Urban Class Features (Cityscape web enhancement)

[Piratecat]

Ari, just one more comment about how impressive this is. I plan my next campaign to be more city-based, and I am absolutely using this as a carrot. Very neat stuff.

 

[Nyeshet]

and I'm sure turning into a wall can be fun - although I might just go with the 'merge' variant rather than a pure shapechange....

That just gave me an idea for a scene . . .

The party is fleeing down an alley and find themselves facing a suddenly facing a 10 ft brick wall after turning a corner. Rather than face their foes - who are quickly catching up with them - the druid becomes a new wall perhaps 5-10 feet before the actual wall, identical in appearance to the actual wall. Unless their foes are very knowledgeable about this particular part of the city, it is unlikely they will think the wall false - although they may think the party somehow climbed the brick wall in front of them.

It could be a lot of fun. I wonder though, if the druid can turn into objects, what about forming a ladder when the group needs to get over a wall, or a long plank so the party can move across an alley from one roof to another, and so forth. The druid may just find himself becoming more utility than prior was the case. He might even sneak in with the rogue by changing into a carry-sack - or maybe even the dagger the rogue may later use. Sort of gives a new view for intelligent weapons, especially if a druid - having changed into such - was cursed not to be able to change back, after.

That's an interesting idea for an NPC / intelligent item, actually.

Another question: Should an urban druid still be discouraged from using metal weapons / armor? After all, the original reasoning was that the druid, being nature based, would be against something as 'non-natural' as worked / forged metal. I can't see a city based druid having the same type of exclusion. In fact, I would wonder if they would even have the same language as nature druids, as I can see the two groups disagreeing on quite a few views.

 

[Hypersmurf]

DnD Druids are conceived as being in touch with the 'environment' and the Urban environment is as much a living environment as is a forest or cave system.

Yeah - I played an Urban Druid for a while. He worshipped Helm (an unorthodox choice for a standard druid, but it fitted), and he saw the city as an ecosystem that needed guardians, just like any other.

He basically ran a freelance PI firm in Waterdeep - between him and his City Domain Cleric Cohort, they could talk to animals, plants, rocks, dead people, gods, and the city itself. His animal companion was a swarm of cats. (I had names for all three hundred of them written down )

-Hyp.

 

[Agamemnon]

Well put!

An urban druid, imho, shouldn't turn into an average object, but into an object that is representative of the city he's in. Like turning into one of those red London phone booths.

Nah, into a blue police box, of course. With a whooshing noise.

I admit, I wasn't considering the full benefits of the cityshaping ability. Indeed, in a metropolis large enough (Sigil, I'm looking at you), an urban druid would indeed be a very funktastic niche to be.

 

[Cthulhudrew]

Nah, into a blue police box, of course. With a whooshing noise.

Where's that whooshing noise going to come from?

"Hey, druid- a little warning next time, okay?" The party fans their noses collectively.
"Sorry- one of the side effects of the Sewer Affinity feat I took at 6th level."

 

[Sidekick]

Ari - that was an excellent web enhancement.

Sure some of it isn't stuff I'd use, but blow me if I'm not taking advantage of Riposte and Skilled City Dweller.

I think my fighters would rather be able to tumble than ride really well...

Also if I didn't use it already I'd implement the Urban Tracking swap out for Rangers - but then again I do DM in Eberron so it's very appropriate.

Very good stuff Ari. after all its the little things that count!

 

[DarkKestral]

The vermin swarm druid stuff sounds perfect for NE druid BBEGs too. A evil druid with the right druid-y style PrCs and City-Shape would be wonderfully creepy beyond all reason.

The ranger variants make for an excellent city-based ranger too, easily in the master-PI style.

Overall, I love the enhancement. My only wish is that there would be something for clerics and pallies to exchange turning attempts for and for some help to the more classically city-based classes.

 

[JohnSnow]

Have you seen Unforgiven? Picture the end scene, where bullets are flying every which way and Clint Eastwood kills every fool in the room. Like that.

Y'know, it's funny. I thought of a wilderness scene. There's a scene in Tombstone, where Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) walks out from behind cover and just starts shooting Cowboys. They keep shooting at him and missing! He plugs them, one after another. They just can't get a bead on him.

Weird. And, if you read up on Wyatt Earp, stuff like that probably actually happened. In his entire career as a gunfighter and lawman, he never took a bullet. NEVER.

And people say D&D is unrealistic...

 

[Mouseferatu]

Y'know, it's funny. I thought of a wilderness scene. There's a scene in Tombstone, where Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) walks out from behind cover and just starts shooting Cowboys. They keep shooting at him and missing! He plugs them, one after another. They just can't get a bead on him.

Ah, yes. I love that scene. Also an excellent example.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Yeah - I played an Urban Druid for a while. ... His animal companion was a swarm of cats. (I had names for all three hundred of them written down )

This set off alarms in my head. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_Cat_Lady#Crazy_Cat_Lady


Personally, I'm glad you've put that detail-oriented brain to work on D&D material now, because everyone who visits these boards can benefit from it.