• You've discovered RedGuides 📕 an EverQuest multi-boxing community 🛡️🧙🗡️. We want you to play several EQ characters at once, come join us and say hello! 👋
  • IS THIS SITE UGLY? Change the look. To dismiss this notice, click the X --->

Question - Never played a Druid before... (1 Viewer)

Joined
Dec 28, 2019
RedCents
4,025¢
I have never played a Druid or Beastlord before and thinking about starting a new group.... With that said, what would be the benefit to the group with a Druid in it? Or a Beastlord or both be?

Wanting to try something new, what do you think of these combinations? Though a SHD, CLR, ENC, MAG, MAG, MAG would probably be the shit, I would like to have a porter/Taxi in the group (Not just a CoTH)
WAR, SHM, BRD, DRU, (MNK|MNK) or (ROG|ROG}​
or​
SHD, CLR, ENC, DRU, ROG|ROG or MNK|MNK or ROG, MNK​
or​
WAR|SHD, CLR, ENC, DRU, WIZ, MAG​
What do you all think?​
-Taz​
 
  1. SHD, CLR, ENC, MAG, MAG, MAG - Definitely Great DPS - Maybe Swap out CLR for Shm at 120. People will say drop Enc for BRD - but stay with a theme - If you wanna do caster - then go caster. Chromatic Haze and Swarm Pets and BOOM and mobs will die.
  2. WAR,SHM,BRD, DRU, ROG, ROG - I Love druids - but honestly even with the best raid gear - the Druid is slacking in the raid situation. Whereas a BST in the Same group and you are Tier 1 DPS - watch the mobs melt.
  3. WAR|SHD, CLR, ENC, DRU, WIZ, MAG - Once again Drop CLR for SHM at 120. I would drop WAR for SK. And this is GREAT FUN GROUP. Not as good DPS as Grp 2 but you can still get anything done in game.

Play what you enjoy playing.

I dont think there are any group make ups that are completely hopeless as long as you cover the unholy trinity.
 
First, agree with play what you enjoy or think will be fun.

Second, if you want to optimize, and include a druid, I think you're better off with a caster group. So probably..
  • knight tank (your choice, but you seem to know SK is better)
  • SHM
  • MAG
  • DRU
  • MAG/NEC/BST
  • BRD/ENC
My heart says run both BRD and ENC, but there aren't enough group slots and, although the bard damage would be nice, your druid will probably need the mana from the ENC more. A BST is probably best in the other slot for the same reason, but NEC and SK can do some mana tapping that might be enough to get by.

Forgot to add.. WIZ are in a bad spot right now and probably best left on your bench. Their dps is subpar and you'll already have a porter with the DRU so no real reason to use one.
 
Last edited:
I run an FTP group of SK, Bard, Cleric, Enchanter, Mage, and Druid.

1. Druids are lousy heals. (They got some, but they're pretty weak!)
2. Druids are mana whores. (High mana cost per spell.)
3. Druids are great taxis. (Exodus to save a group is the bomb!)
4. Druids are great buffers. (Casters love the skin mana regen and the fire enhancing debuffs!)
5. Druids can be great DPS! (Later in life their DOTs can be amazing.)

I'm happy with the group makeup but if I did it again I'd replace the cleric with a shaman.
 
I've switched back to my original group of SK, Shaman, Druid, Enc, Mage and Beastlord. This may not be the best DPS of the prefect melee group but pre-NOS (I've not brought the new expansion) the group can output pretty good DPS (can hit 9-10 mill DPS against a named).

The Druid adds some decent ADPS to a caster group but really needs the mana regen from ENC, BST and MAG to keep up with the group.

On the healing side my SK self heals 50-70% of the damage and the rest is covered by the Shaman splashing and the druid tops up with remote + 2h procs (same as Shaman) + synergy procs from using luna group heal.
 
