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

[Tonguez]

in Pirates of Darkwater they used Ecomancer for essentially the same thing

 

[Paul Farquhar]

In first edition Druid was a cleric subclass. So renaming it Nature Priest or Wild priest is a valid choice.

That would be a really bad idea.

In my experience, players choose druid because the want a character who is spiritual, without the strictures of organised religion.

If any name comes with negative real world baggage, it's "Priest".

 

[Paul Farquhar]

My introduction to druids was Asterix.

I expect Gygax's was too. You can do Getafix/Panoramix type characters in D&D.

'm getting that nerd reaction where I read something that doesn't fit my concept of generic fantasy

Then I think your concept of generic fantasy is way way too narrow. Characters from Merlin to Radagast all fit the D&D druid archetype.

 

[Yaarel]

A slightly neutral term is "Seer".

It can connote shaman, prophet, psychic, oracle, and so on.

Psionics employs the term, but those I would rather call a "Prescients", anyway.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

A slightly neutral term is "Seer".

It can connote shaman, prophet, psychic, and so on.

But seer implies a focus on divination. I don't see how that is any more neutral than druid.

 

[Yaarel]

But seer implies a focus on divination. I don't see how that is any more neutral than druid.

Besides the fact that the Druid class includes divination (Commune with Nature, etcetera), a Seer implies a relationship between the Seer and target sought.

 

[Yaarel]

For me, the term "druid" connotes the reallife ancient druids. Connotations include:

• priest of deities
• priestly caste (compare Brahmans, Kohanim)
• pacifists who fight with magic rather than weapons
• divining by clouds
• they seem protoscientific
• potions with convoluted ingredients probably relate to them
• Celtic spirituality generally has a symbolic dreamlike quality
• since Christianity, "druidry" meant any kind of "magic"
• reported to perform human sacrifices (Im skeptical)
• Irish Catholic priests function as druid spiritual leader/scholar

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Really, the class with the "wrong" name is wizard. Even without the etymology, it carries the connotations of "wise person" - here comes the wizard, Gandalf the Wise. Originally, this class was called Magic User and wasn't renamed Wizard until 2nd edition. It was inspired by renascence figures like Doctor John Dee, who applied the developing modern scientific method to the study of magic, before people discovered magic wasn't real. Hence the dependence on intelligence (book smarts) rather than wisdom (insight). If these people where known as anything, it was Cunning Men or Sorcerers, never Wizards.

So, if you really want to be pedantic about class names, I suggest renaming wizards to sorcerers, druids to wizards, and sorcerers to mutants.

Of course, there would be a lot less confusion if you leave the names as they are, but remember that they are just labels for a set of mechanics. How they are known within your fantasy world can be whatever best fits your setting.

 

[AtomicPope]

Really, the class with the "wrong" name is wizard. Even without the etymology, it carries the connotations of "wise person" - here comes the wizard, Gandalf the Wise. Originally, this class was called Magic User and wasn't renamed Wizard until 2nd edition.

So, if you really want to be pedantic about class names, I suggest renaming wizards to sorcerers, druids to wizards, and sorcerers to mutants.

A sorcerer is a wizard without a hat.

 

[Silvercat Moonpaw]

A sorcerer is a wizard without a hat.

A wizard is a sorcerer with a hat and a degree that isn't worth the student debt any more.