Class Guide: Druids - Guide for World of Warcraft

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World of Warcraft v2.0  |
The Burning Crusade     |
Druid Class Guide       |
Created by Saboruto     |
(Steamwheedle Cartel)   |
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[INTRO1] Introduction |
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Greetings!  Thank you for reading my guide!  The purpose of this document is
to acquaint you with some of the intricacies of playing the incredibly
complex Druid class, as well as to give you some helpful hints and strategies
to make your task of leveling from 1-60 (1-70 in the expansion) easier.

This guide is laid out in a relatively simple-to-navigate way.  Each section
will have a heading with a six-character marker, and a Table of Contents will
reference these markers (such as [INTRO1] above).  To jump to the section you
want to read quickly, press CTRL+F (Internet Explorer/Mozilla) or the "Find"
command in your web browser, then enter the section marker you want.  There
isn't any tacky ASCII artwork in this document, and spoilers (such as they
exist in WoW) will be kept to a minimum, to make this document as straight-
forward as possible.  I hope this document is of assistance.  My contact
information is at the bottom of this page, if you would like to reach me to
ask questions or make comments.

I intend to add a Druid macro section to my guide, and I welcome any other
suggestions for improvements I could make.  Please feel free to contact me
and give feedback, too!  I love feedback!

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[DISCL1] Disclaimer |
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This document is the property of the author, and reposting this guide elsewhere
is forbidden without prior written authorization.  I have had guides stolen in
the past, and I HAVE pursued legal assistance in those situations, so I
strongly suggest that you ask first before reposting my work.  This guide may
be printed for personal use only.  Selling or making a profit from my work is 
against the law and will be dealt with accordingly.

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[TABLE1] Table of Contents |
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Press CTRL+F and type one of the codes below to jump to a section quickly.

INTRO1 - Introduction
DISCL1 - Disclaimer
TABLE1 - Table of Contents
BASIC1 - Druid Basics
BASIC2 - Druid Races
FORMS1 - Druid Forms
SPELL1 - Druid Spells, Abilities, and Limitations
SPELL2 - Druid Spell Summary - Caster Spells
SPELL3 - Druid Spell Summary - Bear/Dire Bear Spells
SPELL4 - Druid Spell Summary - Cat Spells
TALNT1 - Druid Talents - Balance
TALNT2 - Druid Talents - Feral Combat
TALNT3 - Druid Talents - Restoration
EQUIP1 - Equipping Your Druid
LEVEL1 - Levels 1-9
LEVEL2 - Levels 10-19
LEVEL3 - Levels 20-29
LEVEL4 - Levels 30-59
LEVEL5 - Levels 60-70
MONEY1 - Making Money as a Druid
PVP001 - Player Vs. Player as a Druid
BINDS1 - Saboruto's Druid Keybinds
CLOSE1 - Closing

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[BASIC1] Druid Basics |
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As you may be aware, the Druid class is one of the few "hybrid" classes in
World of Warcraft.  There are two types of classes in the game.  "Parent"
or "pure" classes, such as Rogue and Mage, have one clear role.  "Hybrid"
classes, such as Paladin, Shaman and Druid, combine several "Parent"
classes to make a more versatile but less specialized sub-class.  In the case
of the Druid class, we combine aspects of the Warrior, Rogue, Mage and Priest
classes, making Druid one of the most flexible classes in the game.  We are
less specialized than our parent classes, but we make up for lack of skills
with the ability to shift roles as the situation warrants.  For example, a Cat
form Druid's parent class is Rogue.  Though Cat Druids do not have the stuns,
poisons or crowd control of a Rogue, the Cat Druid makes up for that lack with
the ability to emergency-heal or off-tank, resurrect allies in battle and even
cast ranged magic spells.  Bear Druids may not be able to use shields, Parry,
or armor heavier than leather, but unlike their Warrior parent class they can
heal themselves through several methods, and have a slightly easier time
holding aggro.  This aspect of our class makes us very difficult (but also
rewarding!) to play, and sometimes it leaves other players confused as to our
role in a group.  However, that's a small sacrifice to make for the variety
of playstyles that our class offers.

The thing that truly sets the Druid apart from the other hybrid classes is our
unique ability to shapeshift into various forms.  Each form has a special
function patterned after its parent class.  In bear form, we gain the Rage
and tanking functions of a Warrior.  In cat form, we gain Energy, Stealth, and
melee damage of the Rogue class.  In our native form (often referred to as
"Caster" form), we can use our magic spells to heal like a Priest or to cast
damaging spells like a Mage.  We can also further specialize in our magics
as well.  Tree of Life form, our healing form, allows us to use powerful Heal-
Over-Time spells more efficiently and to greater effect.  Moonkin form, our
spellcasting form, gives us added armor and more chances for our offensive
spells to do critical damage.

So, if we can do all these things, who needs the parent classes, right?  Well,
while we can perform all these functions, we can't be great at them all at
once.  We are more dependant on our talent trees than any other class, and
each talent in each tree only augments one or two of our "play modes".  To be
a great healer, we have to give up a great deal of damage and utility.  To be
an effective tank, most of our magical abilities get left behind.  Unlike the
other hybrid classes, we can't perform all our hybrid functions at once.  Some
druids have coined our class "role-shifter" instead of hybrid, for this reason.

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[BASIC2] Druid Races |
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There are only two races in the game that can become Druids, one for each
faction.  On the Alliance side, the Night Elves represent the Druid class,
while on the Horde side the Tauren hold this distinction.  Neither race can
be said to be "better" than the other as a Druid, so the decision comes down
to an asthetic choice.  Would you rather play on the Alliance or on the Horde?

The Night Elf racials lend themselves nicely to playing a Druid.  Shadowmeld
benefits all types of Druids.  Healer/Spellcaster Druids can use Shadowmeld
to safely drink for mana regen before jumping back into battle.  And
while Feral Druids can't use Shadowmeld in Cat or Bear form, Shadowmeld
passively increases the level of stealth that Cat form's Prowl grants, making
them harder to detect even while on the move.

Quickness is a nice little passive ability that grants an extra 1% dodge in any
form.  Bear Druids will appreciate the bit of extra help tanking, and Cat
Druids especially will enjoy the benefit since Cat form relies on dodging to
avoid damage.  Even caster Druids can appreciate a little extra dodging in the
event that they pull aggro.

Wisp Spirit is a very interesting ability, in that you can only appreciate it
when you're dead.  It increases your ghost's movement rate while you're running
back to your corpse or to an instance.  While this sounds underwhelming, it's
actually a great time-saver and will shave time off your grind to endgame.  It
can also be used effectively in battlegrounds (especially Alterac valley) when
you want to respawn at your corpse or at a different graveyard.

Nature Resistance is a standard +10 resistance that many races get.  In this
case, it's a natural fit to the Druid class since we use so much nature magic
anyway.  As an added bonus, it helps resist many poisons in the game, most of
which deal nature damage.  Not a gamebreaking ability, but useful to have in
certain situations.  Don't turn your nose up at this little ability.

The Tauren racials are equally as good as the Night Elf ones.  The almighty
Warstomp is a great escape ability or caster interrupt, although only caster
and Moonkin form can use it.  This is one of the top PvP racials in the game,
but it's also very useful in PvE when you just really need to run away or
buy yourself a moment's reprieve.

Endurance would be a great racial ability for anyone of any class to have. An
extra 5% HP may not seem like much, but it's guaranteed to save your life at
least a few times over the course of the game.  Even if you do eventually die
this will buy you some extra time, making it especially useful in PvP where
stamina is prized above any other stat.  Tanking druids will especially enjoy
this racial.

Cultivation has the potential to be helpful or useless, since it passively
increases your Herbalism skill (should you choose that profession).  Since
Herbalism is a *tremendous* moneymaker, and since Alchemy is a very useful
profession to any class, Herbalism should be a strong candidate for one of
your profession slots.  However, don't feel obligated to take Herbalism just
because of this racial ability if there's something you'd rather take.  One
nice thing about Cultivation is that you can pick Earthroot from the moment
you take Herbalism.  Another benefit is that, at max Herbalism, you'll have
fewer failed attempts trying to pick the endgame herbs, which may mean you
will get the herb over a non-Tauren competitor.

Nature Resistance is the Tauren's fourth racial ability, and it works the
same way as the Night Elf version.  Again, it's a nice thing for resisting
poisons or opposing Druids' Entangling Roots in PvP, so don't sneer at it.

Given the racial abilities the two races have, Night Elves make marginally
better Cat form Druids, while Tauren make slightly better Bear form tanks.
However, the difference is minimal, so don't let racial abilities limit your
choice of forms.

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[FORMS1] Druid Forms |
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Bear form, gained at level 10, is the first form we can change into. It's
granted as a reward after a quest chain that begins with our Druid trainer in
either Darnassus or Thunder Bluff, who sends us on to the Moonglade. Bear form
is our tanking form, and it's our most survivable form against melee damage.
In Bear form, we gain an extra 25% health, our armor from our equipment is
increased by 180%, our attack power in this form is increased by 30, and (as
with all our forms) we become immune to Polymorph. We cannot cast Balance or
Restoration spells in Bear form. Bear form doesn't utilize the weapon we have
equipped in caster form. Instead, Bear form uses its mighty paw to attack.
While in Bear form, your "weapon skill" with your paw is capped for your level,
and your attack speed is set at 2.50. Bears attack slowly but hit hard, and
they have several offensive and defensive abilities to help them sustain a
battle against melee opponents. However, Bears are vulnerable to casters in
this form, as heavy armor doesn't protect against magic. Also, while in Bear
form the Druid counts as a beast, and so he can be affected by abilities such
as Hibernate and Scare Beast.

Our second from, Cat form, is gained at level 20, and this time there's no
quest chain involved. Cat form is very similar to the Rogue class in that it
can stealth using Prowl, can sprint using Dash, and has several abilities that
add combo points to its target, allowing the Cat Druid to use devistating
finishing attacks. The main difference between a Cat form Druid and a Rogue is
that, while the Rogue can use poisons and stuns, the Druid instead uses bleed
effects for potent Damage Over Time. Of course, we're unable to cast Balance or
Restoration spells in Cat form. As with Bear form, Cats use their claws instead
of equipped weapons. Claws attack at 1.00 attack speed, which is the fastest
melee attack in the game. In Cat form, our attack power is increased by
(level * 2) + Agility, and of course we're immune to Polymorph. Also, our dodge
is increased significantly, making us lightning fast and hard to hit, although
we take significant damage from melee and magical attacks when they land. And
just like Bear form, Cat form causes the druid to count as a beast, giving the
same vulnerabilities to beast-specific abilities like Scare Beast or Hibernate.

At level 40, Bear form is upgraded to Dire Bear form. While all the attacks and
abilities are the same in Dire Bear form, we get a greater attack power
increase and our armor from equipment is increased by 450%, making us
incredibly durable against melee attacks.

