#druidweek

What determines what druids can shapeshift into?

Judging by quests from the druid class hall, old animal form quest chains, new dialogue from 8.1.5 content, and more, it seems as if the wild gods and senior druids determine what animal forms their followers take on, but druids can ideally shapeshift into any animal they want, even an animal that’s half-man and half-cat. This would explain why druid forms not only vary radically from race to race but also embody a wide range of creatures.

The night elves seem to have been blessed with their specific animal forms in part by the wild gods Cenarius and Ursoc. Ursoc’s dungeon journal entry, while a little vague, says that he’s, “closely linked to the druidic power of shapeshifting” [Dungeon Journal: Emerald Nightmare, Ursoc]. A quote from the Legion Druid Class Preview webpage reads, “Through communion with nature and the demigod Cenarius, Lord of the Forest, Druids are supernaturally endowed with the gift of shapeshifting, allowing them to take the form of all manner of nature’s creature”. Additionally, outdated text from the aquatic form quest says, “The time has come for you to learn more about one of the various animal aspects that Cenarius has blessed us with the ability to change into” [Quest: A Lesson to Learn]. Of course, this dialogue could be interpreted to mean that Cenarius has not necessarily chosen what forms druids take on, but rather given them the ability to shapeshift, since he was the one who brought druidism to the night elves and tauren in the first place. Ursoc, on the other hand, might be the reason why night elves and tauren have bear form, hence his being linked to shapeshifting. The Kul Tirans and Zandalari, however, get their animal forms from somewhere else.

Unfortunately, I do not have a max level horde character, so I’m not terribly familiar with Zandalar content and what the quests dealing with the loa have to say about this topic, although I do know the trolls’ shapeshifting abilities come from their connection to a multitude of loa. 

Arthur Tradewind, one of the Kul Tiran Thornspeakers training under the Drust druid Ulfar, says, “I keep trying to convince Ulfar that a goat form would be amazing” [Quest: Balance in All Things]. He goes on to say, “But he always starts talking about ‘dignity’ and I stop listening,” implying that druids can possibly shapeshift into any animal of their choice, provided they have the means and the right teacher. 

On a somewhat related note, it appears the Druids of the Talon get their flight form from the Idol of Aviana and, by extension, the wild god Aviana. When the idol was stolen during Legion content, Thisalee Crow commented that she was unable to shift into a storm crow without it [Quest: Defense of Aviana]. Quest text from that chain also says that the “idol acts as a link between the Druids of the Talon and the powers of flight granted to [them] by Aviana” [Quest: You Can’t Take the Sky from Me]. Flight form may be a unique case, however, since it doesn’t appear that any of the other animal forms are currently restricted by the use of or connection to an idol.

To reiterate, it’s a common belief that druids can only adopt animal forms related to the wild gods they worship, but choice bits of dialogue like the aforementioned blurb from the Legion Class Preview webpage or what Arthur Tradewind says about a goat form makes it seem as if druids can generally shapeshift into whatever creature they want. After all, as far as we know, the Drust didn’t base their animal forms off of any wild gods (although it’s surmised they were taught druidism by a wild god). 

Druids are, undoubtedly, also influenced by their environment when it comes to first picking their animal forms. Each race’s unique forms have a tendency to resemble creatures native to their homeland and/or surroundings, which would explain why Druids of the Flame opt for an animal like the scorpion while the Zandalari take on forms more reptilian in nature.

One could even conjecture that tapping into new and different power sources provides druids with access to more forms. Fringe druid sects, like the Druids of the Flame, Nightmare, and Fang all employ the use of strange animal forms (scorpion, roc, spider, snake) that aren’t practiced by the druids of the Cenarion Circle.

That said, I suspect that the only thing preventing druids from shapeshifting into anything they want is likely the absence of a teacher that can instruct them how to take on those new forms. The best and most magically endowed teachers for the task would, obviously, be the wild gods, hence why most druid forms appear to resemble them in one way or another (e.g. the bear and Ursoc, the storm crow and Aviana, pack form and Goldrinn, and the troll druid forms and their loa). However, some like Ulfar may well be powerful enough on their own to take on the essence of a new animal and teach it to their followers while others, like Elerethe Renferal and Fandral Staghelm, can use their connection to powerful primal forces like the Emerald Nightmare or the Firelands to learn new animal forms. 

Link to #druidweek introduction post here!

Can druids speak while shapeshifted?

