Hunting as a Druid[]
A Druid's ability to hunt creatures successfully depends on their knowledge of the elements and environment they are in. The main weapon of a Druid is their Rod , which will deal either earth, ice or death damage. Different creatures will be immune, resistant, neutral or weak to these elements, and as such it is important to pair up your chosen monster with the right rod at the beginning levels.
Before you start hunting with your rod, be sure to switch your fighting mode to Defensive Fighting as it will not reduce the damage you deal to a monster, but will decrease the damage you recieve.
Also keep a close eye on your mana, as each shot from your rod will reduce it. Keep it near full at all times, and always carry at least 2 Mana Potions when you start a new hunt. Ideally you should carry at least 10 potions per every 10 levels you gain, ie; a level 20-29 should carry 20 potions, level 30-39 should carry 30, etc.
It would also be beneficial to always carry some kind of food, the best being Brown Mushrooms.
There are 3 ways to hunt as a druid:
Power Hunt - In which the focus is getting as much experience as possible, uses mainly area runes (Avalanche, GFB, Thunderstorm or Stone Shower) or Sudden Death Runes. The experience gains in a short amount of time far outpaces other styles of hunting. One drawback though is that usually Magic Level doesn't follow as Level gets higher.
Mana Hunt - This way to hunt focuses on using instant spells (strike spells, wave spells and/or ultimate spells) to kill monsters. It usually doesn't gain as much experience as quickly as a power hunt, since ultimate spells can't be used frequently and wave spells doesn't hit the same number of creature as area runes, and strike spells doesn't hit as hard as SDs, but hunting this way will increase your magic level in a more balanced manner.
Group/Team Hunt - Hunting with extra players, the duo Druid and Knight is known as one of the best groups for this, and can Power hunt, where the knight usually gets 4-8 creatures around and the druid spam spells and heals the knight, or for loot hunt, where the main focus is getting profit. Having players from the other vocations in your Party will also increase the efficiency of the hunt and the exp/hour.
Your main weapon: the Rod[]
Druids fresh out of Dawnport will hunt with a Snakebite Rod, dealing an average of 13 Earth Damage per hit at the cost of 2 Mana per shot. But of course, that will not be your only rod in the journey of a druid, and you will have the option to purchase a new one roughly every 5 to 7 levels. Below are the first Rods you'll likely acquire, and the minimum level required to use them:
Rod | Minimum level | Element | Average price range on Market (gp) |
---|---|---|---|
Snakebite Rod | 6 | Earth | Free (after Dawnport) |
Moonlight Rod | 13 | Ice | 180 - 400 |
Necrotic Rod | 19 | Death | 930 - 1200 |
Northwind Rod | 22 | Ice | 1400 - 3000 |
Terra Rod | 26 | Earth | 1800 - 3200 |
Hailstorm Rod | 33 | Ice | 2900 - 4500 |
Springsprout Rod or | 37 | Earth | 3800 - 5000 |
Underworld Rod | 42 | Death | 4200 - 7000 |
It's wise to save money to purchase the next level rod as soon as you hit it: Rods (and their Sorcerer counterpart Wands) have a very high damage per mana ratio until a very high magic level, which means that they are your best option to hunt on a budget. It's also perfectly fine to skip a Rod if you feel like you can hunt with the one you're using until the next rod (i.e.: stay with Northwind rod until Hailstorm), however you'll be missing the opportunity to deal more efficient damage, and level up faster.
Hunting Places[]
The Druid's hunting places consider many things, as the element of the rods, the skills that can be learned on the present level and the environment of the creatures. So check the elements that hit each creature and the rod you are using, for better hits and faster killing. This is very important, since some creatures are immune to a given element, or will take greatly reduced damage.
Hunting after Dawnport: Snakebite Rod[]
Creatures: Rotworms, Goblins, Larvas, Minotaur, Dwarfs, Cyclopses
Suggested hunting places:
- Venore Rotworm caves: 7k~13k exp/hour
- Edron Goblin Cave: 6k~9k exp/hour
- Edron Rotworm Caves: 8-14k exp/hour
- Darashia Rotworm Caves: 8~15k exp/hour
- If cash is not a problem, you can hunt Cyclopses either at Edron (Cyclopolis) or the Thais's Cyclops Camp while using a Stealth Ring. These creatures can't see through Invisibility, and take extra Earth damage.
Level 13: Moonlight Rod[]
- Kazordoon's Dwarf Mines, 1st and 2nd floor. A popular place to make decent experience with little to no waste. If you're not well equipped, watch out for clusters of Dwarf Soldiers, which shoots bolts.
