Wiz vs Dru

[Glad8tor]

Hello everyone, im currently dieing to play on P1999 but am limited due to no internet access at home and no laptop to carry to a coffee shop or library. So im stuck reading everyones daily posts and talking about EQ at home constantly to myself to help the fiending, borderline scratching at the neck.

Anyway, I played EQ live from early 2000 till 2008 then on/off though 09 and ive leveled every class to 45+ except a druid or wizard.

OK so help me decide.
My opinions:
Druid:
--Pros--
-excellent solo abilities
-Healing
-Porting
-Awsome buffs
-Sow(which gets its own tab cause its THAT awsome)
-Track(which i believe gives a huge leveling curb over others due to first dibs on mobs :D)
--Cons--
-Cant think of any really other than ive heard that there are ALOT of druids on P1999.

Wizard:
-Awsome nukes
-Ports
-Ive heard some solo abilities(such as root n nuke method)
-Also highly wanted for DPS
--Cons--
-Researching
-Low hitpoints
-alot more group dependant

Now ive done the whole raiding 5+ days a week and it was fun for awhile but got very boring to me. So since i have another chance i figured i would spend most of my time doing old school quests and stuff that i missed out on cause well lol i was dumb and young when i first started. So i plan to do more questing, tradeskills, and twink item farming.

Suggestions? pls also thro in your own pro/con opinions on the 2 classes if you so wish

Sincerely,
EQfiend

[Messianic]

Druid's a lot more efficient at soloing and is slightly more desirable in groups. They get self-sow obviously at 14, so they're already a better 1st character....Think of not being able to do the jboots quest until like 29+...

If you have no preference, go druid. I went wizard specifically because I wanted the uniqueness of a wizard - and it's not easy, but it's what I want to do.

[Filwen]

Wizard:

Pro - You are not a druid.

Druid:

Con - You are a druid.

[Enderenter]

Wizards are much more one-dimensional, focused almost purely on DPS (aside from a few 'utility' abilities such as porting - which druids also have)

Druid is basically "jack-of-all-trades - master-of-most". If you prefer to be a DPS, go with Wizard. Otherwise, Druid is the call - among the top 3 solo/farmer in the game. Top 3 healer, top 3 buffer, utility spells out the wazoo - best root, best snare, best DoTs as far as damage to mana ratio.

Of course, Druid also gets SoW which can't be underestimated :)

[Amra]

Think of not being able to do the jboots quest until like 29+...


Or you could just be bound in EC and get an sow from the 10-15 druids just standing around. Also just get sow pots worth the 10p a dose if you are past 30 and are trying to solo.

As far as the group desirability goes I think early on druids are easier to group cause wizard nukes aren't super powerful yet and everyone needs a healer. After level 30 though when most groups have a bard/chanter for mana regen, and everyone wants a cleric in the group cause druid/shaman heals just don't cut it anymore. There are plenty of groups that still like having that second healer for buffs/dps/backup healing.

[Glad8tor]

Loving the posts so far and it seems like druids:2 Wizards:2 so far lol

less opinions more decisons!

Sincerely,
EQfiend

[Messianic]

Or you could just be bound in EC and get an sow from the 10-15 druids just standing around. Also just get sow pots worth the 10p a dose if you are past 30 and are trying to solo.

As far as the group desirability goes I think early on druids are easier to group cause wizard nukes aren't super powerful yet and everyone needs a healer. After level 30 though when most groups have a bard/chanter for mana regen, and everyone wants a cleric in the group cause druid/shaman heals just don't cut it anymore. There are plenty of groups that still like having that second healer for buffs/dps/backup healing.

Between 15-30, it's kind of time-consuming to get a sow and then run back to your hunting area. It's not usually worth it in terms of exp efficiency. Not that I need sow to hunt - I just go without it. But it is a big plus to be able to sow yourself.

I always had a very difficult time finding a group as a wizard on live...

[Tetrian]

Be a Druid.

IF you choose a wizard, you trade away dots, long lasting snare, damage shield, heals, stat and hitpoint buffs, sow, regen and more - basicly a shitload of utility and survivability. All for a very trivial increase in pure short term direct damage. Not worth it in my opinion.