If game mechanics are anything to go by then yes, druids can speak in animal form. However, the novella Elegy is one of the few canon sources to explicitly, not just implicitly, say otherwise. Toward the end of the novella, one of the lines says, “Ferryn was beside her in his favorite shape - that of the nightsaber. For a moment, Delaryn rejoiced. But then she realized that he was speaking. He should not have been able to.” There are also several other moments in Elegy where it is at least implied, if not stated outright, that shapeshifted druids cannot speak. For example, “The muzzle of a nightsaber was not built for smiling, but even so, hot delight tugged at the muscles around Ferryn’s great fangs.” If a druid-nightsaber cannot smile, then it goes without saying that they certainly do not possess any capabilities for speech.

The World of Warcraft comic series also strongly implies that druids cannot speak in their animal forms, as Broll Bearmantle never utters a word while shapeshifted [Page: Druid, World of Warcraft Comic Issue #9, Issue #10].

In-game, however, virtually every druid NPC in World of Warcraft speaks in their druid forms. Notable examples include Malfurion, Tenno Thornpaw, Koda Steelclaw, Thaon Moonclaw, Zen’kiki, Ruul Snowhoof, Gaivan Shadewalker, Ulfar, and Arthur Tradewind, among many others. While I won’t go into detail, most of these characters speak to the player while shapeshifted, typically in quest text (as is the case with Ulfar, Koda Steelclaw, and Gaivan Shadewalker) or while accompanying the player on a mission (as seen with Arthur Tradewind, Thaon Moonclaw, and Malfurion).

(Sidenote: Worgen can, obviously, speak while in worgen form. The most salient and well-known example of this is Genn Greymane, who speaks while shapeshifted during a couple of the fully rendered Battle for Azeroth cinematics. I will note, however, that it doesn’t appear as if the Druids of the Scythe who took on worgen form originally could speak while transformed until after they were “blessed” by the Scythe of Elune [Curse of the Worgen, Issue #3, pg. 10-13]  The Druids of the Scythe in the comic series only speak while in their humanoid forms until the blessing, never when shapeshifted. Therefore, I would not say that worgen being able to talk is evidence druids have the ability to speak in their animal forms.)

Depending on whether or not you give the story precedence over game mechanics, then you might be persuaded to believe that druids are not supposed to be able to speak while shapeshifted.  Since Elegy is a fairly recent story set in canon, it’s probable that it has the absolute say in this matter. Therefore, in order to reconcile the apparent discrepancies between what happens in novelizations and in-game, some have opted to believe that druids talking in animal form is just game mechanics and does not accurately represent what druids can do.

Do shapeshifted druids have to deal with animalistic urges?

The short answer is: yes. However, I suspect the intensity of urges they have to deal with varies from form to form and depends in part on the practicing druid’s level of control. 

To start, we know that druids do fully take on the traits and abilities of their chosen form. When Ferryn in Elegy shifts into a nightsaber, his, “sense of smell [is] keener than . . . when he was in night elf form” and, further, he has “the augmented vision of the great cat whose form he had taken.” As another example, one quest has the player shapeshift into a nightsaber because that form’s heightened senses are necessary for tracking an adversary [Quest: Tracking the Enemy]. Lastly, snippets of dialogue from the druids in Sylvan Falls, seen below, clearly indicate that fledgling druids do have to deal with certain animalistic urges unique to their chosen form. I would bet, however, that more practiced druids can overcome and suppress these urges.

While I consider it a unique example that doesn’t necessarily apply to the other animal forms, it’s important to talk about pack form, more popularly known as worgen form, in answering this question. During the War of the Satyr, the druids who practiced pack form found themselves utterly consumed by the form’s rage and volatility, practically becoming savage beasts in the process. One character says of being in pack form that, “Feral power surged through every fiber of our beings with but one primal, savage, and base instinct - survival,” while another comments, “It is as if… I lose all that is myself in that form. I only recall fragments” [Curse of the Worgen, Issue #2, pg. 10, 22]. Druids employing this form didn’t just transform into something akin to a wolf, they actually took on the bloodthirsty essence of the wild god Goldrinn himself [Curse of the Worgen, Issue #1, #2].