Dru helps casters, but there are a couple short-term buffs that add a tot heal to spells and melee, enough that a heavy casting or meleeing(only my tank isn't dualwielding) it's like a mini sk epic all the time (but not really mini if you have EVERYONE'S heals hitting the tank not themselves)and a casting version too. I don't need to heal in NOS at all outside missions using these, nameds included. So for ports, dps(at some fight durations they can rival wiz)and passive healing plus oh shit healing as needed, a slightly lesser DS than mage, some charmpetting if wanted, and all the spells needed for Spirits mission etc, works pretty well. DPS is very manaheavy though so play light if you can't use a mount while grinding. And the aura only lasts for 6ish minutes for some reason, but that's another 8-9k added spelldmg for all as well.
 
Last edited:
Third class I played was a druid. Previous two were monk and enchanter.
Compared to those, it's like playing everquest on a LazyBoy, so comfy and easy =D

Not quite the nukes of a Wiz, but far more utility with backup heals, buffs, foraging (if you do tradeskills) as well as nukes and ports.
For groups and raids, they are one of the best all round support classes.
I don't play end game anymore so I'm not sure what the heals are like there, but I'd guess you probably don't want it as a primary healer unless you've got a paladin in group.

Also, quad kiting. Or charm kiting with an enchanter. So much fun.
 
Don't get me wrong, it works well with SK too, but Paladin has more sustainable tanking without heals than an SK does which opens the druid up to do other things, versus trying to out heal damage. The requirement for less healing just provides more leverage.
 
I have never played a Druid or Beastlord before and thinking about starting a new group.... With that said, what would be the benefit to the group with a Druid in it? Or a Beastlord or both be?

Wanting to try something new, what do you think of these combinations? Though a SHD, CLR, ENC, MAG, MAG, MAG would probably be the shit, I would like to have a porter/Taxi in the group (Not just a CoTH)
WAR, SHM, BRD, DRU, (MNK|MNK) or (ROG|ROG}​
or​
SHD, CLR, ENC, DRU, ROG|ROG or MNK|MNK or ROG, MNK​
or​
WAR|SHD, CLR, ENC, DRU, WIZ, MAG​
What do you all think?​
-Taz​
For caster group, I usually run sk, clr, enc, bst, mag, mag - I am planning to drop a mag and add a druid.
 
After reading all of the replies, honestly I might just level up a Druid for a Taxi service and explore a group with a Beastlord instead.... I can't believe that I have never played a Paladin past the the original Kunark also... lame and shame on me. It might be time to try a Paladin also.

-Taz
 
I have no idea how reading the replies here led you to that conclusion lol, but I'm also confused by dru/bst being the either/or so...lol. usually there's a lot more bst-praising going around too.
 
Yeah, I don't know, I'm going to level one up and stick it in a few different groups along the way to test the waters. I have the opinion from what I have read its worth giving it a shot to see how it goes. Seems like I just need to work on the right group to know how it works for me. Definitely didn't mean my reply to sound like a druid is worthless or anything.
 
Druid also works better with Paladin than SK as a primary tank, you'll get a lot more leverage that way.

I am enjoying my Paladin, Druid setup. My group has slowly evolved into Paladin, Druid, Ranger, Bard, Zerker, BL, and the druid feels solid in most situations (The ranger is probably the least good bit of that setup because optimizing ranger damage is suuuper wonky), because some of its biggest issues in regards to healing just dont exist when you have splash and significant passive (and passive'ish) healing. Its also not overly concerned with mana efficiency when its combo heal/vie/ds is all it has to cast heal-wise in a lot of situations and the vida line isnt taxing on mana when it needs spot heals.

I do keep mine as more of a babysitter, so its primarily doing damage through aa's and a remote here or there, but outside current era nameds, nothing lasts long enough in that group to get full mileage out of its dots.

Its biggest issue is large pulls of things that just dont want to be CC'd, its less strong on the initial burst of damage before things get slowed/debuffed/burned. Kael of all places gives that group more trouble than any more current zone.
 
Question - Never played a Druid before...

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top