- Ankrahmun Larva Caves. In the 1st floor levels there will only be larvas, but you may venture up to the 2nd level and get a few scarabs in between. Make sure to buy the Cure Poison spell, because a Scorpion may spawn from a Scarab corpse, which might poison and make you waste a lot of supplies. Lower levels with more scarabs may be viable from this point onwards, but your waste will increase accordingly.
- Ankrahmun's Tarpit Tomb. It's very close from Ankrahmun, which makes it handy to take trips to get supplies and sell loot. At this point, it's smart to hunt only on 1st floor, watching out for the Bonelord and the sparse Crypt Shambler, however you'll likely waste a bit if you don't lootbag
- Venore Amazon Camp. Located in the northwest of Venore, it's a location for Free Account players. The place has one of the best creatures for making money in the beginning of the game, and at the same time a great XP per hour ratio. You can start leveling just in the fields, making money, getting better equipment, then you can go below and above to kill Valkyrie as well. It's suggested just going underground after level 19, when you get your next rod.
Level 19: Necrotic Rod[]
Hunts with most Humanoids are great at this point, since they're especially weak to the Death element.
- Carlin's Amazon Tower: A great option for free account players, with decent loot (especially Protective Charm from Amazons).
- Tiquanda's Bandit Caves: Good option to hunt humanoids (Smugglers and Bandits), usually not very crowded.
Level 22: Northwind Rod[]
- Tiquanda's Tarantula Caves: Tarantulas take extra Ice damage, so this becomes a viable option. Be careful when changing levels on the caves, you may be swarmed by 4-7 Tarantulas at once. Have your shovel ready to re-open the hole if you go up a level.
Level 26: Terra Rod[]
Remember that after level 25 you can use summons to help to kill or block creatures, remember summoned creatures will get a part of the experience according to the damage they dealt. A good idea is to use demon skeletons to block the Dragons, that way even on level 28 you can have profit on those creatures.
- Cyclopses on Yalahar (Mistrock) or Thais (Cyclops Camp): this is a decent option for both free and premium players, and since all Cyclopses are weak to earth, you can use stone shower runes. These creatures are very slow, so you can kite'em and hunt while spending very little to do it, unlike Tarantulas that are pretty fast and you have to tank them most of the time.
Level 30: Area of Effect (AoE) runes: Great Fireball and Avalanche[]
When you reach this level, you may starting using those runes to power your way up. The basic method is to lure a ton of monsters and cast these runes ideally on 2 or more, sometimes even ignoring entirely your wand damage. Below are some good places to hunt with this strategy.
- Kazordoon's Upper Spike: especially level -3, it's a very secluded place, and one can make up to 250k exp per hour without any bonuses, albeit with great waste. Remember to bring both elements (fire and ice), since you'll likely have to face Demon Skeletons (immune to fire).
Level 33: Hailstorm Rod[]
- Apes on Banuta, north of Port Hope: this is a great place for druids both for experience and easy cash, since all apes are weak to ice damage. You can hunt apes one by one, or you can power level with Avalanche runes on the lower floors (-1 and -2). Keep in mind that you may swarm yourself when chasing Sibangs and Merlkins. Also, remember to save some supplies for the trip back to Port Hope through the jungle. You'll likely profit a lot in this spawn, since all apes have a chance to drop Ape Furs, which may be worth more than 9k depending on your server.
- Corym Cave on Tiquanda, south of Port Hope: good place to hunt alone (-1 and -2 levels) or with a blocker (all levels), Coryms, especially Vanguards yield decent experience, and are easily kiteable.
- Ankrahmun Dragon Lair: 25 to 45 exp/hour
- Dwarf Mines (lower floors): 18~30k exp/hour
- Cyclopolis: 18~40k exp/hour
- Dark Pyramid (minotaurs): 15~25k exp/hour
- Mintwallin: 15~30k exp/hour
Levels 41 to 60[]
Creatures: Ancient Scarab, Dragons, Necromancer, Energy Elemental
Note: Dragons are found in basically everywhere on tibia, so that is an easy to find place for druids.
Note²: Energy Elementals are very hard hitting, but they have very high loot and excelent exp/hp ratio, so hunt them with caution.
