Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 6189535" data-attributes="member: 4937">Most D&amp;Disms have become self-referential.&nbsp; D&amp;D has been so influential over consensus fantasy that incidental D&amp;Disms have become archetypes unto themselves.&nbsp;&nbsp; Ranger may have started as a poor attempt at emulating Tolkien's Rangers, but everything from that implementation to the D&amp;D cartoon have defined the D&amp;D ranger as an archetype unto itself ubiquitous to fantasy as people experience it.&nbsp;&nbsp; D&amp;D virtually created the modern consensus fantasy conception of a Wizard.&nbsp; The same is true with the Druid as shapeshifter.&nbsp; &nbsp; Everyone 'knows' druids are supposed to shapeshift.&nbsp; They expect it.&nbsp; They feel that the game is somehow incomplete without it.Ultimately the origins of this trope are in a handful of Celtic/Norse legends about wizards being able to change into birds, deer, and similar animals.&nbsp;&nbsp; This found it's way into the reasonably well constructed 1e Druid, but became it's primary shtick because it was the one power which was very unique to the Druid.Personally, I find it a bit over the top as a class ability especially sense they are already full casters.&nbsp;&nbsp; In my game, I've dropped the Druid entirely, replacing it with the Green Ronin Shaman, and 'Wildshape' has become a 4th level Shaman spell.&nbsp;&nbsp; This greatly tones down the power level of the 'druid', and brings it more in line with fighters, rogues, etc. while still letting you play a character that can shape change into animals if you want to do that.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Celebrim, post: 6189535, member: 4937"] Most D&Disms have become self-referential. D&D has been so influential over consensus fantasy that incidental D&Disms have become archetypes unto themselves. Ranger may have started as a poor attempt at emulating Tolkien's Rangers, but everything from that implementation to the D&D cartoon have defined the D&D ranger as an archetype unto itself ubiquitous to fantasy as people experience it. D&D virtually created the modern consensus fantasy conception of a Wizard. The same is true with the Druid as shapeshifter. Everyone 'knows' druids are supposed to shapeshift. They expect it. They feel that the game is somehow incomplete without it. Ultimately the origins of this trope are in a handful of Celtic/Norse legends about wizards being able to change into birds, deer, and similar animals. This found it's way into the reasonably well constructed 1e Druid, but became it's primary shtick because it was the one power which was very unique to the Druid. Personally, I find it a bit over the top as a class ability especially sense they are already full casters. In my game, I've dropped the Druid entirely, replacing it with the Green Ronin Shaman, and 'Wildshape' has become a 4th level Shaman spell. This greatly tones down the power level of the 'druid', and brings it more in line with fighters, rogues, etc. while still letting you play a character that can shape change into animals if you want to do that. [/QUOTE]

Verification