There is nothing in the lore to suggest that they can be.
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The Old Ways
Just as every druid race has a different type of druidism culturally, the same applies to shaman races. Itâs different by culture. And as for worgen and Gilneans, the closest would be Harvest Witches. An animistic pagan belief described as âcrude forms of druidism and elemental shamanismâ (Chronicle 1), which frequently references the spirits of wind and earth in quest text.
âThe earth speaks to us, . It will not abandon us even in these perilous times.â
-Celestine of the Harvest, Moonfire(worgen)
Once bitten, a Harvest Witch finds their connection with nature amplified, thus why theyâve often gone on to learn Cenarion druidism.
Sabrina Pilgrim
While worgen ingame canât be Shamans, there are a few who come close. Apart from Harvest Witches, there is also Sabrina Pilgrim in Ashvenvale, who works with four elemental lords, and is described as âtrying to help the Earthen Ringâ.
âThe elementals here are now my allies. You must do as they ask if we are to prevent the destruction of the rest of Ashenvale.â
-Sabrina Pilgrim, Go with the Flow
âIt is done. The power of fire is subdued and the four elements are returned to harmony.â
-Sabrina Pilgrim, Vortex
Goldrinn
The wolf god is the worgenâs patron spirit, and is indeed a big possible connection between them and shamanism, in various ways. Being t
First and foremost, as you mentioned, spirit wolves. Shamans ingame can take on ghostwolf form, which is much like the druidic lore ability to use Pack Form. Thrall and Akama are known to summon spirit wolves, and so have worgen. See Wolf Master Nandos from Shadowfang Keep.
Goldrinn has been recognized as an important figure in Orc culture on Draenor. Which is likely possible, since druids still had connection to the Emerald Dream on Draenor, and because one of Draenorâs gods tried to take over the Emerald Dream. https://wow.gamepedia.com/Anzu
The final icing on the cake, humans cannot sense auras, but worgen can. This is stated in the novel Wolfheart, when Genn boasts to Varian that the worgen curse did more than enhance their physical senses.
âYour quarry? You jest!â Genn sniffed at his opponent. âYou think you can take him from me? Listen to me, Varian Wrynn! The curse more than heightened our senses. We see things that no normal human can. Some call you LoâGosh, though that they use a Taur-ahe title for you I find ironic. Still, it is but another name for Goldrinn, as we have come to know our patron spirit since our transformation. I saw the aura of that spirit around you the first moment you arrived at the banquet, and even though you gave every indication of crushing our hopes then, I still held out for our chances because I could see his touch upon you as if it were your own skin. . . .â
Wolfheart pg 267
So in conclusion, we have an example of cultural interest in elements, a couple she-worgen who speak of and interact with elements, worgen who summon spirit wolves, all worgen who can now see auras of spirits (important for communicating with elemental spirits), and a connection to a God that has long since been involved in shamanism. All in all, a worgen shaman should be possible. But not common enough to be added as a class mechanically.
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Beautiful!! I havenât seen this yet 
Thanks so much for the awesome recap.
I really liked the lore for Pack form and their origin.
I really think feral spirits and ghost wolf form would make for a nice interesting lore addition for them.
I thought that the Harvest Witches were the Gilnean Druids and Sabin was a Druid there offering aid.
Yes and Yes, but not so straight forward.
Harvest Witches are humans that use crude forms of nature magic and elemental shamanism. Yes, once they become worgen they can become druids to rival that of the Cenarion Circle. The point here is that The Old Ways includes shamanistic attributes.
Sabrina does indeed appear to be a druid. It is never said that she is a druid, nor that she is a shaman. The point here is that it is she communing with these elemental lords, âhelping the Earthen Ringâ, and there is absolutely no Earthen Ring shamans around. She proves that worgen can successfully commune with elemental spirits.
So with these two points, we know that Gilneans have roots in shamanistic culture, and that worgen can commune with elements. Culture and capability. The two major necessities.
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It could be why the KT have tidesages and shaman.
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This is something I am sure has been debated, and probably answered here, but how long does it take to change after someone has been bitten?
