The continuing saga of Druid consumables
by Eliah Hecht 
Apr 12th 2007 at 6:57PM
Druids make great tanks. Like any other class, they have strengths and weaknesses, and one of those weaknesses is that they can't use consumables, like health potions, in feral forms. A while back there was some buzz about the devs letting them use some potions in forms, and just having to decide which ones; that's been the Blizz party line for a while now. Now it looks like that may not be happening after all, basically because Druid tanks are currently working as intended™:
Unfortunately we do not yet have much new information available regarding this topic. The developers are still evaluating which pots and procs should be usable in forms, but it is not an easy evaluation process because for the most part Druids currently appear to be performing where the developers want them to.
Because the Druids appears to be performing the way the developers want, then they have to be very considerate and cautious in the evaluation process in order to avoid potential balance issues, which means that they also have to consider whether or not pots/procs in forms is even necessary anymore.
I know that this might sound like bad news to some of you, but please remember that the evaluation process has not yet finished so it is still too early to proclaim doom and gloom.
Druids, what do you think? Do you need pots, or are you doing OK without them?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10pound Apr 12th 2007 7:10PM
Thats a great pic, best I have seen all week! Thx or making my day.
Hallick Apr 12th 2007 7:22PM
If I could use pots in bear form I'd have to show up with a big stack and try and guess when to use them. Now all I have to do is generate threat and hit frenzied regeneration if things start looking bad so it looks like I'm trying to help, however ineffectively. After that I get say sorry guys, that's my whole bag of tricks. If I go down you can't blame me.
Freehugz Apr 12th 2007 7:27PM
I went feral for a few weeks a while back and I totally loved having a cheaper raiding cost due to not having to pop mana/health pots all the time.
Scruffy Apr 12th 2007 7:29PM
Pots? Nah. How could a cat or a bear hold a vial or a flask?
Now if it was any regular consumable that gave only 50% of it's healing effects immediately and no bonus to stats AND had the same cool down as mana/health pots, I'd agree 100%.
Freehugz Apr 12th 2007 7:39PM
how can a rogue hold 2 huge swords and down a potion?
wallan Apr 12th 2007 7:46PM
If you have a healing spell, you are a healer. End of story. Quit QQing about having to heal. You are not entitled to spec any other way. I honestly don't know why Blizzard even made non-healing trees for healing classes. STFU and heal me, n00b.
Ristic Apr 12th 2007 7:58PM
im a druid... to be honest being able to down pots while in bear and espicially in cat form would definately overpower my char.
Kata Apr 12th 2007 7:56PM
I don't have much of a problem with not being able to use consumables in feral form. I found the perfect balance to keep me alive. My husband has a druid who is specc'd restoration. I mangle while he keeps me alive. ^^
@Wallen,
1/10 for the troll.
Mike Apr 12th 2007 8:04PM
Is that sarcasm Wallan? If its not you really dont have a clue do you.
10pound Apr 12th 2007 8:41PM
Rogues have opposable thumbs lol, bears and cats dont! lmao wut?
G Apr 12th 2007 8:51PM
Pots? What are pots? Oh, potions? What are those? Are you gonna skin that, 'cause I'm already done here. Bye. (Flies away..)
Robert Apr 12th 2007 8:57PM
You know what's funny... feral's been buffed so much that, although I'd like to respec resto for 5v5 arenas, my guild wants me to stay feral for PvE. Who saw that coming a year ago?
First of all, since PvP is essentially balanced around arenas now, pots in forms is purely a PvE issue. As such, what we're REALLY talking about here is the ability to use pots while tanking in bear. Since tanking anything but raids and heroics is trivial, this is simply an issue of endgame tank balance.
As it stands, druids don't have any 'oh-shit' buttons to press when tanking hard content. Frenzied regen is a joke when you have 18,000hp. Shifting out between melee hits to pop barkskin is possible but much too risky. Basically, there's nothing we can proactively do to extend our lifespan.
IMO, while it would be NICE to have some more tools, I think it's an intended weakness of druid tanks. On many fights it's not an issue at all, but on other fights where its possible for healers to be CC'd or need to run around a lot, it's great to have a warrior who can pop Last Stand, Shield Wall, Super Healing Pot or Ironshield, Healthstone, Nightmare Seed, and so on. It comes down to warriors being superior tanks for more chaotic fights, and druids being ideal for fights with huge predictable physical damage. I don't think for a second this isn't working as intended.
So I don't really care about using potions in forms. I do think we should be able to have weapon procs in forms, simply because it would give us more variety in our choice of weapons and enchants and add some more fun to the game. I also think Frenzied Regen needs to be looked at, if it isn't meant to be used purely to solo elites while leveling. How about the healing amount scales with stamina, or while it's up healing spells on you are increased by 20%, or all melee attacks against you cause you to regen additional health, or SOMETHING.
Karl Apr 12th 2007 9:09PM
I fail to see how it would be a balance issue if a druid in a feral form could use potions. Every other class can, so it puts the druid at a disadvantage currently. It's not as if the feral forms are so amazingly overpowered that everything would be tipped into the druid's favour. Bear form does laughable damage and cat form has no survivability.
As for the silly argument about bears and cats having no thumbs... stop trying to use realism in this game. How can a warrior with a massive shield and a sword as tall as he is use a potion suddenly while fighting, say, a dragon that is several times larger. By all accounts, that dragon should have just crushed him before he could even use a potion.
But I wouldn't expect Blizzard to understand. They've never understood how to develop druids, let alone hybrids in general.
monkeywraith Apr 12th 2007 9:10PM
last druid nerf, as well as the notion that we are 'working as intended' is utter bs (unless they intend for us to suck) ... i dont do nearly enough dps (in ballance or feral, tried both), can barely keep the attention of more than one mob at a time, and our heals are too slow (although that is a bit less of a problem). i love the concept and lore of being a druid, but it has gotten to the point that i am leveling a tankadin and resto sham to replace my druid :'(
Simon Apr 12th 2007 9:20PM
As a druid alchemist, I'ld like to make use of the potions I can make. And the special stuff you can find while picking herbs is totaly lost too. As they are soulbound I can't even give them to someone else to use. Also, shifting out of feral form to refresh the elixirs I'm using is just an unnecessary inconvenience. So, I hope they finaly allow us to use consumeables. And please don't make it a half ass compromise.
Also not being able to pick herbs, but to skin mobs while in flightform is just bollocks.
Robert Apr 12th 2007 9:23PM
@14 - Ok, so you suck, we get it. The devs, however, balance the game around players who aren't terrible and spend the time and effort to get decent gear (which, as a druid, is appallingly easy; the best druid tanking gear in the game consists of ZERO random drops!). Druids are fine; we're highly competitive in DPS, first-class tanks, and amazing healers. If you disagree, it's a personal problem.
Simon Apr 12th 2007 9:31PM
monkeywraith, that must be you sucking at playing.
before BC i was speced resto and i think i did pretty decent for a healer who can take some abuse and still has some other skills.
now i'm speced feral, and as a cat i can farm solo very very well, and in groups i can either deal out damage or tank, and if necessary i can also help out with healing.
so, basicly, druids work very well. biggest problem for me is the space i need for the different sets of gear. i'ld like to see a "gear bag" that is only for soulbound items. but as far as i know that's not just a druid problem.
Guernia Apr 12th 2007 10:46PM
I play a giant three-fingered bipedal cow who can shoot bows and guns. That statement isn't disagreeing with the notion that druids shouldn't use consumables, but the bear/cat "no fingers" argument is kind of nonsensical given some of the other things that go on in the game.
Brian McBride Apr 12th 2007 11:20PM
So, the devs are saying druids are balanced? Meaning, druids, because of their uberness, don't need potions but other classes do.
Yea... right. I have yet to see a time when downing a healing pot won't make a huge difference in a tough boss fight. And when tanking as a druid, I can vary rarely shift out to drink, and that is only when I loose aggro - which is bad for everyone then.
Sheesh. Blizzard, I would would say you suck with druids, but everyone already says it. Either you give us a bit too much or nerf us into the ground. Maybe, just maybe you could go half way and then we would be fine.
Artaz Apr 12th 2007 11:22PM
#12 got it right. Potion use for druids is centered mostly around tanking where shifting is more often than not, suicide.
I don't ever expect to be able to use pots in feral forms either, and am fine with the mechanic as it is. However, I would like them to make tier sets or even individual drops before black temple that are better for feral forms than green quest rewards or level 60 blues (Mark of Tyranny for eg.). Itemisation is just a joke as a feral druid.
They could also change feral regen to be a % of total health over time rather than a fixed amount. At least that way, it would be mildly useful as a raid tank.