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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rel" data-source="post: 1866829" data-attributes="member: 99">I won't belabor the point because I'm not interested in sidetracking your analysis (which I'm still enjoying a great deal).  But I do think that it is not necessarily against the Druid's interests to use his powers to make local crops flourish.As you aptly point out, crops are far from a sure thing.  Over time if a certain percentage of them fail on average each year then the people are going to plant more than they would need to account for these losses.  Since the agricultural techniques we're assuming don't allow them to get more production per acre then the only way to accomplish this is by planting additional acres.  And the only way to get additional acres is to clear more wilderness.By using their powers over plants to assure a good crop for the villagers, the Druids can prevent these people from clear cutting more of the forest, draining wetlands or other natural areas in order to provide more cropland.  They can also use the influence they garner in this process to wangle deals with the local overlord to set aside areas as sacrosanct from human development.  Everybody wins!I'll shut up now.  Carry on.</blockquote>