Pic: WOW Druids

We haven’t coverered or said anything about the World of Warcraft computer game so far in this blog as the game covers so much more than anything that is strictly Celtic linked. However, WoW Druids (as they are known) are a growing bunch of people who are actually becoming interested in modern Druidry and the Druidry of their ancestors as a result, so we thought it was time to include a Guest Blog by Brett Ganning to introduce us to some of the tricks of the trade.

In this World of Warcraft Druid Guide, you’re going to learn all about the Druid Class in the World of Warcraft universe. This and other WoW Druid guides contain tips that will help you get the most out of your Druid character.

The Druid class is one of the most versatile classes. Due to the skills available to the Druid, your character can behave like a warrior, rogue or a priest. Aside from being able to fight and cast spells, the Druid also has the ability to take the shape of an animal, mainly the bear or cat form. Basically, as a Druid, your character harnesses his power from nature. Due to these characteristics, there are limitations in terms of the race that you can belong to, the make of your armor, and the weapons you are allowed to use.

I’ve written this WoW Druid Guide to help you learn some of the important elements of being a Druid so you can get the most out of the Druid character.

A Druid can come from the Night Elf and Tauren races. Your Druid will get some traits specific to the race of your choosing.

A Night Elf Druid has the racial traits of Shadowmeld, Elusiveness, Quickness, Wisp Spirit, and Nature Resistance. Shadowmeld allows your character to hide in a sort of stealth mode which reduces the chance of enemies to detecting you. There is a two minute cooldown after this trait has been activated. Elusiveness complements the Shadowmeld trait as it further reduces detection by enemies since those at a higher level can have the chance of sniffing you from your hiding spot even if Shadowmeld is activated. Quickness increases your chance of dodging attacks whether in a melee or ranged by 2%. With Wisp Spirit, you get to be transformed into a wisp. In wisp form, your speed is increased by 75% until you are revived. Nature Resistance protects you from being hit by Nature spells by 2%.

If your Druid is of the Tauren race, he will possess the War Stomp, Endurance, Cultivation, and Nature Resistance racial traits. With War Stomp, your character can stun up to five enemies who are within eight yards for two seconds. Instantaneous with only half a second needed to cast, this is especially useful against other spell casters as this will interrupt them when they are casting spells with casting delay. Keep in mind though that this trait requires a two minute cooldown when used. Endurance provides Taurens with a 5% increase in their Base Health. Cultivation is a passive trait that gives your character fifteen bonus points in Herbalism. However, this will not mean anything to you if you are not interested in pursuing Herbalism as a profession. Nature Resistance of the Taurens are the same as of the Night Elves, giving the Druid a reduced chance of getting hit by Nature spells by 2%.

Whatever race you choose your Druid belongs to, he still has access to the shape shifting abilities available to this class. Shapeshifting to another form is usually done during fighting and it is up to you to learn which form is suitable for which fighting situation. When in shape shifted form, your druid will be considered a Beast. In order to cast spells and heal, you have to shift back to Druid form.

The ability to shapeshift starts at level 10. At this level, you have access to bear form. While in Bear form, your druid is treated as a Warrior and will behave according to this class. Bear form is best used when you want to have increased armor, attack rating, and hit points. When attacking in bear form, you have 30% more threat than when in Druid form. This form is also useful when your party needs to tank someone. Other abilities available in this form are Taunt and Stun. At level 40, you can achieve Dire Bear Form which is an upgraded version of Bear form.

At level 16, you get to be able to transform to Aquatic or Water Form. In Water Form, your character has increased speed when swimming and can breathe underwater. This is very useful when you are traveling by water. You can also shape shift to this form when you are engaged in an under water fight and about to run out of air. Just shift to Water or Aquatic form to replenish air, then switch back to Druid form. This is because you can’t use your other Druid fighting abilities or cast spells while in Water Form.

At the 20th level, you can shape shift to Cat form. This is best activated when you go soloing, want to sneak past enemies, or want to do more damage. In this form however, your threat is reduced when compared to other forms. This is also when your Druid is played out like a Rogue since your abilities when in Cat form are similar to Rogue abilities. When in this form, you have access to the following: prowl, claw, rip, shred, tiger’s fury, rake, dash, cower, track humanoid, pounce, feline grace, and ferocious bite.

At level 30, you have the ability to shift to Travel Form. In this form you have increased movement speed but you cannot use this form underwater or when indoors.

At level 68, you get to shape shift to Flight Form which allows you to have a 60% increase in speed when moving about in the Outland. At level 70, this gets upgraded to Swift Flight Form wherein the increased speed is at 280%.

