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Forces the enemy target to sleep for up to 40 sec. Any damage will awaken the target. Only one target can be forced to hibernate at a time. Only works on Beasts and Dragonkin.
The listed duration is the maximum, and Hibernate has a chance to break early, especially on higher level targets.
Tips and tactics
In a PvE setting, Hibernate gives druids a tremendous advantage as it allows you to take on beasts much more powerful than yourself. A good druid can kill an elite beast mob of his or her own level and even one or two levels higher by alternating Hibernate and [Starfire].
Used in combination with [Entangling Roots] and, where permitted, [Flight Form], Hibernate makes the druid an impressive farming class, allowing you to get to herbs and mining nodes without having to fight for them.
Hibernate can be used to help crowd control in instances where beasts or dragonkin are present.
Only one target can be forced to hibernate at a time. Casting Hibernate on a second target will cause the first to awaken.
Like most crowd control, Hibernate doubles in function as a spamable counterspell: Even though the target will not remain asleep while players are beating on it, any of its abilities in progress (with a cast time) will be interrupted.
In PvP, It is good to use against a Hunter's pet, a Druid in Feral forms, and a Shaman in [Ghost Wolf] form. However, due to its cast time, a good player can often shift out of form before the spell is done casting to prevent it from being used on them. It also has a somewhat shorter PvP duration of 8 seconds, and is subject to diminishing returns.
Patch changes
Patch 10.1.0 (2023-05-02): Duration decreased to 6 seconds in PvP combat (was 8 seconds).
Patch 10.0.0 (2022-10-25): Now a row 4 class talent (was a level 38 ability).
Patch 9.0.1 (2020-10-13): Now learned at level 38 (was 66).
Patch 8.1.5 (2019-03-12): Mana cost reduced by 60%.
Patch 5.0.4 (2012-08-28): Now learned at level 66 (was 18).
Patch 4.0.6 (2011-02-08): Now has a PvP duration of 8 seconds.
Patch 4.0.1 (2010-10-12): Now causes the target to sleep for up to 40 sec, up from 20 sec.
Patch 2.3.0 (2007-11-13): This spell will now always be removed correctly if multiple Druids overwrite each other's Hibernate.
Patch 2.2.0 (2007-09-25): Duration against PvP targets has been reduced to 10 seconds.
Patch 1.2.0 (2004-12-18): Players now have an increasing chance to break free of the effect, such that it is unlikely the effect will last more than 15 seconds.
[Hibernate].
[Moonkin Form]
[Ghost Wolf] form and druids in shapeshift forms.
