Are Druids regarded as the most powerful class in 3.5?

[mirivor]

"Druids must revere nature, this is true. But they are by no means forbidden from having other goals, motivations and concerns. A Druid may care for his friends, his kingdom, or his own personal power just like anyone else. Just because Druids revere nature doesn't mean that they have to spend their whole lives hugging trees."

Yes, you are correct, and could probably entertain a million other scenarios.

It is also a safe thing to say that a DM can allow practically any abstraction to justify a character's actions. I guess that I trying to say that maybe the DM shouldn't accept them. Nature, or a nature deity, grants the druid (and other classes for other powers) a host of abilities to support it/him/her. I think that a DM is within his rights to stiffen the pressure a little. If a paladin who strays from his alignment loses all powers, then the druid suffers from the same restriction. The difference is that the paladin's "oath" can be fairly well defined, where as the druid's abstracted oath to nature is a lot more vague. It falls to the DM to crack down and simply say no, to make the druid's commitment a little more clear and then be ready to step on a neck or two if things go astray.

Later!

 

[RedFox]

It is also a safe thing to say that a DM can allow practically any abstraction to justify a character's actions. I guess that I trying to say that maybe the DM shouldn't accept them. Nature, or a nature deity, grants the druid (and other classes for other powers) a host of abilities to support it/him/her. I think that a DM is within his rights to stiffen the pressure a little. If a paladin who strays from his alignment loses all powers, then the druid suffers from the same restriction. The difference is that the paladin's "oath" can be fairly well defined, where as the druid's abstracted oath to nature is a lot more vague. It falls to the DM to crack down and simply say no, to make the druid's commitment a little more clear and then be ready to step on a neck or two if things go astray.

But why?

 

[mirivor]

Because that is one of the keys to balancing mechanical advantages to role-playing disadvantages. People are wondering how to balance this class or that, when the problem generally speaking does not lie in mechanics so much as it lies in the generalization that DMs do not take those spiritual limitations to heart. That cleric, that paladin, and that druid do not get those powers from some unthinking entity. They, all of them, receive their might from a being(s) that have motive. Those beings want certain things. They also do not want other things. Pelor's clerics do NOT go around creating undead. If they did, I imagine that Pelor might take exception to that and probably remove that particular fellow's powers; powers that he granted to that person for a specific reason, which the creation of undead is not to the point of gross violation.

Essentially, the presentation of those classes should be something like, "Alright. Here is a powerful nature priest. He can change shape, cast, and fight ok. The catch is that he is a servant of nature or a nature deity. He does not get these abilities to advance any old idea that he wants, but rather he uses them to advance the ideals of the being that grants him those abilities."

Every class has a limitation. The issue is that some are very mechanical and easy to represent. Look at the wizard's spellbook and mats. The fighter is not privy to anything game-breaking and I think that most agree that the class is ok. The rogue is low on hit points and armor, able to deal a lot of damage to certain opponents, etc. Those classes have limitations that are easily distinguished while in-game. The cleric, paladin, druid, and a few others have limitations that depend heavily on the DM to make their presence felt. If he does so, then the balance that people are striving for will make itself known a little more readily.

Later!

 

[hong]

D00d, this is sooo 1995.

 

[Henry]

D00d, this is sooo 1995.

Hong, you're so right! Now, sit down and let us finish watching Northern Exposure!

 

[RangerWickett]

I like wildshape.

Courtesy of Claudio Pozas.

 

[hong]

It's Zippo the Wonder Dog!

 

[krunchyfrogg]

LOL, great post RW!

 

[Voadam]

Druids aren't bad at social interactions as a class, they have diplomacy as a class skill. My druid PC was handling the NPC interactions and doing it well.

 

[Warren Okuma]

I like wildshape.

Courtesy of Claudio Pozas.

Nice! Now all you need now is a monk's belt...