Achieving the ability to shapeshift to these forms can be attained from the Druid Training or are rewarded after finishing a quest.

As a Druid, there are three talent trees available to you- Balance, Feral and Restoration.

The talents in Balance will appeal to you if you want more damaging spells. Talents are: Improve Wrath, Nature’s Grasp, Improved Nature’s Grasp, Improved Entangling Roots, Improved Moonfire, Natural Weapons, Natural Shapeshifter, Improved Thorns, Omen of Clarity, Nature’s Reach, Vengeance, Improved Starfire, Nature’s Grace, Moonglow, Moonfury, Moonkin Form.

In the Feral tree, your abilities while in animal form are enhanced. Talents are: Ferocity, Feral Aggression, Feral Instincts, Brutal Impact, Thick Hide, Feline Swiftness, Feral Charge, Sharpened Claws, Improved Shred, Predatory Strikes, Bloody Frenzy, Primal Fury, Savage Fury, Faerie Fire, Heart of the Wild, Leader of the Pack.

Lastly, the talents in Restoration improves your Druid’s abilities to heal. Talents here are Improved Mark of the Wild, Furor, Improved Healing Touch, Nature’s Focus, Improve Enrage, Reflection, Insect Swarm, Subtlety, Tranquil Spirit, Improved Rejuvenation, Nature’s Swiftness, Gift of Nature, Improved Tranquility, Improved Regrowth, Innervate.

I hope you’ve learned some good tips from this World of Warcraft Druid Guide. Seek out good WoW Druid guides so you can experience the best Druid gaming.

Brett Ganning is a keen gamer and World of Warcraft addict since 2006. Brett has written many articles, guides and reviews on all things related to WoW.

For reviews of all the best WoW guides and lots of other great WoW articles and guides just like this World of Warcraft Druid Guide, visit wowbestguides.com.

Author: Brett Ganning
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Electric Pressure Cooker

Pic: Inc. Gamers

We’ve reported on the development of this game from Nexon before but were unfortunately not able to test it as they had no European servers open. Now that is all about to change. Nexon has announced that the open beta test for its upcoming MMO Mabinogi will go live on 27 January. This beta test for the free to play fantasy MMO, which is based on Welsh and Celtic mythology, will allow hard-core fans as well as new users to try out many of the game’s features such as battles, quests and skill allocation. You can see a trailer for the game over on IGTV.  For more information about this title, check out the official site.

Mabinogi is a revolutionary 3D cartoon-rendered MMORPG, offering gamers a true-to-life, yet fantastic experience through animation-like graphics, a fantasy-life supported by self-sufficiency and dynamic combat. Players will sing, cook, make clothes, chop trees, and fight against the curses that have been plaguing Mabinogi’s fantasy world “Erinn”. The beautiful scenery of “Erinn” is not only a breathtaking view to admire, but offers vital foundation and materials for prosperous and exciting life at Mabinogi.

Mabinogi’s game content updates take place on a frequent, regular basis. Currently, there are two major “Generation Updates” in Mabinogi, each of which is organized by seasons. Players can look forward to a huge amount of new contents and systems that will make their lives at Mabinogi more vigorous and challenging with each update.

Free to play, Free to Download

The Fantasy Life of Mabinogi is free of cost!
Players can take advantage of the Rebirth System to upgrade their characters, and visit our soon-to-come Premium Shops and Item Shops to further develop their characters depending on their liking and game-play method.

You can read more, download the client and start playing from the Mabinogi site at Nexon!

Pic: Acoustic

Unlike other Irish Festivals around the world which just stage festivals on the 17 March which is St Patrick’s Day. Manchester festival stage a two week extravaganza. The festival which is now in its fifteenth year features two hundred events, staged at thirty two different venues throughout Greater Manchester.

 Established in 1996 it has played host to the likes of award winning dance shows such as Riverdance and Lord of the Dance, top comedy shows by the award winning Peter Kay and Ardal O’Hanlon, along with a host of Irish plays, special art exhibitions, Irish food markets and one of the biggest St Patrick’s Day parades in Europe.

Lawrence Hennigan the marketing executive of the Manchester Irish Festival website said:

This years festival will feature two weeks of Art, Culture, Comedy, Community, Dance, Music, Sport and Theatre events, making it one of Europe’s biggest Irish Festivals. We have tried to include something for everyone to enjoy in the community and a warm Irish welcome awaits all our visitors.

The official dates for this year’s celebration are Friday 5 March to Saturday 21 March, but there are also a number of pre and post festival events from February through to April.

