D&D 4E Druids in 4E

[Simon Marks]

'Nature' power source or 'Feywild' power source.

Feywild, as described, appears to be 'Nature unbound' - more primal and wild than ... the Prime?

What is the name of the 'normal world' that doesn't sound like 'the real world'

 

[Wepwawet]

Since they have stated that they have plans to release every 3e Core class in 4e, it seems doubtful that they'll do much to roll the druid into the cleric, so I doubt we'll see much in the way of wild shape and animal companions for classes in the first PHB.

No way it will take that long to be able to play a Druid!
They must give some support to create something close... Even if not a real druid. I'm sure Feywild will give warlocks some fey-like abilities, no? Enough to make some kind of nature sorcerer. The class is called warlock, but that's just the mechanics, you can call them whatever you want.

Druids require me to keep track of 10-20 more die rolls than I would normally have to manage.

Yeah, quite.
What I would do is just take out the Animal Companion, there's no need for them.

 

[Kvantum]

I've always liked the idea of druids.

I've never liked the implementation. They're basically two, maybe three classes rolled into one these days.

Were I running things, the unfortunate druids would get sacrificed beneath their own standing stones. From the ashes, I'd build:

1) A class which fits the "sage of the old ways" vibe you get from a druid who mostly casts spells, and maybe fights in combat with a sickle once in a while.
2) A class which shifts into animal shapes, and focuses on this as its core combat technique.

Any shifting the first class would get would be non combat related. For example, instead of casting "fly" like a wizard, the class would transform itself and its allies into birds.

The second class wouldn't get spells. I might give it invocations, though. Magical semi-permanent boosts that synergize with its animal forms. That's just one of the mechanical ways to accomplish that goal, but its one I rather like.

So... basically you would turn druids into Greenbonds and Totem Warriors from Arcana Evolved?

 

[Cadfan]

So... basically you would turn druids into Greenbonds and Totem Warriors from Arcana Evolved?

Never played it. Not familiar with it.

But let me use 4e speak to address 3e for a moment.

Wildshape is a cool ability. But in combat its fundamentally a Defender type ability, at least in that it turns the druid into a defender type character with a ton of hit points and a good melee attack.

Druidic spellcasting is a mixture of Leader and Controller type powers.

I'd rather split these abilities up into two classes, so that balance reasons don't require watering down one in order to justify giving the class the other. Balance, as far as I can tell, requires weakening wildshape if you give it to a 9 level spellcaster, because a character who's a melee heavy hitter AND a 9 level spellcaster is a bit broken. Or, balance requires weakening the spellcasting if you give it to a wildshaper, for the same reasons. I'd rather get full strength versions of both in two separate classes than a weakened version of either in one class.

 

[CleverNickName]

I've actually been contemplating this for quite some time. Ever since I learned that the druid will not be included in the new PHB, I've been concocting a recipe for what I think a druid should be from the scraps of information I can collect on the 4E game.

It's not an easy task; every two or three weeks I learn of some new innovation or strange rule that is getting incorporated into the new edition, and it forces me to rewrite large portions of my concept. But here are my assumptions, ideas, and notes on the topic.

(And for the record: I hereby give Wizards of the Coast or anyone else who is interested, my complete and full permission to use any of the material in this post. The sooner we get an awesome druid in 4E, the better.)

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Mechanics: the druid should be more durable than a wizard, but not as hardy as a fighter. So druids should probably have the same stats as a cleric (attack bonus, save throws, hit dice...assuming these things still exist in 4E), but that is where the similarity should end. Everything else about the druid should be completely different from the cleric: skills, talent trees, equipment, power source, spell selection, feats, class abilities, and so on.

So start with the cleric. Strip away its skill list (if 4E even has them) and drop all of its class abilities. Replace them with special "druid" abilities, like these:

Per Round: druid fire (ala Terry Brooks' "Shannara" novels). Sort of an at-will burning hands spell effect, that gets stronger as the druid's level increases. Deals slashing or fire damage, whichever is most effective.

Per Encounter: wild shape? summon nature's ally?

Per Day: call of life (restore one animal companion to full health)

Sadly, each of these abilities would have to be created from scratch. Apart from the ranger, there will be little "druid-esque" abilities to glean from other classes, I am afraid. So lots of work here, and balancing would be a chore, but very rewarding.


Talent Trees: I am assuming that the talent trees will work in the same way as combat styles do in Book of Nine Swords. There will need to be at least three talent trees to completely flesh out the druid: one that focuses on summoning and controlling animals (the "caller druid"), one that focuses on shapeshifting (the "shifter druid"), and one that focuses on magic (the "caster druid.")

