Druid’s transformation builds lack options because you are stuck with a new set of skills that can’t be specialized (with a few exceptions). Please keep in mind I only have experience with the werebear form so please correct me if I’m wrong about the spriggan form. Below is my understanding of the transformations:
- Both forms have a 20 second cooldown.
- Given 5 new skills that by default don’t have skill specialization (except for swipe).
- Spriggan form can use the ice thorn tree and the thorn totem tree.
- Werebear form can use the swipe tree, entangling roots tree, and ice thorn tree.
- Idols come into play when it comes to skill specialization (totems, avalanche, etc).
- The druid mastery gives you 70% damage reduction for 2 seconds upon leaving transformation.
- Primal shifter gives armor, protections, and damage when entering transformation. It can be spec’d to give crit chance and physical damage.
- Regrowth gives mana and mana regeneration upon leaving transformation.
Notice the bolded portions. I don’t think anyone reasonable would want to leave their transformation state. Items and skill specializations help you stay in the form as long as possible. So essentially the bottom three are pretty useless outside situations where you’re forced out (which you’re actively trying to prevent).
Notice the italicized portions. You have five specialization slots. By default you can only really specialize three to four skills (the form, ice thorn, and thorn totem for spriggan and swipe/entangling roots for werebear). Variations exist with idols but that’s a whole different story, at least for the werebear form. Even if you add two more skills that interact and can be specialized, you lack variation meaning you’ll always be stuck with that specialization set.
You can add more skill interaction with the transformation tree itself (leap tree used for the charge skill is a low hanging fruit) and I provided that feedback on another thread. But that still leaves the issue of a counter synergy that exists within the class (the need to stay in transformation, bonuses to leaving transformation).
Here’s my suggestion: reduce the transformation cooldown to 0, have zero cast time, and nerf the druid class passive to a lower damage reduction number or add a cooldown so it can’t be abused. At a minimum, add in a skill specialization option to reduce the cooldown to 0 to allow that playstyle (with a penalty involved). Add passives, skill specialization options, and items that benefit from entering/exiting the transformation state. This does multiple things:
- Introduces a new playstyle that has you weaving back and forth between transformations.
- Resolves the counter synergy that currently exists because of the single playstyle of needing to stay in the transformation state as long as possible.
- Allows for more skill specialization options and creates synergies between the forms and other skills than what is allowed currently.
I think there still needs to be more skill specialization options for the transformations. But this suggestion would allow for more flexibility and options than what currently exists.