com/en/news/ddo-chronicle-issue-197)
DDO Chronicle 198 (https://www.ddo.com/en/news/ddo-chronicle-issue-198)
Order of Syncletica: Wisdom to Stop Time (https://orderofsyncletica.wordpress.com/2016/07/18/the-wisdom-to-stop-time/)
DDO Gamer: Open the Floodgates (http://www.gamergeoff.com/opening-the-floodgates/)
Micki’s Delerium: Solo Raider (https://mickisdelirium.wordpress.com/2016/07/21/about-my-solo-raider-maidae-life-6/)
Shane Plays Radio: Jerry Snook & Johnny Wood w/ Turbine Interviews (https://youtu.be/UjHBkjLATo8)
Vooduspyce: Ice Storm vs Firewall (https://youtu.be/kFJrHo8HaV4)

[FuzzyDuck81]

Druids are an odd kind of a class, since unlike others which are at their best when focussing on a specific type of build, IMO the real strength of a druid is their ability to switch between roles on the fly - they essentially specialise in being a generalist.

The druid SLAs are all great and a large part of why I like to take the enlarge spell feat, since you can destroy enemies from long distance at very little SP cost with them and except for produce flame they don't have projectiles, so you can selectively target the caster at the back. Any enemies that survive will, with a little care, be coming for you alone, and seriously hurt :D

The weapon generated by the flame blade spell increases in power with levels, but with the new loot system it's massively overshadowed, which is a real shame since it's got a great flavour to it.

I very much agree with sleet storm, it's phenomenal, not just slowing enemies but blinding them, all with no save, meaning it's a persistant AoE no-save instant death spell vs. those surprisingly dangerous Xoriat eyeballs - also, since enemies are blinded they'll become vulnerable to sneak attacks, meaning it boosts dps for wolf form melee druids or even your whole party.

Useful hint about stoneskin; use it from a wand and you can cast it at lower levels, before you're able to memorise it. This also applies to cure wands, so is particularly useful for rangers

Fireshield is great, and remember druids can wear non-metallic medium or even heavy armour too with the feat *cough*dragonscaleplate*cough* & non-metallic large or even tower shields *cough*madstone or stone wall*cough* for some decent MRR too so fire/cold damage can see some significant reduction. Orbs are nice too in the off hand but watch out for the thunderforged ones, they're metallic and will break your oath.

Another useful thing to remember about druids healing is that regenerate spells will stack with vigor spells, allowing double ticks of healing over time, useful in the big "gather and beat down" kind of fights since you don't have to worry about timing mass cures like you would with a cleric or fvs.

Small shout-out for lesser mass vigor - not for druids, but rather for rangers through the deepwood stalker tree, where it's powered by animal empathy charges. It can provide some great support healing for your entire party with no SP cost.

IMO the rangers spell list is brilliant because it ties in perfectly with the whole theme of the class as a self-sufficient lightweight sneaky scout, skirmisher and archer type.