D&D General Rethinking the class name "Druid".

[CleverNickName]

I don't see "nature" and "science" as opposing forces or ideals. Science isn't "anti-nature," it's the study of it.

 

[Greg K]

A "shaman" needs to satisfy cultural sensitivities among reallife animistic indiginous peoples.

Which is why I would use the general sense as a class name, not tie spirits to totem as many people seem to do, and then grant the subclass at first level with many subclasses: dreamwalker, spirit binders, spiritual healers, skin-walkers, psychopomp/spirit guide, spirit-ridden/posessed, etc.

 

[Yaarel]

Semantically 'supernatural nature being' might be awkward, but that's what things like elementals, dryads etc are. And if we get super technical, in a magical world nothing is supernatural, as magical things are part of the 'science' of that world. But that's not how people usually use the word in such contexts.

If elementals are "supernatural", then they arent mountains and rivers, and therefore arent part of nature.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I don't see "nature" and "science" as opposing forces or ideals. Science isn't "anti-nature," it's the study of it.

Sure, technically they certainly aren't opposites. But thematically they often are. Science is often about 'taming' the nature, not just understanding it. Thematically nature is untamed wilderness, animals running free, science is gunpowder, factories and polluted rivers.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

If elementals are "supernatural", then they arent mountains and rivers, and therefore arent part of nature.

Supernatural basically means magical. Elementals definitely are magical.

 

[Yaarel]

Which is why I would use the general sense as a class name, not tie spirits to totem as many people seem to do, and then grant the subclass at first level with many subclasses: dreamwalker, spirit binders, spiritual healers, skin-walkers, psychopomp/spirit guide, spirit-ridden/posessed, etc.

There are two proper uses for the term "shaman".

The specific cultures whose language this term comes form, and whose culture defines it and its traditions.

The academic appropriation of this term to describe traditions in different cultures where a person achieves an altered state to interact with nature beings. Properly shamanism is animistic thus nontheistic. But sometimes it syncretizes with monotheism or polytheism.

I use the term in the academic sense. But the academic use is beseiged for its cultural appropriation. It is an important and useful concept, and I am unaware of an other word for it.

 

[Yaarel]

Supernatural basically means magical. Elementals definitely are magical.

Regarding historical connotations, "supernatural" means something like anti-science, able to override the laws of nature.

The term is inappropriate for animistic worldviews, where features of nature are persons, like human bodies are persons.

 

[Yaarel]

Druids are not scientist. They don't really seek to 'understand how nature works' in empirical sense; they connect with it on mystic and spiritual level.

Also, artificer is a thing.

From the little we know about reallife ancient Druids, they do seem like protoscientists to me. The Celtic traditions of convoluted potion ingredients probably comes from Druids as well as Bards.

 

[Greg K]

I use the term in the academic sense. But the academic use is beseiged for its cultural appropriation. It is an important and useful concept, and I am unaware of an other word for it.

I agree the academic term is useful (and, generally, how I approach it as a categorization as opposed to say priest, prophet or some other classifications found in anthropology). Like you, I am also unaware of any other word for the concept.

 

[Seramus]

A class that just kind of meanders through life and succeeds by dumb luck would be an interesting idea for a comedy-themed game.

Autolycus, from Legendary Journeys comes pretty close! He actually is skilled, but much of his success is incredible luck and being in the right place at the right time.