Druids are awesome at everything you can do in this game, indoor or outdoors, grouped or not, they do it all well - and on top of that, druids are more or less permanently lubed up for a safe escape if things go wrong.

But hey, if you like watching big numbers more than being awesome, by all means, roll a wizard.

[Amra]

Ya I was more referring to after 30 when soloing you kinda need sow. Before 30 I wasn't soloing much or if i did I didn't really need sow. I didn't play a wizard on live, but pre 30 wasn't really hard finding a group. I'm now 40 now and it is hard to find a group, but I think that is mostly due to there not being alot of 40-50 groups.

And all the good solo spots for 40-50 are camped to death.

[Messianic]

Be a Druid.

IF you choose a wizard, you trade away dots, long lasting snare, damage shield, heals, stat and hitpoint buffs, sow, regen and more - basicly a shitload of utility and survivability. All for a very trivial increase in pure short term direct damage. Not worth it in my opinion.

Druids are awesome at everything you can do in this game, indoor or outdoors, grouped or not, they do it all well - and on top of that, druids are more or less permanently lubed up for a safe escape if things go wrong.

But hey, if you like watching big numbers more than being awesome, by all means, roll a wizard.

But I like my big numbers =(

[Amra]

Also I feel it is much harder to get group as a druid later on in levels. I did a druid on the progression server whenever that was a few years ago and no one wanted me in a group past 40 cause I couldn't really heal anything and my damage wasn't as good as a pure dps class.

I'd say if you are looking to solo alot or all the time druid is your best bet, or if you wanna be the best at soloing play a necro or mage.

[Messianic]

Now ive done the whole raiding 5+ days a week and it was fun for awhile but got very boring to me. So since i have another chance i figured i would spend most of my time doing old school quests and stuff that i missed out on cause well lol i was dumb and young when i first started. So i plan to do more questing, tradeskills, and twink item farming.

This tells me you want a druid if your only choices are dru/wiz.

However, if you really want to be an awesome farmer, go mage/necro/enc. Druid is pretty good at farming, tho.

[guineapig]

Also I feel it is much harder to get group as a druid later on in levels. I did a druid on the progression server whenever that was a few years ago and no one wanted me in a group past 40 cause I couldn't really heal anything and my damage wasn't as good as a pure dps class.

I'd say if you are looking to solo alot or all the time druid is your best bet, or if you wanna be the best at soloing play a necro or mage.

Druids get a 500+ damage nuke that costs 142 mana...
In a group situation that's nothing to sneeze at.
Add to it the 24 point damage shield.

And the fact that you can emergency heal (better than no heal) and chloroplast.

People don't give druids enough credit in groups.

[JackOfSpades]

Wizard:

Pro - You are not a druid.

Druid:

Con - You are a druid.

I'm a druid, but this still made me laugh.

I think your (OP's) pro-con list is fairly accurate, but the thing you have to consider is finding groups. Although druids are much more group based than wizards there seem to be a lot more druids around.

Then again you could just do what I do and make one of each and see which one you like more leveling 1-10/15.

[Amra]

Druids get a 500+ damage nuke that costs 142 mana...
In a group situation that's nothing to sneeze at.
Add to it the 24 point damage shield.

And the fact that you can emergency heal (better than no heal) and chloroplast.

People don't give druids enough credit in groups.

Tell that too the people on the progression server 2 years ago =P I think a second healer is a good addition to a group. But also something to think about and I've seen this before. A backup healer comes in and he does just that and nothing else.

[Bubbles]

Probably the only thing I can say negative about the wizard class is they get to port only to Greater Fay, Tox Forest, and North Karana at level 29..

So you gotta grind till 34 in order to actually port your duo partners/groups somewhere you might *actually* want to go to kill stuff for loot/xp.

Well, that and nobody is wandering around Norrath saying "man we need a wizard" and just about 90% of PUGs are secretly wishing for an off-healer(the other 10% are desperate for any healing besides a mage with max bind wound).

Wizards are good dps. The only caveat is that this server is up to it's armpits in necros and mages, and you can't go more than 5 feet without tripping over *really* good dps classes.

