Essentials: Druid Preview Is Up!

[tuxgeo]

[With respect to Klaus' query regarding why one might worry about having a good match between Season and iconic Animal.]

Problem with that is that the less the D&D world resembles a sort of idealized fantasy version of the world, the less appealing it is to play in.

The reason wolves are associated with Winter has a reason, and a deeply cool evocative style to it. Wolves are dangerous hunters who lurk on the fringes, only coming to the farm when the depths of winter hit to carry off the eldest and most infirm of the sheep.

If you get rid of that, you either (a) are completely ignorant of it (forgivable, if silly), or (b) have a better idea (it can totally work, but it needs to be a GOOD idea!).

If this is B, I haven't seen how this idea is better.

My usual guess, given Occam's Razor, is A.

For this specifically, I bet they came up with the idea of what animal companions to do first (based on what the iconic fantasy "animal friends" might be), and later came up with linking them to seasons, and didn't pay a whole lot of attention to if the issue of whether the seasons matched up to the critters very well.

Which is fine, it's not a big deal, it doesn't detract from the awesomeness. To me, it is like seeing the words "your annoying" when you mean "you're annoying," though. Kind of...just a silly whoops that I'm sure a little more thought and caution would've caught.

I doubt that this is a mere "whoops" that a little "thought and caution would've caught." It appears (to my jaundiced eyes) to be deliberate.
Can we imagine what might happen if WotC had used the traditional animals for the seasons?

Elaboration kept to a bare minimum because of posting rules:
It seems to me (but, frankly, I'm prejudiced) that WotC will gladly bend over backward to avoid using traditional "correspondences," because some factions might raise objections to traditional usage. (The whole point of revelation is to replace traditional "error"; so any action to continue "tradition beliefs" must also fail to be supplanted by the replacing revelation.) (Being as vague and general as I can here. . . .)

And abruptly changing the subject (because it's a great idea, in general):
The Wolves of Cernogratz, by H. H. Munro, is now in the public domain.

(You're very welcome. He mostly wrote under the name of "Saki," so look for his works that way, also.)

HOWEVER, a druid with a "big herbivore" (a bull, a ram, an antelope, whatever) could preserve that spring feel, AND fill a key archetypal niche!

I'd imagine the aura would push things around.

OOY! How's-about a "Springbok"? They actually have those!

 

[Klaus]

Problem with that is that the less the D&D world resembles a sort of idealized fantasy version of the world, the less appealing it is to play in.

The reason wolves are associated with Winter has a reason, and a deeply cool evocative style to it. Wolves are dangerous hunters who lurk on the fringes, only coming to the farm when the depths of winter hit to carry off the eldest and most infirm of the sheep.

If you get rid of that, you either (a) are completely ignorant of it (forgivable, if silly), or (b) have a better idea (it can totally work, but it needs to be a GOOD idea!).

If this is B, I haven't seen how this idea is better.

My usual guess, given Occam's Razor, is A.

For this specifically, I bet they came up with the idea of what animal companions to do first (based on what the iconic fantasy "animal friends" might be), and later came up with linking them to seasons, and didn't pay a whole lot of attention to if the seasons matched up to the critters very well.

Which is fine, it's not a big deal, it doesn't detract from the awesomeness. To me, it is like seeing the words "your annoying" when you mean "you're annoying," though. Kind of...just a silly whoops that I'm sure a little more thought and caution would've caught.



HOWEVER, a druid with a "big herbivore" (a bull, a ram, an antelope, whatever) could preserve that spring feel, AND fill a key archetypal niche!

I'd imagine the aura would push things around.

A druid with a big herbivore companion? Un-possible!

Marty, fire the DeLoren for 2001!

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Anyway, I certainly don't know what went into choosing the companions, you'd have to ask [MENTION=3594]Moridin[/MENTION] . Plus, since I come from a land that has pretty much no winter, yet we still have wolves , the association between wolf and spring isn't too jarring for me.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I'd imagine, I think:

• Winter = Wolves (or other pack hunter)
• Spring = Ram (or other big herbivore)
• Summer = Lion (or other big cat)
• Autumn = Bear (or other ursine beast)

Or for the tropical druids, maybe

• Rainy = Snake (or other semiaquatic reptile)
• Dry = Eagle (or other flying bird of prey)

You could also swap Rainy and Spring and Dry and Autumn, probably.

I kind of hope the animal companions are fairly equiavelent/easy to swap out, because I see a lot of people wanting to bring their own choice beasts to the table.

 

[Dan'L]

Like others I'm surprised to see Wolf associated with spring, as it seems much more of a winter predator. Perhaps they will go with wolverine as a winter animal friend?

Quite obviously, they're holding that slot open for the "snow bunny" companion.

Benefit: You gain +2 Endurance for being able to make it through those long winter nights.

-Dan'L

 

[Zaran]

What season would you use for Francis the Badger? Get 'em, Francis!

 

[tuxgeo]

What season would you use for Francis the Badger? Get 'em, Francis!

I was going to say "meat tenderizer," because badgers are tough; but then I realized that Francis, particularly, regenerates (repops?) after an interval, so that just wouldn't work.

Make it Rosemary instead, and hang a Christmas ornament or two on his nose.