Festival highlights include the award winning ‘Young, Gifted & Green’ show at the Manchester Town Hall on Saturday 6 March, the annual St Patrick’s festival parade and market on Sunday 14 March in the city centre and a whole host of St Patrick’s day celebrations leading up to the feast day on the 17 March.

Levenshulme which is home to the biggest Irish community outside of London will be staging its own two week Guinness sponsored Tradfest (5-21 March) to coincide with the festival and the 250th anniversary of Ireland’s favourite black stout. Just over two hundred and fifty hours of Irish Culture, Film, Dance, Music, Theatre and fun will take over the village’s pubs clubs and parks.

Highlights include a six day St Patrick’s weekend Guinness tradfest party starting on Thursday 11 March with a Irish Comedy night and running through to St Patricks day itself on Wednesday 17 March with its own outdoor Funfair and traditional Irish Music tradfest.

Continue Reading »

Pic: Travian

After yesterday’s post about the new RPG add-on, Scion, it’s quite a coincidence to discover another game with a strong Celtic connection. This one, called Travian, is played entirely within your browser and allows you to take charge of a Vilage. You can play as either Roman, Gaul or Teuton and as you expand you’ll discover that the world is full of other villages run by other players all over the world. Obviously, lovers of the Celts will play the Gauls but this game allows you to exerience growth, trade and expansion in lots of different ways. I haven’t had a go at it yet, but it does look like fun – sort of a small, browser-based Age of Empires perhaps?

The Romans

The Roman empire is the easiest for newcomers to Travian. Because of their significant social and technological developments, the Romans are the masters of building coordination, and their troops are the Travian elite. Continue Reading »

Originally posted 2009-02-28 09:50:06. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The RPG Vault have managed to secure an interview with the designers of the Mabinogi Online Role-playing Game. Mabinogi is Nexon’s popular massively multiplayer title based on a world and themes derived from medieval Celtic mythology. Mabinogi is a cell shaded 3D MMO based on an Asian interpretation of Celtic and Welsh mythology. On the surface, the art quite often appears to be pretty or cute, but below it, there are some truly horrendous evils the player must face. The main influence would be an anime style trying to convey a medieval setting, while hiding a dark, concealed world.

Continue Reading »

Originally posted 2008-05-02 16:06:37. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Pic: Adventure Gamers

For those of you with a bent for computer games, you will have no doubt heard us talking about the new adventure game set in Wales and based firmly in Celtic Mythology, Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches, and created by the Welsh design team, Arberth Studios. Adventure Gamers have been fortunate enough to secure an interview with one of the three team members responsible for the design of the game, Noel Bruton.

Ruthie bought and played this game and got stuck in what appeared to be a game glitch; sadly after many hours of play she gave up. I would imagine by now that they have fixed or patched the game to prevent this happening.

In the interview, Adventure Gamers say: Continue Reading »

This exciting and dynamic world has brought The Faery Crossing to life. Now you can walk within the Crossing, visit the Light Side of Faery, choose the Dark Path, or explore the Middle Road of Faery…. the path to Elfland. There are villagers who dwell in the hobbit homes in the Hollow Hills, trooping fae who live in gypsy tents and caravans, and wood sprites living in the trees. Continue Reading »

Pic: Adventure Gamers

Do you remember the computer game company Sierra making such great adventure games some years ago? Well, Adventure Gamers have a superb review of the game about this MIDI soundtrack game with EGA graphics. Andrea Morstabilini says: Although there is no voice acting in Camelot, each location features a unique MIDI theme that manages to create a strong particular mood, from the courtly main theme to the gloomy sounds of the forest to the middle eastern score in the desert

surrounding Gaza and later in Jerusalem. The soundtrack, orchestrated by Mark Seibert, always manages to be fitting. There is also one particular theme – bright and yet melancholic, in the fashion of goliardic music – that I found very addictive. Maybe that’s because I heard it a lot, as that’s the one which plays when King Arthur fails one of his perilous tasks and sheds his mortal coil. Continue Reading »

Pic: Snapzilla

Second Life is a free online virtual world imagined and created by its Residents. From the moment you enter Second Life, you’ll discover a fast-growing digital world filled with people, entertainment, experiences and opportunity. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the Independent State of Caledon whose Library, the Library Militant, is running a whole series of lectures on folklore, including Celtic Mythology!

Independent State of Caledon

Caledon is a small, windswept forested country at a temperate latitude. Wild creatures, country estate life, sights and sounds that were common well over 100 years ago are the hallmark of the land.

