Scholarly Druid (based on Wizard class)

[smootrk]

I am wondering if anyone has tried to create a Druid variant based more closely on the Wizard Class? Call it something like Naturalist or Learned Environmentalist (or even something like the already used name - Geomancer, or Biomancer).

I imagine it as essentially a Wizard with a Druid Spell List (althought tweaked a bit), Animal Companion rather than Familiar. It could possibly be a Conjurer Specialist Wizard with some abilities tweaked a bit further to be nature based. I don't really see the Wildshape Ability being part of this idea. Class skills swapped with nature/survival/animal handling etc.

Flavor-wise, I see it as essentially like a Wizard except that he learns the arcane secrets of the natural world and Fey beings - but in a scholarly way, not divine in source.

I was inspired a little by the Sidhe Scholar in Dragon Magazine, but that particular version did not feel quite right to me. Does anyone have any other variants like this, or even ideas to tweak my own thoughts and balance the abilities?

 

[Tirlanolir]

Call it something like Naturalist[/COLOR]

Unless he walks around naked all the time, I would avoid that name.

 

[smootrk]

I didn't think too far into the names. I guess that one would bring up other images.

 

[Crothian]

THe Druid presented in the Slaine RPG is more along these lines.

 

[Masquerade]

What particularly did you dislike about the Sidhe Scholar? It may be slightly off-topic, but I was quite impressed with the variant.

 

[smootrk]

What particularly did you dislike about the Sidhe Scholar? It may be slightly off-topic, but I was quite impressed with the variant.

Well, it did interest me, causing me to think more about the Druid class and possible variants aside from the Urban Druid variant.

I think my bias comes from the opinion that Fey/Natural magic is not really divine. After all, most Elves are mentioned to have affinity for the Arcane, fey in general are typically pictured as being magical (not divine in nature).

I am not saying that there could not be a Druidic Faith (earth goddes, nature itself) which is divine, just that there could be a Arcane method to tapping elemental/natural forces and therefore a Wilderness Mage type of class, or possibly a little closer to the semi-historical witch type of character.