Allow Druids to Carry Polearms/Spears

[Rakura]

The 2004 manual said we could carry spears but that was removed in the actual game after beta. This caused a huge issue for feral based characters until the end game raids where we got weapons that had actual stats on them. Would be an unlockable weapon skill just like maces, etc.

[Mrkrissatan]

+1

[Merikkinon]

Agreed. As weapons are stat sticks for druids, this make sense.

[Velite]

Yeah they were able to use polearms in Wotlk and generally this was a positive change, since the majority of Polearms are geared towards hunters and feral druids.

[Ravielsk]

Agreed. This would be a welcome change.

[Raukodor]

And hunters be able to use maces maybe? Not trolling just a suggestion for melee hunters

[Gheor]

Clearly you'd want Hunters to roll on yet another item, let's give them wands too.

[Jombo]

I think this is a very good suggestion - the original one for druid polearms that is.

[Rajek]

+1

[Cervantes]

+1

[Joy]

Yes, please. :)

[Lindzei]

It's a great idea !

[Kyzen]

I'm not against it, especially if it's mentioned in the manual.

[Rakura]

Appreciate all the positive feedback so far.

[Hardwelsam]

Clearly you'd want Hunters to roll on yet another item, let's give them wands too.

Im laughed so hard

[Emberlain]

100% agree.

[Tarluk]

+1 for sure. Bonus points because it was A) added later in WoW anyway and B) existed in the beta.

Clearly you'd want Hunters to roll on yet another item, let's give them wands too.

lol. Maybe shields and plate gear for good measure too. And...wait hunters can't equip maces?

[Rakura]

+1

[Lahire]

Why was it removed during beta? There must have been a good reason for the designers to make this decision.

[Leftmousebutton]

+1

[Paw]

I like that wand idea.

[Ravielsk]

Why was it removed during beta? There must have been a good reason for the designers to make this decision.

No, there really wasn't. A lot of design decisions in vanilla were mostly "spur-of-the-moment" experiments that never went anywhere. Maybe there was a plan to include more staves for druids so using spears was seen as redundant but then said staves were not added until TBC.
Something similar occurred with Paladins where in the beta/alpha they were technically the first class to be worked on but then at the last minute they were entirely overhauled into what we have now in the game. Problem was that the changes was so last minute that they literary had no gear until several patches in and a good chunk of their baseline abilities(consecration, righteous fury, blessing of kings) were locked away in their talent trees. Leaving the class semi-broken and highly dependent on consumables and engineering.

[Lahire]

I guess it was removed because it doesn't really fit with the fantasy of being a druid. We've never seen a druid with a lance or a trident. Druids have sticks, like old mages.
Intern feedback must have been like "No druid in WC3 or D&D or any other fantasy universe ever had a lance so why do I have one?"

As fantasy fulfillment was the main objective of Vanilla class design, this argument must have had some weight.

Something similar occurred with Paladins where in the beta/alpha they were technically the first class to be worked on but then at the last minute they were entirely overhauled into what we have now in the game.

Kevin Jordan said he was running out of time and Paladin's mechanic was the last thing he managed to do just before the release. The seal/judgement mechanic was thrown together in a few days. He planned something bigger but Paladin was the last class without a specific mechanic, so he did one quickly. That's not a "overhaul last minute change", that's a "oh shit I have no time to finish the game let's put up with something".

He didn't have time to finish Hunter's ressource system, so they obtained a mana bar, and he didn't have time for another big planned class project, I don't remember which.

[Karmax]

I'm kinda torn about this suggestion.

Sure, being able to use weapons like Ice Barbed Spear as a druid would be nice, but it wouldn't really fit in with the class fantasy - and I'm a big fan of RP and class fantasy (like druids not being able to talk to NPCs in forms which was unfortunately removed in later expansions).

I'm sure this is the reason why druids can't wield polearms in the first place (as Lahire already pointed out).

Instead, I'd favor a system where druids gain - just as an example - a weapon's dps as strength.
And to avoid balance and resto druids becoming too strong, this ability could be tied to the infamously lackluster Predatory Strikes talent in the feral tree.

Just an idea (not gonna happen, but one can dream).

[Reploidrocsa]

Agree 100%

[Vaporizer7]

+1

[Yutilk]

Count me in, especially since it was mentioned in the manual.

[Sinrek]

Should be trainable. I agree.

[Tytarjunior]

+1

[Unangwata]

Wrong. Druids are non-violent and don't use sharp weapons. Only blunt. Can't imagine druid with a spear... wtf
They care for every natural being.. which is all.

[Fizzeek]

Druids can already use daggers, so pointy stuff is already in-game for them. Plus I'd call most of what druids do here pretty violent :P

[Lahire]

Let's remove dagger proficiency then.

On a more serious note : I thought about polearm for druid and stumbled on the conclusion that I have no real opinion about it. I guess it would be ok and would not change any dynamic of the game. Cats and bears would be a bit happier, that's about it. Polearms are rare and mid-tier items anyway.

[Rakura]

Wrong. Druids are non-violent and don't use sharp weapons. Only blunt. Can't imagine druid with a spear... wtf
They care for every natural being.. which is all.

Yep you're right no sharp weapons here:
https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Moonglaive

[Velite]

Wrong. Druids are non-violent and don't use sharp weapons. Only blunt. Can't imagine druid with a spear... wtf
They care for every natural being.. which is all.

Except druids use daggers...

[Tortuga]

It's a big enigma why in most RPGs blunt weapons are considered "non-bloodshed" or even "non-violent", and why RPG-druids are usually bound to use non-sharp weapons (except daggers, and scimitars, and... uh... claws & fangs). Both statements are false in real life: a hit with a simple wooden club will provoke internal bleeding and death (causing death is a main purpose of any weapon, after all), and there is no historical evidence of RL druids restraining from any kind of weapon (seems they used whatever was at hand), but still RPG-druids are hugging trees and pooping rainbows