Technology is approximately that of the 19th Century, though some astonishing breakthroughs have provided for incredible wonders. Ground vehicles, airships, and even a device known as a ‘telehub’ are made possible through the power of exotic material properties and the wonders of Steam Technology.

The government is an expansionist monarchy, supported by a strong aristocracy (i.e., residents). Caledon once offered the opportunity for residents to take their turn at “Stewardship”, a post which can involve answering questions, restarting sims, banning obvious griefers &c. As the complexity of a large estate grew, the burden on one Steward’s shoulders became too great, and the role is now filled by a corps of about 10 estate managers appointed by the Guvnah–some serving openly, some quietly.

The Caledon Library & The Library Militant

The Caledon Library serves the Independent State of Caledon. We maintain a collection of materials for the use of residents and other interested parties. We also host exhibits, book talks, lectures, and the occasional donnybrook.

The collecting policies of the Caledon Library have two main foci: the 19th century and Caledon’s defining literary genres, Steampunk and Alternate History. Within these areas, we collect, first of all, primary source material: 19th-century novels, nonfiction works, and periodicals, along with materials from earlier eras considered important in the 19th century; and of course defining works in Steampunk and its parent genres. Second, we collect  research materials concerning the world of the 19th century and its imagination, and secondary materials useful for studying Caledon’s important genres.

This site draws its name from the Chivalric Order of the Duchy of Caledon Primverness.  The order was founded by the Duchess of Primverness, who is also the head of The House of Wu, the Library’s main source of support.  Members of the Order take vows of Literacy, Obstinacy, and Bibliomancy.*  

The Independent State of Caledon is located in the virtual world of Second Life.

Folklore Lectures

New Series at the Caledon Library!
Folklore of the British Isles with Afsaneh Metaluna
3rd Mondays, 4pm

Inaugural lecture, Mon, April 20, 4pm – 5pm
Tinyville Library, Tinyville, Caledon Tanglewood
 http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Tanglewood/23/214/23/

Folklorist Afsenah Metaluna will guide us in a new exploration each month; with illustrative stories and her own commentary she’ll expose to our understanding some facet of the rich and varied folklore of the British Isles. In the Storyteller’s Own Words…

“Rather than a repository of Märchen (wonder tales more or less of the “Grimm’s” variety) much of the folklore of England is comprised of local legends that combine references to beliefs and customs and aspects of daily life, particularly rural life. This is contrasted with English ballads and broadsides, which have a strong tradition of their own, as well as the folklore around customs, dance and belief. The wonder tales exist too, though more in the Celtic regions.”

This month and next, to get us started, she will tell and comment on short tales from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. 

English Lore
The Apple Tree Man – a legend that deals with customs as well as systems of land tenure and inheritance, this story is kind of a microcosm of the strength of English narrative lore. 

Welsh Lore  
Later in the series, we will have a session entirely devoted to the relationship between Welsh traditions (including the somewhat heroically invented or compiled Mabinogion,  analogous to, though less well known than, the Finnish Kalevala) and the stories of King Arthur and the wizard Merlin. To start this topic off,  this time we will hear “The Cave of the Knights.”

Irish Lore
To explore this tradition means to follow the threads in a perfect Celtic knot of history, myth and folklore and Christianity and Celtic belief.  One place to begin is to  situate this is relation to stories of The Children of Lir. As our series continues, Afsaneh will put The Golden Fly (which her fans heard recently at the West of Ireland Library) in context for us as a forerunner to the the story cycle of Conary Mor. 

Scottish Lore
A Selkie story, of the kind we will encounter in future discussions. This time, Afsaneh will explain why she sees this tradition as exemplary of Scottish lore, with its ties to the environment, and its status as a cautionary tales where actions in one realm are mirrored in another.

This Month’s lecture will be presented using SL voice.

Pic: gary

PSP World report that in Irish mythology, the Tir Na Nog is an mysterious realm that lies off of the Western edge of the map, occupied by the forever young and visited by heroes of Irish lore. It is a fantastic setting for an RPG, and Japanese games maker System Soft seem to agree.

The company has announced that it will be bringing a Tir Na Nog RPG to both the PSP and PS2 systems early next year. The console title is based on an earlier PC game. True to its PC gaming roots, Tir Na Nog features a crisper and more realistic graphical style. Landscapes and enemies took more realistic and more western than the usual anime-inspired JRPG fare.

The series has developed a small but loyal following in Japan, but is virtually unknown outside of that country. Hopefully System Soft will see fit to produce a Western localization of the game, since we can never have too many RPGs on the PSP.

[Source]

Originally posted 2008-10-20 09:10:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter