My second character (1st Alt) is a Druid, so main druids may have more insight. (My disclaimer) I have been playing my druid for quite and while and even fill in on raids when we are short druids and I love the druid class. But just for grins I started leveling up a shaman and there are glaring disparities there. I love the Burn DPS of druid and the single target healing along with the heal buffs druids get are very nice. The real problem becomes for my druid is mana. That being said, I would just like to see the mana bear have a higher return rate on mana. 9k every 5 minutes is not a lot and the dots consume so much mana and the Direct damage is not that great. I would love to see the mana bear give closer to 30k mana back after that 5 minutes is all. FLAME ON
The trick really is to use GINA or set up an AT for when you get a gift of mana proc, and that's when you fire off the big mana-costing dots from the NFW line. Also, if you can stand the annoyance of it, try to camp the spec. conjuration aug from the old CoTF Bixie Missions. I know +15% to Spec. Conjuration isn't alot - but in Druid-land, every little bit helps. /agree regarding the mana bear. I haven't casted him in ages on a raid.
As a life time druid The only mana problem I have with our class is the cost of our dot's. nothing wrong with our mana regen even with a large mana pool never really takes long to regen it back.
If you raid or are regularly in top-notch groups. For small groups with regular lack of great mana-regenning buffs, it's a real pain. Again, I'm not talking about the cost of our spells, just looking at what our "mana-return" ability generates compared to the abilities of other classes.
You didn't specifically say it, but be sure to use all the passive ways to regen mana in groups. Always have great wolf up, be on a mount, and make sure you have mana regen spells from either potions or spells. The Sacred Prayer Shawl of the Duke is still a very good augment for returning mana. DPS with NFW is your biggest mana cost, and it's an evocation spell. So the Splinter of Potency augment has a 15% skill mod to Evocation, and will save you 519 mana per NSF cast (from CotF, Ethernere West Karana). However if you use your Horde and Sunshock spells more, then go with the conjuration augment.
I agree that the mana bear pet needs a big upgrade and moved to an AA button (freeing a spell gem). For me the big question is: when is my druid (or bard) going to outgrow Darkened Fungus Covered Scale Tunic? The +85 mana regen is pretty hard to go without and I don't see any replacement. Is it going to be irreplaceable like Necro epic for ages to come?
Do you even get full benefit from that much worn mana regen on the tunic? I know worn mana regen is capped, even with all the AAs to increase it, and other gear already has some mana regen. How much do you actually get from that tunic?
Very much so .... SPA 317 - Worn Regen Cap SPA 318 - Worn Mana Regen Cap [47322] Fungal Growth Target: Self Resist: Beneficial, Blockable: Yes Focusable: Yes Casting: 0s Duration: 60m+ (600 ticks), Dispelable: Yes 1: Increase HP Regen Cap by 85 2: Increase Mana Regen Cap by 85
for scale: Voice of Sagacity 2: Increase Current Mana by 188 per tic Opaline Blessing 4: Increase Current Mana by 84 per tick Mask of the Arbor Tender Rk. III 3: Increase Current Mana by 71 per tick Spiritual Insight 5: Increase Current Mana by 159 per tick half time each: Group Spirit of the Great Wolf XV 13: Increase Current Mana by 75 per tickSpirit of the Great Wolf XXV 13: Increase Current Mana by 135 per tick so avg 105/tick By quoting these I mean to observe that a bump of 85 is meaningfully in-scale with other passive mana regens. There is a cost in not having hastening for Remote nukes, but mana regen & 4-versus-5 Remotes/minute are rarely in the same conversation.
You could pull out a two hander with arms of holy wrath and melee to recoup mana when appropriate. Crystal Mana Tonic shouldn't be too hard to keep on yourself at all times. Waiting on Gift of Mana procs for Nature's Wrath line or other mana intensive spells was a great suggestion. Altogether agree that mana bear could use a big boost, or give druids another mana recuperation ability.