We donât really get a good time estimate in-game because we donât know how much time passes between the player being bitten and when they change. Nor do we know how much time passed between when we see all the Gilnean NPCs that have changed and are fighting the guards, and when they were bitten.
The closest thing I can think of when it comes to how long before the change is Halford Ramsey in the Curse of the Worgen comic, it took like 3 days I think? I could be wrong. If we go by that does this mean the Worgen Assault on Gilneas, from the first quest in the starting zone, to when we change at the end in the Cathedral, it took at least 3 days?
Youâre right, Curse of the Worgen does an excellent job of documenting Halford Ramseyâs progress, and it shows that he suffers for three days before a state of delirium and panic overtakes him, then triggered by the memory of his sisterâs suicide.
The next best lore example of someone bitten would be Mardigan in Dark Riders. He is bitten during battle, and appears as a worgen not but a couple pages later, while his father and Revil are cleaning up the fightâs remains. So that could not have been more than a few hours tops.
The big variables here are willpower and environment. Notice Halford is a renowned detective, while Mardigan is a farm boy with rage problems as a human. Halford was bitten then kept indoors for storytime by candle light, whereas Mardigan was bitten and thrown into a chaotic skirmish afterwards.
Theoretically, how, when, and who you bite determines how long it should take. We know it can be within hours, or within three days. In roleplay, I like to say âAnywhere between three hours to three daysâ, but this is an estimate and for dramatic effect.
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So do we have an estimate on how long the Worgen assault on Gilneas was? I feel like it could be anything from a few hours to a whole day.
Your guess is as good as mine there. Since that infamous (three week??) time-jump happens during the worgen assault.
The only time jump I can say for sure happens is during the cinematic at the Cathedral, when the player transforms and then is captured. Based on that series of cinematics, I made sure to watch carefully and looked at the moon, about 6 weeks passes between the player turning into a Worgen and being captured and having their mind returned by the potion.
Unfortunately this doesnât really help the issue of how long the Worgen assault on the city was. I donât remember any hints about it in the comics either, Halford Ramsey shows up during the assault so we donât know how long it had been going on for.
Is there a difference between drinking worgen blood and getting bitten? The refugees of Fenris Isle turned almost immediately after drinking Dariusâ blood.
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Six? Looking at the cinematic, it looks like two weeks, since it goes from the full moon to the waning crescent. Are you putting another month in there?
Sadly this is the only example we have seen of a blood transmission. And that appears to be the only difference, the speed at which the metamorphosis occurs.
In total, there are four ways to become a worgen,
- The Source
A druid takes wolf form and channels power from the Scythe of Elune, granting a quick but gradual and painful transformation (Alpha Prime, Curse of the Worgen).
- The Bite
A human or kaldorei is bitten by a worgen. When the curse was new, the biteâs effects were as quick and painful as using the Scythe. In modern times, it takes mere hours (Dark Riders) or up to three days of headaches (CotW) and growing fur from the wound (Starter Zone) before you finally change.
- Polymorph
A polymorph is placed on you by a mage or an enchanted item, turning you into a worgen. Or, the likeness of one anyways. It was in this way that Arugal placed the curse on the forsaken Apothecary Berard. He does the same to humans in the Grizzly Hills, who - unlike real worgen - become human again after they die.
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- The Blood
Drinking worgen blood, which appears to have immediate effects. After that, the Hillsbrad Refugees appear and act as worgen. Their dead remain in worgen form, they are immune to undeath, and feel the worgen rage. Some people theorize that the âcureâ given to the Gilneans transfers as well, because the Hillsbrad Refugees appear sane. However, not only is the âcureâ bogus (feral worgen are not mindless, and Gilneans still hunt) but Darius Crowley never did the ritual.
The only difference I know is the one you said, that they turn quickly, as if they had turned using the Scythe or the original bite. If I were to theorize as to why, I would guess a pint of blood in a cup has a higher concentration than the trace amount of saliva on fangs. Some also theorize that it is the symbolic act of drinking the blood that turns you, not the blood itself, therefore you cannot accidentally become a worgen by drinking something with worgen blood in it. However, given we have not seen an example of that, and blood curses can affect the unknowing and unwilling, this is likely in vein.
