U38 Preview 2: Druid

[Cocomajobo]

NOTE:
This color means a that this thing was not in the first preview.
This color means that this thing was in the first preview.


GENERAL CHANGES

Wild Shape

• Animal forms (Wolf, Bear, Winter Wolf, and Dire Bear) will now use the stats of the player's main hand weapon for melee attack purposes, such as Base Damage, Critical Multiplier, Critical Range, all Enchantments, Material traits, procs, etc. The issue with the power level of certain effects not scaling will be resolved by this as well. Primal Avatar form and damage is “currently” not effected by theses changes for this build.
• Existing combat style bugs are being fixed.
  
  • No combat style specific bonuses will function while in animal forms aside from Natural Fighting, and any bonuses native to the form (no dual wielding, shield bashes or single weapon attack speed).
  • Using a two-handed weapon still grants the 1.5 damage from your modifying stat, and Power Attack feat adjustments in animal form as well, for its additional bonus.
  • Shields still grant stat bonuses including armor class (but no shield bashes while in animal form)
  • Activated Attacks that require a specific weapon to be held in your hand will still not work in animal form (because sometimes these attacks have animation requirements) However things that modify your weapons base stats still work normally such as changing your primary damage stat.
• Wolf form attack animations and movement speed has been adjusted.
  
  • We are reducing the Basic Wolf Form attack speed bonus to 20%. Winter wolf attack speed has been boosted to 35%. We are also fixing some flaky behavior in the attack chain.
  • All Wolf Speed increases now stacks with haste and other speed effects
  • Winter Wolf Speed increased to 10% + 1% per druid level, max 30% at level 20 druid.
• The Bear attack animation chain will be improved to make its attack rate match other weapon styles.
  
  • This will result in an approximate 15% increase in attack speed.
  • Bear form gains glancing blows as if it was using a two handed weapon. Abilities that increase your glance damage, chance apply normally though this does not include improved two handed fighting feats which are "combat styles". See natural weapon fighting. Glancing blows are disabled when the fighting defensively feat is toggled on
• All animal forms (Wolf, Bear, Winter Wolf, and Dire Bear) now have an animation for reading a tome.
• Wolf and Dire Wolf jump animations have been polished to remove hitching.
• All animal forms (Wolf, Bear, Winter Wolf, and Dire Bear) have had their sit, kneel, and sleep animations polished
• Weapons and shields should no longer erroneously display while in animal shape under certain conditions
• Wolf and Bear shadows should now appear correctly if you log in with their Wild Shape already toggled on.
• Bears should now apply visual effects from spells like Bark Skin correctly
• Wolf and Winter Wolf forms have had a texture makeover
• Water and Fire Elemental form will now grant 65% Absorption to their element, instead of Damage Reduction, and 15% Vulnerability to their opposite element. The bonus will not stack with Fire Shields or Fire Energy Sheath. Absorption from items and other abilities still work.
  
• There is a new toggle feat that druids get at level 13 (with their first elemental body pick) that disables the textures for elemental forms

Specific Spell Changes

• Wild Shape Spells
  
  • The following druid innate animal spells will now work regardless of rage, feeblemind, quell or anti magic.
    
    • Maul
    • Great Maul
    • Take Down
    • Pack Presence
    • Baiting Bite
    • Shred
    • Harrowing Pack
    • Rising Fury
    • Cold Breath
    • Tenacious Pack
    • Tremor
    • Jaws of Winter
    • Rising Fury
    • Relentless assault
    • Howl of Terror
    • Unstoppable
    • Snow Slide
  • Wolf Form Spells
    
    • Baiting Bite will now use your spot score for the bluff role. This is still considered a bluff skill check.
    • Take Down's cooldown increased to 8 seconds
    • Take Down no longer erroneously grants +4[W] and instead properly grants +2[W]
    • Take Down's DC scales with highest of STR,DEX, or WIS modifier.
    • Jaws of Winter is now a level 6 spell instead of a level 7 spell (This will require players who had it memorized before the update downtime to need to adjust their memorized spells)
    • Jaws of Winter DC scales with the higher of STR, DEX, or WIS modifier
    • The following Wolf Spells gain +1 Critical Damage Multiplier and Critical Threat Range
      
      • Baiting Bite
      • Jaws of Winter
      • Snowslide
  • Bear Form Spells
    
    • Rising Fury's cooldown will be reduced to 30 seconds
    • Rising Fury will now accept the "Extend Spell" Metamagic Feat
      
    • Tremor damage increased to 2[W] and correctly describes itself as an attack.
    • Tremor DC scales with the higher of STR or WIS modifier
    • Maul no longer erroneously grants +4[W] and instead properly grants +2[W]
    • Maul no correctly attempts an Intimidate check on the target.
    • Great Maul damage increased to +3[W]
    • The following Bear Spells gain +1 Critical Damage Multiplier and Critical Threat Range
      
      • Shred
      • Great Maul
      • Relentless Onslaught
• Regular Spells
  
  • Reincarnate's casting time and cool down will be put on par with Raise Dead.[/INDENT]
  • Creeping Doom will now do acid damage and benefit form acid spell power. Each character can have their own copy of this dot on a target.
  • Enveloping Swarm has been re-designed as a single target instant application dot instead of a damage shield effect. Each character can have their own copy of this dot on a target. Target is enveloped by insects taking 2d8 acid damage + 1d8 for every 3 druid levels every 2 seconds for 16 seconds. SP Cost: 10 Meta Magics: Max, Intensify, Empower, Enlarge, Heighten Reflex save for half each tick
  • Produce Flame Projectile speed is being increased
  • Creeping cold and Greater creeping cold will now stack with each other when cast by other druids (two can each have their own copy on a target now)
  • Anger of the Noon Day Sun Creatures affected who were immune/resistant/healed by to fire now take full damage. Will not stack with effects that amplify damage beyond 100%. -8% fortification
  • Mantle of Ice Creatures affected who were immune/resistant/healed by to cold now take full damage. Will not stack with effects that amplify damage beyond 100%. 10% attack speed slow 25% movement speed slow -4 to fort/reflex saves
  • Elemental Toughness Target: Self DR removed. Now grants 1 physical resistance per druid level for the duration of the spell. Lasts 30 seconds a druid level Costs 25 spell points Metas: Quicken Extend
  • Fires of Purity Fire DR penalty has been changed to a 10% vulnerability penalty
    
  • Salt Ray now causes the helpless state when enemies fail their save.
  • Spike Growth visual has been adjusted to reduce the amount it blocks view
  • Shillelagh is now a self buff that enchants any wooden weapon you wield for it's duration. While the enchant stays on the player casting other weapon enchants will suspend it until the weapon is re-equips and it clears other temp weapon enchants.
  • Call Lightning Storm now deals 1d10 Electric Damage per 2 Caster Levels each time an enemy is struck with Lightning.
  • Storm of Vengeance now deals 1d3 Acid Damage per Caster Level every two seconds to enemies in the area.
  • Storm of Vengeance now deals 1d10 Electric Damage per 2 Caster Levels each time an enemy is struck with Lightning.

Wolf Pet

• The death of a Druid's Wolf pet will no longer cause the Druid to lose hit points and spell points
• Druids now have 3 pet revivals each rest instead of 1

Feats

• Natural Weapon Fighting has been changed to the following: "You have grown accustomed to fighting with claws, paws, and jaws. While in a Druid animal form, such as Bear or Wolf, you receive +4 to melee power, physical resistance rating, and Doublestrike chance. In bear form your glancing blow damage is increased by 10%. This feat can be taken up to three times. This feat gives no benefit to Druids in elemental or none animal forms."
  
• The Epic Feat "Master of the Wilds" now includes the spell "Salt Ray"

[Cocomajobo]

NATURE'S WARRIOR

Cores

1. Nature's Warrior: You gain 8 hitpoints and +1 to hit and damage in an animal form for this and every other core taken in this tree. In Wolf or Winter Wolf form you also gain +1 Sneak Attack Die for this and every other core taken in this tree.
2. Nature's Senses: Your attacks penetrate 10% of your enemies Fortification. You gain a +3 bonus to Listen, Spot and Search
3. Nature's Bounty: You have mastered the art of wielding divine magic in animal forms, and using it to empower your body in physical combat. While in an animal form, the cooldown penalty for non-animal spells is reduced from 2.5 times the usual length to 2.0.
4. A True Hunter: While in an animal form you gain a +1 competence bonus to critical damage multiplier of your weapon. Requires a weapon to be equipped.
5. Howling Frost: Casting Howl of Terror now grants you "Winter Hunt" for 10 seconds which grants +10 exceptional bonus to Doublestrike, a 25% bonus to spell critical chance, and +50% to spell critical multiplier to all cold damage spells. This will only occur once every 30 seconds.
6. Beast Form Mastery: You have mastered the art of wielding divine magic in animal form, and using it to empower your body in physical combat. While in an animal form, the cooldown penalty for non-animal form spells is reduced from 2.5 times the usual length to 1.5. Does not stack with Nature’s Protector cores. Passive: +2 strength and wisdom and +10 to double strike and physical resistance rating

Tier 1

• Extra Wild Empathy: +1/2/3 Wild Empathy uses per rest. +1/2/3 Improved Wild Empathy uses per rest (if you have this ability). +5/10/15 Positive Spell Power. AP COST: 1
• Snapping Jaws: Whenever you bluff or use an ability that triggers a bluff check such as baiting bite your target is debuffed losing -2 AC and you gain a stack of "Snapping jaws" for +2 AC for 15 seconds. Stacks 1/2/3 times. AP COST: 1
• Take Down: Increase trip DCs by 1/2/3, AP COST: 1
• Bestial Nature: Increase reflex and fortitude saves by 1/2 AP COST: 1
• Athletic Hunter: +1/2/3 bonus to Balance, Jump, Move Silently, and Hide Skills. Tier 3 grants one charge of wild empathy AP COST: 1

Tier 2

• Flight: Gain an uncapped dodge bonus of 20% for 10/20/30 seconds, costs 1 wild empathy to activate. 1 Minute 30 seconds cooldown. AP COST: 1
• Improved Dodge: +1/2/3 Dodge. AP COST: 1
• Ghost Wolf: Passive: Gain ghost touch on your melee attacks while in wolf forms AP COST: 2
  
• Brother Wolf: While your wolf pet is alive and within 40 meters it gains 5/10/15 hp every 12/9/6 seconds and 10/15/20 magical and physical resistance rating and you gain 1/2/3 to hit and damage AP COST: 1 (Update: Moved down from Tier 3)
• Action Boost: Double Strike: Activate to gain a +[10/20/30]% action boost bonus to Doublestrike for 20 seconds. AP COST: 1

Tier 3

• Fight: +1/2/3 damage and AC while in an animal form AP COST: 1 (requires: flight)
  
• Prey on the Weak: 8/15% Damage Bonus against helpless targets AP COST: 1 (Update: Moved up from Tier 2)
• Ghost Wolf Pack: Wolf Form Melee Attack: When you trigger this spectral pack mates appear to assault all foes before you. On Hit: +2(W) and a +2 critical threat range. This also applies a 5 second confusion effect with no save. Bosses are immune to the confusion. You gain 35% Incorporeal defense for 20 seconds. AP COST: 2
• Essence of the Shrike: Striking a blow focuses your mind and body. When you critically hit an enemy while in any Wolf form, you gain 10/20 temporary spell points for 8 seconds. Passive (Permanent): +5/10 Positive Spellpower AP COST: 1
• Strength or Wisdom AP: 2

Tier 4

• Fatal Harrier: Killing an enemy grants you a 5% enhancement bonus to attack speed for 20 seconds. You also gain a +1 bonus to reflex saves. Stacks up to 1/3/5 times. Enemies your own level or higher have a 100% chance of activating this ability. For every level below you, the chances are reduced by 20%. A monster two levels below you only has a 60% chance of creating this effect. AP COST:1
• Four Legs Good: You become immune to most knock down effects in animal forms AP COST: 2
• Ferocity: You gain +2/4/6 melee power in bear or wolf form. This bonus is doubled if an effect is preventing you from casting. AP COST: 1
• Great White Wolf: +10/20/30 cold spell power, while in winter wolf form you gain 10/20/30% cold absorption. AP COST: 1
• Strength or Wisdom AP: 2

Tier 5

• Alpha Strike: Area Melee Attack: Deals +2/3/5[W] You fight for leadership. AOE melee attack. On targets above 85% health it reduces their Melee Power, Ranged Power, and Spell Power by 25 for 15 seconds. Activation Cost: 12/9/6 Spell Points. Cooldown: 18/15/12 Seconds. Requires any of Wolf, Bear, or Tree forms to activate. AP COST: 1 (requires: fight)
• Swift Hunter: Wolf forms gain evasion. Armor restrictions apply as normal. AP COST: 2
• Throat Rip: Requires Wolf Form. Melee attack that strikes 3 times, adds 6 sneak attack dice on each attack. Each hit on a living target inflicts a Bleed that causes 1d6 damage every 3 seconds for 18 seconds. Bleed stacks up to 10 times and scales with 200% Melee Power. Target must make a fortitude save (DC: 15+Highest of WIS/STR Mod + Stun Mods) or will be silenced for 15 seconds. Bosses are immune to silence but take a 25 point spellpower debuff.
• Jaws of the Great White Wolf: The spell Jaws of Ice now grants Temporary Hit Points equal to 10 times your character level. AP COST: 2
• Go for the Kill: "Requires Wolf Form. You charge your target for +4[W], +5 to Critical Threat Range, +1 Critical Damage Multilpier, and knock them down (Save neagtes trip. DC: 15 + Highest of STR/WIS mod + trip bonuses) and grant yourself a +15 bonus to Melee Power for 30 seconds. If charging from a distance of over 10 meters the Melee Power bonus is doubled. Deals an additional 50 points of damage to helpless targets (scales with Melee Power). Cooldown: 20 Seconds. Activation Cost Cost: 15 Spell Points

[Cocomajobo]

SEASONS HERALD

Cores

1. Child of Summer: You gain the ability Child of Summer: Activate to grant +5 Spellpower when casting fire, force, light, sonic and positive spells. This seasonal Spellpower is multiplied by one for every Core enhancement possessed in Season's Herald (starting with this one), up to +30 when you have all six Enhancements. Lasts until death or change of season. Fire Elemental form changes you into this season automatically. Passive: +1 Universal Spellpower per AP spent in this tree.
2. Elder of Winter: You gain Child of Winter: Activate to gain +5 Spellpower when casting Cold, Acid, Electric, and Negative spells per core in this tree. Lasts until death or season change. Water elemental form changes you into this season automatically. Passive: +1 caster levels to spells in your active season.
3. Wellspring: +1 Max Caster Level for spells appropriate to your season. The effects of your shillelagh spell are doubled.
4. Sun Burst: Gain Sun Burst as an SLA, SP: 4, Cooldown: 20 seconds (new – lowered cooldown)
5. Storm of Vengeance: Gain Storm of Vengeance as an SLA, SP 20 cost. 2 minute cool down.
6. Hierophant: You are wise and skilled in the art of wielding divine magic to summon aid and change the world around you. +2 Wisdom & Constitution. Your Conjuration and Evocation spells gain +1 DC, +1 caster level, and +1 max caster level in both seasons.

Tier 1

• Beguile: Whenever you attack or cast a spell on an enemy, there is a 50% chance to Beguile an affected enemy [1/1-2/1-3] times for 3 seconds. Beguile: -2% attack speed, -2 Spellpower. Beguile stacks up to 25 times, and one stack fades every few seconds. Up to one enemy affected each second (by up to [1/2/3] stacks). Does not affect bosses. AP COST: 1
• Shared Spirit: Your wolf pet gains 3/6/10% bonus to its maximum hit points. Passive: You gain 1/2/3 spell power. AP COST: 1
• Produce Flame: Spell Like Ability: Produce Flame. Cost: 6/5/3, Cooldown: 10/6/4 AP COST: 1
• Wax and Wane: +2% critical chance with spells associated with your current season. -AP COST: 2
  
  Winter: Acid, Cold, Electric, and Negative
  Summer: Fire, Force, Light, Positive, Force, and Sonic
• Druidic Wisdom: Gain a +1/2/4 to heal, spellcraft, and diplomancy skills. AP COST: 1

Tier 2

• Efficient MetaMagic: Reduce the cost of a meta magic, empower, enlarge, maximize, quicken AP COST: 2
• Efficient MetaMagic: Reduce the cost of a meta magic, empower, enlarge, maximize, quicken AP COST: 2
• Creeping Cold: Spell Like Ability: Creeping Cold (Cost: [6/5/3] SP. Cooldown: [12/10/8] seconds) AP COST: 1 Requires produce flame
• Wax and Wane: +2% critical chance with spells associated with your current season. -AP COST: 2
  
  Winter: Acid, Cold, Electric, and Negative
  Summer: Fire, Force, Light, Positive, Force, and Sonic
• Action Boost: Spell Power: Action boost grants 10/20/30 spell power for 20 seconds. 30 second cool down. AP COST: 1

Tier 3

• Autumn Leaves: Toggle to be shielded by autumn winds. Under this effect gain feather fall, +3 dodge, and a 10% chance to knock down any enemy that strikes you in melee. Costs: 8 SP Lasts until death or toggled off AP COST: 1
• Efficient Heighten AP COST: 2
• Call Lightning: Spell Like Ability: Call Lightning (Cost: [10/8/6] SP. Cooldown: [12/8/6] seconds) AP COST: 1 Requires: Creeping cold
• Wax and Wane: +2% critical chance with spells associated with your current season. -AP COST: 2
  
  Winter: Acid, Cold, Electric, and Negative
  Summer: Fire, Force, Light, Positive, Force, and Sonic
• Wisdom +1 AP COST: 2

Tier 4

• Spring Resurgence: Fill an ally with the vitality of spring. When that ally falls below 50% hit points, that ally and any other allies near him are healed by 20d6 positive energy, and receive a +2 primal bonus to attack rolls. (Lasts 5 minutes or until triggered.) (Activation Cost: [8/6/4] Spell Points.) Cooldown: [8/4/2] seconds) AP COST: 1
• Strength of the Solstice: +1 to the save DC's of your Evocation and Conjuration spells AP COST: 2
• Salt Ray: Spell Like Ability: Salt Ray (Cost: [12/10/8] SP. Cooldown: [12/10/8] seconds) AP COST: 1
• Wax and Wane: +2% critical chance with spells associated with your current season. -AP COST: 2
  