Some talent trees from other classes could be used for the druid (best candidate so far is the ranger, who probably has some martial combat talent trees related to wilderness fighting), but the majority of them would have to be created from scratch. And I suck at writing strikes, maneuvers, and stances. Perhaps the penguin herder could help us out in this department?


Spells: I am assuming that a druid is neither a divine spellcaster nor an arcane spellcaster; the druid uses a new and different power source altogether called "Gaia." In my interpretation, "gaia" is the essence of life that is interwoven into the earth itself, a resonance that connects all living creatures. The druid taps into that resonance energy and manipulates it to enhance life, summon life, or sever the life connection altogether. Non-living creatures, such as undead or constructs, would be less affected by Gaian magic, while animals, fey, and plants would be most affected.

Some Gaian spells could have foci and material components, such as a quarterstaff made from unpolished wood or a wand made from a willow twig. Others could require the caster to be outdoors or in contact with earth or unworked stone. Or not. (shrug)

It would be possible to build a suitable list of Gaian spells from the Arcane and Divine lists, I suppose...we would have to rewrite them a little for flavor, but the majority of them would be there. A few old favorites would have to be written from scratch, however: shilleleigh, goodberry, and fire seeds, for example.


Equipment: I know a lot of people complained about the "no metal" restrictions that druids had in earlier editions, but I sort of liked them. I think druids should be restricted to organic equipment only...no metal or worked stone. Much of the flavor of a class comes from its weaknesses, not its strengths.

A druid who uses a metallic weapon or wears metal armor temporarily breaks the connection to Gaia, and loses all class abilities until the connection can be restored. This could be handled with atonement, or a special sunrise ritual, or a sacrifice of the druid's own blood or hair, etc., depending on the druid's alignment.

Assuming there is a such thing as "alignment" in 4E.

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That's all I got so far. It is woefully incomplete. I have a Word document here with this info in it, and I add stuff to it whenever I get the time and inspiration...so any ideas, input, or feedback would be appreciated. And like I said before: feel free to copy, distribute, modify, use, or disregard anything in this post, in whole or in part.

 

[Irda Ranger]

Although the proof will be in the actual implementation, I think the Feywild Warlock has a lot of potential to be a good Druid stand-in. I don't like the idea of Druids as faithful servants of nature, but rather more wary adherents to an ancient lore; one with a primal and uncaring nature. Since we know the Warlock uses rites and oaths, and that the Feywild is not a nice place, I think it could work.

 

[Andor]

The wildshaping is a bigger deal in 3e than it was in previous editions, and I wouldn't object to seeing it scaled back. I always conceived of a Druids shapeshifting being more for travel and scouting than turning into Gentle Ben and biting off headz.

But their spell list was always more 'Old School Mage' than either the cleric or wizard. Weather control, crops, animals, disease, poison, vermin. Druids can get downright biblical on those who earn their wrath.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

So... basically you would turn druids into Greenbonds and Totem Warriors from Arcana Evolved?

From the description I'd say Greenbond fits 99 %, but Totem Warriors don't have enough Shapeshifting (say, 30 %?)

 

[drothgery]

I'm guessing for 'temp druids'

Primary spellcaster type druids
- tweak a cleric of a nature deity

Wilderness expert type druid
- ranger/cleric multiclass

Wildshape-based druid
- wait for an actual druid class

 

[RPG_Tweaker]

I just hope they remove the horribly inane weapon and armor restrictions.

Stone and metal are just as much an "earth" component as a plant or animal.

In fact killing trees for wooded weapons and animals for leather and hides would seem to be a far greater source of violating nature.



If I were in charge:

There'd be a sage-caster feat tree, with proficiency in light armor, and simple weapons. They'd be the arboreal powered spellcasters.

A shapeshifter feat tree with proficiency in light armor, light shields, simple weapons, and one martial weapon. They'd begin with simple animal and were-forms and level up to bigger badass types.

A warrior-witch feat tree with proficiency in medium armor, medium shields, simple weapons and 3 martial weapons. They'd be somewhere between a bard and warlock in effects.


If I were to include any limitation to materials:

Before donning an animal hide or wooded armor for the first time, the druid must be have it absolved of its death by communing with its animal spirit; a basic ritual taking 1d6 hours. Metal armor requires communing with the earth spirits (which are notoriously less communicative) requiring 3d4 hours. Disregarding these rituals will cause the druid to suffer 4 points of temporary CON damage immediately. This effect will last until 24 hours after the armor is removed. Basically it'd be a minor bit of roleplaying chrome and occasional plot device during a desparate need where time is of the essence.

Weapons and shields would require no ritual... or maybe just a fast 2 round blessing.