Confusion regarding uniques that say "True Form"

Druid
1

I got the Mad Wolf’s Glee. It says now the Werewolf form is my “true form”. What even does this mean?

I’m thinking if I can build it in with the Hunter’s Zenith, with:

  • Basic: 3/5 Claw (+2 from Mad Wolf’s Glee)
  • Core: 7/5 Shred (+2 from MWG)
  • Defensive: 3/5 Blood Howl (+2 from MWG)
  • Companion: 1/5 Poison Creeper
  • Wrath: 2/5 Trample (last point dumped in here)
  • Ultimate: Lacerate
  • Key Passive: Lupine Ferocity

The idea is that Hunter’s Zenith will let Shred kills will give me one 0-cooldown Trample (which gives valuable Unstoppable and Fortify), and any Trample kills will make my next Shred heal me.

Then max out Quickshift, Natural Fortitude, and Heightened Senses because I’d be shapeshifting between werewolf and werebear all the time.

But would the Mad Wolf’s Glee making werewolf my “true form” interfere with this build?

What actually are the full implications of “true form”?

  • Skills of your true form are no longer classified as shapeshifting skills? (So essentially at least half of the Hunter’s Zenith bonus are permanently disabled?)
  • Returning to your true form from another form is no longer considered shapeshifting? (So essentially the points invested in the Quickshift section are practically all wasted.)

I find it hard that an unique designed specifically for a shapeshifting class would nullify shapeshifting bonuses, but then I remember this is coming from devs who can “inadvertently” nerf HotA damage when trying to fix Druid unique item drop rates…

Okay so I decided to respec and test it out (I was Lightning Storm build with no points in any of the wolf/bear skills).

The result is that the “true form” affects your idle form, and that in turn affects whether you are actually “shapeshifting” when you use skills. So in practice, these “true form” uniques give you +2 to the relevant skills but add a layer of extra form management to your combat.

Normally, when your true form is human, and you use Claw, you first shapeshift into werewolf, which activates Quickshift+Natural Fortitude+Heightened Senses. You also drop back to true form after not using any shapeshifting skills for a while.

But when your true form is the werewolf, you will drop back into werewolf form the moment you leave towns, as well as during the idle time between combat. This means that if you go into combat using any werewolf abilities, then none of the Quickshift subtree will take effect.

So with these “true form” uniques, you want to initiate combat by casting something that requires another form. For example Earthen Bulwark will shapeshift you into human form, then using Claw will shapeshift you back into a werewolf (even though it is your true form, the simple act of changing your form is called shapeshifting) and activate Quickshift+Natural Fortutide+Heightened Senses.

As to the Hunter’s Zenith, it is not affected by these “true form” uniques, beecause its effects require a kill using a shapeshifting skill, i.e. a skill that has a “shapeshifting” tag; Hunter’s Zenith doesn’t care what your true form is, nor care whether you have shapeshifted. It is just concerned with the skills used to do the kill.

So my build would work, it’s just unclear how effective it is.

2

I use the BP and Helm from one of the 10 pieces you can get for the Druid. It is DEF worth it if spec right, I run as Werebear all the time. If see me in game look at my gear and the stats + aspects, I am in constant Werebear form. You will see I double roll my landslide 6 wide while lightning rolls over the top of it, every hit I do does electricity plus stone and both work from the Natures Fury if you get the right Aspect. You can still use Trample as your main Werebear skill and max it out, it will do earth skills and roll out your landslide with 6 wide and high chance of lightning. Max out Earthen Bulwark, get Aspect that extends it by 6 seconds, you can almost cast it as soon as it wears off. Also the Trample as well as Earthen Bulwark will break you out of any stun, freeze etc instantly. You can also get an Aspect that will replenish the Earthen Bulwark as well. Trample will make you joust out at the same time. I threw in the wolves, they are good at holding mobs at oh no moments so you can range. Added an Aspect that gave me one more and turned them all into werebears and increased dmg by 95% and made them spread rabies.

I put some other stuff on so I never run out of spirit, attack super fast and can solo Nightmare Sigil 18 with only using a few pots (unless it’s that dang poison puddle bs heh).

This all depends on the BP, Helm specific Aspect and specific Ability choice. I stumbled across this combo after much, much trial, error and a week of heavy farming of right Aspects and gear.

Only lvl 63 so far but it’s been beast since dialed it in about 55.

Just a bit of info, sure missing alot but my spec is pretty detailed. Like I said inspect me in game “BadaBoom” and hit me up if you are looking for a clan. I run Ĉhaotic Ŝantcuary.

Mr Boom aka BadaBoom

3

I’m not sure what you mean by “one of the 10 piecees”, but I’m guessing I’ll understand when I set foot in a nightmare dungeon.

Probably won’t be able to see you at all, since I play on the Asia server and it’ll probably be quite hard to bump into you anyways.

So the description of “true form” has no real gameplay meaning at all? All skills and effects that rely on shapeshifting will still apply just like they did without these “true form” uniques? That’s basically the core of my question.

Okay so I decided to respec and test it out (I was Lightning Storm build with no points in any of the wolf/bear skills).

The result is that the “true form” affects your idle form, and that in turn affects whether you are actually “shapeshifting” when you use skills. So in practice, these “true form” uniques give you +2 to the relevant skills but add a layer of extra form management to your combat.

Normally, when your true form is human, and you use Claw, you first shapeshift into werewolf, which activates Quickshift+Natural Fortitude+Heightened Senses. You also drop back to true form after not using any shapeshifting skills for a while.

But when your true form is the werewolf, you will drop back into werewolf form the moment you leave towns, as well as during the idle time between combat. This means that if you go into combat using any werewolf abilities, then none of the Quickshift subtree will take effect.

So with these “true form” uniques, you want to initiate combat by casting something that requires another form. For example Earthen Bulwark will shapeshift you into human form, then using Claw will shapeshift you back into a werewolf (even though it is your true form, the simple act of changing your form is called shapeshifting) and activate Quickshift+Natural Fortutide+Heightened Senses.

As to the Hunter’s Zenith, it is not affected by these “true form” uniques, beecause its effects require a kill using a shapeshifting skill, i.e. a skill that has a “shapeshifting” tag; Hunter’s Zenith doesn’t care what your true form is, nor care whether you have shapeshifted. It is just concerned with the skills used to do the kill.

So my build would work, it’s just unclear how effective it is.