If the Druid chooses to go into the Balance tree heavily, at 31 points in
Balance the Druid can choose to learn Moonkin form. Level 40 is the earliest
this is possible, although it won't be available until later if the Druid has
put any points in Feral Combat or Restoration. Moonkin form is a very strange
form. While in Moonkin form, our armor from items is increased by 360%, making
us more durable than Bear form but less so than in Dire Bear form. We gain an
aura that grants all party members within 30 yards a 5% bonus to their spell
critical chance. Also, our melee attack power in Moonkin form is increased by
(level * 1.5) and each melee attack in this form has a chance to proc Elune's
Gift, which gives us back mana based upon our attack power (it's always a
relatively small amount, but it helps when we run out of mana). However, while
in this form we're unable to cast any Restoration spells. As always, we're
immune to Polymorph in this form. However, unlike Cat or Bear/Dire Bear form,
in Moonkin form we do use the weapon we have equipped to attack with, so it's
important to keep your weapon skill up. Also, unlike the Feral forms, Moonkins
can enjoy "Chance on Hit" weapons and weapon enchantments.

For Restoration Druids, the ultimate talent unlocks Tree of Life form, a
powerful healing form. Though we're locked out of all Balance spells as well as
Healing Touch and Cure/Abolish Poison and Remove Curse, our Regrowth and
Rejuvenation spells become so much more potent in this form. In Tree of Life
form, all party members within 45 yards gain an aura effect that increases the
amount of healing they gain from healing spells by 25% of the druid's Spirit
stat. Also, the few spells the Tree Druid can cast have their casting cost
reduced by 20%. However, there are a few drawbacks to the Tree of Life form.
First of all, Tree Druids have the same defenses they have in caster form,
which makes them relatively weak to melee damage. Secondly, while in Tree form,
the Druid has their movement speed reduced by 20%. Lastly, in Tree form, the
Druid counts as an elemental and can be Banished by enemy Warlocks. Still, even
with the drawbacks, Tree of Life Druids make extraordinary healers.

In addition to Bear, Dire Bear, Cat, Moonkin and Tree of Life forms, we also
have three other utility forms we can change into.  From level 16 on, we can do
a quest for the Druid trainer in Darnassus or Thunder Bluff which will
eventually grant Aquatic form. Aquatic form turns us into sea lions. While in
this form, we're unable to cast spells and we only have a weak melee attack,
but our underwater movement speed is the same as our running speed on land, and
we can breathe underwater. Upon resurfacing, we automatically return to caster
form. There are times when this ability can come in extraordinarily handy, such
as when doing an underwater quest or when gathering Stranglekelp herbs, for
example.

At level 30 we gain access to Travel form, which is the form of a cheetah. In
Travel form, our movement speed is increased by 40% but we lose all our spells
and most other abilities. This is a great movement power that allows us to move
very quickly over land, although the form is only usable outdoors and we revert
to caster form if we enter an "indoors" area or enter water deep enough to swim
in. While it doesn't replace a mount, Travel form can still maintain usefulness
even after level 40. As a herbalist, I usually run around in Travel form
instead of mounting, since I can pick herbs even while in Travel form. And in
PvP this skill is invaluable for buying us time or creating distance between us
and our opponents.

Lastly, at level 68 we gain Flight form, which gives us the appearance and form
of a massive Stormcrow. In this form our movement speed is increased by 60% and
we gain the ability to fly in the Outland. Since other classes don't gain
access to flying mounts until level 70, this gives us a bit of a head start.
And since it's instant-cast, it may even find use after we've gained an epic
flying mount. However, unlike Travel form we can't switch to Flight form while
in combat. The best PvP use for Flight involves the Druid shifting to Travel
form and running until he's no longer in combat, then switching to Flight form
and taking to the skies. 

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[SPELL1] Druid Spells, Abilities and Limitations |
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Druids get many unique and interesting abilities that serve to differentiate us
from our parent classes as well as to make us more flexible and versatile in
combat.  We also suffer from some limitations unique to our class.  Below is a
short sampling of some of our unique attributes.

  ¤ While in all forms, we are immune to Polymorph, and in cat or bear form, we
      are immune to Disarm as well.

  ¤ Shifting forms breaks us out of movement-imparing abilities, such as Frost
      Nova and Hamstring.  However, crowd-control abilities like Sap and Fear
      cannot be removed by shifting.

  ¤ Our resurrection spell has a half-hour cooldown, but can be used even while
      we are in combat, making it an excellent tool to revive the tank or
      healer when they die, saving our groups from a potential wipe.

  ¤ Aquatic form, gained through a low-level quest, allows us to breathe under
      water and move at our normal run speed while under water.

  ¤ Travel form, gained at level 30, allows us to move at 140% speed on land
      (versus normal run speed of 100%, or normal mount speed of 160%).

  ¤ Flight form, gained at level 68, allows us to fly two levels before the
      other classes gain access to flight.

  ¤ While in Feral forms, our weapon "skill" is capped for our level.  For
      instance, at level 60 your staff skill may only be 183, but if you are
      in cat or bear form the game gives you 300 (capped) skill.  At level 70
      you will have a capped 375 skill with your feral weapons.

  ¤ While in Feral forms, weapon speed, damage and DPS are irrelevant.  Cat
      form attacks at a 1.0 attack speed, while bear form attacks at 2.5
      speed.  Damage is determined by attack power instead of weapon damage.

  ¤ We are limited to leather armor, daggers, staves, fist weapons, and one-
      and two-handed maces.

  ¤ Healer Druids lack a quick "burst-heal" spell and have to rely on a talent
      that offers similar effect on a cooldown.

  ¤ Cat and Bear Druids cannot use "Chance on Hit" weapon effects or weapon
      enchantments (such as Fiery Weapon or Crusader) and are limited to 
      enchantments and weapons that offer +stats instead.

  ¤ Other than caster and Moonkin form, Druids cannot use potions, elixirs, 
      or trinkets while in a form.  Luckily, due to a recent change, druids
      can speak to NPCs and interact with objects while in forms.

  ¤ Druids must return to caster form before mounting.

As you can see, we have a variety of unique qualities that set us apart from
the other classes in the game.  We also have a number of drawbacks to balance
us against the parent classes.  The result is that, while we are similar in
some regards to our parent classes, we play very differently and have our own
strategies and methods for doing things.  This makes the Druid class fun and
unique from any other class, and it gives us endless variety.  No two druids
are alike.

Another key aspect of our class comes from the many unique spells and abilities
we gain.  A summary of those can be found in the next few sections of my guide.
Other than Bear form, Aquatic Form and Cure poison (which are quested spells),
Gift of the Wild and its subsequent ranks (which are learned from books that
can be bought at the Auction House), and talented spells and abilities, all
our other abilities are learned from the Druid trainers scattered around the
world.  Alliance trainers can be found in Darnassus, the park in northwestern
Stormwind, and in the Moonglade, while Horde trainers are located in Thunder
Bluff, Silvermoon City and the Moonglade.  The higher the level of a spell
or ability, the more the trainer will charge you to teach it to you.  Early on
this isn't much of a concern, but later levels cost quite a bit of gold to
fully train, so be prepared.

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[SPELL2] Druid Spell Summary - Caster Spells |
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The following are the key spells that Druids can learn, and a brief description
of their function.  Remember, the actual values of mana/rage/energy cost,
damage, healing, etc. will change as the Druid learns new ranks of each power.
Abilities gained for Bear and Cat forms have their own sections.

Healing Touch - Level 1 - This is our "big" healing spell.  Unlike our other
heals, it's all burst damage and has a long cast time.  Use this when you need
a lot of healing at once, or after battles to fill everyone back to full.

Wrath - Level 1 - Of our two primary "nuke" spells, this is the faster and
weaker one.  Though Starfire hits harder, Wrath has a much shorter cast time
and is better when you're getting hit.  Shorter cast times mean it won't get
delayed as much in combat, which means you can fire it off more often than
Starfire.  Wrath deals Nature damage in a burst.

Mark of the Wild - Level 2 - The Best Buff In The Game, indeed.  Early on it
may not seem that impressive, adding only to your armor value.  Later, it will
also add to your stats, and after that it will even add to your elemental
resistances.  Everyone loves Mark of the Wild!  Lasts 30 minutes.

Rejuvenation - Level 4 - This is our instant-cast healing spell.  Unlike the
other two, this has no burst healing and is only healing-over-time.  It's also
fairly weak by comparison, but it doesn't cost much mana and can be cast even
while moving.  Keeping this one up will mitigate a lot of incoming damage.

Moonfire - Level 4 - Moonfire is our instant-cast damage spell.  It delivers
about a third of its damage in a burst on cast, and then the other two thirds
as damage-over-time, so it's best to let this one run its full course instead
of spamming it.  It's rather mana-intensive, so only use it if it will either
finish off a runner or will have the chance to run its full duration, but
it's very handy in those situations.  Moonfire deals Arcane damage.

Thorns - Level 6 - In the shadow of Mark of the Wild, Thorns isn't that great
a buff.  Whenever an enemy attacks the wearer, Thorns deals a very small
amount of Nature damage to the attacker.  It only lasts 10 minutes, too.
However, it's pretty cheap to cast and the damage adds up, and it's great to
put on a tank to help them hold aggro, so be sure to use it!

Entangling Roots - Level 8 - This is our primary form of crowd control.  It has
a few limitations, however.  First, it can only be cast outdoors, so it's
useless in most instances and raid situations.  Second, it can break on damage,
including its own damage, so it doesn't always last the full duration.  That
said, it's fantastic for holding melees out of range or for slowing pursuers,
and its use in PvP can't be underestimated.  It keeps the target immobilized
for its duration and also deals Nature damage-over-time.

Bear Form - Level 10 - I've discussed Bear form in depth in the section tagged
FORMS1.  Please refer to that section.

Teleport: Moonglade - Level 10 - This spell allows us to teleport to the
Druid sanctuary in the Moonglade from anywhere else in the game.  Though the
Moonglade is sparsely populated, most of our class quests will lead us here,
and there's also a Druid trainer and vendors available here.  In addition,
we can use this spell as a quick shortcut to northern Kalimdor to save us
travel time.

Regrowth - Level 12 - This is our third healing spell.  It mixes the burst
healing of Healing Touch with the heal-over-time element of Rejuvenation.  It
has a short cast time but a rather hefty casting cost, but it's a potent source
of healing that should not be underestimated.  Stack this with Rejuvenation and
most enemies would be hard-pressed to out-damage our healing.

Cure Poison - Level 14 - At level 14 we can start the quest to learn Cure
Poison, which is an immensely useful ability to have.  In PvE, we can clear
any poisons we may pick up, and in groups we can do the same for our allies.
In PvP, we can use this spell to cleanse rogue poisons, which is a tremendous
asset, as well.

Aquatic Form - Level 16 - I've discussed Aquatic form in depth in the section
tagged FORMS1.  Please refer to that section.