One other bonus to wizard i forgot to mention: Caster gear is cheap and in abundance for a player just starting out. The Priest gear is much rarer to see in EC and the prices are usually jacked up accordingly. You'll see 30 batskull earrings before you see a RMB or Gator legs/etc..

[Taluvill]

I play the best druid there ever was (haha) and I say you should go a wizard.

Long term, their dps output will beat the druids by a longshot, and they get spells like manaburn. Very useful. At this point in time, there are 334859402859038503e23453 Druids out there, where as there are probably 1/4 as many wizards. You will get into raiding guilds easier, and your not "gear dependant" to do your job, because, unlike druids, if you run outta mana on a raid, no one is going to die from it (IE: no heals)

Play a wizard. Their solo capabilities are crazy (just like a druids. Quad kiting ftw) and they are much less abundant on P99, and although druids outclass them (same with mages) atm, they will get better through kunark and velious.

[Rhalous]

Well, it really depends on what you want to do, man. I see a lot of people giving their opinion, but when you say this:


Now ive done the whole raiding 5+ days a week and it was fun for awhile but got very boring to me. So since i have another chance i figured i would spend most of my time doing old school quests and stuff that i missed out on cause well lol i was dumb and young when i first started. So i plan to do more questing, tradeskills, and twink item farming.
EQfiend

It sounds like you want to play a druid. Your farming downtime will go way down as a druid with spells like regen. I play a wizard, but I chose it for raiding purposes. You will out farm a wizard. Some people will disagree with me, but when you consider the spell list druids get, the versatility is obvious. Now, if you are rolling with a buddy or something like that, a wizard could be pretty sweet.

[kenzar]

Druids get a 500+ damage nuke that costs 142 mana....

What crack are you smoking? what is the name of this nuke?

[kenzar]

Long term, their dps output will beat the druids by a longshot, and they get spells like manaburn.

true a wiz will out dps a druid, but you will never get manaburn here...ever

[Messianic]

Their solo capabilities are crazy (just like a druids. Quad kiting ftw)

Lol. Only with Kunark (Column of Frost + Atol's) did quad kiting really take off...

[logiktrip]

I agree with rhalous, from your post it sounds like you want a druid. You'll have less downtime and better ability to farm for twinks.

But I get ice comet.:cool:

[druziil]

Long term, their dps output will beat the druids by a longshot, and they get spells like manaburn

i thought manaburn was an AA ability (i searched here (http://www.crys.org/everquest/spells.htm) for it as a spell and did not find it) which you will not get here

[Noleafclover]

Druids are excellent porters, and decent soloers, but it's not really a solo game. Everything else, there's a class that can do it better. Except wolf form for +attack, which I love.

Wizards are going to be needed by raiding guilds, at least until kunark, as they want to get to the planes at any random time and need wizzies to do it. Esp. with the raiding changes.

TBH though, neither are a group's top priority when doing a /who all lfg, if that's what you're concerned with. Wizards aren't really wanted for dps, they're more of a last choice. Mages, necros, rogues, monks, and shammies all do more or similar (shammies) damage and bring other things to the group. Dru's too, I spose. They become much better at 49, and as I said are wanted by raiding guilds, but you WILL spend a lot of time lfg.

[Tetrian]

Druids are excellent porters, and decent soloers, but it's not really a solo game. Everything else, there's a class that can do it better. Except wolf form for +attack, which I love.


True that most can do it better, but druids still generally performs at 80-90% of what the specialized class can do - And they can switch the roles depending on situations, and on top of that adds utility.

Basicly, what a druid brings to the group is the solid survivability - he rounds up a group due to that ability to switch around.

Also, keep in mind, kunark isn't that far away, and in most if not all of the kunark dungeons, an evacer becomes a requirement. Which makes druids essential for groups in kunark.

[Amra]

Also, keep in mind, kunark isn't that far away, and in most if not all of the kunark dungeons, an evacer becomes a requirement. Which makes druids and wizards essential for groups in kunark.

Fixed it for you =P

[Noleafclover]

True that most can do it better, but druids still generally performs at 80-90% of what the specialized class can do - And they can switch the roles depending on situations, and on top of that adds utility.

