Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Sage Advice 3/21/16 Exploding druids and antimagic field vs zombies and cure wounds
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Sword of Spirit" data-source="post: 7697331" data-attributes="member: 6677017"><p>I believe you're mistaking my position here. I personally prefer druids in robes with staves casting spells.</p><p></p><p>The point I'm making is that there is a design inconsistency that uniquely punishes druid free will by failing to acknowlede <em>the possibility</em> that a druid might violate his/her belief. It is <em>extremely</em> unrealistic to believe that a person with a strong belief system will never violate those beliefs. That's just not how it happens. That's why concepts like transgression and repentance, atonement, or impurity and purification, etc, are integral aspects of many religions around the world. Having a religious taboo virtually guarantees that some sincere believers are going to violate it at sometime.</p><p></p><p>So what I'm hearing the opposing position as is saying that all druids have a unique ability and the power to act on it, to make a one time decision never to violate a taboo, and remain 100% faithful to that to the end of their life. If that were not true about this particular character, they would never have been able to become a druid in the first place.</p><p></p><p>I don't find that believable at all, especially since it is explicitly not true regarding other characters with strong belief systems like clerics and paladins. I suppose one could spin the druid's situation as an incredible extraordinary special ability to remain faithful under absolutely any situation, but I think it is more believably interpreted as a lack of free will.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>And that's fine, it doesn't necessarily need to have mechanical consequences, just as clerics have no listed mechanical consequences. It should, however, then be treated just like a cleric's adherence to their own belief systems, rather than described in a way that requires it to be either an extraordinary capability or a lack of free will.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>And thanks for explaining some more of your thoughts on it. I guess what it comes down to to me is that if a (currently listed as lawful good) paladin says, "I decapitate that dastardly duke because of how he cheated on his income taxes," it is assumed the DM allows it, maybe with a warning to the player that that is going to violate his oath, while if a druid says, "I grit my teeth and put on the Breastplate of Saving the Party from Certain Doom," the DM appears to be assumed to say, "You actually can't do that." Telling a player that their character can't do something (regardless of whether that can't is derived from a won't) violates the social contract of D&D in my opinion. DM's shouldn't violate that contract, but of course they are free to. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Sword of Spirit, post: 7697331, member: 6677017"] I believe you're mistaking my position here. I personally prefer druids in robes with staves casting spells. The point I'm making is that there is a design inconsistency that uniquely punishes druid free will by failing to acknowlede [I]the possibility[/I] that a druid might violate his/her belief. It is [I]extremely[/I] unrealistic to believe that a person with a strong belief system will never violate those beliefs. That's just not how it happens. That's why concepts like transgression and repentance, atonement, or impurity and purification, etc, are integral aspects of many religions around the world. Having a religious taboo virtually guarantees that some sincere believers are going to violate it at sometime. So what I'm hearing the opposing position as is saying that all druids have a unique ability and the power to act on it, to make a one time decision never to violate a taboo, and remain 100% faithful to that to the end of their life. If that were not true about this particular character, they would never have been able to become a druid in the first place. I don't find that believable at all, especially since it is explicitly not true regarding other characters with strong belief systems like clerics and paladins. I suppose one could spin the druid's situation as an incredible extraordinary special ability to remain faithful under absolutely any situation, but I think it is more believably interpreted as a lack of free will. And that's fine, it doesn't necessarily need to have mechanical consequences, just as clerics have no listed mechanical consequences. It should, however, then be treated just like a cleric's adherence to their own belief systems, rather than described in a way that requires it to be either an extraordinary capability or a lack of free will. And thanks for explaining some more of your thoughts on it. I guess what it comes down to to me is that if a (currently listed as lawful good) paladin says, "I decapitate that dastardly duke because of how he cheated on his income taxes," it is assumed the DM allows it, maybe with a warning to the player that that is going to violate his oath, while if a druid says, "I grit my teeth and put on the Breastplate of Saving the Party from Certain Doom," the DM appears to be assumed to say, "You actually can't do that." Telling a player that their character can't do something (regardless of whether that can't is derived from a won't) violates the social contract of D&D in my opinion. DM's shouldn't violate that contract, but of course they are free to. ;) [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Sage Advice 3/21/16 Exploding druids and antimagic field vs zombies and cure wounds
Top