druids...and bows...and x-bows
- Thread starter Zorkion
- Start date
Spatzimaus
First Post
IMC we changed that stupid 24-hour rule into something similar to the Arcane Failure rules, with the addition that non-natural weapons also increase the failure rate.
To the original question: bows, not crossbows, but for balance reasons it's easier to just say "both"
To the original question: bows, not crossbows, but for balance reasons it's easier to just say "both"
Nature Priests
The point that I think people miss is that Druids are Nature Priest(esse)s. Their weapons and armors are all special, in order to reflect this...
They can wear only padded, leather, hide, and wooden armors, and use only wooden shields. Note that the PH has a spell (Ironwood) which mentions wooden plate!
Likewise, their weapons (since first edition) are supposed to represent natural weapons... They refuse to use "metal raped from the Earth", relying on meteoric iron, wood, stone, etc.
Why a scimitar and sickle? Because they represent the horned moon (special to Druids). If in an Oriental campaign, Druids could probably use Katannas, too. You may see the flavor as "silly", but that's where it comes from.
Other weapons based upon nature include the dagger and dart (based upon thorns), the club, staff and spears (based upon trees), scimitar and sickle (based upon the moon), and sling (based upon both animals and rocks). Now if I were doing things, I'd limit them to sling stones, only, but let them do 1D4 with no to-hit penalty, and disallow lead sling bullets doing 1D6. I'd also allow them to use the Morningstar and Greatclub, so long as they didn't incorporate iron (but that's just me).
As for bows and crossbows, no. The only arguement that I can see for this is the shooting rays of the sun... and I'm not buying that. If you want a bowslinging Druid, play an Elf, or take Fighter/Ranger levels, and work out the spells thing with the GM.
In first edition AD&D, they could use only leather armor, but were also allowed the hammer as a weapon. When Unearthed Arcana came out, they were allowed to use Padded, as well as the new weapons Aklys, garrot, lasso, sap, staff-sling, sword (khopesh), and whip. Of these, only the sap and whip have survived into 3e. Note that they were disallowed use of the blowpipe, even back then!
I have more trouble understanding why they can't use such weapons as the Falchion (curved), Greatclub, Morningstar, Sap, and Whip than the bow, but assume that it is a game balance thing... Most of their weapons do 1D6 or less, so I can understand disallowing the two handed weapons. The rest, though...
In any case, I don't see how the bow (or more especially the crossbow) fits into the Neo-Celtic image (if you have the 1e PH, read the description of the class given there).
The point that I think people miss is that Druids are Nature Priest(esse)s. Their weapons and armors are all special, in order to reflect this...
They can wear only padded, leather, hide, and wooden armors, and use only wooden shields. Note that the PH has a spell (Ironwood) which mentions wooden plate!
Likewise, their weapons (since first edition) are supposed to represent natural weapons... They refuse to use "metal raped from the Earth", relying on meteoric iron, wood, stone, etc.
Why a scimitar and sickle? Because they represent the horned moon (special to Druids). If in an Oriental campaign, Druids could probably use Katannas, too. You may see the flavor as "silly", but that's where it comes from.
Other weapons based upon nature include the dagger and dart (based upon thorns), the club, staff and spears (based upon trees), scimitar and sickle (based upon the moon), and sling (based upon both animals and rocks). Now if I were doing things, I'd limit them to sling stones, only, but let them do 1D4 with no to-hit penalty, and disallow lead sling bullets doing 1D6. I'd also allow them to use the Morningstar and Greatclub, so long as they didn't incorporate iron (but that's just me).
As for bows and crossbows, no. The only arguement that I can see for this is the shooting rays of the sun... and I'm not buying that. If you want a bowslinging Druid, play an Elf, or take Fighter/Ranger levels, and work out the spells thing with the GM.
In first edition AD&D, they could use only leather armor, but were also allowed the hammer as a weapon. When Unearthed Arcana came out, they were allowed to use Padded, as well as the new weapons Aklys, garrot, lasso, sap, staff-sling, sword (khopesh), and whip. Of these, only the sap and whip have survived into 3e. Note that they were disallowed use of the blowpipe, even back then!
I have more trouble understanding why they can't use such weapons as the Falchion (curved), Greatclub, Morningstar, Sap, and Whip than the bow, but assume that it is a game balance thing... Most of their weapons do 1D6 or less, so I can understand disallowing the two handed weapons. The rest, though...
In any case, I don't see how the bow (or more especially the crossbow) fits into the Neo-Celtic image (if you have the 1e PH, read the description of the class given there).
Last edited:
Dark Dragon
Explorer
Staffan said:
Unfortunately it did...Perhaps it will be changed in 3.5.
My druid doesn't use the scimitar because of simple role playing reasons (he comes from a stone age tribe). As his patron deity is Mielikki, he could use martial weapons, but his favorite weapon is the club (enchanted with Spikes) and the longspear, rarely the shortbow.
Remathilis
Legend
The Complete Druid's Handbook also allowed Scythe, which was (unfortunately) left out of the 3e Druid.
I allowed Druids to take Proficiency in whip, scythe, and khopesh (FRCS), but must use a feat to do so. So far, no takers.
I allowed Druids to take Proficiency in whip, scythe, and khopesh (FRCS), but must use a feat to do so. So far, no takers.
SylverFlame
First Post
Dr Strangemonkey, this is inaccurate. The reasoning is purely historical.
Back in the good ole Middle Ages and such, the English Longbowman was one of the most feared people out there. He could launch arrows huge distances and even take out heavily armored knights (gotta love the Bodkin). Now then, these incredible military units were not nobles (what self respecting noble whould stand at a safe distance when he could bash heads in melee where many pointy sticks were shoved at his horse?). These archers were the surfs of nobles who were forced (yes, the english gave their beleagured peasantry weapons and made them become really good with them) to practice everyday. It was the law so the army could have a cheap fighting unit that could do massive annoyance and death to the enemy. Nothing really gets more "common" than a bow.
As for the whole nature theme of the druid, well, it doesn't incorporate a bow. However, I still voted yes to bows, no to x-bows. The reason? Ease of construction. As a kid I use to take a bendy stick and use string to make a bow. They worked okay as they shot a stick arrow up to about twenty feet. However, when my dad set up a target at our camp and gave me one of his real hunting arrows did that piece of stick ever work well! A good thirty feet with a degree of accuracy and the arrow went straight and true. As such, it's not all that hard to get a functional bow made. Making a real adn good bow however is DAMN hard.
EDIT: Oh yes, and as for the druid not having the proper background for making bows, let's look at a real world example. A druid lives a life close to nature and living in peace and balance with its surroundings; much like north american natives. Last time I checked NA natives were not primitive and they still had bows.
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Andion Isurand
First Post
I'm sure a decently powerful druid could melt sand into obsidian arrowheads.
Our druid will be using an atlatl, a javelin-thrower. Exotic ranged weapon, damage 1d6x3, range 80'. Needs clearance above your head to work, though, and provokes an AoO when used.
I tried to convince the druid player to use a staff-sling, which I think are cool, but she felt "feh" about. Also, she traded her scimitar for a machete. No tree-hugger her.
I tried to convince the druid player to use a staff-sling, which I think are cool, but she felt "feh" about. Also, she traded her scimitar for a machete. No tree-hugger her.
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