  Winter: Acid, Cold, Electric, and Negative
  Summer: Fire, Force, Light, Positive, Force, and Sonic
• Wisdom +1 AP COST: 2

Tier 5

• Crown of Summer: A target of your choice is filled with the light and vitality of summer. That target gains a 15% enhancement bonus to Healing Amplification, 10 Melee Power, and 5 Ranged Power. (Activation Cost: 1 Spell Point. Cooldown: 6 seconds) Only one target can have the crown at a time. AP COST: 1
• Master of the Elements: Gain 5/10/15 spell power in your season. Passive rank 3: Changing into Fire Elemental form now grants you the "Anger of the Noon Day Sun" effect. Changing into Water Elemental Form now grants you the "Icy Mantle" effect. (Update: Removed the 17 Druid levels requirement for the rank 3 passive.)
• Word of Balance: Spell Like Ability: Word of Balance (Cost: [12/9/6] SP. Cooldown: [20/15/10] seconds) AP COST: 1 Requires: Salt Ray
• Time and Tide: Increase your Caster Level and Max Caster Level by +1 AP COST: 2
• Armor of Winter: Gain 8 times your wisdom in temporary Hit points that lasts 60 seconds. (Cooldown: 30 seconds, Sp Cost: 12) AP COST: 2

[Cocomajobo]

NATURE'S PROTECTOR

Cores

1. Nature's Protector: Gain 8 hp and 3 MRR. For every additional core in the tree gain 16 hp and 3 mrr.
2. Nature's Defense: Defensive Combat Stance: +8 Physical and Magical Resistance Rating. Cannot be active with other defensive stances but can be used while raging.
3. Magical Beast: While in an animal form the penalty on your spell cooldowns is reduced from 2.5 to 2.0. This benefit does not stack with the Nature's Warrior versions of this ability. Grants Heavy Armor Proficiency.
4. Big Claws: Adds Great Maul to your spell book. Great Maul: Requires Bear or Dire Bear Form: Activate to do an Innate Attack: Deals +2[W] and the target you strike must make a Fortitude save or be stunned for 6 seconds (DC: 13 + Highest of STR or WIS mods + Tactical bonuses). Cooldown: 12 Seconds. Activation Cost: 3 Spell Points. Shares a cooldown with Maul.
5. Big Bear: The Tremor spell now has a 20% chance to grant you an additional use of Rage. Passive: Grants a 5% combat style attack speed bonus in bear forms.
6. The Great Bear: Grants a 10% combat style attack speed bonus in bear forms. +2 Strength and Constitution. While in animal forms your spell cooldowns are only increased by 1.5 down from 2. This effect does not stack with the Nature's Warrior version of this ability.

Tier 1

• Rage of the Beast: Activate to rage gaining +4 strength and Con, +2 will saves, -2 ac for 40 seconds. You cannot cast spells while raging. This ability shares cool down and charges with Barbarian Rage. Effects that modify Barbarian Rage also affect this and vice versa. Can be used 1/2 times per rest. Grants the Dismiss Rage Feat. AP COST: 1
• Bloody Claws: Every time you use maul you gain one stack of Killer Instinct: +1 to damage for 15 seconds. Max stack size: 1/2/3. AP COST: 1
• Improved Natural Defense: AP COST: 1 Choose one of the following three bonuses which apply while in Nature's Defense Stance:
  
  • Enchanted Defense: +4/8/12 Competence Bonus to Physical and Magical Resistance Rating
  • Fierce Defense: +50/100/150% Competence Bonus to Melee Threat Generation
  • Grizzled Defense: +1/2/3 Sacred Bonus to all Saving Throws
• Fey’s Blessing: Gain a +2/4/6 bonus to Magical Resistance Rating AP COST: 1
• Animal Brutality: Gain a +1/2/3 skill bonus to intimidate, swim, and jump. Rank 3 grants +1 to hit and damage. AP COST: 1

Tier 2

• Primal Beast: While raging in animal form you gain +5/10 Melee Power. AP COST: 1 Requires Rage of the Beast
• Sharp Bloody Claws: Your Shred attack now grants you one stack of Killer Instinct: +1 to damage for 15 seconds. AP COST: 1
• Improved Natural Defense: AP COST: 1 Choose one of the following three bonuses which apply while in Nature's Defense Stance:
  
  • Enchanted Defense: +4/8/12 Competence Bonus to Physical and Magical Resistance Rating
  • Fierce Defense: +50/100/150% Competence Bonus to Melee Threat Generation
  • Grizzled Defense: +1/2/3 Sacred Bonus to all Saving Throws
• Thick Hide: +2/4/6 Natural Armor Bonus AP COST: 1
• Action Boost: Beast at Bay: Activate to gain an action boost for +5/10/15 Armor Class and +7/14/21 Magical Resistance Rating for 20 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds. Activation Cost: 1 Action Boost Charge. AP COST: 1

Tier 3

• Enduring Beast: While raging in animal form you gain +10/20 Positive Healing Amplification and +1/2 Strength. Grants +1/2 additional uses of rage per rest. AP COST: 1 Requires: Undying Beast
• Savage Roar: Using the Roar spell with 1 stack of killer instinct active now triggers a burst of 1-3 sonic damage per wilderness lore feat you have. Scales with Melee Power. If you have 2 stacks it also stuns (DC: 10 + Wilderness Lore Rank + Strength Mod + Stun Mods). At 3 stacks the damage is increased to 5-10 per Wilderness Lore Feat in addition to the Stun. Casting Roar clears all stacks of Killer Instinct. AP: 2 (Update: Moved down from Tier 4)
• Improved Natural Defense: AP COST: 1 Choose one of the following three bonuses which apply while in Nature's Defense Stance:
  
  • Enchanted Defense: +4/8/12 Competence Bonus to Physical and Magical Resistance Rating
  • Fierce Defense: +50/100/150% Competence Bonus to Melee Threat Generation
  • Grizzled Defense: +1/2/3 Sacred Bonus to all Saving Throws
• Ursa Protector: AP COST: 1 Choose one of the following three bonuses which apply while in either Bear Form with Nature's Defense Stance active:
  
  • Ursa's Heart: +15%/20%/25% Competence bonus to maximum Hit Points
  • Ursa's Spirit: +2/4/6 Competence Bonus to Constitution
  • Ursa's Will: +3/6/9 Sacred Bonus to Magical Resistance Rating
• Strength OR Constitution AP COST: 2

Tier 4

• Undying Beast: While raging in animal form you gain immunity to energy drain and death effects. Grants an additional use of rage. AP COST: 2 Requires: Primal Beast
• Spirit Refreshed: Shifting forms when you are below 33% health now heals you to full. This can only occur once every 3 minutes. AP COST: 2 (Update: Moved up from Tier 3)
• Spirit Renewed: Shifting forms when you are below 33% health now heals you to full and restores you as per the spell. This can only occur once every 2 minutes. Shape shifting now always removes fatigue and exhaustion. AP COST: 2 Requires: Spirit refreshed
• Ursa Protector: AP COST: 1 Choose one of the following three bonuses which apply while in either Bear Form with Nature's Defense Stance active:
  
  • Ursa's Heart: +15%/20%/25% Competence bonus to maximum Hit Points
  • Ursa's Spirit: +2/4/6 Competence Bonus to Constitution
  • Ursa's Will: +3/6/9 Sacred Bonus to Magical Resistance Rating
• Strength OR Constitution AP COST: 2

Tier 5

• Beast unleashed: While raging in an animal form you gain an additional +25 Melee Power. In addition, if the druid is in a Bear Form they gain a +15% bonus to Armor Class and +50% Melee Threat Generation. Grants an additional use of rage per rest. AP COST: 2
• Requires Enduring Beast
  
• Bear Charge: Bear Form Melee Attack: Charge forward dealing +2[W] with a +1 Critical Threat Range and Damage Multiplier to all targets before you. In addition, knock down all enemies that fail a Reflex Save (DC: 15 + Highest of WIS or STR Mod + Trip Bonuses). 15 second cooldown. AP COST: 2
• Lightning strikes the Mountain: Bear Form Melee Attack: Activate to call down a bolt of lightning as you launch an attack . On Hit: +3[W] and 5-8 Electric Damage per character level (Scales with Melee Power). You are also granted a +100% bonus to Melee Threat Generation and +20 Magical Resistance Rating for 15 seconds. Bonuses are doubled if Nature's Defense stance is active. Cooldown: 30 Seconds. Activation Cost: 15 Spell Points.
• Ursa Protector: AP COST: 1 Choose one of the following three bonuses which apply while in either Bear Form with Nature's Defense Stance active:
  
  • Ursa's Heart: +15%/20%/25% Competence bonus to maximum Hit Points
  • Ursa's Spirit: +2/4/6 Competence Bonus to Constitution
  • Ursa's Will: +3/6/9 Sacred Bonus to Magical Resistance Rating
• Force of Nature: You gain 10/15/20% resistance against force damage and 1/2/3 Constitution. AP COST: 1

[Cocomajobo]

Bugs fixed since the first preview
These are bugs that were in preview 1 but should be fixed and no longer occurring in Preview 2. This list is to let so that you don't have to wonder whether a bug you found on the last preview has been fixed yet or not and also to give you a little glimpse into what the development process generally looks like. There are still many more bugs that we know about and have on the docket to fix before the live release but simply did not make it in in time for this preview.

• Wild Shape: Shield Mastery still applying benefits while in Animal Forms.
• Nature's Protector: "Nature's Defense" (Second Core) grants Heavy Armor Proficiency. Requires Re-logging to apply.
• Nature's Protector: "Magical Beast" (Third Core) causes Bear animal spells to have their cooldowns INCREASED by roughly 33%
• Nature's Protector: "Big Bear" (Fifth Core) bonus to attack speed is removed on Rest
• Nature's Protector: "The Great Bear" (Sixth Core) bonus to attack speed is removed on Rest
• Nature's Protector: "The Great Bear" (Sixth Core) does not grant +2 Strength
• Nature's Protector: "The Great Bear" (Sixth Core) does not grant +2 Constitution
• Nature's Protector: "Defense Boost" (T2) is simply named "Defense Boost" and not "Action Boost: (Something other than Defense cause that's already taken)"
• Nature's Protector: "Enduring Beast" (T3) text states that it grants +10/20 "healing amplification" but only grants "Positive Healing Amplification"
• Nature's Protector: "Enduring Beast" (T3) rank 2 does not mention the cumulative +2 rages per rest (+1 for rank 1, and another +1 for rank 2).
• Nature's Protector: "Strength" (T3) costs 1 AP instead of the usual 2 AP for an Attribute point.
• Nature's Protector: "Constitution" (T3) costs 1 AP instead of the usual 2 AP for an Attribute point.
• Nature's Protector: "Strength" (T4) costs 1 AP instead of the usual 2 AP for an Attribute point.
• Nature's Protector: "Constitution" (T4) costs 1 AP instead of the usual 2 AP for an Attribute point.
• Nature's Protector: "Ability Score" (T4) does not have "Ability Score" (T3) as a pre-requisite like most other trees.
• Nature's Protector: "Beast Unleashed" (T5) states that it grants "50% increase to threat." while raging in bear form. It only grants an increase to Melee threat gain and not Magic or Missile threat.
• Nature's Warrior: Core 1 Natural Adept is granting +3 spot, listen and search incorrectly
• Nature's Warrior: Core 1 Natural Adept description is incorrect
• Nature's Warrior: Core 3 Nature's Bounty currently increases cooldown of animal form spells in addition to decreasing cooldown of normal spells
• Nature's Warrior: Core 3 Nature's Bounty doesnt have full description
• Nature's Warrior: Core 4 A True Hunter description is incorrect
• Nature's Warrior: Core 4 A True Hunter crit multiplier is not applying
• Nature's Warrior: Core 5 Howl of Winter does not grant +1 damage or +1 sneak attack die for wolves
• Nature's Warrior: Core 5 Beast Form Mastery does not gain +1 to hit and damage or sneak attack dice for wolves
• Nature's Warrior: Tier 1: Snapping Jaws description on the actual debuff for ranks 2 and 3 are incorrect
• Nature's Warrior: Tier 1: Bestial Nature is giving +1 hp per rank
• Nature's Warrior: Tier 1: Athletic Hunter description is incorrect
• Nature's Warrior: Tier 1: Snapping Jaws description on the actual debuff for ranks 2 and 3 are incorrect
• Nature's Warrior: Tier 2: Flight gives 1/2/3 dodge in addition to it's intended effects
• Nature's Warrior: Tier 2: Brother Wolf all 3 ranks give the same benefit
• Nature's Warrior: Tier 2: Ghost Wolf does not have any active effect
• Nature's Warrior: Tier 3: Ghost Pack text is incorrect
• Nature's Warrior: Tier 3: Essence of the Shrike description is incorrect
• Nature's Warrior: Tier 3: Ghost Pack is dealing incorrect amount and type of damage
• Nature's Warrior: Tier 4: Four Legs Good doesnt prevent knockdowns
• Nature's Warrior: Tier 4: Fatal Harrier description is incorrect
• Nature's Warrior: Tier 5: Alpha Strike seems to be using old form damage values, or at least doing something weird
• Season's Herald: Max Caster Level and Caster Level from the Core Enhancements not stacking with those granted by Time and Tide.
• Season's Herald: "Wax and Wane" (Tiers 1,2,3, & 4) do not increase Spell Crit Chance for any spell type regardless of which season is active.
• Season's Herald: Multiple enhancements do not grant +1 Universal Spellpower per AP spent.
• Season's Herald: "Child of Summer" (Core 1) does not grant Force Spellpower while toggled on.
• Spells: Maul does not apply an intimidate effect to its target.
• Spells: When quickened, Fire Seeds does not hurl three projectiles

[SerPounce]

Looks like all the DCs for the animal attacks you listed have been significantly reduced since the last update (removing the half druid level bonus and reducing the base). Many others no longer state a DC formula. Has the half druid level part of the formula been removed from all of them?

That's going to be a huge hit to the viability of builds with significant druid levels. You're going to have to take a deep splash to get tactics DCs up.

[edit] also, I guess you looked at the cool down for the animal attacks and determined they were all fine except knockdown which needed something longer? Jaws of winter has about twice the cooldown of most stunning abilities. If animal druids are going to work then the DCs and the cooldowns need to be competitive. It looked like the DCs were in a good place... now not so much. The cooldowns are still ages too long for many abilities.

It's strange that steelstar added half arty level to the mastermaker stun while half druid level was removed from the druid abilities.

[Pilgrim1]

These changes seam overall solid, especialy thankyou for adding the helpless state to salt ray. Just 2 comments.

(1) could you add wisdom to the bear druid (str/con/wis) as an option? Bear druid’s focusing on wisdom, or caster druids who splash this tree would really apreciate this change.

(2) call lighting has wighted dice 1d5+5, while call lighting storm (and storm of veng.) do not. Is this intentional?

Thank you.

[HastyPudding]

Will there be any benefit to druids using animal forms to taking the shield mastery/improved shield mastery feats? This is a fairly large loss in PRR compared to other builds, not to mention they'll be 'wasting' feats in order to use legendary shield mastery in the sentinel destiny. What's the point of making a bear druid if you can't go for a tanky build?

[Maelodic]

1. All animal form spells now have listed DCs except for Howl of Terror - though Howl of Terror seems to be enchantment focused and standard spell DC.

2. Cold breath flat out doesn't work on dragonborn. It doesn't do damage at all. Tested in a variety of places.

[bbqzor]

Hi Coco,

I just wanted to ask: What is the idea with the druid spell DC direction?

Currently they get bonuses to Conjure and Transmutation in the core, and Evocation and Transmutation in T5. This is being changed to Conjure and Evocation in the core, and Conjure and Evocation in T4 (with a general caster level boost in T5). Okay, so Transmutation is out, and Evocation/Conjuration are the two main groups.

This leaves Ice Flowers and Quench "out in the cold" so to speak; would it be possible to see those changed to Conjure and Evocation respectively? (Conjure Ice Flowers into existence, and Evoke Cold down on someone). Otherwise, Cold druids will have a hard time unifying their spell listing to a uniform dc range.

Likewise, the "Druid" set bonus in the new item listing has a note indicating you are planning to change the Evo bonus to Conjure. While this would help Storm of Vengeance, Creeping Doom, and Fire Seeds... it would hurt Anger of the Noonday Sun, Mantle of the Icy Soul, Snowslide, Earthquake, Body of the Sun, Firestorm, Freezing Spray, Sunbeam, Call Lightning Storm, Flame Strike, Ice Storm, Salt Ray, and more. The latter list is far larger and more important to have; it seems like it would make more sense to keep the item as Evocation.

Finally, there is no real support for a lot of more druid-identity flavored abilities like Entangle, Splinterbolt, Snare, Spike Growth, Enveloping Swarm, Creeping Doom, and Howl of Terror (some of which show up for Rangers and Warlocks as well but are thematically nature-ish). Would it be possible to see some sort of "Plant Affinity" enhancement which either affects these, boosts acid damage, or something? They are across a lot of schools, and basically outclassed in a lot of ways. It would be nice to see some reason to use them or way to make them effective.

Right now, the shift is clearly away from Druid being different, and more towards Druid paralleling Sorc with only two schools supported (Conj/Evo), and then the support being uneven (its really hard to do an Acid sorc since they have spells some evo, some conj, and the tree doesnt allow a toggle or good way to support both; similarly here, druid itemization only really supports evo or conj not both, and schools like transmutation or enchantment arent supported at all). Basically, this directly translates into pigeonholing druids into using a small set of options which have enough support to scale up, rather than being able to choose a variety of school builds like Wizard can.

TLDR: Please be sure key Druid spells arent indirectly left out when changing druid focuses around, and try to look at being sure there is an actual way to use their whole ability set instead of just one slice of it. It would be nice to see different sorts of Druids be options instead of funneling into "Sorc clones" with regen/quake instead of fireball. Thanks.

[neain2008]

SEASONS HERALD
[*]Wellspring: +1 Max Caster Level for spells appropriate to your season. The effects of your shillelagh spell are doubled.