Basicly, what a druid brings to the group is the solid survivability - he rounds up a group due to that ability to switch around.

Also, keep in mind, kunark isn't that far away, and in most if not all of the kunark dungeons, an evacer becomes a requirement. Which makes druids essential for groups in kunark.

On the way up, you may. But the difference in healing, DPS, and buffing tells around 40. At 50, it's quite clear. Druids are an excellent casual class, I just don't think they're the best choice if you plan to be doing a good bit of raiding. That bit of candor may cost me some ports, but it's true.

I didn't play till vel, is an evaccer that necessary? W/ a good puller, even? Guess if you're shallow in a zone you're likely to get trained, I know KC's bad for 'em...

[Glad8tor]

Well, it really depends on what you want to do, man. I see a lot of people giving their opinion, but when you say this:



It sounds like you want to play a druid. Your farming downtime will go way down as a druid with spells like regen. I play a wizard, but I chose it for raiding purposes. You will out farm a wizard. Some people will disagree with me, but when you consider the spell list druids get, the versatility is obvious. Now, if you are rolling with a buddy or something like that, a wizard could be pretty sweet.

Farming wont be ALL im doing. I very much prefer grouping over soloing, except my first 10 or so levels. But one thing i forgot to mention is the fact when i start my brother will also be starting with me. While i warned him against the hardship of starting off in the old world as a melee because of being gear dependent he will probably roll either an SK or Rogue to level with me. Either way i think it will help me along nicely as either a dru or wiz.

Thanks all for the opinions!

Sincerely,
EQfiend

[eqdruid76]

Wizards are less self-sufficient, especially in the healing category. But druids are a dime a dozen in raid content. Wizards are not.

[xorbier]

Come Kunark Rogues, Necros, and Wizards are top dps. Druid dps doesn't even come close...

[Kastro]

Farming wont be ALL im doing. I very much prefer grouping over soloing, except my first 10 or so levels. But one thing i forgot to mention is the fact when i start my brother will also be starting with me. While i warned him against the hardship of starting off in the old world as a melee because of being gear dependent he will probably roll either an SK or Rogue to level with me. Either way i think it will help me along nicely as either a dru or wiz.

Thanks all for the opinions!

Sincerely,
EQfiend

If he is rolling a rouge or SK.. then for SK a Druid Cleric or Shaman would go perfectly well.. for a rouge I would consider a Druid or Shaman...
If you are set on a wizard.. have him roll and Enchanter, Cleric, or Bard... or Ranger but definastly not a sk or rouge.. a Shaman and Paladin would also be a very excellent option...

And the Reason I say Wizard and SK or rouge is a bad idea is you have no sow.. no heals.. very little crowd control... You will be completely dependent on getting someone else... If you have complementary classes... you can start a group quickly and you can add people because you like them.. not neccisarily their class... if you are looking for Damage and ports.. Mage/Druid works well...

[Fireapple]

I vote for Wizard.

Druids are as said, a dime a dozen, you can't walk through a zone without tripping over one.

Druids as a secondary healers are pretty poor, a shaman could fill the roll 10x better with buffs and being able to assist in DPS without running out of mana, on top of having a larger variety of damage types against resistant mobs and a passive pet.

Druids as added DPS is again, poor, when compared to pretty much any other class besides a Cleric... (and a cleric with a manastone could probably out damage a druid in the long run. :p)

Wizards, while annoying to watch them sit there and suck XP, they come through in a clinch far better then a druid could, if theres an add that needs to die right now, wizards got that covered.


Druids solo, powerlevel and port for money... thats all the do, i actually hate to group druids cause i know 9/10 of them are just making druids to leech plat from porting and powerleveling and claim camps from classes that could actually use the drops.

[Lowlife]

Be a tank.

edit: Paladin ftw

[Bubbles]

I vote for Wizard.

Druids are as said, a dime a dozen, you can't walk through a zone without tripping over one.

Druids as a secondary healers are pretty poor, a shaman could fill the roll 10x better with buffs and being able to assist in DPS without running out of mana, on top of having a larger variety of damage types against resistant mobs and a passive pet.

