a different kind of druid

[Li Shenron]

Why bother explaining it at all? Just "choose not to" wear metal armor because "that's what city-bred soldier types do" (or "it gives me an awful rash"), and the issue should never even come up!

I second this one. Make it your character's choice, and you don't have to explain it from the rules point of view. Say that your character has a mild allergy to some metals used for armorsmithing, or that he is claustrophobic when it comes to wearing armors because when he was a kid he nearly suffocated while trying to wearing one...

 

[brendan candries]

I started a druid with the PHBII shapeshift variant placing him as part of a clan of shapeshifters sharing a unique bloodline that explains the shifting and druidic/natural spells. A more american indian/feral background.

This results in a more wild, gritty, down to earth and pragmatic character that is less bound to any codes or typical behaviour, druidic or not. He's not supposed to be the wise venerable lonely hippie-style defender of nature, it comes more natural for him to be like that.

 

[takasi]

You have to take an oath to be a druid. Whether you agree with it or not, the oath is a requirement for gaining the power of druids and the oath forbids the use of metal armor. If people don't understand the oath, try explaining it to them in Druidic.

You don't have to be a hippie but you have to learn from one, or learn from someone who learned from a hippie. You can play a self-loathing tree hugger all you want but by RAW you do have to drink the Green Tea Kool-Aid.

 

[Nadaka]

There is much more to nature than trees. There are predators and prey. What if your druid is the ultimate predator? The perfect hunter. You are wild and powerful, shaping your body to best defeat your prey and willing the elements to your command.

I once played a seshayan (menace manual variety) druid with a similar personality. He wasn't evil. He just firmly believed in the predator prey natural relationship, and sees himself as the predator. A simple way to describe him would be to start with a tribal hunter, add some crazy. The only problem arises when you try to convince the party that they should not "waste" fallen prey. For some reason they didn't like the idea of eating, making leather, or even making bone knives from some kinds of "prey". The party seemed to prefer him in the animal form, somehow it was easier to walk around a midevil town as a wolf than an 8 eyed, bat-winged, charcoal black, fork tailed, nearly nude humanoid with a maw full of sharp teeth.

 

[Seffbasilisk]

Rich Burlew (The Giant in the Playground) from Giant In The Playground website has a Cha-based druid.... That might be what you want if he's 'just a man'.

http://www.giantitp.com/articles/3CsX278ZDGQQ62al3RP.html

 

[Ruslanchik]

I'm currently playing a Druid who is the most eager member of our party to slaughter orcs, goblins, etc. (we're only second lvl). My basic attitude is, these things are destructive towards nature, so I'm gonna be destructive towards them. I know that this is probably closer to the hippie template than you want, but if you take the attitude of nature's avenger, the soft and cuddly side falls away.

Also, wild empathy can be used more like intimidate than diplomacy to scare away potential threats and dominate animals.

The metal armor thing can be a point of pride--"I'm so tough, I don't even need plate mail. That's junk's for wimps. Given me some leather armor and a spear send me into melee!"

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

I once played a seshayan (menace manual variety) druid with a similar personality.

I've always loved adding the Star*Drive aliens-- save the Aleerin-- into D&D games. Big part of the reason I wanted to run a Planescape/Star*Drive crossover in the first place.

 

[Nightfall]

Be a Scarred Lands druids. We have some druids that wear metal and they work out just fine.