Druids are not Hippies!

[Psion]

Nice rant. I agree.

I think it may be going a little far (especially for PC druids in a party regularly engaged in protecting human settlements) to have druids react to every tree cut as if they were defending the forest from a massive modern scale deforestation.

It would be appropriate, IMO, to have a druid be particularly sensitive to impinging upon sacred locations, etc.

 

[demonpunk]

re

I also hate the environmentalist tree-hugger type druid stereotype. I myself am an environmentalist tree hugger, but it bugs me when I see druids played this way. Characters who will kill a dozen goblins, then lament the killing of one wolf. Its just a little silly.

 

[William Ronald]

I tend to see druids more in their Celtic archetype. As such, they can channel the forces of nature, but are connected to various deities. It is possible for a druid to care about preservation of the land, if that is a concern of his or her deity. However, he is also concerned with the welfare of his people. Thus hunting is allowed, as is farming.

Mind you, I think most druids of Celtic deities would oppose destroying a forest just for the sake of destroying a forest. (Indeed, the gods might not like that and the varous forest spirits might not like it as well. A wise druid would respect their counsel and might advise not chopping down an entire forest. Perhaps interaction with nature spirits might explain why a druid would preserve a forest -- out of respect for his allies.) So, I believe that respect for nature can be a part of a druid's approach to life. However, it need not be a druid's sole concern. Druids can be leaders in their society, and possibly quite political. Historically, druids were often teachers -- in Ireland and elsewhere. Indeed, even after the Roman conquest of Gaul, a few Roman families hired Gaulish teachers in rhetoric.

There can and should be different ways to portray a druid. So, perhaps different approaches for druids can add some spice to this character class. (I don't have a problem with wanting to preserve the environment. However, I think that we can try to think of different ways to portray classes, races, and creatures.)

 

[Rackhir]

Well, that's neither here nor there. My big problem with it is that the idea of conservation and preservation is about 6 minutes old in the real world and while I don't suually have a problem with modern viewpoints invading my fantasy games (I mean -- watch HBO's Rome and tell me you'd want your PCs acting that way with LG alignments), this one is just *so* obviously modern that it gets under my skin. Especially since a Druid is essentially a Nature Wizard who is as likely to bend it to his will as he is to serve it.

Nature conservation has come about because we have the power now to damage and destroy the natural enviroment, to the point at which we can't survive in it. I have no problem envisioning a similar situation and attitude arising in a magically powered society. The old D&D setting Dark Sun, had magic basically being powered by drawing life from the natural enviroment. So you had casters separated into two groups Wasters (?) who drew on the life force reducing places to deserts and Preservers who tried to minimize or avoid damage to the enviroment from casting spells.

The tree hugging druid is only "6 Minutes Old" if you play them that way. Bad roleplaying and characterization are that however you go about justifying them.

 

[Grover Cleaveland]

Of course druids aren't hippies. Hippies are far too modern a concept.

Druids are beatniks!

(Some are flappers).

 

[Crothian]

Well, that's neither here nor there. My big problem with it is that the idea of conservation and preservation is about 6 minutes old in the real world and while I don't suually have a problem with modern viewpoints invading my fantasy games .

You have a point if you are playing a game set in 1210, but if it is in a fantasy realm there is no reason that conservation could not have come up especially by gods of the wilderness.

 

[Teflon Billy]

...Especially since a Druid is essentially a Nature Wizard...

Is Druidic magic Arcane now rather than Divine?

 

[William Ronald]

Nature conservation has come about because we have the power now to damage and destroy the natural enviroment, to the point at which we can't survive in it. I have no problem envisioning a similar situation and attitude arising in a magically powered society. The old D&D setting Dark Sun, had magic basically being powered by drawing life from the natural enviroment. So you had casters separated into two groups Wasters (?) who drew on the life force reducing places to deserts and Preservers who tried to minimize or avoid damage to the enviroment from casting spells.

The tree hugging druid is only "6 Minutes Old" if you play them that way. Bad roleplaying and characterization are that however you go about justifying them.

The Defilers on Athas did cause great devastation to the natural environment. So, I think that there can be a legitimate focus on preserving the environment by a druid character -- but that character may well have multiple motivations. I agree that bad roleplaying and characterization can be a problem, as sometimes people play stereotypes. Archtypes are one thing, but stereotypes are quite another.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

You have a point if you are playing a game set in 1210, but if it is in a fantasy realm there is no reason that conservation could not have come up especially by gods of the wilderness.

Or a more likely interpretation: that mankind is a disease upon nature's purity. A nature-god probably isn't thinking in terms of carbon emissions and waste disposal. He's probably just pissed that the humans are just there in general and not living like he demands.

 

[antman120]

Ax long as the player handles thier charecter well, this type of druid can be fun. Maybe you could have a druid that has scitsophrenia (i probably misspelled that) that changes from tree-hugger to bad dude that uses nature only as a weapon.