The Origins of Pack Form

“The pack form’s strength comes from the wolf demigod Goldrinn, as you know, but its essence is rooted in his rage against our moon goddess. You see, it was Goldrinn’s feral insistence that disappointed Elune so. It was his unwillingness to tame his savagery and bloodlust that overshadowed his noble heart. When her great light illuminated the dark during the full moons, it was as if her eyes glared down upon him in judgment. His anger at her conviction caused Goldrinn to become even more bloodthirsty and indomitable than ever. It is this volatile nature of which Malfurion is most concerned. It is this essence that is rooted deep within the form.” - Tyrande, Curse of the Worgen Issue #1, pg. 27-28

It’s easy to see that pack form, which is no longer widely practiced by druids, was notorious for how incredibly difficult it was to control. This strongly implies that druids do have to deal with animalistic urges when shapeshifted, but pack form was so singularly extreme that I don’t think it can be used as a baseline example when it comes to the kind of animalistic impulses druids might experience in their other forms.

There is, however, an additional example that proves druids can still succumb to animal urges in less dangerous forms. Originally an RPG-only concept that recently made it into the live game, Savagekin are druids who sacrifice their humanity to live exclusively like beasts [RPG: Alliance Player’s Guide, pg. 60]. In fact, one line from the RPG even says, “Savagekin constantly battle the inner beasts that threaten to consume them, clinging to their last vestiges of sentience.” This certainly seems to suggest that druids have animalistic urges, but because this is from the RPG, it’s no longer canon.

Despite that, there is a form of Savagekin that exist in-game, although they are never directly referred to as such. These druids, who can be found on the Verdant Wilds island, are night elves who believed that they are, “at [their] core, wild creatures, and [their] humanoid forms are merely a guise” [Quest: Druidic Fur]. Because of that, they left mainstream society after the War of the Satyr and chose to live as animals for millennia.

With all of this in mind, it appears druids do have to deal with animal impulses, especially since they take on the attributes of whatever animal form they choose. Even so, it’s likely that trained druids are able to suppress it whereas feral druids, or Savagekin, choose to fully give in.

Link to #druidweek introduction post here!

What is shapeshifting like and how quickly can it be done?

This is a question that’s somewhat difficult to answer since it’s almost never elaborated on in game mechanics, quest text, lore, or story. Even Elegy, which has shed significant light on other mysteries surrounding druids up to this moment, has very little to say on this topic. Any mention of shapeshifting in the novella is usually just reduced to singular sentences mentioning a “shift” or “transformation” without shedding light on the process or what it’s like. Here are some examples:

“Ferryn shifted shape in midair and dropped lithely to his feet.”

“He shifted his shape, and an instant later, there sat a tall, pale blue night elf with long, wild hair the color of moss.”

“Ferryn shifted back to his kaldorei form.”

“. . . then she saw a storm crow. It fluttered down to the shan’do, shifting its form to reveal a kaldorei girl.”

While I don’t have direct access to it, the Traveler book supposedly says it’s rare for druids to be able to shapeshift in a matter of seconds [Page: Druid]. Most of the druids in Elegy, however, appear to shift virtually instantaneously. Ferryn likely would not have shifted in midair if it took him several moments to complete the transformation.

Some depictions of druids, like Curse of the Worgen, almost make it look like shapeshifting is a painful process (see below) [Curse of the Worgen, Issue #1]. However, if that’s true, no druid has ever said as much. 

Druids can directly shift between forms without needing to revert to their humanoid shape in between [Elegy, World of Warcraft Comic Issue #9].

Link to #druidweek introduction post here!

What is it?

Like Shark Week… but better, because it’s about druids.

Quite some time ago I got an ask about the lore behind the specifics of druid shapeshifting. I took that ask, ran with it, and ended up doing a whole lot more research into the finer details of druid lore and shapeshifting than I initially bargained for. So, with that in mind, I’m going to be doing something of a week-long info lore dump session on Druid Shapeshifting. For every single one of the next seven days, I will be posting popular questions (and my answers) about druids, shapeshifting, their animal forms, and more!

To give you a taste of what’s to come, I will be answering questions like:

Can druids speak while shapeshifted?

When druids die, do they return to their humanoid form?

What determines what druids can shapeshift into?

Can druids cast spells while in animal form?

Do druids in animal form have to deal with animalistic urges?

What is shapeshifting like and how quickly can it be done?

Can all druids shapeshift into all forms?

If you find you have other questions you want me to answer, please send me an ask or message and I’ll get back to you ASAP!

As always, I am not an absolute authority on any of these topics and readily admit that I have not meticulously combed through all of the relevant source material. Therefore, if you know I’ve missed something or you want to contribute your input on these topics, you are completely welcome to do so (in fact, I encourage it!).

Can druids cast spells while in animal form?

Druids cannot, in fact, typically cast spells while in animal form (notwithstanding moonkin form, obviously). This is a question that I think both game mechanics and story lore agree on for the most part, although there are always some exceptions. 

