Hybrid is a dreaded word in the World of Warcraft.
This is when a class can be considered to have several different group roles depending upon what talents the character has and the type of equipment he has. A hybrid usually takes up the role as a tank, healer, or damage dealer. Though this can be thought of a useful, it can be a curse. Players are expected to know how to play their class with regard to all three group roles. If you do not have the talents or gear, it does not matter. To play a hybrid, it takes a dedicated person who is willing to learn the finer aspects of their class and be open to change.
There are three classes in WoW where a character can be more than one of the roles listed above. Those classes are Druids, Shamans, and Paladins. These three classes are considered the truest “hybrids”, as each of them can cover the three roles of tanking, damage, and healing.
DRUID
The Druid is a hybrid of tank, healer, melee and ranged damage dealer. One of their key advantages is the their healing abilities, which is dependent upon their spec and gear. A druid can have average to excellent healing ability. Feral druids inherently have an expanded mana pool but no mana regeneration enhancements. Balance druids have an expanded mana pool enhancements to both damage and healing, but less mana regeneration than a restoration druid. Arguably, one of the more powerful buffs in the game, Mark of the Wild, providing a good general boost to most classes and specs. Shapeshift ability allows druid to serve as a tank in their Bear or Dire Bear form and increases their survivability if drawing aggro by accident. The can perform like a rogue in Cat form and act as a scout. Druids are all but immune to Polymorph and other Root or Snare effects as they can simply shape shift to free themselves. Tree of Life Form likely has the most mana efficient heals in the game, and is specifically geared to raid healing. Tank abilities viable for raids, optimal for single targets and less than optimal for a very large number of targets. When a Druid reaches their high-level talents in each tree, they can provide a raid healing or DPS aura. Lastly Rebirth is the only resurrect which can be cast in combat.
Now let us take a look at the disadvantages of a druid. They are lightly armored in caster gear, just a little tougher than a cloth wearer in humanoid form. However, Barkskin combined with Dire Bear Form or Moonkin Form may provide enough damage mitigation and time for a main tank to re-acquire a mob. Rebirth, a combat resurrect, is on a 20 minute timer once it has been used. Druids lack traditional Crowd control relying on Entangling Roots, a spell which only works in outdoor instances. Though effective, Hibernate is only castable on beasts and dragons. Another spell of the Druids, Cyclone, serves as a temporary patch when another crowd control breaks.
PALADIN
The Paladin is incorrectly thought of as a hybrid of warrior and priest. Paladin tanks mainly rely on reactive Holy damage as the primary source of threat, secondly on direct holy damage, and functions by the seals.
Here are a few of the key advantages to paladins. The are armored in plate and can take a lot of damage, and are widely regarded as the single hardest class to kill. They have the ability to heal and resurrect makes them sometimes vital to a party. A paladin can be a long-lasting and efficient single-target healers. Available to them is a wide variety of important buffs for all classes. They have several auras with various beneficial effects for the party. One of 3 classes capable of allowing quick recovery from a wipe with their Divine Intervention. They are able to use Divine Protection and Divine Shield to protect themselves from incoming damage or cast Blessing of Protection to protect other players from physical damage.
There are two major disadvantages for paladins. First they have very little in the way of ranged attacks, which is why some of them take up the profession of engineering. This will give them access to throwing weapons, like bombs. Paladins also have relatively sparse protection against casters.
SHAMAN
The Shaman is a hybrid of healer, melee and ranged damage dealer, with limited tank ability and that is only dependent upon the player and gear.
There are several key advantages of a shaman. They are versatile regardless of build, letting them switch from tank to healing mode or damage dealer during a battle without needing to change their talents. A wide variety of totems can be used to buff party members and debuff opponents Ability to heal and resurrect makes them very useful to a party. Powerful, instant-cast direct damage Shock spells with secondary effects (slow, damage over time, and interruption of spellcasting) Only class capable of solo-recovering a raid via Reincarnation, albeit only once per hour. Arguably, one of the best multi-target healing spells in the game, Chain Heal.
A shaman is at a disadvantages since it cannot generally tank past regular 5-man dungeons past level 60. Stationary totems that can only affect party members, not a raid. The Shaman has no direct buff to offer other players. They are also not very mana efficient as non hybrids. Another area where they are lacking is they have no crowd control spell like Polymorph or Fear. If a Shaman does tank, they lack abilities can make it difficult for tank to regain aggro if shaman angers other opponent.
Though they are consider Jack of All Trades at times, these classes can be rewarding if you are able to master each of their group roles and be able to switch when needed.