Locations:
- Carlin Dragon Lair: 40~70k exp/hour(careful, 1 Dragon lord on the way)
- Venore Dragon Lair: 40~70k exp/hour
- Kazordoon Dragon Lair (wall): 30~40k exp/hour
- Darashia Dragon Lair: 40-70k exp/hour
- Ankrahmun Ancient Scarab Caves: 40~60k exp/hour
- Drefia (Necromancers): 30~70k exp/hour
- Darashia Energy Elemental: 40~80k exp/hour
- Upper Spike (up to level 50): ?? exp/hour
Level 61-100[]
Creatures: Ancient Scarab, Dragons, Necromancer, Dragon Lords, Wyrms, High Class Lizards, Souleaters
Note: just because you can slay a creature on the list, doesn't mean that you can go on all respawns that they live, for example, Poi's DL is really hard for level 100-, unless hunting with mana shield which is not recommended, or with a blocker.
Note²: The exp per hour is using balanced leveling, leveling with SDs or a blocker, can greatly increase the exp gained.
Locations:
- Ankrahmun Ancient Scarab Caves: 50~80k exp/hour
- Drefia (Necromancers): 50~110k exp/hour
- Carlin Dragon Lair: 70~130k exp/hour
- Fibula Dungeon (Dragons): 70~100k exp/hour
- Darashia Dragon Lair (Dragon Lords): 80~150k exp/hour
- Venore Dragon Lair: 60~130 exp/hour
- Muggy Plains (High Class Lizards): 80~140k exp/hour
- Vandura Mountain (Wyrms): 80~140k exp/hour
Level 101-150[]
Creatures: Dragon Lords, Wyrms, High Class Lizards, Souleaters, Behemoths
Locations:
- Darashia Dragon Lair (Dragon Lord floor): 120~250k exp/hour
- Drefia (Wyrms): 140~250k exp/hour
- Carlin Dragon Lair: 120~220k exp/hour
- Venore Dragon Lair: 120~220 exp/hour
- Muggy Plains (High Class Lizards): 120~220k exp/hour
- Vandura Mountain (Wyrms): 120~200k exp/hour
- Pits of Inferno Dragon Lair: 180~340k exp/hour
- Souleater Mountains: 180~350k exp/hour
- Vandura Mountain (Behemoths): 100~170k exp/hour
Level 151-200[]
Creatures: Dragon Lords, Wyrms, High Class Lizards, Souleaters, Behemoths, Hydras, Serpent Spawn, Medusa, Hellspawn
Locations:
Same as the level 101-151, but with experience boost and with the addition of
- Deeper Banuta: 300~500k exp/hour
- Talahu Medusa Cave: 400~700k exp/hour
- Formorgar Mines: 200~350k exp/hour
- Magician Quarter (Hellspawns): ?? exp/hour
Level 200+[]
Creatures: Dragon Lords, Souleaters, Behemoths, Hydras, Serpent Spawn, Medusa, Hellspawn, Hellfire Fighters, Drakens, Elder Wyrms, Demons
Locations:
Same as the level 101+ for the respawns that are big enough for your level and with the addition of
- Hero Cave (Demons): 200~400k exp/hour
- Talahu Medusa Cave: 500~900k exp/hour
- Drefia (Elder Wyrms): 400~1000k+ exp/hour
- Razachai (Drakens): 400~800k exp/hour
- Demon Forge (various): 400~1000k+ exp/hour
Tips for Hunting as a Druid[]
- Know your elements - study the creature and choose your best weapons against it.
- Train your magic level as often as possible; Not only will your rune and instant damage increase, but your healing will too.
- Keep an eye on your mana and potion supply; For any mage, mana is your life. It is not only required for using spells and the rods, but for replenishing health. If you run out, you'd better run home!
- Spend your soul points, the cheapest way to level your magic level is buying mana potions and using them to make Avalanches, that way 67% of what is wasted is gotten back.
- Assign hotkeys to your runes and potions - assign in a way that will make you shoot and heal faster, the faster you shoot, the faster you kill.
- Avoid mana shielding, use mana shield only in cases of extreme need, mana lost in shielding attacks are not counted for magic level.
- Know your limits, don't try to hunt something you are risking a lot, but don't be afraid of better and stronger creatures to hunt.
- If you're above level 200, Grovebeast can be very useful when hunting creatures one by one. Because of its damage and the fact that you won't need to run and heal as often, you'll get 10~20% experience boost for 15 minutes every 30 minutes.
- How well your hunt goes is based on your equipment, supplies and another key factor, your footwork: your hability to keep your distance without luring other monsters, trapping yourself, and dealing as much cost-effective damage as possible. Learn to kite your target monster, and keep in mind factors that can impair your movement.