Spontaneous Druid?

[Borthos]

What would happen to the druid if you made it a divine spontaneous casting class, still based on Wisdom, with the spell progression and spells known charts of the Sorcerer, giving it a free SNA each new spell level, but kept all the other class abilities?

I ask because I was thinking about it to give me something to do on the way home from school today, and to me, the flavor of the druid, living in primal nature and obtaining it's power, it doesn't make sense to me that the class is a prepared casting class. It makes sense to me that a Druid just lives in nature and learns to harness it's energies, like a Sorcerer learns spells as he learns to access the Weave.

I'd like opinions on this, making it a spontaneous caster, or using modified spells known but keeping the progression it already has, or any other views on it.

tl;dr: Good idea to make Druid spontaneous caster? why?

 

[Dandu]

Have you seen the Spirit Shaman class?

 

[Corwin of Amber]

You could give this a shot.

It's a variant for spontaneous divine casters. They get to learn spells at the rate (at even levels) of a Sorcerer, however since they can cast at odd numbered levels they get special automatic spells added to their list. Clerics lose spontaneous Cure/Inflict, but can cast their domain spells as normal spells, rather than 1/day. Druids learn SNA automatically at each level.

This option trades versatility—one of the divine spellcaster's strengths—for sheer spellcasting power (much like the difference between sorcerers and wizards). Since the cleric and druid spell lists depend on versatility of effect, particularly defensive or utilitarian spells the spontaneous-casting divine caster is allowed to know more spells per spell level than the sorcerer (by adding domain spells or summon nature's ally spells on the list of spells known). No longer is the divine caster the character who can come up with any effect under the sun; instead, he becomes a much more specialized member of the adventuring group.
This variant has the secondary effect of individualizing the divine casters in your game, since no two characters choose to learn the same set of spells. With only a limited number of spells known from which to choose, characters must make tough choices each time they gain new spells known. For instance, is it more important that a 4th-level cleric learn cure moderate wounds—particularly if he already knows cure light wounds—or bear's endurance? Should your druid learn resist energy as a 2nd level spell, or should she wait until she gains access to 3rd-level spells and learn protection from energy instead? The cleric's choice of domains becomes crucial, because those areas form the backbone of his available spells.

 

[Sekhmet]

Have you seen the Spirit Shaman class?

Pretty much this.

 

[Borthos]

No i have not actually

 

[Dandu]

Look in the Complete Divine.

 

[Borthos]

meh. spirit shaman isn't really what I was looking for, more the link that Corwin gave. thanks though.