Faerie Fire - Level 18 - This spell is a low-mana instant-cast debuff that
lowers the target's armor value and prevents them from stealthing or going
invisible for the duration of the spell.  Great for mildly increasing melee
damage versus the target, and especially useful in PvP for marking enemy rogues
and locking them out of many of their abilities for the 40 second duration.

Hibernate - Level 18 - Hibernate allows us to put a target beast or dragonkin
asleep for a fairly long duration, making it useful for dropping pursuers or
for crowd control in certain situations.  It can also be used to put enemy
hunters' pets asleep, or even for putting enemy druids asleep if they're in a
feral form.  Situationally handy, but great to have!

Cat Form - Level 20 - I've discussed Cat form in depth in the section tagged
FORMS1.  Please refer to that section.

Rebirth - Level 20 - This is our resurrection spell, and it's very unique.
Unlike any other ressurection spell in the game, Rebirth has a very long
cooldown of 30 minutes, so we can't use it to revive our entire party.
However, unlike every other resurrection spell, Rebirth is castable in combat,
so we CAN use it to instantly revive a fallen ally even in the middle of a
battle.  Each rank of Rebirth requires a different "seed" reagent, which
can be bought from any reagent vendor in the capitol cities.

Starfire - Level 20 - This is our big nuke.  Starfire has a longer cast time
than Wrath, but it also deals much more damage, and Starfire criticals can
be spectacular.  Starfire makes a great opener, but it's hard to chain cast
if you're being attacked due to its long cast time.  Starfire deals Arcane
damage.

Soothe Animal - Level 22 - Situationally useful, Soothe Animal reduces the
radius at which a beast-type enemy will become aggressive.  What this means is
that you can cast it on a beast and will be able to get much closer to it
before it attacks.  Helpful for avoiding fights or for gathering a herb or
mining node without having to fight its guardian.

Remove Curse - Level 24 - This spell removes any curse-type debuff.  Since
curses can have very nasty effects, this is a great tool, especially against
enemy warlocks in PvP.  Even in many PvE encounters, this spell is a life-
saver.

Abolish Poison - Level 26 - Like Cure Poison, Abolish Poison removes a poison
effect on the target.  However, it also adds a buff that will continue to
remove any new poison effects for the following eight seconds.  Once you gain
this spell, it will completely replace Cure Poison, since it's superior in
every way.  Great versus enemy Rogues.

Travel Form - Level 30 - I've discussed Travel form in depth in the section
tagged FORMS1.  Please refer to that section.

Tranquility - Level 30 - Tranquility is a powerful AoE healing spell that
heals all party members in range for a large amount of health while channeled.
It also has a hefty 10 minute cooldown, but it can be a real lifesaver. Still,
it can cause a large amount of threat unless it's been improved by talents.
It's also the most visible healing spell in the game.

Dire Bear Form - Level 40 - I've discussed Dire Bear form in depth in the
section tagged FORMS1.  Please refer to that section.

Hurricane - Level 40 - This is our sole AoE damage spell, and it's channeled.
It summons a large thundercloud over an area, and strikes the enemies with
Nature damage while also lowering the attack speed of all affected enemies.
Since it's channeled and is bound to draw the enemies' attention, it's
best used in conjunction with Barkskin.

Innervate - Level 40 - This low-mana instant-cast buff can be placed on any
friendly target.  While Innervate is active, the target's mana regeneration
is increased by 4x, and they experience this mana regeneration even while
casting.  This can easily and quickly refill the target's mana bar from
empty to full, and it is a core ability of the druid class.  It lasts 20
seconds and can be used every 6 minutes.  If you're in a party, save it for the
healer, or if you're solo use it to get yourself back up and running quickly.

Barkskin - Level 44 - This instant self-buff gives the druid an extra 20%
damage reduction and makes it so that damage no longer disrupts casting, and
it can be used even while stunned.  It's great for use with channeled spells
so that the spell runs its full duration, and it's excellent for surviving
through a Rogue's "stunlock" in PvP.  It can also be used as emergency armor
in a pinch.

Gift of the Wild - Level 50 - This spell costs a reagent and mirrors the
effect of Mark of the Wild, but it lasts a full hour and it hits all party
members within range when cast, making this a great raid buff.  It's much
quicker than casting Mark of the Wild on several people, and the reagent
it uses is relatively inexpensive.  It can even be used as a self-buff if you
don't like having to recast your Mark of the Wild very often.

Lifebloom - Level 64 - This spell is sort of the mirror image of Regrowth.
Whereas Regrowth has a big burst of healing up front and then a heal-over-time
component afterwards, Lifebloom does healing ticks until it reaches its full
duration, then it burst-heals.  However, it's more mana-efficient than Regrowth
and it ticks every second as opposed to every three seconds.  It also stacks
on itself for bigger heal-ticks (though the burst effect does not stack).

Flight Form - Level 68 - I've discussed Flight form in depth in the section
tagged FORMS1.  Please refer to that section.

Cyclone - Level 70 - It's a relatively short (1.5 second) cast time spell that
affects one target, making them invulnerable but unable to move or act for 6
seconds.  It acts similarly to the Warlock spell "Banish" but it's usable on
any type of enemy.  It's useful for taking enemy healers out of combat in PvP
or for evening out the battle in PvE.  Its cast time means it can't really
be used for spell interruption, and its short duration is a little limiting,
but you can cyclone a target and then use that time to get a heal off, or
to escape if necessary, giving the spell great utility.

-----------------------------------------------------
[SPELL3] Druid Spell Summary - Bear/Dire Bear Spells |
-----------------------------------------------------

Demoralizing Roar - Level 10 - For a small amount of Rage, the druid roars,
lowering the attack power of all enemies in the area for 30 seconds.  Not only
does this mean the enemies won't be hitting as hard, it's also a great tool
for grabbing aggro while tanking.

Maul - Level 10 - This ability causes the Bear's next auto-attack to deal
extra damage.  Maul hits decently hard, but it's especially nasty when it
criticals.  Decent on single targets, but it's too Rage-expensive to use very
often while tanking.

Growl - Level 10 - The Bear taunt, it pulls the attention of the enemy to the
Druid instantly.  Since it can be used every 10 seconds, it should be used 
whenever necessary when tanking multiple enemies.  It doesn't do anything if
the target is already attacking the Druid, however, so save it for regaining
the attention of an enemy who has turned on one of the less-armored members
of the group.

Enrage - Level 12 - This ability sacrifices armor to automatically generate
Rage, and is great for filling a bit of your Rage bar in emergencies.  If
talented out, it can instantly grant Rage on use, but normally it does so over
a short period of time.  It has a 1 minute cooldown period.

Bash - Level 14 - Once per minute, the Bear can use Bash to instantly stun the
target.  This ability is great for interrupting spellcasting/healing, for
stopping enemies who are trying to run away, or for buying the druid time to
shift out of Bear form and heal himself.

Swipe - Level 16 - This ability instantly attacks up to three enemies at once
and deals minor damage to all of them.  It's a core tool for tanking against
multiple enemies, but it cannot be relied on alone since its damage and threat
are minimal.  However, Swipe along with Growl and an attack rotation can allow
the druid to tank several enemies at the same time, so this ability shouldn't
be underestimated.

Challenging Roar - Level 28 - Challenging Roar uses Rage to instantly force
all nearby enemies to focus their attacks on the Bear for the next 6 seconds.
This is a great ability for maintaining control over a battle, or for pulling
enemies off the overzealous mage who built up too much threat with AoE spells.

Frenzied Regeneration - Level 36 - With this ability, the Bear can pump all
remaining Rage into a potent healing spell that heals him every second for up
to 10 seconds.  If the Bear runs out of Rage, the spell ends prematurely.
Because of that fact, it's best to use Enrage while using this spell to
maintain it for as long as possible, to get the most healing available.  It
has a 3 minute cooldown.

Lacerate - Level 66 - This useful ability allows the Bear to stack a bleed
effect on the target up to 5 times.  The effect lasts 15 seconds, and each
application causes a large amount of threat, so it's an excellent tanking
tool.  However, the Rage cost is pretty hefty, so the Druid will need to
build up Rage first before using this ability.

------------------------------------------
[SPELL4] Druid Spell Summary - Cat Spells |
------------------------------------------

Claw - Level 20 - The staple Cat form attack, it uses a moderate amount of
energy to instantly attack the enemy, and it adds one Combo Point on use.
Unless you have access to Mangle via the Feral talent, this will be your main
Cat attack and Combo generator.

Rip - Level 20 - The first Cat finishing move available, Rip adds a bleed
effect to the target that deals damage over time based on the number of Combo
Points it consumes.  It deals potent damage with the maximum 5 Combo Points.
Rip is best used on sustained battles, where it will be allowed to run for its
full duration.

Prowl - Level 20 - This ability places the Cat in a stealthed state, allowing
him to move unseen at a reduced movement speed.  This speed can be increased
with talents, enchantments and item effects, and the Druid can use Dash even
while Prowling.  Night Elf Druids have a slightly stronger Prowl, due to their
Shadowmeld racial ability.  Prowl is an awesome ability that allows almost
limitless mobility for the Druid class.  Just be aware that you can still be
seen by targets if they're facing you directly, and especially so if they're
much higher level than you are, so try to stay behind them if possible.  Many
Cat attacks require the Druid to be Prowling first before they can be used.

Shred - Level 22 - This is the Cat version of the Rogue ability Backstab.  To
use it, the Cat must be behind the target, making it difficult to use while
soloing.  In parties, however, it shines, since it deals a massive burst of
damage to the enemy and adds a Combo Point to the target.

Tiger's Fury - Level 24 - This ability adds a buff to the Druid, causing her
next few Cat attacks to do increased damage.  The buff lasts 6 seconds, but
it's excellent for increasing the damage of special attacks, and critical
hits multiply the bonus damage it offers.  Since, as with most Cat abilities,
it costs Energy to use, it should only be used when setting up for a big burst
of damage.

Rake - Level 24 - Rake deals a small amount of burst damage to the target and
adds a minor bleed effect, as well as a Combo Point.  It has a relatively low
Energy cost to offset its low damage, and it's a great way to open a fight
after the initial burst attack.  Its damage isn't enough to justify spamming
the attack, however, so let it run its course before reapplying.

Dash - Level 26 - Dash allows the Cat to run very quickly for a short time,
increasing his movement speed to near-mount levels for 15 seconds.  Better
still, it doesn't break Prowl when used (however, if used in Prowl the Druid
won't move as quickly due to Prowl's built in slow effect).  Great for escape
or for chasing down runners in PvP, or for anytime you need a quick burst of
speed.

Cower - Level 28 - Cower attempts to lower the Druid's threat value against a
single enemy target, and is useful for when the Cat deals an unexpected burst
or critical and pulls the enemy's attention.  On boss fights, it should be
used as often as it comes up, which is to say every 10 seconds, since this will
give the Druid more breathing room before pulling aggro.  Even non-Feral Druids
can use Cower when they need to lower threat, just by dropping into Cat form.