Get it?
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The cinematic shows a full moon, then it transitions to Godfrey approaching the cage you are in and itâs almost a new moon, but then it shows flashbacks to when you were caught and shows the moon was full when the player was caught.
Based on what Godfrey says, and just logically thinking, it doesnât make sense that the player was caught the same night they first transformed. There is no way, the rest of the Gilneans were fleeing to safety, there is no way they turned around and began immediately hunting the Worgen that same night.
This leads me to believe that the player changes, and is in that mindless state for a month roaming the woods before they get caught in the trap. Then two weeks later the potion is given to them.
I will note, I donât think itâs ever been confirmed that he never took the ritual. In fact, I would need to go back and look, since itâs been a long time since I read it, but I remember it being implied that he at least attempted it once, but wasnât able to get the results, being unable to let go of his issues. After being accepted by his daughter, he does mention that heâs considering another attempt at the ritual, if I remember right.
Crowley and Shapeshifting
A fair point, he does say he might try the ritual again. But there is the fact that he was unable to take human form because he couldnât complete it, and we know that we have not seen him in human form since. Where Genn and even his own second in command Tobias Mistmantle take to human form on several occasions, Darius - even when in Stormwind Keep - is only ever in worgen form. He could not shapeshift, he could not complete the ritual, and we have not seen otherwise. One could argue that he simply embraces the worgen curse more than Genn does, but at the same time he refuses to bite Lorna Crowley, even after Sylvanas threatened to turn her into a Forsaken, causing him to retreat from Gilneas.
Theory: Crowleyâs âCuredâ Blood
Ritual of Balance: Not a Cure
Also regarding the theory of âthe cure transfers in blood tooâ. It is also confirmed the Ritual isnât a cure, but also that it is not required. We are shown it isnât a cure, both by the quote âThere is no cure, not yetâ by Belysra, and by Genn Greymane and his noblemen still hunting wild boar on all fours in Wolfheart. It is said again in Before the Storm that Anduin appreciates the worgen army, since they hunt to eat, and do not need provisions.
Ritual of Balance: Optional
Then we are shown it is not required, especially by the Northrend Wolfcult and the Gilnean Wolf Cult able to shapeshift at will well before the Ritual of Balance arrived. In fact, both worgen cults relied/rely on shapeshifting to find new recruits. Genn Greymane himself is bitten, and maintains human form all through the whole fall of Gilneas, trying and failing the ritual as well but using human form regardless.
Ritual of Balance: Personal
What the Ritual of Balance does do, as seen for Halford and again for Varian Wrynn, is take remind you of your youth, encourage you to forgive the grudges you keep, and shows you have to harness your fury. It is a three part ritual that takes time, is meditative and therapeutic, and is personal. For both Varian and Halford, they still felt the same rage and instincts they did before, but were now in the right mindset on how to use them.
In the end, we have no reason to believe the Ritual of Balanceâs effects transfers through the blood. It is neither seen nor stated. The Hillsbrad Refugees turned instantly with no time for such meditation to work on their mind, and act no different than bitten worgen after turning.
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As a Worgen? Am i still able to enjoy bakers chocolate without being ill?
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I have a more subjective question that Iâm curious to hear your thoughts on, itâs definitely a popular debate subject on the forums right now â what do you think should have been or still could be done to make the worgen âcurseâ feel more like an actual curse?
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Honestly, I would personally like to see something where Worgen are forced to transform on full moons because of their rage and the urge to transform is too much due to their connection to Goldrinn, who as we know supposedly grows more savage and bloodthirsty during full moons because he feels Elune is looking down on him and judging him.
Outside of that, since I know it will never happen, I would just like to see Blizzard make an effort to show the current drawbacks to the Worgen curse in-game. Let us see more instances of Worgen losing it and their rage take over so they lash out, or how they have the primal need to hunt. That would be a good start.