Druids as added DPS is again, poor, when compared to pretty much any other class besides a Cleric... (and a cleric with a manastone could probably out damage a druid in the long run. :p)

Wizards, while annoying to watch them sit there and suck XP, they come through in a clinch far better then a druid could, if theres an add that needs to die right now, wizards got that covered.


Druids solo, powerlevel and port for money... thats all the do, i actually hate to group druids cause i know 9/10 of them are just making druids to leech plat from porting and powerleveling and claim camps from classes that could actually use the drops.

Couple things wrong here:

Druid thorns add a ton of dps for a very small amount of mana cast in a group situation. Thorns add up in a hurry. Druids can also snare and evac, two things that only become increasingly vital come Kunark-era dungeons.

You forgot that Shamans cast slow, too, which sucks up a lot of their healing mana, in trade for tanks obviously taking far less damage. At least in my experience, it's far, far rarer to find Shamans looking for group, as there are far fewer shamans than druids, and even the few you come across are usually alts looking to solo. It's hard to compare Druids to Shamans simply because it's fairly rare to have to choose between one or the other. Most groups looking for a replacement will blindly add a healer regardless of class anyways. :)

[garyogburn]

Shamans are preferable to druids in a group situation almost every time. Mana is never an issue unless your group is terrible due to Canni, so slow + heals isnt a problem. They have better buffs (minus thorns), and not sure about DPS, but it seems shamans also have the edge there as well. They also have more survivability. Not to mention their awesome wolf pet.

Shamans also get Torpor in Kunark, which makes them godlike.

[Reiker]

Only read the first page.

I'd ask: do you want to raid? A wizard would have an extremely easier chance of getting accepted into a raid guild, for hate port and rarity of the class alone.

[amishriot]

Druid's a lot more efficient at soloing and is slightly more desirable in groups. They get self-sow obviously at 14, so they're already a better 1st character....Think of not being able to do the jboots quest until like 29+...

If you have no preference, go druid. I went wizard specifically because I wanted the uniqueness of a wizard - and it's not easy, but it's what I want to do.

What are you talking about druids are more desirable in groups? Lol that is a joke...I cant think of a class I want less in a group. Their heals suck past low level, their nukes always are crap compared to DPS classes, their buffs are always crappier then anyone else who has a similar buff. Nobody who understands the mechanics of the game wants a druid in their group they simply Settle for them because they cant find a cleric or real DPS. As a soloer druids are better but in groups...id rather leave the spot empty

[Estu]

What are you talking about druids are more desirable in groups? Lol that is a joke...I cant think of a class I want less in a group. Their heals suck past low level, their nukes always are crap compared to DPS classes, their buffs are always crappier then anyone else who has a similar buff. Nobody who understands the mechanics of the game wants a druid in their group they simply Settle for them because they cant find a cleric or real DPS. As a soloer druids are better but in groups...id rather leave the spot empty

To be fair, wizards are pretty so-so in groups as well, since their nukes, though the best nukes, are still not very mana efficient. That translates to nice burst damage on tough mobs that you maybe wanna take down fast, but pretty low DPS otherwise since it takes so long to med up. I've seen the comparison made to mages often - the mage gets a slightly worse nuke but the huge added DPS of a pet. Thankfully for us wizards, a lot of people don't seem to know this or care that much (besides, mages are often busy tearing up shit solo anyway).

[Wizerud]

Druids always seem to be the choice of class for people who know they aren't really very good at the game. So they choose a class that they think is good at almost everything to make up for their own deficiences. Unfortunately it is almost as boring to play as a wizard. So for that reason alone, go wizard.

I am HALF joking :p

Edit: Ok, let me re-phrase that a little. It's almost as if when creating the game, Verant said "we know there are going to be people who suck at this game so we need to create a class for them, otherwise they will just quit. Ladies and gentlemen, may we present, the druid." Seriously though. Probably the thing that sticks out is even a well-played druid will hardly be noticed. Their massive utility is almost their downfall. They are a class without extremes. They do what they do and only a retard would not be able to do those things. A well played wizard, or ANY other class for that matter, will always be noticed.