Track Humanoids - Level 32 - This toggled ability uses no Energy and places
dots on the minimap to display all nearby humanoids and players.  Especially
useful in PvP, it's also helpful for tracking enemy NPCs around that next
corner or over that next hill.

Ravage - Level 32 - Ravage is the first ability that requires the Druid to be
both Prowling and behind the target, so it can only be used as an opening
attack.  However, it deals a massive burst of damage, even greater than Shred,
and adds a Combo Point to the target.  If possible, when opening a fight with
Ravage, try to use Tiger's Fury first to give it an extra bit of damage.
Critical Ravages hurt very badly.

Ferocious Bite - Level 32 - The second finishing move a Cat will learn, this
ability converts Combo Points into a single burst of damage.  However, it will
also completely empty your Energy bar on use, and whatever energy you have when
you use this ability gets converted into a small amount of bonus damage.  Use
this finisher when the target wouldn't survive the full duration of Rip.

Pounce - Level 36 - The Druid must be Prowling to use Pounce, but she does not
have to be behind the target.  Pounce stuns the enemy for a short time and adds
a moderate bleed effect to the target, making it a great opener for disabling
your target while you gain Combo Points against it, and Pounce itself adds one.

Feline Grace - Level 40 - This passive ability reduces the amount of damage
the Cat takes from falling, allowing the Druid to fall from greater heights.

Maim - Level 62 - This finishing move deals a moderate amount of damage and
Incapacitates the target.  The damage and Incapacitate effect both grow in
strength with the number of Combo Points Maim uses.  Any physical damage dealt
will break the Incapacitate effect, but bleed effects will continue to run
without breaking Maim.

---------------------------------
[TALNT1] Druid Talents - Balance |
---------------------------------

Starlight Wrath - 5 Ranks - Reduces the cast time of Wrath and Starfire by 0.1
seconds per rank.  A staple ability for increasing spellcasting DPS, this
talent allows you to cast both of your main offensive spells more quickly,
which means you cast them more often, which means you do more damage over time.

Nature's Grasp - 1 Rank - This is a talented spell that allows the Druid to
cast the Nature's Grasp buff on himself.  While under this effect, enemies who
damage the Druid in melee have a chance of gaining the Entangling Roots effect
and devouring the Nature's Grasp buff.  Lasts 45 seconds with a 1 minute
cooldown.  Excellent for PvP and for escape measures, but it can only be cast
outdoors.  Unimproved, it has a 35% chance of activating on melee damage.

Improved Nature's Grasp - 4 Ranks - This talent adds 15/30/45/65% to the chance
of Nature's Grasp activating, so with 4 ranks Nature's Grasp has a 100% chance
of activating on melee damage.  It may or may not be worth 4 talent points to
you to guarantee that Nature's Grasp will activate on the first hit you take,
so this one is a judgment call.

Control of Nature - 3 Ranks - Gives a 40/70/100% chance of avoiding casting
interruption due to damage while casting Entangling Roots and Cyclone.  This is
useful if you HAVE to get a Cyclone or Roots off quickly, so it's a good
survival talent, but it's situational and can easily be skipped.  Very nice in
PvP however.

Focused Starlight - 2 Ranks - Increases the critical chance of your Wrath and
Starfire spells by 2% per rank.  Another staple ability for Balance Druids, who
rely heavily on spell criticals.

Improved Moonfire - 2 Ranks - Increases the damage and critical chance of your
Moonfire spell by 5% per rank.  Two talent points to increase the effect of
your Moonfire by 10% is very worthwhile, if you're going Balance.

Brambles - 3 Ranks - Increases the damage of your Thorns and Entangling Roots
spells by 25% per rank.  Only useful if you're building a "Root and DoT" Duild,
otherwise skip this one.

Insect Swarm - 1 Rank - This is a talented spell that allows the Druid to cast
Insect Swarm on enemies.  Insect Swarm is a damage over time spell that also
decreases the target's chance to hit by 2%, and it's very mana-efficient.  As
with any talented spell, once you have the talent you can buy new ranks of the
spell periodically at different levels.

Nature's Reach - 2 Ranks - Increases the maximum range of all your Balance
spells and Faerie Fire (Feral) spell by 10% per rank.  More range means more
margin for error, so this is a helpful talent.  However, it doesn't increase
your DPS or directly increase your survivability or efficiency, so it can
safely be skipped if you need the points elsewhere.

Vengeance - 5 Ranks - Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your
Starfire, Wrath and Moonfire spells by 20% per rank.  What this means is that
when one of those spells criticals, the "critical" part of the damage will
be increased, up to double damage.  A normal spell critical deals 150% of the
spell's base damage, so with full ranks in this talent your spell criticals
will deal double damage over the base spell damage.  A must-have talent for
Balance Druids.

Celestial Focus - 3 Ranks - Grants your Starfire spell a 5% chance per rank
of stunning the target for 3 seconds, and decreases the chance for your Wrath
spell to be interrupted by damage by 25% per rank.  A great talent for the
Balance Druid, this allows you to spam Wrath even while being attacked, and
the stun effect of your Starfire will be useful in parties and raids.

Lunar Guidance - 3 Ranks - Increases your spell damage and healing by 8/16/25%
of your total Intellect.  Great for both Balance and Restoration Druids, with
lots of Intellect this talent can add a LOT of extra healing or damage.  A
must-have talent if you're in this tree.

Nature's Grace - 1 Rank - Your spell criticals give you a buff that causes
the cast time of your next spell to be reduced by half a second.  This talent
is great, since as a Balance druid you'll be casting critical spells a lot.
The cast reduction can be used to speed up your nuking, to get off an extra-
fast Entangling Roots or Cyclone, or to quickly heal yourself or an ally.

Moonglow - 3 Ranks - Reduces the mana cost of your Moonfire, Wrath, Starfire,
Healing Touch, Regrowth and Rejuvenation spells by 3% per rank.  This talent
is fantastic, it reduces the cost of ALL your big spells by nearly 10% with
full ranks.  That gives you just that much more efficiency and staying power
to continue casting in long fights.

Moonfury - 5 Ranks - Increases the damage of your Moonfire, Starfire and Wrath
spells by 2% per rank.  Another staple talent for the Balance Druid who wants
to maximize his damage and DPS.

Balance of Power - 2 Ranks - Increases your chance to hit with spells by 2% per
rank, and decreases the chance you'll be hit by spells by 2% per rank.  This
talent cannot be understated, it makes it easier to land spells and makes you
more resistant to enemy spells.  Even though 4% doesn't sound like much, this
talent coupled with "spell hit" gear makes it easier to land spells even on
elite enemies of much higher level.  A must for Balance raiders and PvPers.

Dreamstate - 3 Ranks - Regenerates mana equal to 4/7/10% of your intellect
every 5 seconds, even while casting.  This is a mana/5 talent, and it works
just like mana/5 gear.  With this talent you're always regaining mana, even
when spirit would normally not apply (you do not regain mana through spirit
within 5 seconds of casting a spell).  This is a great talent for mana
efficiency, and is a must-have for Balance Druids.

Moonkin Form - 1 Rank - The Balance form "Moonkin Form" is gained through
purchasing this talent.  While in Moonkin form, your armor value from items is
increased by 360%, making you much more resistant to melee.  Additionally, you
gain an aura that grants an extra 5% chance to critical with spells to yourself
and nearby party members.  Lastly, your melee attacks in this form have a small
chance of restoring a minor amount of mana to you.  However, while in Moonkin
form you can only cast Balance spells and cannot heal yourself.  Moonkin form
is useful when you know you won't have to be healing (such as in a raid), or
when you are facing a pure melee class in PvP, and for one point it's worth
picking up if you're already this deep in Balance.

Improved Faerie Fire - 3 Ranks - With this talent, your Faerie Fire spell will
also increase the chance the target will be hit by melee or ranged attacks by
1% per rank.  This is a pretty decent talent for raiders, but otherwise it's
easily skipped.

Wrath of Cenarius - 5 Ranks - Your Starfire spell gains an additional 4% per
rank and your Wrath spell gains an additional 2% per rank of bonus damage
effects.  What this means is that your +spell damage equipment and enchantments
gain an extra bonus on top of their value from this talent.  This is another
core DPS-increasing talent for Balance Druids, who rely heavily on +spell
damage equipment.

Force of Nature - 1 Rank - This talented spell allows the Druid to summon 3
Treant allies for 30 seconds, with a 3 minute cooldown.  While active, the
Treants will attack nearby enemies at will.  The Treants do very respectable
damage and are useful for dealing with unexpected adds in PvE or for creating
confusion and chaos in PvP, and they are very mana-efficient.  However, you
have no direct control over their actions, so sometimes they attack a target
other than the one you want them to attack.  Still, for one single talent
point you gain a potent 30 second panic button that adds greatly to your DPS
while it's active.  My trees have saved me countless times, and they've allowed
me to take down enemies I otherwise would've been unable to solo.

--------------------------------------
[TALNT2] Druid Talents - Feral Combat |
--------------------------------------

Ferocity - 5 Ranks - Reduces the cost of your Maul, Swipe, Mangle, Claw and
Rake abilities by 1 Rage or Energy point per rank.  This makes your abilities
cheaper to use, which allows you to use them more often, which increases your
DPS.  If you're going to spend much time in either Cat or Bear form, this is a
good starter talent.

Feral Aggression - 5 Ranks - Increases the attack power reduction of the
Demoralizing Roar ability by 8% per rank, and increases the damage of the
Ferocious Bite ability by 3% per rank.  Honestly the increases this talent
offers aren't really worth the points unless you're creating a specialty build.
I'd avoid this one in favor of Ferocity.

Feral Instinct - 3 Ranks - Increases threat caused by all abilities in Bear and
Dire Bear form by 5% per rank, and lowers the chance enemies will detect you
while Prowling by a small amount with each rank.  This is a decent ability for
your Cat form, but it's a must-have for your bear form since it helps you tank
by holding aggro better.

Brutal Impact - 2 Ranks - Increases the stun duration of Bash and Pounce by
half a second per rank.  This makes your stuns last longer, giving you more
time to do other things while your opponent is stunned, and that's always a
good thing.  Definitely worth the two points, especially if you're going for a
pseudo-stunlock build with your Cat form.

Thick Hide - 3 Ranks - Increases the armor contribution from items by 4/7/10%.
This is especially beneficial to Bear/Dire Bear form, but it benefits all your
forms by making you more resistant to physical damage.  Try to pick this one
up if you have the spare points.

Feral Swiftness - 2 Ranks - Increases your movement speed outdoors in Cat form
by 15% per rank, and incrases your chance to dodge in Feral forms by 2% per
rank.  This allows you to have an outdoors movement ability by level 20, which
is extraordinarily helpful.  It also increases your movement speed while
Prowling outdoors, which is very helpful if you'll be spending much time in
Cat form.

Feral Charge - 1 Rank - This talented spell allows you to consume 5 Rage to
instantly charge at a distant foe, immobilizing them and silencing them for a
short time.  This is a great tool for Bear tanks to use, and for one talent
point it should definitely be purchased.  Also fantastic in PvP.

