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Message: <blockquote data-quote="mirivor" data-source="post: 3400263" data-attributes="member: 7478">"So... you feel the great physical confrontation power is compensated for by the role-playing restrictions?I disagree with the premise, and feel that whatever your motivation may be, your mechanics should be balanced with everyone else's."In a perfect world, I agree. But D20 is not a perfect world. This is a role-playing game, even more so than a tactical combat one. When class and feat limitations include role-playing ones, then those role-playing ones are meant to help balance the mechanical ones. Clerics are beholden to their deity/cause. Should they stray from that path, then that deity will remove his follower's access to his power. Although I have never seen it done, it should be if called for. Druids are under the same obligation. They are beholden to a cause. They have taken spiritual oaths to that cause. Paladins as well. Just about any class with an alignment restriction has a mechanically undefined yet role-playing heavy restriction. It is up to the DM to enforce that or else he can suffer the strictly mechanical imbalances that are bound to occur in a system like D20.Without a willing DM, D&D can quickly spiral into a tactical skirmish game. If this is what someone wants to play, then I can see the need for supremely balanced mechanics. But as this was never sited by the op, I assume that we are speaking about a role-playing game. (Psi)SeveredHead: Protecting nature is not a downside, it is a limitation. A druid is beholden to that idea. Should the DM believe that it is not being adhered to, then you yank the druid's powers. This is a role-playing restriction that is no better or worse than the fact that should the druid wear forbidden armor he loses his abilities for a period of 24 hours after removing it. The only difference is the one is possible to put into words, where as the other is based soley on the judgement of the DM. I think that also answers your question about poorly-played druids, although you would have to elaborate a little for more definite info. I will assume that you mean poor RPing as opposed to poor tactical demonstration. In my games, if someone poorly plays a character class that has role-playing limitations, then they lose their abilities. Paladins of law and good do not wander the countryside slaughtering people. Clerics of a god of light and healing do not create zombies. If they do, then they have foregone their powers. The paladin falls from his deity's site and loses his abilities, as does the cleric. Same for the druid. I cannot give specifics, because each DM probably has setting assumptions that can vary wildly. In one setting, aiding a city of people that rape nearby woodlands may cause the druid's fall. Another setting may do so because he left an unnatural disease to ravage the deer herds while he went off to find that magical vest. The possibilities are endless. The end point being that the limitations are there, providing the DM bothers with them.Later!</blockquote>

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