[Estu]

Druids always seem to be the choice of class for people who know they aren't really very good at the game. So they choose a class that they think is good at almost everything to make up for their own deficiences. Unfortunately it is almost as boring to play as a wizard. So for that reason alone, go wizard.

I am HALF joking :p

Edit: Ok, let me re-phrase that a little. It's almost as if when creating the game, Verant said "we know there are going to be people who suck at this game so we need to create a class for them, otherwise they will just quit. Ladies and gentlemen, may we present, the druid." Seriously though. Probably the thing that sticks out is even a well-played druid will hardly be noticed. Their massive utility is almost their downfall. They are a class without extremes. They do what they do and only a retard would not be able to do those things. A well played wizard, or ANY other class for that matter, will always be noticed.

The same doesn't apply to wizards? Wizard gameplay is so much simpler than druid gameplay. Sit, nuke, sit, nuke. Druids at least have a variety of things they can do.

[Messianic]

What are you talking about druids are more desirable in groups? Lol that is a joke...I cant think of a class I want less in a group. Their heals suck past low level, their nukes always are crap compared to DPS classes, their buffs are always crappier then anyone else who has a similar buff. Nobody who understands the mechanics of the game wants a druid in their group they simply Settle for them because they cant find a cleric or real DPS. As a soloer druids are better but in groups...id rather leave the spot empty

What you're missing is that EQ grouping is all about force multipliers and efficiency - Wizards have little. Druids have side heals, Regen, thorns, dots, and can nuke in a pinch. Wizards nuke and meditate, occasionally root-park (if theyre smart enough to wear hp/ac gear), stun casters, etc. They can nuke down dangerous mobs quickly, but that's effective in only a limited number of cases, and they need to med for 2-3 minutes (during which time they are basically useless exp sponges) afterward. At least druid's thorns, STR buff, and regen are still rolling during that time if they have to med for a bit...

Overall, in more cases, a druid is a better group option than a wizard. When casters abound or fights are based around killing really specific mobs (i.e. healer mobs), a wizard is better.


For anyone who wants to solo, druids do it better than wizards.

[Estu]

What you're missing is that EQ grouping is all about force multipliers and efficiency - Wizards have little. Druids have side heals, Regen, thorns, dots, and can nuke in a pinch. Wizards nuke and meditate, occasionally root-park (if theyre smart enough to wear hp/ac gear), stun casters, etc. They can nuke down dangerous mobs quickly, but that's effective in only a limited number of cases, and they need to med for 2-3 minutes (during which time they are basically useless exp sponges) afterward. At least druid's thorns, STR buff, and regen are still rolling during that time if they have to med for a bit...

Overall, in more cases, a druid is a better group option than a wizard. When casters abound or fights are based around killing really specific mobs (i.e. healer mobs), a wizard is better.


For anyone who wants to solo, druids do it better than wizards.

Just wondering - why is your main a wizard? :p

[Yak]

After reading through this chain and reading the debate there is only one obvious answer. I always give this answer regardless of the MMO you are playing. Play the class of the role you want to fill. There is no wrong answer. If you want the roles abilities of a wizard, then play that class. If you want the same with a Druid then play it. The only issues you will have getting into a group are peoples misconceptions of a class and someones ability to play it well.

[Messianic]

Just wondering - why is your main a wizard? :p

I have a 31 wizard, but he's not my main. My necro is 30, very close to 31 atm. He's pretty much my main. My wizard is just the first character i leveled seriously on this server, and has the coolest name among my characters (except maybe my druid named Bolt, who I barely want to play, but I am definitely holding onto that name).

I enjoy wizards in Kunark/Velious (i.e. when there are more than 2-3 places to quad kite from 29-50 and 50-60 that aren't incessantly camped), but they're very precise scalpels as opposed to the giant claymores that mages/necros are in classic.

[Foxnews]

i thought manaburn was an AA ability (i searched here (http://www.crys.org/everquest/spells.htm) for it as a spell and did not find it) which you will not get here

Manburn IS an AA Ability. Druziil was mistaken, and that means his whole argument is flawed if his sole reason he thinks Wizards > Druids is because they get an Ability us playing on p1999 will never see. In short, Roll a Monk.