As a caster druid player I am happy with what for the most part seems to be quality of life changes to seasons herald I just have one question. Why would a caster type druid use Shillelagh after level 3?

I use that spell until I get flame blade which synergises with my decent levels of WIS and my normally abysmally low STR. After this comes out I will play with the spell after I get that core... but unless it out performs WIS to attack and damage I dont see ANY caster type use it even when low/out of SP.

If this is for synergies between natures herald and the other 2 trees... just move it to one of them so they dont have to 'waste' enhancement points in herald just for this. Otherwise will someone please let me know why the caster tree is getting an extra +1[W] to staves?

[elvesunited]

Well it's official. Essence of Nature, now renamed back to Essence of Shrike only works in wolf form. Which means that bear no longer has any temporary spell points.

Which means all those low cost / low damage bear innate animal attack spells and abilities? Rapid casting them will drain the spell points fairly quickly for minimal results. So forget about about Killer Instinct. It's unsustainable. The innate animal spell casting bear is the equivalent of the "eldritch knight"!

Forget about rage too. Maximum 6 rages. 1 minute each. Not worth the hefty AP investment as the lack of rages/duration mean the bear will spend 90% of the time unraged. ( and 20% chance with Tremor is not enough especially without temp sp to slow the spell point bleed )

And while your at it forget about spirit refreshed. 33% health is panic time. The next blow could kill you. As such no one intentionally fights at such a low health level and the odds you'd finish a fight at that level are slim at best.

And some Tier 5 enhancements remain considerably subpar to similar enhamcements in Tier 1 and 3!

The Nature Protector Tree has been rendered into a splash tree! Really the only way I think you could make an effective melee bear now is to multi-level deep into fighter or barbarian.

[SerPounce]

Follow up: tooltips give the formula (though not your current DC) and .5 druid level has been removed from all the animal "spell" attacks. -10 to all DCs for a pure druid. Putting them well out of viability range for most builds.

Welp, at least the artificer tree looks interesting. Druid is DoA.

[LrdSlvrhnd]

• All animal forms (Wolf, Bear, Winter Wolf, and Dire Bear) have had their sit, kneel, and sleep animations polished

By "polished", do you mean they now have them? I think there's a 'sleep', but sit and kneel don't exist, at least for wolves. Is there an animation now for when you're shrining?

• Natural Weapon Fighting has been changed to the following: "You have grown accustomed to fighting with claws, paws, and jaws. While in a Druid animal form, such as Bear or Wolf, you receive +4 to melee power, physical resistance rating, and Doublestrike chance. In bear form your glancing blow damage is increased by 10%. This feat can be taken up to three times. This feat gives no benefit to Druids in elemental or none animal forms."

So bears get increased glancing blow damage, but nothing specifically for wolves? Oh well. At least you're not adding extra feats on top of the NWF line...

NATURE'S WARRIOR

• Go for the Kill: "Requires Wolf Form. You charge your target for +4[W], +5 to Critical Threat Range, +1 Critical Damage Multilpier, and knock them down (Save neagtes trip. DC: 15 + Highest of STR/WIS mod + trip bonuses) and grant yourself a +15 bonus to Melee Power for 30 seconds. If charging from a distance of over 10 meters the Melee Power bonus is doubled. Deals an additional 50 points of damage to helpless targets (scales with Melee Power). Cooldown: 20 Seconds. Activation Cost Cost: 15 Spell Points

So what's the maximum range on this? And does something need to be targeted? Can breakables, levers, NPCs, PCs, hirelings, etc, be targeted in order to cover distance?

NATURE'S PROTECTOR

Tier 1

• Rage of the Beast: Activate to rage gaining +4 strength and Con, +2 will saves, -2 ac for 40 seconds. You cannot cast spells while raging. This ability shares cool down and charges with Barbarian Rage. Effects that modify Barbarian Rage also affect this and vice versa. Can be used 1/2 times per rest. Grants the Dismiss Rage Feat. AP COST: 1

So people complained that 60 seconds wasn't long enough and asking to have it be increased by CON like barb rage, and your response is to *lessen* it instead? Alrighty then. But hey, bears have a "chance" of gaining a rage. So much for my dreams of a mad wolf, I guess.

[SirValentine]

SEASONS HERALD

Spell Penetration still removed
Enemy save debuff still removed
Transmutation bonuses still removed
Conjuration bonuses still reduced

And still no comment about this giant package of caster Druid nerfs in any of the multiple previous threads.

Also, capstone still adds un-thematic Con instead of being in line with other post-pass caster-focused trees.

(And still two melee trees but only one caster tree on a caster class.)

Why? Why the caster Druid hatred? Where's the evidence & testing of the over-performance that would justify all these nerfs?

[edrein]

My general feelings for this pass is One Step Forward and Two Steps Back. At each preview you present a pretty solid proposal, we the players with the gameplay experience and even theorycraft on what can be done with this have given you feedback and suggestions to improve. And every single time you've taken that feedback at half measure, you either take it and work with it and then add your own strange twist that defeats the purpose of the suggestion in the first place, or frankly put you do things no one asked for.

No one asked for the rage to be shorter. We all requested for it to be longer and meaningful. What we truly wanted was for bears to be treated the same as Destruction Domain Clerics. We wanted the ability to cast our druidic spells while raged, we wanted to be able to heal ourselves, etc. After all why shouldn't we be able to when our tree doesn't exactly give us good rage effects compared to the three barbarian trees? Now, now we get 25MP which is a great change. In exchange we've got 40 second rages that -MIGHT- regenerate when we cast Tremor. That means 18 levels of druid minimum for Tremor to regen. So I thought to myself, as a pure I can live with this, it's not optimal but it works. Then I considered given everything in this Enhancement Pass environment is so multiclass focused what could I gain from barbarian levels? Well, if I want to make the most usage of the bear abilities and spells I need to go atleast 18 bear, so I've got two levels to play with. Two barbarian will net me a grand total of: +6 rages, +3 strength, +3 constitution, and +75% rage duration (30 seconds).