Sharpened Claws - 3 Ranks - Increases your critical strike chance in Feral
forms by 2% per rank.  Since Bears and especially Cats rely on criticals to
increase their damage output, this is a great talent to pick up.  Plus it's
the prerequisite for another great talent, so definitely grab this one.

Savage Fury - 2 Ranks - Increases the damage of Claw, Rake, Maul, Swipe and
Mangle by 10% per rank.  A 20% damage increase to all your most-used Feral
attacks for only 2 talent points is an absolute must-have if you're going
deep into this tree.

Faerie Fire (Feral) - 1 Rank - This talented spell allows you to cast the
Faerie Fire spell with no mana, Energy or Rage cost while in Feral forms.
Though you could easily switch to caster form to cast Faerie Fire, this talent
allows you to do so at no cost, and it's a great ranged "pulling" tool for
Feral Druids.

Nurturing Instinct - 2 Ranks - Increases your healing spells by 25% of your
Strength per rank.  If you plan on being a Feral/healing hybrid Druid, this is
a good talent to pick up.  Otherwise, skip it.  If you're going full Feral,
you won't be healing often enough for this talent to really be that useful.

Heart of the Wild - 5 Ranks - Increases your Intellect by 4% per rank.  Also
increases your Strength while in Cat form by 4% per rank, and increases your
Stamina while in Bear form by 4% per rank.  This is an awesome talent that
gives you a boost to all your important stats in each form.  In Cat form,
you'll hit harder.  In Bear form, you'll tank longer.  In caster form, you'll
have more mana.  A must-have talent for the Feral Fruid.

Survival of the Fittest - 3 Ranks - Increases all attributes by 1% per rank and
decreases the chance you'll be critically hit by melee attacks by 1% per rank.
The stat boost is relatively minor, but the chance to avoid critical attacks
will increase your ability to tank significantly, making this a great talent if
you plan on spending time in Bear form.

Primal Tenacity - 3 Ranks - Increases your chance to resist Fear and Stun by 5%
per rank.  This is a PvP talent through and through.  It helps you avoid Fears
and stunlocks, the banes of a Druid in PvP.  This talent will give you a much
better chance of surviving attacks by Rogues and Warlocks, but can be skipped
if you don't plan on PvPing much.

Leader of the Pack - 1 Rank - While in Feral form, this talent gives you an
aura that increases the melee and ranged critical chance of yourself and
nearby party members.  Since Druids rely heavily on criticals and since this
is such a party-friendly ability, it's definitely worth a talent point.

Improved Leader of the Pack - 2 Ranks - Anyone under the effect of your Leader
of the Pack aura (including yourself) will be healed for 2% per rank of their
total health whenever they land a critical hit.  The limitation is that it can
only activate once every 6 seconds.  This is a great survival tool that helps
both you and your party, and while soloing it helps eliminate downtime.  It's
a fantastic talent.

Predatory Instincts - 5 Ranks - While in Feral form, your critical hit damage
is increased by 3% per rank and your chance to avoid area effects is increased
by 3% per rank.  Not only does this give you extra damage on critical hits, it
also allows you to dodge area effect abilities, which helps Bears tank and
helps Cats survive being in melee range.  If you have the points, this is a
nice talent to spend them on if you want to increase your survivability.

Mangle - 1 Rank - This talented spell allows you to use a Mangle attack in
either Bear or Cat form.  Mangle deals a substantial amount of damage and
causes bleed effects to deal more damage.  It costs a fair bit of Rage or
Energy but it's more than worth it.  This single talent is what makes Bear and
Cat damage viable, and if you're going Feral you can't afford to skip this.

-------------------------------------
[TALNT3] Druid Talents - Restoration |
-------------------------------------

Improved Mark of the Wild - 5 Ranks - Increases the effects of your Mark of the
Wild and Gift of the Wild spells by 7% per rank.  Early on you won't see much
benefit from this talent, but as your buffs grow in strength, so does the
effect of this talent.  This is a good spot for your first 5 points in the tree
if you're planning on going deep into Restoration, but other Druids may wish
to take the other first-tier talent instead.

Furor - 5 Ranks - Gives a 20% chance per rank to gain 10 Rage when you shift
into Bear forms or 40 Energy when you shift into cat form.  This is a great
talent for hybrid Druids or for Druids who like to PvP, since Rage/Energy on
demand is always helpful.  This allows Bears to quickly get enough energy
for a Feral Charge or Bash, or for Cats to get a quick burst of damage.
Combined with items that grant free Rage/Energy on shifting, you can even
use this talent to quickly shift out and back into your Feral form to rapidly
refill your Rage/Energy bar.  A great talent all around.

Naturalist - 5 Ranks - Reduces the cast time of Healing Touch by 0.1 seconds
per rank and increases the melee damage of all forms by 2% per rank.  Faster
heals and more damage will benefit ANY Druid, so this is a great talent if you
have the points.

Nature's Focus - 5 Ranks - Grants a 14% chance per rank of resisting casting
interruption caused by damage when casting Healing Touch, Regrowth or
Tranquility.  This is a nice talent for a dedicated healer or a PvP Druid,
since it makes it much easier to get heals off even while being attacked.  If
you don't plan on healing much, there are probably better talents, however.

Natural Shapeshifter - 3 Ranks - Reduces the mana cost of shapeshifting by 10%
per rank.  This is great for a Feral Druid who plans on shifting often, or for
a Balance Druid who likes hopping in and out of Moonkin form, or for a hybrid
Druid, but dedicated healers can find better places to spend their points.

Intensity - 3 Ranks - Allows 5% per rank of your mana regeneration to continue
while casting, and causes your Enrage ability to instantly generate 4/7/10 Rage
on use.  Feral Druids probably won't need this talent, especially if they
picked up Furor, but Balance and Restoration Druids will love the extra mana
regeneration.

Subtlety - 5 Ranks - Reduces the threat caused by your healing spells by 4% per
rank and reduces the chance your healing spells will be dispelled by 6% per
rank.  The threat reduction will be of great help to partying/raiding healers,
while the dispel resistance will aid PvP healers.  Non-Restoration Druids
can safely skip this one.

Omen of Clarity - 1 Rank - Your melee attacks in all forms have a chance of
giving you a Clearcasting buff, which causes your next spell or ability to
cost no Rage/Energy/mana.  This talent is fantastic for Balance, Feral and
hybrid Druids, because it raises your DPS and efficiency dramatically.  You
should definitely pick up this talent unless you're going deep Restoration,
in which case it's optional.

Tranquil Spirit - 5 Ranks - Reduces the mana cost of Tranquility and Healing
Touch by 2% per rank.  Oddly, this talent sounds better than it is.  You won't
be casting Tranquility that often because of its long cooldown, and if you're
going deep Restoration you probably will be relying on your heal over time
spells more than your Healing Touch.  If you're only going partway down the
Restoration tree, then this might be a talent to consider.

Improved Rejuvenation - 3 Ranks - Increases the effect of Rejuvenation by 5%
per rank.  Not only is this the prerequisite for another good talent, but it's
also a great way to increase the efficiency of your already-cheap Rejuvenation
spell.  Grab this if you have the points and plan on going further into the
tree.

Nature's Swiftness - 1 Rank - This talented spell allows you to activate
Nature's Swiftness, which makes your next Nature spell with a cast time become
instant-cast.  This talent is fantastic for emergency healing, it allows you
to instant-cast a Healing Touch to refill someone's health to full, or to cast
Entangling Roots when you need a fast getaway, or to get off a quick Wrath.
This is a great talent for PvP healers especially.

Gift of Nature - 5 Ranks - Increases the effect of healing spells by 2% per
rank.  It's a big boost to your healing efficiency and allows you to keep
casting that much longer, so it's definitely a good one for dedicated healers.

Improved Tranquility - 2 Ranks - Reduces threat caused by Tranquility by 50%
per rank.  With full ranks, you can cast Tranquility without fear of being
attacked, and Tranquility heals a LOT of damage.  Really though, the spell
is only useful if everyone in your group has taken a lot of damage, so it's
up to you to decide if you use Tranquility enough to justify taking the
talent.

Empowered Touch - 2 Ranks - Grants your healing spells an extra 10% per rank
from your bonus healing effects.  In other words, with full ranks all your
+healing equipment and enchantments will count for 20% more.  A great talent
for efficiency and potency of heals, and the better equipped you get the
stronger the talent gets.

Improved Regrowth - 5 Ranks - Each rank increases the critical chance of
Regrowth by 10%.  With full ranks, your Regrowth will be a critical more often
than not.  If you're going all the way down restoration, Regrowth will be
your main source of burst healing, so this is a great talent.  However, only
the burst-healing component of Regrowth is subject to a critical chance, so
unless you're casting Regrowth a lot you can skip this.

Living Spirit - 3 Ranks - Increases your Spirit by 5% per rank.  Spirit is the
stat that determines your passive mana regeneration, so this stacks nicely with
Intensity.  Also, Tree of Life form at the bottom of this tree relies heavily
on Spirit, so if you're going all the way then you'll want to take this talent.

Swiftmend - 1 Rank - This talented spell allows you to activate Swiftmend,
which consumes the heal-over-time effect of a Regrowth or Rejuvenation effect
on the target to grant a burst-healing equal to the full duration of the heal-
over-time portion of the consumed effect.  In other words, if you cast a
Rejuvenation or Regrowth on someone, you can let the heal run most of its
course and then Swiftmend it.  The Rejuvenation or Regrowth will be removed,
but the target will instantly be healed for an amount of health equal to
letting a brand new Rejuvenation or Regrowth heal-over-time to take effect.
This is a great way to burst-heal at the end of a heal-over-time spell, or in
an emergency you can instant-cast Rejuvenation, then quickly Swiftmend for a
rapid burst of healing.  This is a MUST-HAVE talent if you're this deep in
Restoration.  I'm uncertain whether Lifebloom can be consumed in this way, but
even if it can I wouldn't recommend it.  Lifebloom has a short enough duration
that you'll probably want to let it run its course and burst on its own.  If
I have an opportunity to experiment with this, I'll test whether or not it
works with Lifebloom and update this later.

Natural Perfection - 3 Ranks - Your spell critical chance is increased by 1%
per rank, and ranged and melee criticals you receive do 4/7/10% less damage
to you.  This is a nice little survival talent, and it helps you critical
Regrowth more often, but it's easily skipped if you have better places to
spend your points.

Empowered Rejuvenation - 5 Ranks - The bonus healing effects of your heal-
over-time spells is increased by 4% per rank.  In other words, your +healing
equipment and enchantments will count for 20% more to your heal-over-time
effects with max ranks in this talent.  This stacks wonderfully with
Empowered Touch and makes your Regrowth, Rejuvenation and Lifebloom spells
that much more powerful and mana efficient.  Plus it's the prerequesite for
the final talent in the tree, so it's worth getting.

