Druids

[der_kluge]

So, in thinking about the game, I come across the topic of druids.

I admit that I don't know much about the class. It seems rather enigmatic. The role the druid seems to play doesn't strike me as being necessary for a core party. It's always a "5th" party member sort of class, like a Bard.

I'm curious to know how others treat the class. Do you allow it? Do you like it? If you rebuilt the Druid from the ground-up, what would you do with it? What should the druid be?

 

[Moon-Lancer]

Tank, Caster, with animal friend

they are actually the 3rd and 4th party member when you don't have a 4th.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

I'd actually like to see less the melee-tank-in-disguise and more a social priest. The wikipedia entry that I've quoted below sums up the qualities of the druid class that I would like to see highlighted. I don't prefer the tree-hugging nature-lover archetype put forward by a lot of players. But neither do I want to see a druid who's truly a fighter vis-a-vis wildshape.

The Druids' influence was as much social as religious. They not only performed roles similar to modern priests, but were often the philosophers, scientists, lore-masters, teachers, judges and counsellors to the kings. The Druids linked the Celtic peoples with their numerous gods, the lunar calendar and the sacred natural order. They were suppressed in Gaul and Britain after the Roman conquests, but retained their influence in Ireland until the coming of Christianity. The Druids' roles were then assumed by the bishop and the abbot, who were usually not the same individual, however, and might find themselves in direct competition.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

well a druid does get diplomacy.

Ah i knew i forgot something. they also make a good healer with sna4+

while a druid is never quite first place as a fighter Cleric or wizard, they almost always take second, and thus take first place in versatility. If they are broken, its not because one single ability is too strong, its because all of their abilities are almost a class in itself.

 

[Arkhandus]

A druid is more like a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th wheel that you can fit into any of the main party roles. While they lack a few of the utilitarian capacities of a wizard, cleric, or rogue, druids can still do almost anything if they try the right skill, spell, or Wild Shape.

Group lacking a melee specialist? Play a dwarven or gnomish druid with high Constitution and Wisdom, using Wild Shape and spells to be strong in melee. Strength and Dexterity can be average, relying on Wild Shape at later levels and Shillelagh/other spells and racial traits for melee power at low levels. The Animal Companion can also make a great flanking partner and add further to the druid's melee power, especially once the Animal Growth spell is acquired. Spontaneous summons can also help surround an enemy in flanking bashers.

Group lacks a blaster? Druids can rock at blasting stuff to smithereens. Especially with fire. Fire gooood. Sure, druids might not be quite up to par with wizards at blasting, but at most levels they should compare reasonably well enough, and they're more survivable than wizards.

Group lacks a healer? Druids make for decent healers, and can be just as effective as clerics in melee while filling that role. Though less efficient and potent at healing, a druid is still better than bards or paladins at the task, and two druids in a party can easily fill two different roles in the party while also serving as emergency healers.

Group needs a skillmonkey/sneak? A druid can handle it. They're less versatile in skills than a rogue but still decent, and they can use their spells for awesome sneakiness, spying, and information gathering. Sure they can't handle traps or locks, but they can form paths around or over them, as well as just plain blasting them or summoning lowly critters to trigger traps harmlessly (or big nasty critters to bash open doors and chests).

A druid can be a fish or a bird, a bear or a snake, a bat or a rat, a horse or a cheetah, a squid or a shark. There's a friggin' ton of different things a druid can do with the right use of Wild Shape, the right spell, or the right skill.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Do you like it?

No, I dislike it even more than the cleric but for the same reason. Overpowered.

 

[lukelightning]

Do you allow it?

What's not to allow? It's a core class, from the core rules. That's like saying "do you allow humans?"

 

[dougmander]

Druids make a great choice for a party of fewer than 4 PCs, because they can occupy more than one niche. I'm running a campaign right now with 2 druids and a ranger, and I enjoy seeing how flexible the druids' roles are.

 

[der_kluge]

What's not to allow? It's a core class, from the core rules. That's like saying "do you allow humans?"

Don't be so quick to make assumptions. Lots of people don't allow elements from the core rules. Personally, I don't allow Druids. I have my reasons. I also don't allow half-orcs. Both are from core.

I also know of at least one guy's homebrew setting that doesn't allow humans. So there.

 

[Darklone]

Druids... yeah. The only party that's better than 4 clerics are four druids.

One summoner (taking out traps too), one archer, one blaster, one healer... and if the enemy closes to melee, they all can do melee.