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

[Remathilis]

But as for the D&D druid, it's really become a palimpsest, moving from a hodgepodge of history, some inaccurate, and "close enoughs," to a class repeatedly redesigned and refined. Like a lot of D&D tropes, it started off inspired by a couple different ones, then became its own trope.

If you really want to go down the rabbit hole path dependency, I think the name Druid is a far bigger example than Scimitar.

While the original druid was a mishmash of bad Celtic lore, there is barely anything Celtic about the class as it currently sits. It's equal parts nature priest, shaman, green witch and elementalist. Sometimes you can add Summoner/zookeeper to that mix. It almost feels too limiting to have a class that could represent a variety of naturalist faiths, traditions and magic under the name of one specific cultural example. It would be akin to having the rogue class be named "ninja"; it does describe what the rogue class does but it is too specific to represent the wide array of other types of sneaky characters the rogue class currently does. (And the class was renamed from Thief for that exact reason).

But I wager inertia will keep them named druid, unless there is some major Twitter outrage about it. The class is too well known by that name (and has spread to too many other derivative fantasy works) to adjust to a more culturally neutral term.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

What everyone seems to think a "ninja" is and does is about as wrong from a historical perspective as the D&D Druid is from an actual druid, too.

 

[billd91]

What everyone seems to think a "ninja" is and does is about as wrong from a historical perspective as the D&D Druid is from an actual druid, too.

Well, one ninja turned my cap into a cape and I was all discombobulated after that.

 

[Mad_Jack]

But I wager inertia will keep them named druid, unless there is some major Twitter outrage about it. The class is too well known by that name (and has spread to too many other derivative fantasy works) to adjust to a more culturally neutral term.

Yeah... Nobody's ever going to bother to complain about the cultural appropriation aspect of it - we live in a world where a derogatory 18th century newspaper caricature of Celtic culture is still used as a sports mascot and to sell children's cereal, and non-Celtic people don't see anything wrong with getting rowdily trashed on green beer during what's supposed to be a religious holiday...
(Hell, I'm only being semi-serious writing this, lol.)

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Yeah... Nobody's ever going to bother to complain about the cultural appropriation aspect of it - we live in a world where a derogatory 18th century newspaper caricature of Celtic culture is still used as a sports mascot and to sell children's cereal, and non-Celtic people don't see anything wrong with getting rowdily trashed on green beer during what supposed to be a religious holiday...
(Hell, I'm only being semi-serious writing this, lol.)

Pictured- Druid (Circle of the Charms)

 

[James Gasik]

View attachment 262387

Pictured- Druid (Circle of the Charms)

Can we really trust a Gluten-Free Druid?

 

[Mad_Jack]

Pictured- Druid (Circle of the Charms)

I am now totally going to write up a halfling druid/feylock who uses minor illusion to create pots of gold...

 

[Laurefindel]

I may be in a minority here, but I’m quite happy with the druid as is, mismatched anachronistic misinterpretation, sickle, scimitar, non-metal armour et al.

It fits my headcanon that druids are proto-wizards, a magical tradition dating back to the time of arcane/divine schism (in people head at any case), and that they hold on to their magical powers by tradition, with everything that tradition implies with taboos and obligations.

 

[bedir than]

Can we really trust a Gluten-Free Druid?

Gluten free druids can wear metal armor

 

[Mad_Jack]

I may be in a minority here, but I’m quite happy with the druid as is, mismatched anachronistic misinterpretation, sickle, scimitar, non-metal armour et al.

It fits my headcanon that druids are proto-wizards, a magical tradition dating back to the time of arcane/divine schism (in people head at any case), and that they hold on to their magical powers by tradition, with everything that tradition implies with taboos and obligations.

Yeah, that's kinda how I see it as well - the D&D druid is sort of the spellcaster who uses the Old Magic of the world, before it became codified by wizards, which is why their magic is closer to the divine magic of clerics.