Perceptions of Druids and Their Playability

[Voadam]

I've got a similar problem. I took over DMing a campaign and I'm having a hard time getting a fix on just what the druid organization and religion is like. I've got a PC druid who went outcast from the druids and turned into a shifter and exalted character, but I've now got a potential run in interaction with a druid coming up and I'm a little stumped on how to run it as far as what do the druids actually do.

Riffing off the cuff on clerical temple orders is comparatively easy for me as a DM, I just don't have a great mental grip on the druids tone and feel and this is pretty big in the PC's background/character.

Interestingly I have no problem with the outcast druid as a PC, other than the open ended nature of the shifter forms and resulting abilities.

 

[Dimwhit]

Man, I love Druids, and I love playing my Druid. I found them anything but limiting. One of his motivations is to actually travel and experience Nature in as many different areas as possible. He's not tied down at all. As for the group he travels with...well, depends on the day. Sometime he likes them fine, other times he tolerates them. But if a group is necessary to help a Druid do what he wants, that's all the motivation I need.

I think they're among the most flexible of classes to play, and they certainly have the most raw power of most any other class. They're just nasty fun!

 

[RFisher]

I prefer to play druids more along the lines of Merlin instead of as ecoterrorists. I tend to ignore flavor text in rulebooks.

 

[Klaus]

Regarding the Druid not getting "hunting weapons":

Every single Druid can cast Goodberry and be completely nourished by a SINGLE berry! And healed by it too!

Kinda makes hunting obsolete...

 

[eris404]

I prefer to play druids more along the lines of Merlin instead of as ecoterrorists. I tend to ignore flavor text in rulebooks.

LOL! You know, this thread had me scratching my head for that very reason. In our group, we completely disregard the flavor text in the core books. Even if the DM isn't using a home-brewed world, s/he will accomodate 99% of all character concepts a player can come up with. I have yet to see anyone in our group play the druid as described in the flavor text and the class abilities/limitations were never a problem.

 

[Thotas]

I can understand the original poster's frustration ... what he's complaining about is a very prevalent stereotype, and it is every bit as annoying as he describes. But, as many of the replies have pointed out, as strong as that stereotype is, it isn't a part of the actual rules. In some cases, there is a rule that is hopelessy exaggerated in application, but in context of the other rules is more reasonable than some people insist on playing.

Other threads have more or less discussed a set of similar problems with the Paladin class. Both classes are plagued by a images that are not part of the rules, are stupid, and if you're stuck playing with people who think those stupid images are part of the rules, you've got a problem.

If you are playing with people who've been indoctrinated with the Dudley Dooright paladin or the Misanthropic druid, it might be a good idea to try to enlighten your comrades through the typical out-of-game discussion that every group engages in. If you're the DM, you're in a better position to make your point because you have the power of the phrase "In my campaign".

And if the group you're playing with can't see past the stereotypes, all you can do is avoid those classes and hope to heck everyone else does, too.

 

[Gashnal]

I went the same rout with my druid excomunicated becouse of his want to go with the shifter prestigue class hes out in the world to show other druids that making full use of the animal agressive nature is not a bad thing though hes learning realy fast how it can be used as a bad thing Ie shepshifting into someone else for fun and profit