First of all, a line from Elegy reads, “The very roots and twigs and leaves obeyed a druid who had shifted into kaldorei form, allowing her to harness the anger of the violated forest.” The specific wording here, “obeyed a druid who had shifted into kaldorei form,” strongly implies that shapeshifted druids cannot use magic. A quote from the World of Warcraft Comic Series also corroborates this. In the comic, Valeera remarks that “In his druid form, Broll could have called down lightning, but he stayed in bear form to shield [her]” [World of Warcraft Comic, Issue #9]. (The use of “druid form” here is a little confusing but Valeera seems to mean Broll’s elf form by it).

The only evidence that might be to the contrary is in the Terror of Darkshore cinematic when Malfurion, in bear form, casts entangling roots on an orc. Of course, Malfurion is an incredibly powerful druid (so powerful that his humanoid form has started taking on aspects of his various animal forms), which could explain away why he casts entangling roots in bear form. However, the druid player in-game can also cast several spells like Renewal and Typhoon while shapeshifted, but this may, as most believe, just be for the sake of game mechanics. Druids can cast even more spells while shapeshifted if they have the Claws of Shirvallah, which grants them the ability to shift into a form that’s half-man and half-cat [Page: Claws of Shirvallah]. 

Speculatively speaking, since druids fully take on the attributes of whatever animal they shapeshift into, it’s possible that they can cast spells if they shift into a creature that can also use magic. That could be why druids with the Claws of Shirvallah can cast spells, since they are technically half-shapeshifted into a form, human, that can wield magic. That may also be why druid-moonkins, for example, are able to spell cast while druids in other animal forms cannot. 

Link to #druidweek introduction post here!

What is “Druid Week”?

Like Shark Week… but better, because it’s about druids.

Quite some time ago I got an ask about the lore behind the specifics of druid shapeshifting. I took that ask, ran with it, and ended up doing a whole lot more research into the finer details of druid lore and shapeshifting than I initially bargained for. So, I put together a week-long info lore dump session on Druid Shapeshifting. For seven days, I posted popular questions (and my answers) about druids, shapeshifting, their animal forms, and more!

What did I do?

All of the posts, which I’ve made a separate page for on my Tumblr, have been archived under the tag #druidweek. Just in case you missed any of them, I’ve also provided links below:

Can druids speak while shapeshifted?

Can druids cast spells while in animal form?

What determines what druids can shapeshift into?

Can all druids shapeshift into all forms?

Do druids in animal form have to deal with animalistic urges?

What is shapeshifting like and how quickly can it be done?

When druids die, do they return to their humanoid form?

As always, I am not an absolute authority on any of these topics and readily admit that I did not meticulously comb through all of the relevant source material. Therefore, if you know I’ve missed something or you want to contribute your input on these topics, you are completely welcome to do so, even after the fact. 

Will there be more Lore Weeks in the future?

Maybe, but I don’t have any definite plans for it right now, although I do want to go back to Lore Months in the future (and Lore Weeks aren’t really that different - probably the same amount of content but spread out over a longer period of time). It just depends how much time I have and how much research I feel I can do on a certain topic. 

Can all druids shapeshift into all forms?

The non-canon RPG implies that, prior to the Third War, most druids pursued specialized paths where they only learned how to shapeshift into one type of creature. This is why there’s a multitude of different druidic organizations like the Druids of the Talon and Druids of the Claw, just to name a few, that are devoted to different animal forms. After the Third War, however, many druids began to combine these specializations, leading them to learn how to transform into multiple animals [RPG, pg. 69]. (As an interesting side note, TBC lore says that the Druids of the Talon were formally dissolved when all of the druidic orders coalesced into the Cenarion Circle [Quest: Morthis Whisperwing]. As of Legion, this is obviously no longer the case, but it does corroborate the information from the RPG.)

It’s obvious from looking at game mechanics that most druids, especially the player, can shapeshift into multiple forms of their choosing. The only exceptions appear to be those still part of the aforementioned druidic organizations, like Thisalee Crow, a Druid of the Talon, or Koda Steelclaw, a Druid of the Claw. Strictly speaking, there is no evidence that they can’t shapeshift into other animals, but they are only ever seen in the form of their chosen sect. 

I’d bet that more powerful druids like Malfurion Stormrage and Broll Bearmantle can easily shapeshift into any and all creatures, but there are still plenty of druids out there who either prefer or are only skilled enough to adopt one form.

Link to #druidweek introduction post here!