Tree of Life - 1 Rank - The Restoration form "Tree of Life" form is accessed
through this talent.  Tree of Life form you have an aura that causes all
affected party members to gain a bonus to all healing effects cast on them
equal to 25% of your total spirit.  You're limited to Swiftmend, Regrowth,
Rejuvenation, and Lifebloom and cannot cast any other spells, but those spells
cost 20% less mana to use in Tree of Life form.  Also, your movement speed is
reduced to 80% of normal, and you count as an elemental while in this form so
you can be affected by the Warlock spell Banish.  Tree of Life is certainly a
situational form, as with any of our forms, but it makes our heal-over-time
spells incredibly potent and efficient.  And your aura causes ALL incoming
healing to be increased on affected party members, not just your own, making
your aura incredibly raid-friendly.

------------------------------
[EQUIP1] Equipping Your Druid |
------------------------------

Each talent build for the Druid class requires differing equipment, and
sometimes equipping your Druid can become overwhelming.  Rather than list off
recommended gear (which would change as items are changed and new items are
added), I'll give an explaination of what each build should be looking for.
Allakhazam.com has a wonderful equipment database where you can search for
equipment based on all kinds of criteria, so you can use this wonderful tool
to decide what equipment you want to use and how to get it.

Balance Druids are the Mage-like Druids, and as such they typically want
Mage-like stats.  High Intellect increases their mana pool and chance for
spells to critical, while Spirit increases their mana regeneration.  Spell
damage is vitally important to a Balance Druid, so hopefully you'll be able
to find +spell damage for all your slots.  Mana regeneration per 5 seconds 
(Mana/5) is helpful, but less so than other stats.  And your spell critical
chance is another massively important modifier to look out for, though you
won't see much of that until higher levels.  Items that decrease your targets'
resistances are helpful to raiders and PvPers, as well.  And you can't neglect
your Stamina, because a dead Druid isn't helpful to anyone.  Modifiers to look
out for are "...of the Eagle", "...of the Owl", and "...of Intellect".  Items
"...of the Invoker" and "...of the Sorceror" are even better mods found only
on gear from the Outland, at around level 58+.

Feral Druids will want a variety of stats, depending on their playstyle.  If
you plan on spending a fair amount of time in both Bear and Cat forms, you'll
want to focus primarily on Strength but with a healthy amount of Agility and
Stamina.  Strength increases your melee damage in both forms, while Agility
increases damage in Cat form and adds to your dodge and critical chance.
Stamina is a must if you ever plan on tanking.  A small amount of Intellect
wouldn't hurt either, since you need mana to shift forms.  Spirit is pretty
useless to a Feral Druid.  Druids who focus on their Cat form and don't care
much about Bear form will want most of the same stats, although you'll probably
want to balance your Agility and Strength a little more closely instead of
favoring Strength.  Bear Druids who don't care about Cat form and prefer to
tank will definitely want to stack on the Strength in favor of Agility, but
don't completely neglect Agility either.  Attack Power is useful, but only if
you can't find a piece of equipment that offers an equivalent amount of
Strength, since for Druids one point of Strength or two points of Agility offer
one point of Attack Power.  Modifiers to look out for are "...of the Bear",
"...of the Monkey", "...of the Tiger", "...of Strength", and "...of Agility".
Items "...of the Bandit", "...of the Beast", and "...of the Soldier" are great
modifiers found on Outland gear.

Restoration Druids will want the same basic stats as Balance druids, although
Spirit will take a much greater role here, especially if you're going for
Tree of Life form.  Items with just +healing will probably be preferable to
items with both +healing/spell damage since you'll get a lot more +healing
that way, and don't neglect Mana/5 to help with longevity and efficiency.
Modifiers to watch for are "...of the Eagle", "...of the Owl", "...of
Intellect", and "...of Healing".  Items "...of the Heirophant" and "...of the
Physician" are even better modifiers found only on Outland equipment.

Hybrid Druids will want all kinds of crazy things depending on which trees
and forms they choose to emphasize, so try to draw from the above lists and
tailor them to fit your needs.  Luckily, as a hybrid Druid you can actually
get away with buying odd modifiers that nobody else would want, like "...of the
Boar" or "...of the Gorilla", since you're going to be wanting both caster and
melee stats.

--------------------
[LEVEL1] Levels 1-9 |
--------------------

These low levels can be difficult for the Druid class, since we really don't
have any of the awesome utility we'll gain at later levels.  You'll start out
knowing the first ranks of Wrath and Healing Touch, but unfortunately your
starting mana pool will be rather low and your melee abilities won't be that
great yet.  The typical fight will start with you rapid-fire throwing Wraths
from as far away as possible until the enemy gets to you, then meleeing until
they die.  Be sure to pick up all the grey items you can.  Equip anything
leather and sell the rest.  You're going to want to upgrade to a vendor-bought
weapon as soon as you have the money, since that will help your faltering
melee DPS.

Do all the quests for your race's newbie area, since these offer great EXP and
helpful equipment as rewards.  At level 5 or 6 you'll be ready to leave the
newbie area and head to the second village for your race to pick up more
quests.  Be sure to train at your class trainer at every even-numbered level
to expand your available tools.  You might wish to pick up a profession or
two at this point as well.  For more information on Druids and professions,
jump to the section tagged TRADE1.

At around level 9-10 you should be ready to head to your race's capitol city,
and quests should start pointing you in that direction anyway.  Once you get
there, don't forget to attune your hearthstone to the local inn.

----------------------
[LEVEL2] Levels 10-19 |
----------------------

At level 10 you'll get your first talent point.  Now comes decision time.
While it is certainly possible to level as a Balance or Restoration Druid, it's
also significantly harder to do so because of downtime and the lack of mana
that young Druids experience.  I would strongly recommend you put your points
in the Feral Combat tree from here on out.  You always have the option of a
respec, and at level 40 you can begin considering the Balance tree as a viable
leveling option.  For now though, Feral is going to be your safest and best
bet.  The choice, of course, is yours regardless.

Also at level 10, you'll receive the Teleport: Moonglade spell and a class
quest from the Druid trainer in either Thunder Bluff or Darnassus that sends
you to... wait for it... the Moonglade.  Start on this quest the moment you hit
level 10, because the ultimate reward for the chain is Bear form, which will
make leveling MUCH easier through this bracket.

Once you have Bear form, you may wish to start looking for +Strength leather.
Bear form's primary damage stat is Strength, and you can safely ignore Agility
for now.  Also, try to train the ability to use two-handed maces if you can.
For the Alliance, you'll need to go to Ironforge.  The Horde Druids have it
easier, the weaponmaster in Thunder Bluff can teach you.  Two-handed maces
tend to have better melee stats than staves, and they have bigger stat boosts
than one-handed weapons.  And, in the event that you have to stay in caster
form for some reason, they usually do the most damage for your caster form.

You'll receive two other class quests in this bracket.  Cure Poison, at level
14, has you running around either Darkshore or the Barrens curing radioactive
deer of a toxic plague.  At level 16, you can quest for Aquatic form, a quest
that takes you across both continents.  For both Night Elves and Tauren,
doing the Moonglade and Darkshore parts of the quest will be relatively easy.
However, the other part of the quest sends you to Westfall in the Eastern
Kingdoms.  The best way is to go to the Barrens (Night Elves go south from
Darkshore, then southeast through Ashenvale) to Ratchet, then take the goblin
boat from Ratchet to Booty Bay, then jump in the water and swim north all
the way to Westfall.  This method is slow, but you'll bypass the level 30-40
dangers of Stranglethorn Vale and should arrive in one piece.  Consult quest
information at a site like Allakhazam or Thottbot for more in-depth details.

Your typical fight will begin with you either in Bear form or caster form.  If
you start the fight in caster, use Moonfire to pull the enemy to you and then
switch to Bear.  Begin attacking the enemy to build up rage, and use Maul to
get big bursts of damage.  Don't forget to Bash to interrupt spellcasting,
especially if the enemy is trying to heal themselves.  After battle, if you
have lots of Rage and didn't take much damage, feel free to jump into a new
battle immediately.  If you're hurting, shift out of Bear (forfeiting any Rage
you gained) and heal yourself as necessary.  This method will limit your
downtime and help make the most out of your grinding.

For Night Elves, your best leveling will be in Darkshore and Ashenvale through
this bracket; for Tauren, you'll want to work your way through the multitude
of Barrens quests.  I suggest putting 5 talent points into Ferocity, then 2
into Brutal Impact, and lastly 3 into Thick Hide.  This will give you some
armor, a bit better DPS with your Bear form attacks, and will put you in a
good position for level 20.

Don't forget to check the Auction House regularly after every level you gain.
By level 20, your goal is to be out of greys and whites entirely and have
green items in all your slots.  If possible, try running Deadmines a few times
in this bracket, since there are some very nice leather pieces available.
Alliance especially should look at completing the Deadmines and the associated
quests, since the Tunic of Westfall is a great item for Feral Druids and it
gets even better once you have Cat form.  Horde should begin running the 
Wailing Caverns at around level 15, for the same reasons.  The Wailing Caverns
armor set, the items with the "...of the Fang" names, are great for young
Druids.  The set bonuses benefit your casting while the armor gives great stat
boosts.

----------------------
[LEVEL3] Levels 20-29 |
----------------------

At level 20, you can purchase the Cat form ability from your class trainer.
From now on, this will likely be your solo form, and it gets progressively
better as you learn new Cat abilities.  At level 20 and again at level 21,
it's highly recommended that you put your talent points into Feral Swiftness,
which will allow you to move with a 30% bonus to your speed while outdoors in
Cat form.  You can use this as a very reliable movement power until you get
Travel form at level 30, and in the meantime this will speed up the 20s for
you quite a bit.

During the 20s, the Alliance will probably want to be questing in the Wetlands.
Duskwood is a fun and creepy alternative in this bracket, as well.  The Horde
will be moving on to Thousand Needles.  Either faction also has the option of
going to Hillsbrad Foothills or Ashenvale, but these are contested zones
on PvP servers, so if you are on a PvP server, I'd recommend sticking to
Duskwood and Thousand Needles, since Hillsbrad especially is a PvP hotspot
and it might get in the way of your leveling.  Either way, you should begin
to feel much more powerful in this bracket.  Blackfathom Deeps will open up
as an instance for both factions in this bracket, and it's worth running for
some of the nice leather items it holds.  In addition, both factions can run
the very fun Shadowfang Keep, and the Alliance can run the Stockade.  Though
the Stockade doesn't hold any great gear, it's a good place to group for
leveling and questing, and some of the quest rewards can be rather nice.

If you've picked up any gathering professions, this would be a good time to
really start training them in earnest.  If you've taken mining, be on the
constant lookout for mining nodes, and make sure to smelt often to keep your
bags as empty as possible.  For Herbalists and Skinners, the Wetlands is a
fantastic place to train your professions while you level.  You can gain a lot
of skill and make plenty of money while you grind, and you'll want to start
saving money because your items and level training are beginning to get more
expensive.  And you're coming up on the point where you'll want to start
saving for your mount, so it's never a bad idea to get a head start.

