D&D General Druids and Path Dependency: Why the Scimitar Helps Illuminate D&D

[MGibster]

There's no good answers to these beyond "because that's how it is", which undermines the verisimilitude of most game settings. And if we follow these things to their logical conclusion, we end up with worlds nothing like the traditional fantasy adventure of D&D.

Partly because I assume there are a limited number of people who can cast these spells. A Wizard has to be 5th level to cast Galder's Tower and practically speaking how many 5th level casters are in any given area? Even if you have that 5th level caster I imagine he's got better things to do than cast Galder's Tower multiple times via ritual every single day.

 

[TwoSix]

Since this is a druid thread, I guess it's been reincarnated.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I'm extremely careful about the effect of spells and effects on the economy. D&D is written as a game for adventures, often in dungeons, and everything in the game is described from this point of view. Spells and effect that affect the economy are simply outside the scope of the game. A few spells, like Plant Growth, have an economic function mentioned, but that's more like an accident of design.

Still, some of my players love this kinds of effects, and look out to find just these - or magic to enhance the bards performances and other effects well outside the scope of the game as written. Its one of the issues we have with 5E as a set of rules. Not sure I will continue with 5E (or 5.1) after finishing the current "test run".

Yeah, I got tired of the rules, and especially magic, mostly just caring about combat applications very quickly.

 

[payn]

Since this is a druid thread, I guess it's been reincarnated.

Na, if it was a reincarnation it would be about rangers or warlords now.

 

[J-H]

WOTC is silent on it, but I think it would be entirely reasonable from a worldbuilding standpoint to say "There are lots of spells that exist that are not in the PHB. " Player characters simply don't need to prepare "Deliver Baby," "Epidural," "C-section," "Harden Brick," or "Dullman's Waterproofing" often enough for them to be worth documenting.

 

[James Gasik]

Na, if it was a reincarnation it would be about rangers or warlords now.

Or Monks!

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Na, if it was a reincarnation it would be about rangers or warlords now.

Given my luck on the reincarnation tables, I am quite positive the thread would be about bards.....

Anyway, we are dodging the most important question! The Druid table, or the Magic User table!?! (Because you rolled 86-00)?

 

[James Gasik]

Given my luck on the reincarnation tables, I am quite positive the thread would be about bards.....

Anyway, we are dodging the most important question! The Druid table, or the Magic User table!?! (Because you rolled 86-00)?

Magic User is more likely to give you a body that lets you continue playing your class, as I recall.

 

[Umbran]

And now when we look at it, we can say that scimitars are ... the swords Druids use. But understanding this history brings us to a more interesting issue, which, perhaps, we can analyze in the following way; knowing that this is a mistake, what should be done?

But, it isn't a "mistake", any more than your appendix is a mistake*.

And maybe we should treat it like the appendix - if it ain't broke, don't fix it. It is there. Normally, it causes no issue. If, in a particular body, it causes a problem, it can be excised without minimal difficulty.


*Evolution being the poster child for path dependency, because it literally cannot make plans.

 

[James Gasik]

I mean, if Druids have used scimitars since the 70's, then Druids using scimitars is a D&D-ism unto itself, and changing it now would strike some people as being "not D&D" or something like that. It's the whole reason the "no metal" still exists, after all. It's not really all that logical, or even a real penalty- I think the only real purpose it has mechanically is to keep Hide Armor in the game. But a lot of people will have an emotional reaction to a Druid wearing plate mail like the Cleric, and it probably won't be a positive one.

Plus you have Nature Clerics for that!