Feedback: Druids

Blue Tracker

In this thread, please discuss ongoing changes to the Druid class in the Guardians of the Dream PTR.

Balance

In Guardians of the Dream, we’d like to diversify Balance’s talent builds in different content and provide more viable options.

Wild Mushrooms was too expensive to compete with other talent options, so we combined it and Fungal Growth into a single point. Wild Mushrooms is now a choice node with a revised Orbital Strike that is no longer tied to Celestial Alignment – you can choose the steady damage of Wild Mushrooms or a less frequent, big burst of damage with Orbital Strike.

We also removed the conflict between maintaining Rattle the Stars and maximizing Starlord – we like the “save resources and spend during Eclipse” gameplay of Balance and feel Starlord epitomizes it better.

Damage of all abilities increased by 2%.
Nature’s Grace now grants 10% Haste (was 15%).
Power of Goldrinn damage increased by 20%. Moved to where Starlord was located in Fractures in Time.
Starlord has moved to where Power of Goldrinn was located in Fractures in Time.
Rattle the Stars has been redesigned – It is no longer a buff that stacks when you cast Starsurge or Starfall and is now a passive bonus that always reduces the cost of Starsurge and Starfall by 10% and increases their damage by 12%.
Orbital Strike has been redesigned – Call down a bombardment of celestial energy over the target area, blasting all enemies for Astral damage and applying Stellar Flare to them for 16 seconds. Generates 30 Astral Power. Orbital Strike still hits enemies in a 40 yard line and has a 90 second cooldown. Now a choice node with Wild Mushroom.
Fungal Growth has been removed. Wild Mushrooms now includes the effects of Fungal Growth.
Wild Mushrooms’ damage has been reduced by 20% and the Fungal Growth damage over time has been reduced to 60% of Wild Mushroom damage (was 70%). Fungal Growth’s damage over time now deals damage over 10 seconds (was 8 seconds).

Feral

Apex Predator’s value varies a lot in single target and AOE, so we’re evening that out a little.

We’re trying a new version of Ashamane’s Guidance, as we don’t love the randomness of the current version with the updated Berserk design – it’s hard to optimize its damage and resource generation without using external tracking mods. The new version will have more consistent value and rewards you for maintaining your most important bleeds.

Apex Predator’s chance to trigger is increased against a low number of targets and decreased against a high number of targets. Its chance to trigger is about the same as before against 4 targets.
Cat’s Curiosity has been replaced with a new talent: Saber Jaws – When you spend extra Energy on Ferocious Bite, the extra damage is increased by 40%/80%.
Ashamane’s Guidance’s effect for Incarnation: Avatar of Ashamane has been redesigned – During Incarnation: Avatar of Ashamane and for 30 seconds after it ends, your Rip and Rake each cause affected enemies to take 3% increased damage from your abilities.

Restoration

Cenarius’ Guidance’s Incarnation: Tree of Life functionality has been redesigned – During Incarnation: Tree of Life, you summon a Grove Guardian every 10 seconds. The cooldown of Incarnation: Tree of Life is reduced by 5 seconds when Grove Guardians fade.
Incarnation: Tree of Life now additionally empowers Wrath, causing it to deal 20% more damage and be instant cast.
Reforestation now grants Incarnation: Tree of Life for 10 seconds (was 9 seconds).
New Talent: Liveliness – Your damage over time effects deal their damage 25% faster, and your healing over time effects heal 5% faster.
Circle of Life and Death has been removed.
Grove Tending healing increased by 30%.
Grove Guardian’s Nourish healing decreased by 16%.
Grove Guardian’s Swiftmend healing reduced by 20%.
Grove Guardian’s Wild Growth healing from Wild Synthesis reduced by 20%.
Luxuriant Soil now causes Rejuvenation to have a 1%/2% chance to jump to a nearby ally (was 1.5%/3%).
Regrowth initial healing increased by 20%.
Regrowth heal over time effect increased by 42%.
Rejuvenation healing increased by 25%.
Wild Growth healing increased by 15%.
Wrath and Starfire damage increased by 90%.
Abundance caps at 12 stacks, for a maximum of 60% crit/cost reduction.
Cenarion Ward healing increased by 25%.
Swiftmend healing increased by 30%.
Inner Peace now reduces the cooldown of Tranquility by 30 seconds (was 60 seconds).
Spring Blossoms healing reduced by 25%.
Sunfire now costs 1.8% base mana (was 2.4%).
Embrace of the Dream healing reduced by 30%.
Flourish now extends the duration of all your heal over time effects on friendly targets within 60 yards by 6 seconds (was 8 seconds), and increases the rate of your heal over time effects by 25% (was 100%) for 6 seconds (was 8 seconds).
Flourish procs from Convoke the Spirits now extends heal over time effects by 3 seconds (was 4 seconds) and lasts 3 seconds (was 4 seconds).
- Developers’ note: We are reducing the effectiveness of Flourish and increasing the power of rotational heal over time spells with the goal of moving more power into the baseline kit.
Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible (2) Set Bonus – Now increases the healing of Regrowth’s periodic heal by 35% (was 50%).
Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible (4) Set Bonus – Now increases the rate of your heal over time effects by 26% (was 30%).

Blizzard Forum Source: Feedback: Druids, Author: Kaivax, Posted: Thursday, September 7th 2023, 7:26 pm