In this bracket, the typical fight will involve you opening the fight either
by casting Moonfire in caster, or by attacking from Prowl in cat.  Either way,
once you're in Cat, put Rake on the enemy first thing to let it run its full
bleed course, and begin building up Combo Points with claw.  Use Rip early
enough to make a difference, and use Tiger's Fury whenever you are using a
burst attack (especially before an opening attack like Shred).  Don't forget,
if you get an add it's a good idea to cast Rejuvenation and/or Regrowth on
yourself, then switch to Bear form for survivability.  Cat form is a potent
form in one-versus-one fights, but it doesn't have the durability to stand
up to multiple enemies attacking at once.

----------------------
[LEVEL4] Levels 30-59 |
----------------------

Now you're playing the game in earnest.  It's during these levels that the
Alliance and Horde will start to share zones, so if you're on a PvP server,
make sure your equipment is high-grade and that you have plenty of Stamina and
armor.  At level 30, you'll gain Travel form, which will make your life so
much easier.  You can move at a very good pace (+40% movement speed) with this
new form, and it's much less mana-hungry to switch into than your combat forms.
Don't forget, shapeshifting breaks movement impairing effects and Polymorph, so
you can quickly switch into Travel form and back into your Bear or Cat form in
outdoors battles.

During these levels, you can quest in Desolace, Ferelas, Tanaris, Un'Goro
Crater, Hinterlands, both Eastern and Western Plaguelands, Stranglethorn Vale,
Silithus, the Badlands, Searing Gorge, the Blasted Lands, and Burning Steppes.
All of Azeroth is yours throughout this stage in the game.  There are many
leveling guides across the internet that you can refer to if you run out of
quests in a given area or if you want a change of scenery.  Also, don't forget
the instances, many of which (like Scarlet Monastery, Dire Maul, and Maraudon)
offer several different sections or wings for exploration.  The gear will get
a lot better in these levels, as well.

At level 40, you will learn the Dire Bear form from your Druid trainer.  This
is a substantial upgrade over regular Bear form, and it's especially attractive
at 40 when you also have the option of learning the almighty Mangle through
the Feral Combat tree.  However, if you should choose to do so, it's at around
level 40 that you can safely respec to the Balance tree and change your battle
strategies around.  If you choose to respec, make sure you have access to gear
with lots of Intellect, Spirit, and +spell damage on it before you do, else
you're going to have a difficult time fighting until your gear catches up with
your talents.

Also at level 40, you have the ability to purchase and ride a mount for the
first time.  Some of you may think that a mount is unnecessary with Travel form
at your disposal, but I would still recommend saving up for and purchasing a
mount.  A standard mount still moves faster than Travel form (160% movement
speed as opposed to 140% with Travel form), and there will be times when you'll
really appreciate the extra boost.  Others of you may be thinking that after
you get your mount you'll never use Travel form again.  While it's true that a
mount is a fair bit faster, Travel form still has its uses.  It's great for
quick getaways in combat (since you can't mount in combat), and you herbalists
can run around in Travel form to pick herbs quickly, without having to mount
and dismount.  And you can't carry flags in Warsong Gulch while mounted, but
you CAN carry them while in Travel Form.

Instances you'll definitely want to hit in this range include the Scarlet
Monastery in Tirisfal Glades, Maraudon in Desolace, Uldaman in the Badlands,
Blackrock Depths in the Searing Gorge, and Zul'Farrak in Tanaris.  All of
these instances offer great rewards and can be very fun, plus there are plenty
of quests attached to these instances that can be worthwhile to complete.

As you get closer to 60, be sure to start saving your money so that you can
purchase an Epic mount.  You'll need to have an Epic mount no later than level
68 so that you can train Flight form, and with the 200% movement speed that an
Epic mount offers you'll be able to move around much more easily and quickly.
You can run instances for drops to sell or rely on your tradeskills, and money
seems very easy to come by in the Outland, so don't stress if you don't have
a big bankroll during these levels.  It's just something to be mindful of.

----------------------
[LEVEL5] Levels 60-70 |
----------------------

Now you're truly a high-level Druid.  From 58 on you can cross the Dark Portal
in the Blasted Lands to enter the Outland, but I'd recommend waiting until 60,
since the enemies in the Outland are more difficult than their Azerothian
counterparts.  When you cross the Dark Portal, you'll end up in the middle of
a huge battle, so don't run straight ahead into the fray.  Instead, Alliance
Druids will turn left or Horde druids will turn right, to the Flight Master of
their faction.  Alliance Druids can immediately fly to Honor Hold, while Horde
Druids can travel to Thrallmar.  These two faction outposts will be your main
point of contact and quest hub for a while, so it's best to familiarize
yourself with them.  Pick up every quest you can find, because all of these
early Outland quests offer reward equipment to rival the most powerful items
in Azeroth.  Do quests with equipment rewards before any others, so that you
will be adequately re-equipped to deal with the demonic forces of Hellfire
Peninsula.  And be especially careful if the ground begins to shake, that's a
sure sign that the massive and monstrous level 70 elite Felreaver is nearby.
It wanders the map and likes to sneak up on unsuspecting delicious little
Druids, so be mindful of your surroundings at all times.

While here in Hellfire Peninsula, you may wish to speak to your profession
trainers to raise your skill caps to 375.  Primary profession trainers (such as
herbalism and enchanting) are located in Honor Hold and Thrallmar, while the
secondary skills (fishing, cooking and first aid) are located in your faction's
secondary outpost in the zone (the Temple of Telhamat for the Alliance, Falcon
Watch for the Horde).  Those with gathering professions will definitely want
to do this as soon as possible, since Hellfire Peninsula is littered with new
herbs, ores and skins unavailable in Azeroth.  Also, while you're here you
might want to join an instance group for either the Hellfire Ramparts (levels
60-62) or the Blood Furnace (levels 61-63), since many good item drops can
be found here and the boss fights are fun and fresh.  Later you can return for
the Shattered Halls section of Hellfire Citadel at level 70, and a raid
dungeon, Magtheridon's Lair, can be found here.

After you've completed all the quests in Hellfire Peninsula, or even if you're
just looking for a change of scenery, you can head west into the Zangarmarsh.
The first stop here is the Cenarion Refuge, which offers plenty of quests for
exploration.  From the Cenarion Refuge, both factions have outposts to the
north (Telredor for the Alliance, Swamprat Post for the Horde) which offer
vendors to sell and repair items, inns, quests galore, and a flight path.  Be
sure to spend plenty of time in the Zangarmarsh, it's an amazing and beautiful
zone with tons and tons of fun and rewarding quests.  The Zangarmarsh is home
to the Coilfang Reservoir, which has three different instances and a raid
dungeon for you to enjoy.  The instances are the Slave Pens (62-64), the
Underbog (63-65), and the Steamvault (70), as well as the raid dungeon, the
Serpentshrine Cavern.

South of the Zangarmarsh is Terokkar Forest, home of the single bastion of
civilization in the Outland, Shattrath City.  This will be your fulltime home
for the rest of the game, and you'll definitely want to set your hearthstone
here, since Shattrath City offers instant one-way teleportation to any Alliance
or Horde city.  Shattrath has mailboxes, banks, vendors, and quests, as well as
two new opposing groups to gain repuation with (an order of Draenei called the
Aldor, and a group of blood elves called the Scryers).  Early on in your first
visit to Shattrath, you'll be asked to swear allegience to one of these two
factions, and each offers different rewards for loyalty, so I'd suggest you
read up before deciding which faction to join.  Every time you gain reputation
with one of the factions, you lose reputation with the other, so the choice is
difficult to reverse.  

Also nearby are Allerian Stronghold (Alliance) and Stonebreaker Hold (Horde),
located near the middle of the map.  Head here as soon as you can since these
towns serve as great quest hubs, and they offer flight paths that will connect
Hellfire Peninsula with the rest of the Outland once you gain them.  Take care
in Terokkar though, the Warp Stalkers there can fade in and out and move about
invisibly, so it's easy to be attacked when you least expect it.  And if you
wander farther south, you'll find a wrecked caravan that serves as a second
quest hub, and you'll find the lost holy burial grounds of the Draenei,
Auchindoun, in the middle of the desolate Bone Wastes.  Auchindoun is home to
four instances:  the Mana Tombs (64-66), Auchenai Crypts (65-67), Sethekk
Halls (67-69) and the Shadow Labyrinth (70)

To the west of Terokkar Forest and south of Zangarmarsh is beautiful Nagrand,
a lush, open area with tons of quests to explore.  The Horde and Alliance
flight paths are toward the bottom of the map, as well as a "neutral" town,
Halaa, at the center of the map.  In the middle of Halaa is a flag, and
whichever faction controls that flag controls Halaa.  The dominant faction
has access to trainers, quest-givers, and various other benefits, while the
non-dominant faction gets attacked by town guards until the city changes
hands.  So, take care to look at who owns Halaa before you enter it, and try
to avoid it if you don't like PvP, since it's constantly under fire.  In the
northeastern corner of Nagrand is the Throne of the Elements, a quest hub
where you can meet and work for some *very* powerful elementals.  The Ring of
Trials, one of the PvP arenas, is located here as well.  And as an unexpected
surprise, Hemet Nesingwary of the Nesingwary Expidition of Stranglethorn Vale
has followed you through the Dark Portal and set up camp here in Nagrand.  He
and his fellow hunters will offer you many "hunt and kill" quests just like
they did back in Azeroth.

As I write this, I'm still working my way through the Outland with my Druid,
so this section will be fleshed out later, once I get more experience with
the new zones and instances.  I have not yet visited the Netherstorm, the
Blade's Edge Mountains or Shadowmoon Valley, so there's plenty of Outland yet
to be explored.  I'll continue updating my guide as I venture deeper into the
Outland.

---------------------------------
[MONEY1] Making Money as a Druid |
---------------------------------

There are many neat methods and strategies in this game for making gold, and I
can't begin to cover all of them in the scope of this guide, but I can give you
a few tips I've learned and help you find a strategy of your own.

As professions go, Druids have many options.  Skinning and Leatherworking allow
you to make your own armor, which can be very useful and can save you money at
the Auction House.  Herbalism and Alchemy are a flexible choice that gives you
many options for buffing yourself, as well as providing you with health and
mana potions to sustain you, but as a class with the ability to heal, Druids
may not gain the same benefits from Alchemy that non-healing classes like
Rogues and Warriors get.  Mining and Jewelcrafting is a nice option at higher
levels, when you'll be finding many pieces of gear with slots ready to be
filled, and at lower levels it allows you to fill your necklace and ring slots
with nice items, but it's definitely a combination that favors high-leveled
players.  Mining and Engineering is a PvP favorite, since it gives you a lot of
flexibility and utility in PvP, and since bombs are especially useful to Night
Elf druids who lack a stun in caster form, but Engineering has always been a
tremendous money sink.  Enchanting is a strong option, as well, since it allows
you to enchant your own equipment, but Enchanting can be very expensive to
learn and would best be paired with a gathering profession like mining,
herbalism or skinning to offset the cost.