• So for a pure bear that means your grand total power while raging is going to be: +6 strength, +4 constitution, +35MP, +15% AC, immunity to energy drain and death effects, and +20 heal amp + for 40 seconds.
• For a bear with the 18/1-2 barb that becomes: +9 strength, +7 constitution, +35MP, +15% AC, immunity to energy drain and death effects, and +20 heal amp + for 70 seconds.
• For point of reference a pure barbarian's rage is: +13 strength, +13 constitution, +75% rage duration, and +10MP for a total of 94.5 seconds not including constitution score outside of rage effect. (On live my barbarian rage lasts a whole 360 seconds or 6 minutes.)

The bear is losing a lot of traction on rage off the bat. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Because the bear should be able to cast spells and heal itself, something a barbarian can't do. Oh wait nevermind. A barbarian has some of the best self healing in the game. Blood Rage is strong, One Spirit is ridiculous, and while not commonly used Accelerated Metabolism gets the job done for self heals. Let alone the barbarians all have rider effects for their damage output that makes their DPS game far beyond their rage ability. However, rage is the only thing bears got going for them and it's a little weak on its own.

Now not only do bears lack the ability to cast spells while raged, they've now got no way to regen (temp proc) SP like a wolf. So bears are going to be burning through SP like no one's business, especially given the arbitrary and annoying need to maintain stacks of Killer Instinct by casting Maul/Great Maul and Shred just so they can deal sonic damage/stun with Roar. A spell that increases aggro with a duration of 20 minutes for a pure druid. If I'm building a rage bear, I'm going for DPS not tanking, so using Roar is a huge penalty when I'm not really trying to be a tank. I think using Roar is fine. But Roar needs to be either reduced to a temporary buff similar to an intim check or there needs to be a stance built in so that DPS bears can use the abilities in Nature's Defense without becoming hate magnets. This applies to the T5 ability as well.

But let's consider the DPS situation for a moment. Bears are supposed to make use of their glancing blows in the same way as a barbarian. Except the barbarian has access to the full THF line which gives them a base starting point of 50% glancing blow damage, further supplemented by their enhancements up to 60%. Bears have half of that number at a base 30% via natural fighting. Well given my list earlier perhaps bears will manage to pull ahead in raw damage via Melee Power? Nope. Almost all DPS barbarians are going to be running Frenzied Berserker's capstone for Storm's Eye.

• So we can go ahead and assume they will pick up 25MP from the cores and +10 while raging from Greater Rage at level 11.

This puts a pure barbarian at the same base point of 35MP; however the DPS race completely falls apart for a bear at this point.

• The barbarian gains: +6 more strength, Vicious (2d6), Greater Vicious (4d6), +1 critical damage multiplier on rolls of 19-20, and when raging your melee attacks have a 5% chance to deal 400 bludgeoning damage.
• That's entirely from working to pick up Storm's Eye which gives them an additional 25 base damage clickie that goes down a stack every 3 seconds for a total of 75 seconds providing a large DPS boost.
• Now any DPS barb worth their salt is going to grab atleast pain touch from Ravager for a free 1d6 untyped damage and they might even take the second pain touch for 2d6.

All of this scales 100% with melee power by the way. The bear druid doesn't remotely have anything that compares to this. Especially now that Big Bear has lost it's bludgeon damage portion from the first preview. And the bleed effect on Shred doesn't scale.

Spirit Refresh and Spirit Renewal need to just be cut from the tree. They're a poor man's version of One Spirit from Occult Slayer. Except they have an arbitrary and unhelpful rule system in play that makes it literally impossible or unviable to use in the case you need the heal. If you want to give bears a break and add a heal, but not make it entirely free? Then follow your work on Occult Slayer. Add an ability similar to One Spirit that heals the bear and removes charges of Killer Instincts, make it require 3 stacks to compete with making uses of Savage Roar and to build in a sort of internal CD much like One Spirit's 15 second cool down.

Now I went onto the first preview with high hopes, I did as much crash test dummying as I possibly could in the dojo. I tried builds, I tried abilities, I did more QA work than I half-way feel you guys performed. I'm afraid right now that if I log back on Lamannia for another stab at druids, I'm going to find things in a worse shape given the list of bug fixes you've made. You've yet to remotely even address important build making/breaking issues such as Single Dagger from Vistani. It's currently the only enhancement in the game that can make or break druid's using offhand items such as shields. Because frankly you've ruled Shield Mastery out and 'fixed' it from applying to animal forms per your patch notes for V2. Without Single Dagger working for shields and orbs like it does for Runearms, I just don't see any reason we all shouldn't embrace our inner barbarian and run two handed weapons for the 1.5x stat damage.

And speaking of 'viable' choices. You make the change to Shillelagh in this proposal, then you show us the named loot and not a single weapon is made of Wood. A wooden one hander and a wooden two hander should have been paramount on your loot design for this pack, especially if you plan to pair the release of the druid pass with it.

[QuantumFX]

Is there any way we could get “Natural Fighting” as an alternate prereq for the “Great Weapon Aptitude” enhancements? “Half-orc druid” is literally the definition of a Gatekeeper in Eberron.

[Arkai]

Are acid or electric spells getting a -3 caster levels penalty when in fire elemental form?

I cannot see that in the feat description, but it's happening at the combat log and in the damage output.

Thanks!

[SerPounce]

Guys, if the DCs aren't workable the rest of the stuff you're concerned about is just window dressing.

Great maul for example is a fort save for:
DC: 13 + Highest of STR or WIS mods + Tactical bonuses

Even if we assume that's a miss-type and should be "stunning bonuses" rather than just generic tactical bonuses, you need about a 100 DC to make fort saves work in LE/LR, 120 is better. Show me how you can get that on a build with 18+ druid levels? Sure fighters can make stunning blow work at 3 lower, but they get up to +20 from feats, +5 from enhancements, +6 from power surge (with KtA), and +3 from defensive stance. That's 34 DC points that druids don't get any equivalent to. And stunning blow is kind of borderline anyway. Dire charge is more of the standard, and that has another +7, it's AoE, it doesn't cost SP, and has the same cooldown.

The other animal spell attacks are in the same boat: jaws of winter, snowslide, tremor, etc.

These abilities were borderline with the druid level bonus. Now they just aren't going to work. Well maybe with lots of pasts lives, great twink gear, and lots of reaper points, you can land them from time to time in heroic r1. To about the same extent you can make stunning blow work on a say a pure melee favored soul (class with no tactics bonuses).

[Tilomere]

del