For raw money-making, however, nothing beats a pair of gathering professions.
Skinning is always a good choice, since it doesn't require "Tracking" anything
on the minimap, freeing that option up for one of the other gathering trades.
Mining makes strong money early on with copper bars, but Herbalism doesn't fare
as well with its lower-level herbs.  Herbalism does ramp up during the mid-
levels, however, while Mining has traditionally slowed down after copper.  This
fact may have changed thanks to Jewelcrafting, however, since now three
crafting professions require the objects gathered from Mining, as opposed to
only one with Herbalism.  The best thing to do is to check your server's
Auction Houses to determine the average prices and supply of popular herbs and
ores before you make up your mind which gathering trade to pick up.  Racial
abilities may make a difference here, too, since Tauren get a bonus to their
Herbalism skill.

Another strategy for making money outside of trade skills is to use the Auction
House to make a profit.  Scan for Auctions with unusually low buyout prices,
then purchase the item and relist it at a higher price.  Many people swear by
this method of profit-making, but it can be a very hit-or-miss method, so if
you choose to use this method, have a backup method ready in case the Auction
House is running dry that week.  Rarer items that don't appear on the Auction
very often are the best to look for with this method, since often people will
list them without having a clear idea what they're worth, and you can exploit
that to turn a fast profit.

Enchanting can be a strong option for Druids, too.  Not only for the ability to
enchant equipment, also for the "gathering" aspect of the trade.  Many of the
best enchantments require expensive shards to cast, and shards are most easily
obtained by Disenchanting rare or "blue" quality weapons and armor.  Since we
as Druids can stealth through instances in Cat form thanks to Prowl, we can
bypass all the "trash" enemies and go straight to the bosses, soloing them and
"sharding" the items they drop to sell at Auction later.  If you plan on doing
this, make sure you're high enough over the "recommended level" for the
instance that you can safely solo anything inside.  Stealth through the
instance, stopping only to kill bosses and rare-spawn enemies with good drops
worthy of being Disenchanted.  Exit and reset the instance, then repeat until
you run out of resets.  Move to another instance and begin the process again.
You can gather a lot of shards very quickly using this method, and shards tend
to sell reasonably well since they're harder to get than dusts and essences.
Again, however, this method is risky since you can't guarantee shards will be
in demand at all times, or someone else may flood the market and undercut your
prices.  ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP PLAN.

--------------------------------------
[PVP001] Player Vs. Player as a Druid |
--------------------------------------

Druids can be monsters in PvP.  Because we're so flexible and versatile as a
class, we can really bend to any situation we're thrown into in PvP.  In world
PvP, it's almost impossible for any class to "gank" a Druid, since we excel at
running away and escaping with our lives.  In battlegrounds, it's this same
talent that makes us such capable flag-runners in Warsong Gulch.  One of our
strongest PvP spells is Entangling Roots, it can frustrate and slow down most
other players to keep them rooted until our allies can take them down.  Our
ability to Prowl allows us to sneak around undetected while we take stock of
our surroundings or get the jump on an unsuspecting enemy.  Our ability to
break free of movement-impairing effects and our immunity to Polymorph give us
unrivaled mobility in battle.  And in addition to all that, we can heal
ourselves and our allies to sustain us through the battle.

Each of our talent trees is incredibly viable in PvP, for various reasons.
Balance allows us range and huge burst-damage potential, and Moonkin form shuts
down melees on the opposing team.  Feral Combat gives us the potential to soak
physical damage in Bear, to charge runners and casters thanks to Feral Charge,
and it gives us the ability to stack bleed effects on armored foes with Cat
form.  Restoration is probably our strongest PvP tree, since it allows us to
drop instant healing and powerful heal-over-time spells on our allies and keep
our DPS allies in good shape while they cut through our enemies.

When fighting as a Druid in PvP, you must always remain mindful of your mana
pool.  Your mana allows you to heal yourself and your allies, shift into and
out of Feral forms, shift into Travel form for a quick getaway, or just shift
forms to drop impairment effects.  Other classes will do their best to force
you to burn through your mana pool, and once you're out of mana you're an easy
kill for just about anyone.  So it's important to make sure you have some gear
with Intellect on it, even as a Feral Druid.  Without mana, some of your most
important abilities are locked out, and that can be fatal.  Stamina and lots
of health is also important, and things like +crit or +spell crit are important
for ensuring big bursts of damage.

When in group PvP, it's important to remember that you may at times be needed
for healing teammates, even if you're specced Feral Combat or Balance.  Our
strength comes from our ability to move from role to role, and if you aren't
changing forms and roles as the situation dictates, you aren't playing to your
full potential.  This means that running around stealthed and looking for
injured clothies to kill to pad your Killing Blow count isn't always the best
idea.  This also means that you may want to stop healing from time to time to
cast Faerie Fire on a Rogue, or to Hibernate an enemy Druid or Hunter pet.
The key is to stay flexible and to adapt to the situation.

The main classes to watch out for are Warlocks (who can exploit our inability
to shift out of Fear), Paladins (who can keep themselves bubbled or healed
until we run out of mana, then kill us in caster form), Mages (who can counter
our spells and healing and who can run us out of mana by forcing us to shift
to drop crowd-control abilities), and Rogues (who like to stunlock us when we
drop to caster).  Feral Druids typically have a relatively easy time with
Warriors and Rogues since Bear is designed to mitigate their primary damage.
Cat druids often do well against cloth-wearing casters, although Cats are also
weak to magical attacks, so take care here.  Balance Druids are excellent
against Warriors and Paladins since they lack ranged attacks and we can keep
them rooted while we blast them.  Balance Druids also do well against most
hunters, since we can Hibernate their pets and root them to get into their
"dead zone".  However, Balance Druids are vulnerable to enemy casters, since
we lack abilities to prevent or interrupt casting.  Restoration Druids don't
really do well versus other classes, but other classes have an overwhelmingly
difficult time killing us since we just outheal their damage, so while you
may not top the damage charts you can definitely withstand a beating while you
heal your allies.  Remember, we tend to do best against Warriors and worst
against Warlocks, and the other classes tend to have mixed results against us
depending on how they've specced (and depending on how WE'VE specced).

Keep Abolish Poison and Remove Curse handy at all times to help shut down
Rogues and Warlocks, and try to keep shapeshifting to a minimum to conserve
mana.  Against classes that can interrupt spellcasting, try to crowd-control
them first before you heal, else they'll cancel out your entire Nature school.
Against classes that can strip buffs, try to get them to waste their ability
to do so on an unimportant buff before you put anything important on (like a
heal-over-time spell).  Against opponents who can kite, use Travel Form to
break their crowd control and get back to the range you need to be in to fight
back.  And against opponents who can heal, try to use a caster interrupt such
as a stun or incapacitate (Taurens don't forget War Stomp!) to shut them down
when you're sure they're about to heal themselves.  Save your interrupts for
that point in the fight, usually late in the battle when they're running out
of options.  Look for glowing green or glowing yellow hands as a signal that
they may be trying to heal, and act accordingly.  And don't be afraid to run
away!  After all, if there's one thing we excel at, it's escaping to fight
again another day!

-----------------------------------
[BINDS1] Saboruto's Druid Keybinds |
-----------------------------------

It always helps to have your abilities keybound in a logical and easy-to-access
way, so that you can shift forms or activate spells and abilities as quickly
as possible.  The following is a breakdown of the keybinds I use as a Druid.
Though I find my keybinds to be functional and easy, you may find another setup
that works better for you, so be sure to experiment until you find a system
that you're comfortable with.  These keybinds were set up when I was specced
Balance, and they were altered when I respecced Feral Combat.  Restoration
Druids can easily alter this list to fit their own most commonly-cast spells.
This isn't intended to serve as a guide, but rather to illustrate one way of
binding Druid abilities to keys.  If you feel more comfortable mouse-clicking
your spells and abilities, then do so.  Remember, ultimately the idea is to
find your own style of playing your druid, I'm only here to help point you in
the right direction.

E - Move Forward
D - Move Backwards
S - Strafe Left
F - Strafe Right
W - Rotate Left
R - Rotate Right
Q - Dire Bear form (Feral) / Moonkin form (Balance)
A - Regrowth (Caster) / Feral Charge (Bear) / Prowl (Cat)
Z - Rejuvenation (Caster) / Frenzied Regeneration (Bear) / Tiger's Fury (Cat)
X - Dire Bear form (Balance)
C - Cat form
V - Entangling Roots (Caster/Moonkin) / Demoralizing Roar (Bear) / Ravage (Cat)
B - Faerie Fire (Caster) / Bash (Bear) / Pounce (Cat)
G - Healing Touch (Caster) / Starfire (Balance) / Mangle (Bear/Cat)
T - Wrath (Caster/Balance) / Maul (Bear) / Rake (Cat)
1 - Decurse (Caster) / Growl (Bear) / Shred (Cat)
2 - Abolish Poison (Caster) / Swipe (Bear) / Rip (Cat)
3 - Hibernate (Caster) / Enrage (Bear) / Ferocious Bite (Cat)
4 - Shadowmeld (Caster/Balance) / Cower (Cat)
5 - Moonfire (Caster/Balance) / Feral Faerie Fire (Bear/Cat)
Left Mouse Thumb - Travel Form
Shift Left Mouse Thumb - Aquatic Form
Right Mouse Thumb - Auto Run
Middle Mouse - Barkskin (Caster/Balance) / Challenging Roar (Bear) / Dash (Cat)

-----------------
[CLOSE1] Closing |
-----------------

Thanks for reading my guide!  I hope it's been of some help to you, whether you
are a new Druid or whether you're getting "long in the fang" (bad Druid pun, I
know... but after the wall of text I just typed, I'm allowed to be a naughty
Bear once in a while!)  If you noticed any errors, ommissions, incorrect facts,
poor suggestions, spelling or grammatical errors, or long streams of thought
with no logical conclusion or purpose, email me!  I'm always happy to take
suggestions and feedback on my guides.  You can mail me in-game to Saboruto on
the Steamwheedle Cartel realm, or email me at saboruto-at-gmail-dot-com.

Special thanks to Allakhazam's Magical Realm at wow.allakhazam.com for being
an awesome site that has informed and entertained me for several years, and to
the wise Druids of the World of Warcraft official Druid board for helping to
guide me when I was but a wee cub fresh from the Emerald Dream.  And of course,
thanks go to Blizzard for crafting such a rich and engaging MMORPG.  And last
but certainly not least, eternal gratitude to my amazing boyfriend Nathan, for
loving me and putting up with me and making me as happy as I am.

This guide is the intellectual property of Daniel Jason Dyals, and may not be
used outside of the acceptable use as stated at the beginning of this document.
(c)2007 All rights reserved.  Steamwheedle Cartel for life, baby!